Hilton to launch Curio, a boutique hotel brand

Curio – A Collection by Hilton is pitched as a brand that that will curate four to five-star distinctive hotels that represent the local area and offer authentic experiences unique to the destination.

So far, the collection includes the SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino; The Sam Houston Hotel in Houston, Texas; Hotel Alex Johnson in Rapid City, South Dakota and The Franklin Hotel in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with another property in Portland, Oregon to be announced shortly.

“Our customers and owners have expressed strong interest in a brand from us that includes hotels that can retain their unique identity but also deliver the many benefits of our system, including our Hilton HHonors guest loyalty program,” said Christopher Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton Worldwide.

“That desire, combined with the current size of the independent hotel market and demand for differentiated hotel stays around the world, made for the right timing for this launch.”

The strategy borrows from the playbook of rival Starwood Hotels & Resorts, whose W Hotels is pitched as a trendy, boutique hotel brand.

While not a boutique hotel in the traditional sense, Curio’s SLS Las Vegas will anchor the Curio collection with big-name collaborations that include Philippe Starck and James Beard Foundation winning chef José Andrés.

The $415 million renovation will redevelop the site of the former Sahara Hotel & Resort, a location steeped in Las Vegas history.

The Hotel Alex Johnson (pictured above), meanwhile, is located near the Mount Rushmore National Memorial and is on the National Register of Historic Places, as is The Sam Houston Hotel in Texas.

Curio becomes Hilton Worldwide’s 11th hotel brand, a portfolio that includes the WALDORF ASTORIA, Conrad and HILTON.