Hilton’s partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World has kicked into gear. Approximately 400 properties worldwide have been added to the hotelier’s booking portal, including eight properties in Australia that add some much-needed spice to Hilton’s local portfolio.

From Beverly Hills’ Waldorf Astoria to Sydney’s very own W Hotel, there have been big movements in the hospitality space in recent months, and hotel giant Hilton is no exception.

Hilton announced its partnership with SLH earlier this year, teasing that the chain best known for comfortable but bland accommodation would add treehouses, rainforest retreats, and coastal villas to its predictable Conrad Hong Kong or Sydney Hilton-style offering. However, it took another six months before the expanded range became bookable and earn-and-burn opportunities opened up for Honors members.

There are no treehouses, but new additions to the Australian portfolio include Smiths Beach Resort in the Margaret River, Le Mas Barossa, Chalets at Blackheath, and Ovolo properties in Melbourne (Laneways and South Yarra), Canberra (the Nishi), Sydney (Woolloomooloo), and Brisbane (The Valley).

Australian Additions to Hilton’s Portfolio

There’s a bit to unpack here. Firstly, none of these properties are bad, and some, like the Chalets at Blackheath, are seriously good. There is finally a Hilton-affiliated property in Canberra, although the delicious yabby jaffles are sadly no longer on the menu at this particular property. And who wouldn’t rather stay in South Yarra than downtown Melbourne?

SLH was formerly affiliated with Hyatt, which is now hooking up with Mr & Mrs Smith, another alliance of upscale independent hotels. No one has ever said exactly why the SLH/Hyatt partnership ended. However, Hyatt did not initiate the breakup. Hilton, whose infiltration of the high-end boutique market segment had lacked to date, moved in faster than a guy on his first post-break-up date.

And high-end these properties are. A sample two-night booking at the eight Australian SLH properties in the last weekend of October flushes out a single potential bargain, AUD244 per night to book a Go Go Snug room at the Ovolo South Yarra. On the plus side, Hilton Honors Gold and Diamond members get comped breakfast and space-available upgrades.

From there, the cash prices head north, starting at AUD420 for a night at the Ovolo Nishi, which is a stiff ask for a sleepover in the national capital, through to AUD1,275 for a night in the Blue Mountains. That said, the Chalet at Blackheath is one of the most underrated but best small hotels in the country. The Chalet also comps breakfast for everyone, regardless of status.

Benefits for Hilton Honors Members

If Honors members are inclined to redeem points for an SLH stay, rates over the same October weekend start at 30,000 points for the Ovolo South Yarra and run through to 100,000 points per night for the Chalet and Le Mas Barossa.

The partnership also opens up some interesting new hotels in New Zealand for Hilton loyalists, including Eichardt’s Private Hotel in Queenstown for NZD2,100 or 130,000 points per night and the George in Christchurch, which, in comparison, seems like a bargain at NZD394 or 50,000 points per night. For Australian Honors members, the SLH partnership also opens up some nice alternatives to mainstream Hilton hotels in Europe and North America.

SLH’s 570 portfolio of hotels is roughly split 60% to European properties, 20% to US properties, and 20% to Asia Pacific properties. Not all are signing up to the Hilton partnership. Frankly, not all, especially the smaller properties, want the Hilton elites descending en masse on Friday afternoon and squawking about upgrades and free stuff. 

But Hilton Honors members checking in at SLH properties that have signed up can expect the usual benefits like free WiFi and depending on status and availability, upgrades. Gold and diamond members get complimentary continental breakfast, but in Australia at least, like the mainstream Hilton properties, the full breakfast is often added.

As these are small properties, there are no executive lounges. However, you might swing a complimentary drink or two if you are pleasant when checking in. Honors members also earn points on stays, and each night in an SLH property counts towards status. 

The partnership with SLH adds some flair to Hilton’s offering, which, in Australia and New Zealand at least, was taking on a particular tone of beige. Hilton’s local product is perfectly serviceable and comfortable. But there have been no new five-star builds in over a decade, and the next, the Sydney Waldorf Astoria, is not due to open until 2026.

In Australia, Hilton’s recent openings have focused on mid-tier Doubletrees and less than mid-tier Garden Inns in Western Australia. Meanwhile, the flagship Hilton properties in the capitals have aged and been overtaken by competitors.  

The SLH additions will pick up some weekend traffic from Hilton regulars, and the Ovolo properties in the capitals may pull in some weekday corporate traffic who might have otherwise stayed at say, the Brisbane Hilton. But inclusion in the Hilton book portal also gives local SLH properties, which might not be well-known internationally, exposure to a far wider international market. That’s the big benefit to local SLH properties.