Dive Brief:
- Starlite Yellowstone, part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection, opened in West Yellowstone, Montana, the hotel company announced Monday.
- The 133-room lifestyle hotel, developed by Cedar Park, Texas-based East Avenue Development and managed by Houston-based Vista Host, is minutes from Yellowstone National Park’s west entrance as well as the town of West Yellowstone’s outfitters, shops and Grizzle and Wolf Discovery Center, according to Hilton.
- The opening comes as Hilton expands its lifestyle offerings, leaning on its collection brands for growth in the segment amid growing demand for experiential, nature-oriented accommodations.
Dive Insight:
Starlite Yellowstone features a signature restaurant, an indoor pool with a 100-foot waterslide and a family game room. The property also offers Hilton’s Connected Room tech, which allows guests to personalize their lighting, temperature and entertainment from their phone, as well as digital keys for contactless room access.
The hotel was designed to offer “upscale comfort with a deep sense of place” with natural materials, layered textures and “smart design,” according to Hilton.
Interest in outdoor stays has grown in tandem with a desire for unique experiences, experts previously told Hotel Dive. Last year, Hilton partnered with “glamping” provider AutoCamp to offer more outdoor experiences to its loyalty members.
Meanwhile, Hilton is expanding its conversion-focused Tapestry Collection brand amid a broader push in the growing luxury and lifestyle segment. Recent Tapestry conversions include Angad Arts Hotel St. Louis and The Ambassador Hotel of Waikiki.
Hilton plans to double its lifestyle portfolio to 700 hotels, according to a June 2024 announcement. Conversion-friendly collection brands drive much of that growth, according to CEO Chris Nassetta, who said on an earnings call earlier this year that Tapestry, Curio Collection and Small Luxury Hotels of the World supported growth across the category in the first quarter.
Nassetta also teased future opportunities for the Tapestry brand on that 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.”