Hilton has announced a new partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) which will greatly expand the hotel chain’s luxury hotel portfolio.
When the partnership is fully implemented, it will be exclusive, which almost surely means the current partnership between SLH and Hyatt will fizzle out.
Hilton and SLH Announce Exclusive Partnership
Hilton and SLH have announced initial details of an exclusive partnership, through which SLH hotels will be bookable across Hilton’s channels.
The partnership will ramp up in the coming months, although no specific timeline has been released at this point.
Soon, Hilton Honors members will be able to earn and redeem points at SLH properties. Details about redemptions, including whether SLH properties will follow Hilton’s Standard Room Reward or Premium Room Reward pricing, have yet to be released.
For those who are unfamiliar, SLH is a collection of 560 independent hotels in 90 countries around the world.
As the name suggests, SLH properties target a luxury audience, and this partnership will bolster Hilton’s roster of available luxury properties, which also includes brands such as Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, and LXR Hotels & Resorts.
Not every SLH property will participate in the partnership, which is similar to how SLH’s existing partnership with Hyatt operates. Of the 560 SLH properties, 268 were accessible through the Hyatt platform, so it’s likely that this number will be similar with Hilton.
More details about the partnership are expected in the coming months.
A Gain for Hilton, Another Loss for World of Hyatt
Once the Hilton and SLH partnership goes live, it’s almost certain that SLH’s ongoing partnership with World of Hyatt, which has been in place since 2018, will come to an end.
While no official announcement has been made on this front, Hilton and SLH announced the partnership as exclusive, which doesn’t leave much room for a separate partnership to coexist.
Keep in mind that World of Hyatt’s partnership with MGM was also recently terminated, when MGM and Marriott launched a multi-year partnership.
While both of these losses are certainly not great for World of Hyatt members, Hyatt recently acquired Mr. and Mrs. Smith – a platform that provides access to a collection of 1,500+ luxury and boutique hotels.
Later this year, it’s expected that Mr. and Mrs. Smith will be fully integrated into the World of Hyatt ecosystem, at which point members will be able to earn and redeem points at Mr. and Mrs. Smith properties.
As for Hilton, the exclusive partnership with SLH is certainly a boon for the program, as it will provide Hilton Honors members with greater access to luxury properties across the world.
In an ideal world, SLH properties would follow Hilton’s Standard Room Reward pricing; however, it’s just as likely that they’ll be subject to Premium Room Reward pricing.
It’s expected that Hilton will announce further details about the partnership in the coming months, as the partnership is launched in earnest.
Conclusion
Hilton and Small Luxury Hotels of the World have announced an upcoming exclusive partnership, which will give Hilton Honors members access to participating SLH properties across the world.
Once live, members will be able to earn and redeem Hilton Honors points at SLH properties; however, the details about redemptions have yet to be released.
This almost surely marks the end of the partnership between SLH and World of Hyatt, which has been in place since 2018. However, Hyatt’s loss is Hilton’s gain, and it’s great to see Hilton adding more options for members seeking luxury experiences.
