Dive Brief:
- Hilton unveiled the name for its new extended stay brand on Tuesday: LivSmart Studios.
- The hotel company previously announced the brand in May, then under the working name Project H3 as it sought trademark approval for the official one.
- The pending name didn’t stop development for the brand, which is Hilton’s 22nd. Hilton said it has 350 deals under negotiation for LivSmart Studios properties; a development for the brand in Kokomo, Indiana, broke ground in October and is expected to open this summer.
Dive Insight:
LivSmart Studios will be apartment-style extended stay hotels in the lower midscale segment.
“With a resilient $300 billion workforce travel market, the extended-stay segment continues to grow,” said Isaac Lake, brand leader of LivSmart Studios, in a statement. “It has never been as primed as it is now for this long-stay brand, and we’re thrilled with the initial excitement we’ve received from owners.”
The brand was designed for guests staying 20 nights or more. Design will feature warm wood tones with industrial touches, plus outdoor patios with grills and a communal firepit. The rooms will include spacious bathrooms as well as movable, multipurpose furniture and fully equipped kitchens. A nontraditional lobby will connect to fitness and laundry areas.
The hotel company isn’t the only one branching into the midscale extended stay space. Marriott announced its own midscale extended stay brand, StudioRes, in June.
In a Q3 earnings call last year, Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta shared that the company’s development pipeline was the largest in its history, and noted that strong demand for the extended stay product type was playing a role.
And Bill Fortier, Hilton’s SVP of development for the Americas, previously told Hotel Dive that he expects Hilton’s signings and construction starts “to remain robust.”
