Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 89

A rendering of the colorful lobby at Best Western's GLo

> Innovative Midscale
Offerings

The term "budget friendly" is usually reserved
for guests' wallets. But a wave of new brands
with innovative design solutions highlights that
money consciousness also benefits owners-and
an underserved demographic.
For one, Tru by Hilton, a midscale brand
that launched nearly a year ago, is set to debut
its first location next year (and already has a
staggering 120 properties in the pipeline and
200-plus more in various stages of development).
It was important to follow the brand's "simple
but spirited" mantra, says Adrianne Korczynski,
vice president and creative director of hospitality
at Cincinnati-based FRCH Design Worldwide,
which developed the Tru prototype with Hilton.
The customer at this pricepoint ($90-100 a
night) "is looking for more and deserves more,"
she says, and owners want something that is
"grounded in value." To that end, the mostly
new builds often located in second-tier cities
and with a typical room count of 98, have a
cost-effective footprint. "While the rooms may
be slightly smaller in square footage, they are
thoughtfully designed down to the last detail to
provide everything in the right place," explains
Larry Traxler, Hilton's senior vice president
of global design. Rooms feature a doublewide window to create a sense of openness

A rendering of one of the four zones in Tru by Hilton's lobby

and efficient casegoods (they are sans desk or
closet). The space-conscious design continues
in the lobby, or Hive, which is divided into four
zones, including a front desk with an integrated
market, a recreation area with ping pong or
pool tables, a work zone, where built-in cubbies
offer a soundproof space, and a social spot with
hammocks visible from outside.
Also in the new build, new brand space,
Best Western introduced its GLo concept last
fall (following the launch of its urban boutique

An outdoor patio at Tru by Hilton looks into the lobby

concept Vib) because "we found that there were
opportunities we were missing in secondary
markets," says Amy Hulbert, Best Western's
managing director of design, pointing to the
brand's suburban locales (50 are already in the
pipeline). As its name suggests, GLo buildings
are beacons, with colorful signage to attract
Millennial-minded guests. Also conscious of
footprint and budget, guestrooms feature a
unique layout that saves about 50 square feet,
with adjacent bathrooms positioned back to
back, wall-hugging furniture, underbed storage,
and barn doors that close off bathrooms from
the bedroom. Multifunctional, open-plan
public spaces promote guest interaction, with
the lobby flowing into a concealable breakfast
area that transitions into a work and lounge
area. Focal elements include a living wall, an
internally lit communal table in the brand's
signature sapphire tone, and a gold glowing front
desk. Hulbert points to the 'lite brite' wall as a
standout, "encompassing the brand's colors and
introducing the hotel to guests as they pull up
to the entrance, continuing into the lobby, and
running behind the front desk-truly bringing
the architecture in."

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Hospitality Design - December 2016

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