How Major Hotel Brands are Downsizing in All the Right WaysHilton's low-budget offering, Tru, will start rolling out later this year. Check out how it will compare to the company's Hampton brand.

Big hotel chains are going low-budget, appealing to workers for whom cost and cool are more important than cushy comfort. Hyatt's new Hyatt House in Denver offers local art and craft beer. Marriott's Moxy Hotels opened this April in New Orleans, with a photo booth in the lobby. And Hilton will begin rolling out Tru later this year, with rates starting at $90 per night. "The question was how to design a new hotel brand without thinking like a traditional hotel," says Phil Cordell, Hilton's global head of focused service. The answer: Think like a Starbucks, a community center and a modern office. So, what to expect? Here, we compare Tru to Hampton by Hilton, the brand's next step up.

Hampton