“Signia Hilton is confirmed as a brand in development which will be introduced in 2019; but what was not officially confirmed were the following details: that the first property of the Signia Hilton brand — of which premiere meetings and events will be its focus — will be located adjacent to the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.”
Signia Hilton: Officially Launched as the Newest Brand By Hilton
That paragraph you just read was from this article which I wrote on Friday, December 14, 2018; and as of a few days ago, the Signia Hilton brand — which is the 17th brand of the Hilton portfolio — was officially announced.
Focused as the premier brand of Hilton for dynamic meetings and events and reimagining them, the goal of this portfolio of hotel properties is to transform the industry for meeting professionals and sophisticated business travelers by infusing state-of-the-art technology and design into every aspect of the guest experience.
The brand further reinforces the commitment by Hilton to innovation which meets the evolving needs of travelers — and will bring premium experiences to top urban and resort destinations around the world.
With a minimum of 500 guest rooms and 75 square feet per key of flexible meetings and events space, each Signia Hilton hotel property will offer business and leisure travelers elevated experiences — from arrival to departure — with the following elements:
- Impressive arrivals: Signia Hilton will offer a true sense of arrival with modern architecture, manicured landscaping and welcoming team members who will invite travelers to enjoy the grandeur and energy of the hotel.
- Unmatched lobby experiences: Thoughtful design connected to the local culture will foster an impressive and comfortable space that doubles as a lobby and social destination for guests throughout their stay. Travelers are looking for unique, Instagram-worthy design and features in a high-energy environment. A locally-inspired design can help with this, as does a lobby blanketed with an abundance of natural light. The lobby layout needs to be intuitive and logical — as there is no joy searching for the elevators.
- Modern guest rooms: From the premium design and quality finishes that take inspiration from the unique destination of each hotel property, to the innovative technology that matters most to guests — such as Digital Key — the rooms will serve as a haven for comfort and convenience. Guest room design needs to be functionally flexible to a guest’s individuality. Ways to differentiate include offering a guest room that is adaptable to the guest’s lifestyle needs — including smart tech to allow the room to fit with its guest’s preferences and furniture that is multi-functional.
- A destination bar: Each hotel will feature a bar that ties back to the exciting city or resort destination where it resides. With its premier location in the hotel, the bar will serve as the heart of the hotel, emanating a dynamic energy throughout the entire space. Bar areas need to have plenty of space to accommodate hotel guests and meeting attendees who are carrying their things; bars should be entertaining enough to attract guests after a long day of meetings, but also casual enough to inspire more spontaneous visits.
- A signature restaurant: The signature restaurants at each Signia Hilton will be based on a dining concept driven by chefs; and designed to offer both locals and guests elevated presentations and experiences that they will want to share with friends and business partners.
- Premium wellness experiences: From infinity pools to state-of-the art spas, fitness classes and facilities, each Signia Hilton will offer an upgraded experience, all in a space designed to make guests feel their best.
- The Signia meeting experience: The meetings and events spaces will be the signature showpiece of each Signia Hilton. Large ballrooms and pre-function areas will feature smart design paired with the newest technologies to elevate today’s meetings. As the modern meeting attendee is looking for spaces that inspire innovative thinking, the small to mid-size meeting rooms will feature unique design and technology that spark new ideas and optimize work and collaboration.
First Hotel Properties of Signia Hilton
Signia Hilton is bringing unparalleled, dynamic meetings and events-focused hotels to top urban and resort locales, offering world-class design, state-of-the-art technology, signature food and beverage experiences and premium wellness offerings, all backed by the Hilton name and award-winning Hilton Honors program.
The global brand will consist of a carefully curated portfolio of hotel properties in leading convention and meetings and events hubs and in top urban and resort locales — which will include Signia Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, Signia Hilton Atlanta and Signia Hilton Indianapolis.
Signia Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek will help transform the industry for meeting professionals and sophisticated business travelers by infusing state-of-the-art technology and design into every aspect of the guest experience.
- Owner: Park Hotels & Resorts
- Rooms: 1,009
- Meeting Space: ~ 132,000 square feet
Signia Hilton Atlanta is set to transform the Atlanta skyline and offer both meeting planners and sophisticated travelers elevated experiences from arrival to departure. This new build hotel will be located in the heart of downtown Atlanta as part of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority campus.
- Owner: Georgia World Congress Center Authority
- Developer: The Drew Company
- Rooms: 900 – 1,000
- Meeting Space: 75,000 square feet
Signia Hilton Indianapolis will provide both meeting professionals and sophisticated travelers with a premier, on-property experience. This new build hotel features an impressive rooftop bar with panoramic views of the city, a signature restaurant and a 50,000 square foot ballroom.
- Owner: Kite Realty
- Rooms: 814
- Meeting Space: More than 80,000 square feet
Summary
Although meetings and events can be a significant revenue source for a hotel property, lodging brands are not designed around them as a focal point and leave them isolated on a separate floor as a result.
The room appears to not have a true desk; but unlike my experience with the Tru by Hilton concept, at least there seems to be a table at an appropriate height on which to work, which would suffice for me.
Hilton has been launching new lodging brands lately — including LXR and Motto — and whether Signia Hilton will be deemed successful with this new concept remains to be seen; but I do believe that it is interesting and would like to see the hotel property in Atlanta when it is completed or near completion.
Source: Hilton.
