Dive Brief:
- Hyatt Hotels is strategically expanding its luxury and lifestyle division in the Americas with a slew of recent and upcoming openings, the company shared in an announcement Monday.
- Within the division, Hyatt is opening three hotels in California this month alone: Grand Hyatt Indian Wells Resort & Villas, Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica and Thompson Palm Springs. Hyatt also plans to introduce several of its luxury and lifestyle brands in “key markets” in the U.S.
- Since 2017, it has more than doubled its number of luxury rooms and quintupled its number of lifestyle rooms worldwide, according to Hyatt. Its recent acquisition of Standard International will bolster this growth.
Dive Insight:
On the heels of its Standard International buy, Hyatt plans to launch a new dedicated lifestyle group that includes The Standard and Bunkhouse Hotels brands, plus Standard International’s restaurants and nightlife outlets, the company shared in the update.
Outside of Standard International, Hyatt’s luxury and lifestyle division has 20 recent or planned openings across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean through 2025.
In the U.S., that includes the first Andaz property in Florida — Andaz Miami Beach, slated to open in December — and the first Grand Hyatts in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Deer Valley, Utah, in addition to the California openings.
Previously a Hyatt Regency, the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale resort is expected to rebrand in October following a $115 million renovation. The Grand Hyatt Deer Valley will open in November.
And sometime this year, New Orleans luxury guesthouse Maison Métier will join Hyatt’s Unbound Collection.
Meanwhile, Hyatt’s resorts “are experiencing significant momentum,” Hyatt Inclusive Collection Associate Vice President Melanie Benozich said in a statement.
Benozich told Hotel Dive earlier this month that “travelers are increasingly seeking that personalized, authentic and sustainable experience during their vacation, and there’s a growing demand for immersive cultural experiences where travelers can engage with local communities, traditions and cuisine.”
In the second quarter of 2024, Hyatt added 700 boutique and luxury hotels and villas from the Mr & Mrs Smith platform, which it acquired in 2023, to its channels.
Outside of acquisitions, Hyatt’s recent portfolio growth has been “fueled by the leisure and lifestyle segment,” Mike Waddell, the company’s senior vice president of global franchise operations, said in a June statement.
