Hilton will launch Apartment Collection by Hilton in the first half of 2026, entering the furnished apartment segment through a strategic partnership with Placemakr, bringing an initial pipeline of up to 3,000 units to Hilton’s system.
The new collection brand will offer studios through four-bedroom furnished apartments with full kitchens, separate living areas, on-site laundry, and 24/7 on-site support. Hilton said the properties are designed to deliver “apartment-style stays with hotel-grade consistency,” including Hilton Honors points, standardized service expectations, and policies tailored to business and extended-stay travelers.
Initial markets include New York City, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, with additional expansion planned as Hilton opens the collection to other qualifying partners.
The launch shows how major hotel brands are trying to capture demand for Airbnb-style accommodations and regain market share. It also reflects how Hilton has rethought its approach to furnished apartments following the high-profile collapse of the Marriott-Sonder partnership.
How Hilton-Placemakr differs from Marriott-Sonder
Marriott’s recent termination of its Sonder partnership highlighted the risks of integrating lease-based operators into traditional hotel ecosystems. Sonder primarily used lease-arbitrage agreements, acting as the tenant while paying fixed rent and taking on real estate risk.
Placemakr operates under a different model. The company focuses on management agreements and partnerships with large landlords, including institutional multifamily owners. It positions itself as a real estate partner that helps stabilize cash flow by allowing buildings to shift between residential and hospitality use, rather than locking into long-term leases.
Hilton’s approach is also fundamentally different from Marriott’s. Instead of relying on a single operator, Hilton is creating a standalone collection brand and naming Placemakr as a launch partner, not the only platform. This gives Hilton the flexibility to add other developers and owners while keeping control over the brand.
Broader industry consolidation
The Hilton-Placemakr deal follows Kasa's recent acquisition of Mint House, which brought nearly 1,000 apartment-style units onto Kasa's management platform. Kasa has also taken over multiple Sonder properties after Sonder’s financial collapse.
Together, the Hilton–Placemakr partnership and the Kasa–Mint House deal signal capital flowing toward scaled, asset-light operators with proven operational systems, replacing weaker players rather than abandoning the apartment-hotel category entirely.
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