Dive Brief:

• Hyatt Hotels Corp. unveiled plans Monday for strategic expansion in the luxury lifestyle space, with more than 30 hotels and resorts set to open across the Americas through 2025, including several in new markets. 
• The pipeline includes U.S. hotels under the Thompson Hotels, Caption by Hyatt, Andaz and Grand Hyatt brands. 
• The pipeline growth comes on the heels of several major openings by Hyatt in the luxury and lifestyle segment, which has experienced strong performance and demand hikes in recent months. Other major hotel players are also expanding in the space due to its positive growth fundamentals. 

Dive Insight:

Hyatt’s latest expansion in the luxury and lifestyle segment was bolstered by the “current demand for authentic leisure travel experiences,” Crystal Vinisse Thomas, VP and global brand leader for Hyatt’s luxury and lifestyle brands, said in a statement. 

With this in mind, Hyatt is focused on opening hotels in “sought-after destinations” that boast experiential amenities across the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean, the company said. To do this, Hyatt will expand several of its brands, including Thompson Hotels, which is set to launch three U.S. properties by 2025. 

The 206-key Thompson Houston, to open by year-end, will feature more than 17,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor event space, three restaurants, a private heli-port, a full-service “sanctuary” spa and wellness center that Hyatt said is “devoted to full body restoration,” and a 1-acre rooftop with an expansive pool deck.

Hyatt also plans to open a Thompson branded hotel in Palm Springs, California, a popular market of late for luxury and lifestyle hotel activity; and South Beach, Florida, marking the brand’s entry into the state. 

Andaz will also enter Florida for the first time. Hyatt plans to rebrand The Confidante Miami Beach hotel to Andaz Miami Beach, a three-tower complex featuring a redesigned lobby, pool, revamped dining options, a full-service spa, upgraded event spaces and modernized guestrooms. 

The Caption by Hyatt brand will also expand in Tennessee, opening an upscale, select-service lifestyle hotel in Chattanooga next year. And Grand Hyatt will debut in Arizona next year when the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch is rebranded to Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort & Spa. 

The expansion comes on the heels of Hyatt’s significant growth in the luxury lifestyle segment over the last five years. In that time, Hyatt has doubled its global number of luxury rooms, tripled the number of resort rooms and quadrupled the number of lifestyle rooms, the company said. Luxury, lifestyle and resort hotels currently make up more than 40% of Hyatt's portfolio. 

Other industry players are expanding in the space as well, including Crescent Hotels & Resorts, which is adding properties to its growing luxury lifestyle portfolio. Pyramid Global Hospitality similarly added four boutique hotels to its management portfolio earlier this year in an effort to boost its luxury lifestyle holdings.