Dive Brief:
- McKibbon Hospitality will open three lifestyle hotels in North Carolina this summer, including two dual-branded properties, according to an announcement obtained by Hotel Dive.
- The Tampa, Florida-based hotel and restaurant management company will open the first-ever dual-branded Tempo by Hilton and Homewood Suites in Raleigh, and another dual-branded hotel in Wilmington combining Hotel Lela, a Tapestry Collection by Hilton property, with a Tru by Hilton. It is also opening a Marriott brand Moxy Hotels property in Asheville.
- North Carolina is a “high-demand” market, McKibbon Communications Manager Sarah Brown told Hotel Dive, noting that dual-branded hotels allow properties to cater to both business and leisure travelers.
Dive Insight:
Developed in partnership with North Carolina-based CN Hotels, the Tempo by Hilton and Homewood Suites property in downtown Raleigh will feature Hilton’s fourth-ever Tempo hotel, the first of which opened last summer in New York City. According to Brown, McKibbon believes the growing lifestyle brand “will be a great fit for the Raleigh market.”
Other Tempo by Hilton hotels have opened in Nashville and Louisville, Kentucky.
The Raleigh Tempo will be the brand’s first to share a property with another hotel, a Hilton spokesperson confirmed to Hotel Dive. “While we are unable to confirm additional dual-branded Tempo by Hilton and Homewood Suites by Hilton properties at this time, we look forward to the continued growth of our brands, capitalizing on travel demand from a number of market segments,” the spokesperson said.
McKibbon currently manages 14 dual-branded hotels under various flags, Brown told Hotel Dive. “This approach allows us to cater to both business and leisure travelers with the convenience of shared amenities,” Brown added.
Hilton’s Tapestry Collection — which Hotel Lela will belong to — is part of the company’s lifestyle portfolio as well. Collection brands are driving conversion activity for Hilton, CEO Chris Nassetta said in the company’s Q4 2023 earnings call.
McKibbon is also bringing Marriott International’s growing Moxy Hotels brand to Asheville. The brand, which features common spaces designed for socializing, is also expanding in Colorado and Florida this summer.
McKibbon currently operates nine properties throughout North Carolina, a market the company calls “a great destination and high-demand market that appeals to a wide variety of travelers.”
McKibbon did not share exact opening dates for the properties, but said all three properties will open throughout the summer, with Moxy Asheville’s Splash! Rooftop Pool and Lounge available to guests and local residents with day passes this season.
