Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known asHyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an Americanmultinational hospitality company headquartered in theRiverside Plaza area ofChicago that manages and franchises luxury and businesshotels,resorts, and vacation properties. Hyatt Hotels & Resorts is one of the businesses managed by thePritzker family. Hyatt has more than 1350 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 69 countries, across South America, North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia
The Hyatt Corporation came into being upon purchase of the Hyatt House, atLos Angeles International Airport, on September 27, 1957. In 1969, Hyatt began expanding internationally.
The company went public in 1962 as Hyatt Corporation. It had two divisions: Hyatt House Hotels and Hyatt Chalet Motels (renamed Hyatt Lodges in 1966).[8]
In 1967, the company opened the Regency Hyatt House in Atlanta, Georgia (today named theHyatt Regency Atlanta). The futuristic hotel was designed by Atlanta architectJohn Portman, who would go on to design many other hotels for the chain. It featured a massive indoor atrium, which soon became a distinctive feature of many Hyatt properties.[9]
In 1968, Hyatt International was formed, to operate hotels outside the United States.[10] It would soon become a separate company. In 1969, Hyatt opened its first international hotel, when it was awarded the management contract for the President Hotel in Hong Kong, which was renamed the Hong Kong Hyatt Hotel (later known as the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong).[11]
In 1972, Hyatt formed Elsinore Corporation, a subsidiary to operate theFour Queens Hotel and Casino and the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino. Donald Pritzker died in 1972 and Jay Pritzker continued to run the company.[12]
Alongside the Hyatt Regency brand, the company introduced the Grand Hyatt brand in 1980, with the opening of theGrand Hyatt New York (now Hyatt Grand Central).[8] That same year, the boutique Park Hyatt brand was also introduced.[8]
The Pritzkers took Hyatt International private as well, in 1982.[10] However, Hyatt and Hyatt International remained two separate companies until June 2004, when substantially all of the hospitality assets owned by the Pritzker family business interests, including Hyatt Corporation and Hyatt International Corporation, were consolidated under a single entity called Global Hyatt Corp. On June 30, 2009, Global Hyatt Corporation changed its name to Hyatt Hotels Corporation.[15]
In December 2004, Hyatt Hotels Corporation acquiredAmeriSuites, an upscale chain of all-suite business class hotels from affiliates of theBlackstone Group, aNew York-based private equity investment firm. Blackstone had inherited AmeriSuites from its 2004 acquisition of Prime Hospitality.[3] The AmeriSuites chain was rebranded and called Hyatt Place, a competitor to the limited-service productsMarriott International's Courtyard by Marriott andHilton Worldwide'sHilton Garden Inn.
In December 2005, Hyatt acquired limited service companySummerfield Suites from the Blackstone Group. Blackstone had inherited Summerfield Suites from its purchase ofWyndham International. In January 2012, Hyatt Summerfield Suites were rebranded as Hyatt House in 2012 to compete in the "upscale extended stay market" againstResidence Inn, Homewood Suites, and Staybridge Suites.[16]
In August 2009, it was reported that Hyatt Hotels Corporation filed plans to raise up to $1.15 billion in an initial share sale. That November Hyatt completed an initial public offering and began trading publicly on theNew York Stock Exchange under the symbolH.[19] According to the filingMark S. Hoplamazian was to serve asCEO andThomas Pritzker asExecutive Chairman.[20] The public offering was a result of the acrimonious breakup of the Pritzker family empire. Accused of looting family trusts, Thomas and cousins Penny and Nicholas took control of the family businesses when they and other family members were sued by cousinLiesel Pritzker, claiming fraud and seeking damages of overUS$6 billion.[21]
On September 1, 2011, Hyatt acquired Hotel Sierra, which had 18 properties in 10 states. Along with Hyatt Summerfield Suites hotels, several of these properties were rebranded as Hyatt house in January 2012.[22]
In November 2013, Hyatt introduced their firstall-inclusive resort brands, Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara, with the first resorts being opened in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and Rose Hall, Montego Bay, Jamaica.
On October 28, 2015, Hyatt announced that they were in advanced talks to acquireStarwood Hotels in a cash and stock transaction. The transaction was not completed, and Starwood was acquired byMarriott International instead.[23]
In 2018, Hyatt saw expansion with the acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality. This added theJoie de Vivre,Destination,Alila, and Thompson hotel brands to the Hyatt portfolio, a growth of 85 hotels in 23 markets.[24]
In March 2021, Hyatt announced the official opening of Hyatt's 1,000th hotel worldwide, Alila Napa Valley in St. Helena, California.[25]
In August 2021, Hyatt acquiredApple Leisure Group (ALG), a luxury resort-management services, travel and hospitality group, from affiliates ofKohlberg Kravis Roberts and KSL Capital Partners for $2.7 billion in cash. ALG's hotel portfolio consists of over 33,000 rooms operating in 10 countries. The acquisition will extend Hyatt's brand footprint into 11 more European markets.[26]
In November 2022, Hyatt acquiredDream Hotels Group, a lifestyle hotel operator for $125 million, with up to an additional $175 million over the next six years as properties come into the pipeline and open. Dream Hotels Group's portfolio include 12 managed or franchised lifestyle hotels under four brands.[27]
In April 2023, Hyatt acquired Mr and Mrs Smith, a UK-based platform offering direct booking access to over 1,500 boutique and luxury properties worldwide for £53.0 million in cash consideration.[28]
In June 2024, Hyatt acquired the me and all hotels brand from Lindner Hotels AG, for which Hyatt has entered into a strategic collaboration with in 2022, consisting of six lifestyle hotels and over 1,000 rooms in central city locations across Germany.[29]
In August 2024, Hyatt announced the planned acquisition ofStandard International, an upscale boutique hotel operator, for $150 million, with up to an additional $185 million over time as additional properties enter the portfolio. The acquisition consists of 21 open hotels and more than 30 future properties under The Standard, Bunkhouse Hotels, Peri Hotels, The StandardX, and The Manner brands. With the transaction, Hyatt will form a new dedicated lifestyle group, managing all lifestyle brands and operations led by Standard International's Executive Chairman Amar Lalvani.[30]
That same month, Hyatt Regency Orlando, one of the region’s largest convention hotels, was sold for $1.02 billion to Los Angeles-based Ares Management and Houston-based Rida Development — the nation's highest hotel sale in 2024.[31] The sale of the 1,641-room hotel at 9801 International Drive came to about $622,000 per guest room.
Andaz West HollywoodThompson Central Park - New YorkThe Standard, Bangkok housed inside the King Power Mahanakhon building
Lifestyle portfolio houses Hyatt's lifestyle hotel brands. A dedicated Lifestyle Group, led by Standard International's Executive Chairman Amar Lalvani is formed in January 2025 following Hyatt’s acquisition of the hotel group. Current brands include:
Atlanta,United States: TheHyatt Regency Atlanta, the first Hyatt Regency hotel, was built in 1967 as the Regency Hyatt House, and was the first contemporary atrium hotel in the world. As of 2025[update], it was the only major downtown Atlanta hotel with a front drive onPeachtree Street. ArchitectJohn Portman designed the building.
Bali,Indonesia: Hyatt operates seven hotels on the Indonesian island of Bali: a Grand Hyatt, a Hyatt Regency, an Andaz, and four Alilas (Hyatt Hotels is a JV partner in P.T. Wynncor Bali, the company that owns the first three mentioned hotels).
Hyatt Regency Bali, formerly Bali Hyatt, opened in 1973 as one of the first foreign-branded hotels on the island, and remains an important landmark in theSanur area. Following a five-year-long renovation, it was rebranded as a Hyatt Regency in 2018.[38]
Grand Hyatt Bali, opened inNusa Dua resort complex in 1991 as the largest hotel in Bali at the time, featuring 630 rooms.[39]
Cairo,Egypt: TheGrand Nile Tower Hotel was operated as the Grand Hyatt Cairo from 2003 to 2011, when Hyatt pulled out of the country as a result of the2011 Egyptian revolution (though it ultimately returned to Egypt in 2021, with the opening of Hyatt Regency Cairo West[40]).
Carlsbad, United States: TheAviara, opened in 2010, is a Forbes Five Star & AAA Five Diamond resort.
Casablanca,Morocco: TheHyatt Regency Casablanca, located in the Old Medina of Casablanca, joined Hyatt in the 1980s, having previously been operated as an independent hotel.
Chicago, United States: With 2,019 rooms, theHyatt Regency Chicago is the seventh-largest hotel in the world, with the largest freestanding bar in the world. The hotel is known for views of the Chicago River and nearby attractions.
Dallas, United States: TheHyatt Regency Dallas, built in 1978, is most notable for its association with the Dallas landmarkReunion Tower. Originally freestanding, the base of the tower was integrated into the ground floor of the hotel after an expansion project in 1998.
TheHyatt Regency Dubai, opened in 1980, is the first Hyatt property in the United Arab Emirates.
TheGrand Hyatt Dubai has 682 rooms, making it the largest hotel in Dubai at the time of its 2003 opening.
Dushanbe,Tajikistan: The Hyatt Regency Dushanbe, opened in 2009, is Tajikistan's first Hyatt property, as well as the first hotel managed by a Western company following thedissolution of the Soviet Union.
Park Hyatt Jakarta, opened in 2022, is touted as the first "six-star" hotel in Jakarta. It is located inMenteng, a historically affluent district of the city.[43]
Kansas City, United States: TheHyatt Regency Kansas City was the site ofone of the worst hotel disasters in U.S. history. On July 17, 1981, two of the three skybridges that traversed the hotel's lobbycollapsed during a tea dance. The walkways were packed with people when a structural failure occurred, causing one bridge, which was hung from the bridge above it, to pull both bridges loose from the ceiling and collapse. The accident killed 114 people and injured over 200.[44] The hotel was later renamed the Hyatt RegencyCrown Center, and is currently operated bySheraton.[45]
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia: Hyatt Regency Kinabalu, opened in 1979 was Hyatt's first hotel inMalaysia and the oldest international-branded hotel in the city.[citation needed]
Century Plaza Hotel, operated by Hyatt from 2006 to 2016, was restored in 2021 as the Fairmont Century Plaza.[47]
Maldives: Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa, located inHuvadhu Atoll, has developed a reputation for being one of the most exorbitant and exclusive resorts in the country, on account of its remoteness from the capitalMalé (a one and a half hour paid plane and speedboat transfers are required to reach the place). It was rebranded in 2011 from Alila Maldives, which had opened two years prior; in 2022, Alila opened another resort, Alila Kothaifaru Maldives, in theNorthern Maalhosmadulu Atoll.[48]
Manila, Philippines: The Grand Hyatt Manila is located in theMetrobank Center, the firstsupertall building in the Philippines (318m)
In June 2021, the Hyatt Regency Mumbai closed, due to nonfunding for salary payment or operational expenses by Asian Hotels (West) Ltd., the owner of Hyatt Regency Mumbai.[49]
New York City, United States: The Grand Hyatt New York, opened in 1980, was the first Grand Hyatt hotel and was the first major real estate development ofDonald Trump, in partnership with Hyatt. The partnership deteriorated into a tangle of lawsuits, and the Pritzkers bought off Trump's share in 1996. The structure, built in 1919, is currently named theHyatt Grand Central New York and is set for demolition and replacement.
Paris,France:Hyatt Regency Paris (1992), near Paris Charles de Gaulle international airport and Villepinte exhibition center
Phoenix, United States: On Mother's Day, May 9, 2021, a shooting at Hyatt Regency Phoenix left one person dead and seven injured.[52]
San Francisco, United States: TheHyatt Regency San Francisco formerly housed a rooftoprevolving restaurant called Equinox, offering 360-degree views of the city and the bay. The restaurant became a club for Hyatt loyalty members only and no longer rotates. The hotel was sold for close to $200 million to Dune Capital Management and DiNapoli Capital Partners in January 2007, about $250,000 per room.[53]
Tehran,Iran: TheParsian Azadi Hotel was opened as the Hyatt Crown Tehran in 1978, but Hyatt was forced to pull out after only a few months of operation, due to theIranian Revolution. It was later reopened as an independent hotel.
Zanzibar,Tanzania: Park Hyatt Zanzibar is the first Park Hyatt hotel in Africa. It is located inStone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and occupies a historic palace known as the Mambo Msiige.[55]
In 2013, Hyatt partnered withMGM Resorts International in bringing 12 MGM properties in Las Vegas to Hyatt booking channels, as well as in-depth collaborations with each other's loyalty program.[56] The partnership ended in 2023 when MGM partnered with Marriott International instead.
In 2018, Hyatt began partnering with Small Luxury Hotels of the World, which allowed World of Hyatt members to earn and redeem points during their stays at participating SLH properties.[57] The partnership has since ceased in 2024 following Hyatt's acquisition of Mr & Mrs Smith, a direct booking platform of luxury hotels.
In 2022, Hyatt entered into an exclusive collaboration agreement with Lindner Hotels AG, a German hotel operator, in bringing more than 30 hotels across seven European countries into Hyatt's portfolio under theJdV by Hyatt brand.[58] In 2024, Hyatt purchased the Me And All Hotels brand from Lindner.
Hyatt operates aloyalty program calledWorld of Hyatt, which replaced Gold Passport on March 1, 2017.[59] This program includes membership tiers of base members, Discoverists, Explorists, and Globalists. The program offers Hyatt members benefits such as room upgrades and complimentary breakfast, based on how many nights they stayed in Hyatt-affiliated hotels or how much they spend in Hyatt properties.[60]
Fortune magazine ranked Hyatt #32 on its list of "America's Best Companies to Work For" in 2019,[61] rising to #16 in 2021.[62] TheHuman Rights Campaign (HRC) has awarded the company 100% in the HRC Equality Index for more than ten years, last in 2020.[63][64]