Dive Brief:
- The 368-room Ambassador Hotel of Waikiki on O’ahu, Hawai’i, joined Hilton’s Tapestry Collection — the first hotel in the state to do so, Hilton announced Wednesday.
- Real estate and hospitality management firm Highgate will continue to operate the newly renovated hotel, which features diverse accommodations designed with families and groups in mind.
- Collection brands are supporting Hilton’s expansion in luxury and lifestyle, which accounted for 30% of the company’s hotel openings in the first quarter of this year, CEO Chris Nassetta said on an earnings call last month.
Dive Insight:
Formerly the Romer Waikiki at the Ambassador, The Ambassador Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton has a mid-century design that nods to its origins in the 1960s, with interiors that feature a tropical-inspired palette, expansive lanais and lounge areas and a custom lava rock wall in the lobby, according to Hilton.
Its accommodations include a variety of formats, including two-bedroom suites and lofted bunk-bed rooms designed with families and groups in mind. The hotel is a sister property to the adults-only Romer House Waikiki.
The property is home to the Waikiki Swim & Social Club, a retro-inspired pool and cabana deck serving tropical beverages and “locally inspired” bites. The hotel offers a fitness center, poolside pilates classes and access to beach rentals and bike cruisers.
On-property restaurant Favorite Son is geared toward both locals and travelers, according to Hilton.
Hilton says Tapestry Collection offers a “signature, community-focused approach” to its destination. The property’s general manager, Brandon Kaya, said the brand aligns with The Ambassador Hotel’s “dedication to personalized hospitality rooted in a strong sense of place."
"Our team is passionate about creating meaningful connections to local culture,” Kaya said in a statement.
Tapestry Collection’s portfolio spans nearly 160 hotels, including the newly opened Nobleman Fort Worth in Texas. The brand also converted properties in St. Louis and Los Angeles to its portfolio earlier this year.
Hilton plans to double its lifestyle portfolio to 700 hotels, according to an announcement last June. Conversion-friendly collection brands are key to that growth, according to Nassetta, who said on the company’s recent earnings call that Tapestry, Curio Collection and Small Luxury Hotels of the World supported growth across the category in Q1.
Nassetta also hinted at future opportunities for the Tapestry brand on the call, noting that the company had considered creating a lifestyle collection under Tapestry “to take unique hotels that we think would be very additive to the system from a customer point of view.”
Last week, Marriott International launched a collection brand, Series by Marriott, to fuel global growth in the midscale and upscale segments.
