Hilton, Marriott Look to New Concepts for Growth

MCLEAN, VA—As the annual NYU Hospitality Conference got under way Monday, Hilton Worldwide, headquartered here, and New York City-based Marriott International separately announced new directions for the next few years. Hilton said it had signed letters of intent for the first five properties in what will be a new brand, while Marriott intends to double down on its luxury and lifestyle portfolio.

Hilton says its new Curio brand will encompass a carefully selected group of distinctive four- to five-star hotels. Eventually the brand will be propagated globally; however, the first five locations are in the US: SLS Las Vegas Hotel Casino; the Sam Houston Hotel in Houston; Hotel Alex Johnson in Rapid City, SD; the Franklin Hotel in Chapel Hill, NC; and a soon-to-be-named property in Portland, OR now under development by the Widewaters Group Inc. Financial terms were not disclosed.