Hotel Review: Tru by Hilton Hotel Sterling Heights, MI

The one thing I like about Hilton is they have a bunch of interesting properties. They’re trying to build a local presence with a lot of their brands, one of which is Tru hotels by Hilton. It’s a very millennial focused hotel with a cool, hip vibe. Everyone wears T-Shirts as their uniform, there are bold, loud colors, and a unique work/play space.

The Public Space

As you enter the property you’re greeted with cool phrases like “Get in here, you made it! Our place is your place†and “awesome times ahead!†Just off to one side is a desk cubicle working area and to the right a large seating area and work/dining space.

a glass doors with white text on them

The lobby is huge and spacious. There’s a coffee station including milk and flavored syrups, a pool table, and a gorgeous mural painted by a local artist.

a room with a pool table and a painting on the wall

a room with a pool table and coffee cups

Gold and Diamond members will receive a special gift upon check in (a snack and water, not that special to be honest). I mean, come on, if you’re gonna call it a special gift, don’t give me a 12 cent bottle of water and a bag of doritos. That’s hardly “special.â€

a plastic bag with handles a woman behind a counter with bottles of water

A colorful carbohydrate station is set up with every imaginable hydrogenated vegetable oil and simple sugar known to man. Considering how health conscious millenials are, this seems like a big miss to me.

a shelf with different types of snacks

CARBS!!! Whole 30 my ass

In the cooler is a selection of Mexican Coke and Fanta, hummus, cheese, and other sodas.

a refrigerator with drinks and snacks

Cold Drinks

Feeling like a dip? They’ve got you covered there too.

a pool with red chairs and tables

I will give them credit for a really nifty hydrate station. If you’ve got a reusable bottle you can refill it here, or they sell them for a very nominal fee (I think $5) in the lobby bar area.

a water cooler and a water cooler

The Room

How can I describe the rooms. They’re … cozy. And quirky. And unique. The bathroom is about the most spacious part of it all. Pretty standard bathroom, but spacious enough. The oddest part are the hand wash and body lotion tubes.

a shower with a glass door a bathroom with a mirror and a sink

By the Not Soap Radio brand, you’re supposed to squeeze them and then the stuff comes out. The problem is that when you squeeze them it shoots out MASSIVE QUANTITIES OF lotion and soap. Like, shot glass amounts. This seems like such a waste, but kudos for the idea of not using small bottles. The same goes for the shampoo and conditioner in the shower.

a yellow and blue soap dispensers on a white tile wall a couple of yellow soaps on a wall

No closet in the room, but there are three nifty orange coat hangers and a galvanized pipe that seems to be a closet rod…

a room with a mirror and a row of orange hooks

a swinger and iron on a wall

The bed takes up almost all of the room with just a very tiny side table on one side and a bed-in-breakfast style desk on the other. It’s actually pretty tight quarters, kind of like a New York City apartment.

a bed with a wood headboard

One HUGE bonus is the USB ports right in the wall. It’s so hard in hotels to find proper charging ports, so this is a nice touch.

Breakfast

Here’s where I hand it to Tru. They’ve got this part down! The breakfast area was clean, neat, tidy, and the food choices were excellent!

Greek Yogurt, Hard Boiled Eggs, cereals with fun toppings (like mini marshmallows, almonds, coconut, and oreo cookies) all make up one section of the wall.

a counter with bowls of food a group of containers with different toppings a table with food on it

Bagels and donuts take another section with a toaster and a “get creative†sign. Over 30 different toppings to choose from make it a fun experience, even for adults to act like kids again. You can choose from chocolate chips, M&Ms, whipped cream, sprinkles…

a donuts in a display case

Apple butter, crushed pineapple, maraschino cherries, and EVEN BACON JAM! Seriously… when is the last time you saw Bacon Jam anywhere let alone a hotel breakfast bar.

Overall impression

If all of the Tru hotels are like this one, count me as a fan. Even though the room was small, how much time are you really spending in the room anyway? The hotel has a modern and hip vibe and the staff was all very cheery. I love a hotel that has their breakfast game on point as so many US hotels are just plain pathetic. When I go back to Sterling Heights, or anywhere else I run into a Tru, it’s no question. You’ve got my business.

Has anyone else stayed at a Try hotel before? What are your thoughts?

Author: Jon Nickel-D'Andrea

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7 Comments

  1. It seems like they’re trying too hard to be cool. Reminds me of high school. Maybe it’s just generational, since I like a sizable room with a desk, privacy, and have little desire to see and be seen.

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    • It’s the new cool, Christian. Both you and I are apparently too old to understand 🙂

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  2. Looks like they copied aloft .

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    • Kinda sorta, no?

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    • I thought exactly the same. Open public spaces. Beautiful bathroom and cool atmosphere

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  3. I stayed for 4 nights in AUstin waiting for the winter weather to open up the airport. Could’ve used a real chair in the room. Besides that the room was neat and clean and yes, the soap, shampoo and conditioner smelled great and were entertaining!

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  4. It was a very clean and neat room. We loved the soap dispensers. We really enjoyed the hotel, it was so cute and the staff was very friendly. We will definitely choose Tru over other hotels whenever possible.

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