Hotel Review: Tru by Hilton Smyrna Nashville

Tru by Hilton was branded to target millennials by providing a more casual and exciting budget hotel experience. Photo by Hilton.

Tru by Hilton is a fairly new addition to Hilton’s hospitality portfolio. It debuted in 2016, and Hilton describes its branding as “vibrant, affordable, and young-at-heart”. Tru hotels are equipped with spacious lounge-style lobbies where visitors can hang out and play board games or pool, and workspaces where students and professionals alike can sit in semi-private alcoves equipped with outlets and wirelessly print documents from their own devices. These all sounded great for a young professional like myself, so I figured I’d give it a shot next time I traveled. I was able to find Tru by Hilton Smyrna Nashville while searching for lodging for my next work trip. I usually stay at Hampton Inn during business travels since they’re usually the most affordable properties I can find, but Tru was actually slightly cheaper than its fellow Hilton-based chain. Between the two, choosing a younger and more vibrant brand at a lower price point sounded like a no-brainer to me. 

The lobby and seating areas were much more inviting than those of other budget hotels I’ve experienced.

What Card Did I Use to Book My Stay?

American Express Hilton Surpass

I used my AMEX Hilton Surpass card to book the stay. The Surpass is currently offering a signup bonus of 150,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $3,000 in 3 months, also worth about $900. Like other AMEX cards, the Surpass is subject to the once per lifetime signup bonus rule. The annual fee is $95 and unlike the Aspire, it doesn’t come with airline or resort credits. However, it can be a great workhorse card as it offers great everyday multipliers. It earns 12X Hilton Honors points per dollar spent on hotel and resort purchases booked directly with Hilton and 6X at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations. All other purchases earn 3X points per dollar spent. Because of the automatic Gold status, you would get an 80% points bonus and 8 extra points per dollar spent at Hilton properties. Thus, the Surpass earns 20X per dollar spent on Hilton properties when booked directly with Hilton, yielding a return of 12%.

The American Express Hilton Surpass can cover a wide range of daily expenses and still comes with a great multiplier for Hilton stays. Photo credit: www.americanexpress.com

The AMEX Hilton Surpass does grant cardmembers complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, and if they spend $40,000 with the card in a given calendar year, this rises to Diamond status through the end of the following year. I don’t recommend earning Diamond status this way since it comes as a default perk through the Hilton Aspire. In addition, you can earn a free weekend night certificate after spending $15,000 in a calendar year. Be aware the certificate only qualifies for standard room rates. Though the free weekend night certificate is limited to weekend stays, it can be lucrative if you were to redeem it at exotic properties.

Lobby and Check-In Review

When I arrived at the hotel, I saw that this Tru location was physically connected with the bordering Home2 Suites, also a Hilton property. This doesn’t appear to be uncommon among Hilton’s budget hotels; I saw something similar between a Hampton Inn and Home2 Suites in Huntsville, Alabama. Stepping into the hotel lobby, I was immediately greeted by vibrant and colorful seating areas. In the center was a check-in desk, which also doubled as a snack shop.

The check-in desk also served as a snack stand with goodies and refreshments to purchase from the reception staff. Photo credit: www.hilton.com

Ranging from comfortable couches to semi-private alcoves, the furniture was laid out with plenty of chairs and tables for both work and play. There were smaller, individual tables perfect for visitors focused on their devices, as well as large coffee tables for communal gatherings. There was a pool table in the common area as well, perfect for a relaxing night with friends or coworkers.

The wall art reflects Tru’s energetic and youthful theme. I took full advantage of the pool table after a long day of work. Photo credit: www.hilton.com

Room Review: Clean, Minimal, and Comfortable

My king bed booking was located on the third floor. Using my digital key, I stepped into the room and the energetic theme continued. There were colorful wall hangers and the room had a large TV that looked to be about 50-55”. Aside from electronics, the room decor and layout was quite minimalist. There were two small night stands, a chair, and a convenient movable desk that allowed me to work from my bed during my stay while remaining tucked under the TV stand if not used.

The TV was big and brand-new, and the movable desk came in handy when I used it to work from my bed.

I also liked that the hotel installed a small table above the A/C unit; it was a clever use of the space and something that other hotels, including other Hilton properties, don’t usually take advantage of. 

Turning dead space into a functional stand was a clever idea to utilize more space in the room.

The highlight of the room was the king bed, which was extremely comfortable. I was honestly shocked by the quality of the mattress. Of course, it’s not quite comparable to those of 5-star lodgings, but this was probably my favorite budget hotel bed I’ve ever had the pleasure of laying on. I wish the nightstands were slightly bigger, but they fit the vibrant minimalist theme of the room.

Wow! The bed was surprisingly comfortable. Seriously.

Bathroom Review: Environmentally Conscious but Cumbersome Amenities

The bathroom was nicely lit and had lots of counter-top space to disperse my amenities and toiletries. Putting a wall shelf above the toilet was another great idea to maximize the use of space.

The built-in mirror lighting did a great job stylishly brightening the room.

The walk-in shower was spacious, and the water pressure was strong.

Walk-in showers utilize much less space than traditional tubs and are more accessible for those with disabilities.

My budget hotel bathroom experience was flawless until I came across the soap dispensers in the shower.  The toiletries were by Not Soap, Radio which had a pretty robust and sweet fragrance, and came in long cylindrical plastic dispensers.

Tru by Hilton’s approach to reducing its carbon footprint and plastic waste is thoughtful, but really needs to incorporate better-quality dispensers.

I prefer personal-sized toiletry items, but I understand and support Hilton’s environmental movement toward reducing waste. The problem was the extreme difficulty I encountered in collecting even a tiny drop of shampoo or body wash from these dispensers. It took about a full 8 seconds or so of clamping down with an unreasonable amount of pressure to squeeze out one full pump of soap. The bottles were too rigid to get anything substantial out with a normal amount of force; I can imagine children or elderly guests having great trouble with these.

Gym Review: Clean but Small for Two Hotels

The gym was located on the first floor, right next to the elevators, and shared with Home2 Suites. There was also a separate area for laundry machines and dryers for personal use.

I liked that washers and dryers were right by the gym; getting a workout in while running a load seems like a great way to multitask.

There were plenty of towels for gym users by the entrance.

There were seats available for those finishing up their laundry.

The gym was nothing spectacular and had the hotel essentials: Basic dumbbells, kettlebells, flat benches, and cardio machines. A bunch of resistance bands was also available for body weight workouts. 

I enjoyed using the gym’s interactive home workout interface. I only wish the screen was bigger because it was hard to see some instructions from afar.

Although the gym was well-maintained and modern for a budget hotel, I found it quite small to be shared by both Tru and Home2 Suites. Luckily, the gym was not crowded when I came down to work out.

The gym was clean, but felt inadequate in size if it was to be shared with Home2Suite’s long-term guests.

The following morning, I went downstairs to have some breakfast. I’m usually not a big fan of the overall quality of food offered at Hampton Inns and was hoping that Tru would be a little different since it targeted a younger generation. My hopes didn’t last long as I came across the same bland powdered scrambled eggs served with dry bread. I did notice a unique condiments table that served all sorts of spreads like Nutella and peanut butter. They were also serving waffle boats, which were essentially waffles shaped like a taco if visitors wanted to eat with their hands over a fork and knife.

The breakfast at Tru was only marginally better than those served at Hampton Inns. Photo by Hilton.

Summary

Tru by Hilton exceeded my expectations, which were admittedly low based on my stays at the comparably-priced Hampton Inns. The lobby was colorful, energetic, inviting, and offered various seating options, suitable for anything from work to socializing. Having a pool table and individual seats equipped with outlets was a great idea by Hilton to accommodate for a student or young professional’s needs. The rooms were equally well-planned and the bed comfortable, although the bathroom soap dispensers were cumbersome to use. Overall, I recommend Tru by Hilton to anyone looking for a budget hotel stay without sacrificing too much in terms of quality. I honestly think all Hampton Inns should be refreshed, and modeling after Tru by Hilton may be a good step forward in the right direction.