During a recent trip to Nashville, we visited six Hilton properties across their collection of brands – from luxury brands like the Conrad Nashville to boutique brands in the Curio Collection like Hotel Fraye. 

We toured meeting spaces, hotel rooms and suites, lobbies, bars, restaurants and gyms (stay tuned for complete rundown), but here are eight cool trends we noted and experienced during our site visit.

Hydration station. At the Tempo by Hilton Nashville Downtown, guests can fill up their water bottles with complimentary sparkling, still or alkaline water. Partnering with Planet Water, Tempo by Hilton sells refillable water bottles in its gift shop, and $2 from each bottle is donated to help build water towers for water-insecure communities around the world. Tempo by Hilton Nashville Downtown has helped build a tower in Jalisco, Mexico.

Bespoke experiences. At the Conrad Nashville, Hilton teamed up with designer Olia Zavozina to offer a two-hour customized wedding gown experience that includes a two-night minimum stay in a premium suite with complimentary sparkling wine and chef’s charcuterie selection. Zavozina’s flagship boutique in Nashville has been a destination for brides for nearly two decades. Zavozina told us she outfitted 13 members of the wedding party for Country Artist Sam Hunt’s nuptials. 

Mocktail for every cocktail. For every specialty cocktail, Hilton properties offered a mocktail option. As demand for non-alcoholic beverages has risen, particularly among 18- to 34-year-olds, hoteliers like Hilton have responded with inclusive menus that feature drinks like pomegranate cosmos and cucumber drinks made with Seedlip Garden’s zero alcohol spirits. During a reception at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown/Convention Center, the bar offered an extensive selection of premium tequilas and whiskeys, as well as a variety of non-alcoholic selections like Noughty Sparkling Rose. 

Related: AHLI’s Michael Dominguez Talks Hotel Trends: 8 Takeaways

Double points for planners. During lunch with the Hilton Honors team at Hotel Fraye, Devin K told us the loyalty program doubled the number of points event planners can earn from hotel rooms, meeting space rental, food and beverage and more. As of April 15, planners earn two points for every dollar spent. Planners can use their points for experiences like the Kelce Jam Music Festival held May 18 in Kansas City, Mo. Hilton Honors members could redeem 45,000 points for two tickets to join NFL superstar Travis Kelce at his 2nd annual Kelce Jam Music Festival, featuring Lil Wayne, Diplo and 2 Chainz.

Digital tools. We were able to bypass any lines at the front desk and check in to the Embassy Suites via the Hilton mobile app while on the way to the hotel. Digital keys appeared within the app. Guests can walk up to the door, tap unlock and gain entry to their room – all without ever interacting with hotel staff, if they prefer. During the pandemic, guests adopted digital tools out of necessity, and many now enjoy the convenience of this do-it-yourself approach. 

Rooftop experiences. If you haven’t been to a rooftop in Nashville, have you really experienced Music City? Every Nashville hotel we visited featured a rooftop pool, restaurant, bar, meeting space and spectacular views for miles. At the new Hilton BNA Nashville Airport Terminal that opened in February, our group enjoyed breakfast on the rooftop that overlooks the active runway. The rooftop at the 30-story Embassy Suites Nashville provided ample space for our group to nosh on appetizers, listen to live music and watch the sunset. At Conrad, groups can host a dinner or reception at the Secret Garden, which offers access to an outdoor rooftop space next to the pool.

 Pet-friendly hotels. In 2021, Hilton launched a partnership with Mars Petcare to provide exceptional stays for pets and their owners. The partnership was expanded in 2022 when they launched Mars PET On-Demand across Hilton’s seven pet-friendly brands, available at more than 4,600 Hilton hotels across the U.S. and Canada. The online service provides pet owners with advice from the Mars Pet Expert Team during their stay. Notable: All Embassy Suites are pet-friendly. 

The Hilton team worked with the Nashville Humane Association to bring in puppies to play with on the rooftop at Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown. Puppy lounges continue to be popular at meetings, providing not only fun for attendees but also sponsorship opportunities for exhibitors.

Giving back. In collaboration with Mars Petcare and Greater Good Charities, Hilton donates its retired towels and terry products to local animal shelters across the U.S. and Canada. To date, more than 1,200 hotels and more than 500 shelters have enrolled, and Hilton will donate more than 140,000 pounds of towels and terry products. 

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