Tru Expands Southern Hospitality With 3 New Hotels

By Gail Kalinoski

Tru by Hilton lobby

Hilton’s midscale hotel brand, Tru by Hilton, has opened its first properties in Mississippi and Kentucky and a second in Arkansas as it expands its presence in the Southern U.S.

The hotels in Meridian, Miss., Louisville, Ky., and Little Rock, Ark., join six Tru by Hilton hotels currently open in the southern region of the U.S., with nearly 30 additional properties expected to open in the region this year.

“As we approach the one-year anniversary of the first-ever Tru opening, we are proud to be a game changer in the midscale segment and equally proud of the growth we’ve achieved in this short time,” Alexandra Jaritz, global head of Tru by Hilton, said in a prepared statement. “As the first Hilton brand in this space, we continue to look for opportunities to innovate and iterate our current offerings to ensure we’re meeting the needs of our guests.”

The 82-key Tru by Hilton Little Rock West is located off Interstate 30, seconds from the Outlets of Little Rock shopping center, dining and entertainment and 15 minutes from downtown Little Rock.

The 82-key Tru by Hilton Meridian is off Interstate 20/59 in the Bonita Lakes area near the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum and historic downtown Meridian; it’s a 20-minute drive from Naval Air Station Meridian.

The 90-key Tru by Hilton Louisville East is 14 miles from Louisville International Airport and 16 miles from the University of Louisville. Churchill Downs and Louisville Zoo are also nearby.

The Tru by Hilton brand features a 2,880-square-foot lobby with areas to work, play and lounge, a market located in the lobby, a fitness center, a complimentary breakfast bar, and tech features such as Wi-Fi, mobile check-in and digital key entry.

Tru goes international

Hilton Worldwide launched the hotel brand in January 2016 to fill a void in the midscale category in the U.S. and Canada, starting with hotels in the U.S first. In November, Tru by Hilton announced plans to its first three hotels in Canada. Tru by Hilton Edmonton-Windermere, a 92-key property in Alberta, is set to open this year. Two other assets are expected to open in 2019, including a 120-key dual-brand project in Ontario featuring Tru by Hilton Markham and Home2Suites. The third property, also in Ontario, will be Tru by Hilton Kingston, a 95-key hotel.

In the U.S., the list of Tru by Hilton branded hotels expected to open in 2019 includes one in Orlando, Fla., near Orange County Convention Center, that will have 259 keys in an eight-story building. When the announcement was made in August, Hilton said it was the largest Tru by Hilton to date.

Image courtesy of Tru by Hilton