Hilton finally names apartment-style extended-stay brand

Hilton’s emerging studio apartment-style, extended-stay brand with 350 deals in various stages of development has an official brand name – LivSmart Studios by Hilton.

The first 137-room project for the lower midscale brand broke ground in Kokomo, Indiana, in October and developer Sun Management and Development Corp. is expected to open the property by late summer 2024.

Isaac Lake, brand leader, LivSmart Studios by Hilton, told Hotel Investment Today that there has been tremendous interest in the LivSmart Studios in its first six months and the group expects several hotels to break ground in 2024.

Exclusive of land, the cost per key will likely be between $116,000 and $120,000.

Brand attributes include warm wood tones and a modern farmhouse-inspired palette with light industrial touches; outdoor patios outfitted with grills and a communal fire; spacious bathrooms, ample storage space, efficient closet design, and movable, multi-purpose furniture in guestrooms; fully equipped kitchen with a full-sized refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, two-burner stovetop; lobby sight lines from the front desk to the fitness and laundry areas; and a simple retail market.

Lake said Hilton has made some minor adjustments to the original design based on owner feedback, such as adding an en-suite closet in the Queen-Queen room and increased storage in the King closet. They also removed a nightstand on the window wall and replaced it with a key shelf.