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LivSmart Studios is yet another long-term hotel brand by Hilton, complementing Home2 Suites and Homewood Studios. What makes this new brand different from other similar brands? We don't have a lot of details yet, but here's what we know so far — plus some thoughts on whether this will be a popular brand in the Hilton Honors portfolio.
Hilton LivSmart Studios Long-Term Stay Brand
In 2023, Hilton announced LivSmart Studios in a press release:
“After much anticipation, we’re thrilled to announce that LivSmart Studios by Hilton is official,” said Isaac Lake, brand leader, LivSmart Studios by Hilton. “With a resilient $300 billion workforce travel market, the extended-stay segment continues to grow. 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.”
Especially since the pandemic, extended stays have become a big draw for business travelers, remote workers, and “staycationers.” Hilton already has two of the largest extended-stay brands: Home2 Suites and Homewood Suites. In the past few months, we've seen the launch of extended stay brands in other hotel chains, such as Hyatt Studios and Apartments by Marriott.
LivSmart Studios features
New hotel brands are sometimes contentious with travelers and loyalty program members. LivSmart Studios looks to stand out from other long-term stay brands by offering the following:
- Stays for 20+ days.
- An inviting exterior of warm wood tones and a modern farmhouse-inspired palette with light industrial touches.
- Outdoor patios complete with grills, a communal fire pit, and comfortable seating.
- Spacious bathrooms, ample storage space, efficient closet design, and movable, multi-purpose furniture.
- Fully equipped kitchens with a full-sized refrigerator, dishwasher, two-burner stovetop, microwave, and more.
- A lobby with open views from the front desk to the fitness and laundry areas, plus a simple retail market.
LivSmart Studios is clearly targeting long-term bookers (specifically staying 20+ nights) with necessary amenities like a large fridge, laundry room, gym, pet-friendly rooms, etc. Whether or not these features elevate LivSmart hotels above other brands, or are even desired, is relative to each traveler's opinion.
Earning Hilton points at LivSmart Studios
At most brands, Hilton Honors members earn Hilton points at a rate of 10 points per dollar spent. The exception? Home2 Suites by Hilton and Tru by Hilton hotels only earn at a rate of 5x points. And that's the earning rate we expected Hilton to use for LivSmart Studios.
Instead, Hilton unveiled the earning rate for LivSmart Studio will be just 3x points. That means you'll earn Hilton points at LivSmart at less than one-third what you'd earn at most Hilton brands.
However, Hilton Honors members who stay at least 10 consecutive nights will get 3,000 bonus points. Plus, Hilton Gold and Diamond members earn 250 bonus points per stay through Hilton MyWay.
Related: How Many Points Can You Earn on Hilton Stays?
Questions About LivSmart Studios
Despite Hilton announcing the LivSmart Studios brand in 2023 and claiming that 350 deals were in various stages of negotiation, we won't see the first doors open for another few months. The first hotel is slated to open in Kokomo, Indiana by the end of the summer of 2024.
As no hotels are open, we don't really know much about the brand, beyond some artistic renderings. The concept photos seem to raise more questions than they answer. One photo shows a man with a dog, yet the press release makes no mention of pet-friendly rooms. Two photos show rooms without a sofa, implying guests will have to divide their share between the bed and the small work desk throughout their extended stay. After all, these hotels are supposed to be a home away from home.
I'm interested to see where Hilton is planning to open these hotels. Kokomo isn't exactly a popular destination — at least 50 miles away from any major city and 150 miles away from Chicago. What types of guests will use these hotels? And how are the locations chosen?
Also, long-term stay brands typically offer fewer loyalty perks and benefits. Besides a much lower earning rate, what caveats will LivSmart Studios have in the Hilton Honors program?
Our Take
While I enjoy long-term stay accommodations in my travels, do we really need another brand in an over-saturated market? LivSmart Studios could be a boon to travelers needing extended-stay accommodations. But such hotels would need to cater to what the guests actually need and want in such a brand, rather than what the hotel wants to provide.
It could be argued that this brand provides the bare minimum of services by targeting guests staying at least three weeks at a time. Such hotels would need a minimum of housekeeping, reception services, F&B services, etc, thus cutting down on staffing and other costs. Only time will tell how the new brand fares.
What do you think of Hilton's new LivSmart Studios brand?
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