CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) honored 10 of the company’s top owners and developers at Hyatt’s recent conference for owners throughout the Americas, held at Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, Calif.
“Hyatt has consistently emphasized that we want to be the most preferred hotel company for owners, guests and associates. To achieve that, we need to work closely with the right owners and developers who share our commitment to Hyatt’s brands and what the Hyatt brand overall has come to stand for – quality, driven by the dedication of our outstanding colleagues around the world,” said Mark Hoplamazian, president and chief executive officer, Hyatt. “The companies we are recognizing share our passion and our values, and along with all of our owners and developers, are helping to drive the strategic growth that will make Hyatt the world’s best hotel company.”
Hyatt presented the following awards for excellence in hotel development and management:
The Strategic Partner award recognizes a company for its commendable culture, performance and operating philosophies, and their strong, multi-brand relationship with Hyatt.
- Songy Highroads – Songy Highroads, an Atlanta-based real estate development firm, is currently developing hotels in gateway U.S. cities including the 325-room Hyatt Regency Houston Galleria and Hyatt Place Washington, D.C./Downtown/K Street.
The Developer of the Year award recognizes a company for its hotel development in strategic locations and construction quality and efficiency. Two companies received the 2014 Developer of the Year award:
- PRISA Group – PRISA Group, whose relationship with Hyatt spans 30 years, has introduced the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands to the Caribbean with Hyatt Place San Juan/Bayamón, Hyatt Place Manatí and Hyatt House San Juan. These hotels also represent Hyatt’s return to Puerto Rico.
- Grupo Eco – Grupo Eco is a major force behind Hyatt’s select service presence in Mexico, a key market as Hyatt continues its strategic growth in areas where its brands are underrepresented. Grupo Eco owns Hyatt Place La Paz, Hyatt Place Los Cabos and the recently opened Hyatt Place Ciudad del Carmen.
The Operating Excellence award recognizes a company for its outstanding ability to see that Hyatt-branded hotels run smoothly, and for helping Hyatt on its path to becoming the most preferred hotel company.
- White Lodging – Hyatt and White Lodging, which owns and/or manages six Hyatt Place and Hyatt House-branded hotels, have a long history of collaboration that has grown to include Hyatt Place Chicago/River North and Hyatt Place Austin Downtown, as well as the recently opened Hyatt Place Bloomington. The companies are currently developing the much anticipated, dual-branded Hyatt Place/Hyatt House Denver Downtown, which is expected to open in 2015.
The Best Project award recognizes notable hotel openings in strategic locations. Three hotels received 2014 Best Project honors:
- Hyatt Place Austin Downtown – White Lodging brings a high level of quality, reliability and value to their development projects. Since its 2013 opening, Hyatt Place Austin Downtown has quickly become a top-rated hotel thanks to its proximity to the 6th Street Entertainment District, the Austin Convention Center and the University of Texas.
- Hyatt House Raleigh North Hills – Concord Hospitality brought the second Hyatt House hotel to Raleigh with the opening of Hyatt House Raleigh North Hills. The hotel’s prime location has made it an attractive option for guests, with easy access to dining, retail stores and entertainment such as the North Carolina Museum of Art.
- Hyatt Times Square New York – Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) brought this 54-story, 487-room hotel to the heart of Times Square, putting guests within walking distance to some of the city’s most popular attractions, including Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center and the Sixth Avenue business district. The hotel, designed by George Wong, also features a rooftop restaurant and lounge offering river-to-river city views, a spa and 2,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Best Conversion award recognizes a company for reconfiguring and transforming an existing property and converting it to a Hyatt-branded hotel. Two hotels earned the 2014 Best Conversion:
- Hyatt Atlanta Midtown – Noble Investment Group, a long-standing developer across multiple Hyatt brands, helped bring the Hyatt brand to one of the most celebrated districts in Atlanta. The developers were able to infuse an existing hotel with signature Hyatt elements in a vibrant, southern setting.
- Hyatt Place Daytona Beach – Oceanfront: Avista Hotels and Resorts helped the Hyatt Place brand enter a new market with the first Hyatt Place beachfront hotel in Daytona Beach, ideally located nearby popular attractions including the Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach Pier and Boardwalk and the Halifax Historical Museum.
The Renovation Excellence award recognizes a company for reconfiguring and transforming a Hyatt-branded hotel.
- Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort & Spa – Woodbine Development Corporation was responsible for the resort’s $34 million renovation, which doubled indoor function space, tripled pre-function space and provided more options for outdoor event space, for a total of 74,000 square feet of event space; a redesign of all 500 guestrooms; and an expansion of the resort’s popular waterpark to include a FlowRider® and a 22-foot tower water slide.
The Best New Hotel award recognizes excellence within brand standards and a positive representation of Hyatt in a key market.
- Hyatt Place Santiago/Vitacura: With the opening of Hyatt Place Santiago/Vitacura, Hyatt and HPV S.A. introduced the Hyatt Place brand to South America. The region continues to rank highly as one of the best places to do business in Latin America, making it a key market for Hyatt. The hotel is situated in an upscale neighborhood of Santiago, with sprawling views of both the city and the Andes mountains.
“Hyatt’s reputation for excellence has allowed us to work with owners and developers who are equally committed to delivering a superior and distinctive experience in each of our brands,” said Jim Chu, senior vice president, senior vice president, franchising strategy, Hyatt. “Together with our owners and developers, we are bringing more Hyatt-branded hotels to key locations and providing guests with an array of options to stay with us based on their desired experience. We look forward to continuing this momentum into 2015 and beyond.”
The term “Hyatt” is used herein for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.
About Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a proud heritage of making guests feel more than welcome. Thousands of members of the Hyatt family strive to make a difference in the lives of the guests they encounter every day by providing authentic hospitality. The Company’s subsidiaries develop, own, operate, manage, franchise, license or provide services to hotels, resorts, branded residences and vacation ownership properties, including under the Hyatt®, Park Hyatt®, Andaz®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Zilara™, Hyatt Ziva™, Hyatt Residences® and Hyatt Residence Club® brand names and have locations on six continents. As of September 30, 2014, the Company's worldwide portfolio consisted of 573 properties in 48 countries. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “likely,” “will,” “would” and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by us and our management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the rate and pace of economic recovery following economic downturns; levels of spending in business and leisure segments as well as consumer confidence; declines in occupancy and average daily rate; if our third-party owners, franchisees or development partners are unable to access the capital necessary to fund current operations or implement our plans for growth; changes in the competitive environment in our industry and the markets where we operate; our ability to access the capital markets; and other risks discussed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, which filings are available from the SEC. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are made as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable laws. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.
