Hilton Has Too Many Brands

What’s the Double Tree brand promise?  How is it different from Hilton’s brand promise?  How does Embassy Suites fit in between those two?  Also, what differentiates Waldorf Astoria from Conrad?  No one can know for sure.  Hilton confusingly tries to answer these questions, but does a poor job.  Let me clear things up:

Waldorf Astoria: Old luxury

Conrad: New luxury

Hilton: Business travelers

Double Tree: Shabby Hilton plus a cookie

Embassy Suites: Big room, free breakfast and beer

Hilton Garden Inn: Better roadside hotel

Hampton Inn: Basic roadside hotel

Homewood Suites: Basic extended stay

Home2 Suites: Basic extended stay with a touch of W

Hilton Grand Vacations: Timeshares

New York Skyline

It feels like Hilton can condense brands.  No one will miss the Double Tree brand if they are upgraded to Hiltons. Conrad can be rolled into Waldorf without any complaints either.  An additional problem is the range of quality Hilton provides.  Staying at one can really be a roll of the dice.  A clear understanding and differentiation of brands will help Hilton Hotels create specific expectations and deliver on those expectations to improve the customer experience.