Hyatt and Ayla Oasis Development Company Announce Plans for Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla

Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla will mark the second Hyatt hotel in the Kingdom of Jordan

CHICAGO--()--Hyatt Hotels Corporation (H) today announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into an agreement with Ayla Oasis Development Company (AODC) for a 286-room Hyatt Regency hotel in Aqaba, Jordan.

Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla will be the first hotel to open within the prestigious Ayla development, a master-planned, multiphase development on the northern shores of Aqaba. Expected to be operational in 2018. The hotel will mark the second Hyatt hotel in Jordan, joining Grand Hyatt Amman, and will join more than 150 Hyatt Regency hotels worldwide in locations from Chicago to Mumbai.

The hotel will further the Hyatt Regency brand’s mission of connecting guests to who and what matters to them most, with a range of amenities for work or play, as well as spaces that will make the hotel a go-to gathering place for any occasion. Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla will feature smartly designed standard rooms of 141 square feet and five food and beverage outlets offering creative cuisine. Guests will also enjoy a pool, fitness and spa facilities and a kids club. Superior conference and event facilities will be available, with approximately 3,200 square feet of meeting space, including a 1,870-square-foot ballroom ideal for social events and meetings. Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla has retained Arcadia Design as the hotel’s architects and the firm of Yabu Pushelberg for interior design.

The hotel’s location in the impressive Ayla development’s Marina Village, situated between the city center and the international borders, will offer guests a myriad of retail, dining and entertainment venues as well as 17km of newly created waterfront. Guests will also enjoy Jordan’s first 18-hole golf course, designed by Greg Norman, and a 9-hole golf academy, that has been built as one of the most eco-friendly Greg Norman courses in the world Additionally, the hotel will be situated in close proximity to major tourist attractions such as Petra and Wadi Rum.

“Ayla is an incredibly exciting development, and we are delighted that Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla will be the first hotel to open within the complex,” said Peter Norman, senior vice president, acquisitions and development for Hyatt – Europe, Africa, and Middle East.

“We look forward to welcoming guests to Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla, where they will find the Hyatt Regency brand’s authentic service, culinary experiences worth sharing and amenities to help them relax or stay productive. We are very pleased to work with the Ayla Oasis Development Company in support of its ambitious vision for the future of Aqaba.”

Ayla Oasis Development Company, AODC, was established in 2003 to develop the Ayla project and is playing a key role in transforming the Aqaba seaport into a world-class business hub and travel destination.

“We are honoured to work with Hyatt on the second Hyatt hotel in Jordan,” said Sahl Dudin, Managing Director of AODC. “Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla, our first project with Hyatt, will be a crucial step in bringing Aqaba to the forefront of the region’s tourism industry. With the combination of the strong Hyatt Regency brand experience and the excellent facilities offered at Ayla, we believe Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla will be a huge attraction to both business and leisure travelers.”

The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.

About Hyatt Regency

The Hyatt Regency brand prides itself on connecting travelers to who and what matters most to them. More than 150 conveniently located Hyatt Regency urban and resort locations in over 30 countries around the world serve as the go-to gathering space for every occasion – from efficient business meetings to memorable family vacations. The brand offers a one-stop experience that puts everything guests need right at their fingertips. Hyatt Regency hotels and resorts offer a full range of services and amenities, including notable culinary experiences; technology-enabled ways to collaborate; the space to work, engage or relax; and expert planners who can take care of every detail. For more information visit www.hyattregency.com.

About Ayla

Ayla Oasis Development Co. is a private shareholding company registered in Aqaba, Jordan and is committed to quality and innovation. Acting as a master developer, Ayla's objective is to create a premier waterfront destination that features world-class residential and tourism components. Perched strategically at the juncture of old world and new, in a town renowned globally for being Jordan's single seaport, Ayla delivers a pioneering blend of cutting edge commercial spaces and upscale residences that promise to collectively catapult the port of Aqaba from the access point it is today, into a world class trade and tourism destination.

Spanning over 432 hectares (4,320,000 m2) and boasting 235 meters of sea front on the Gulf of Aqaba, Ayla which is built around a 17km manmade lagoon will feature a range of facilities and amenities, including a variety of up-market hotels, unique residential communities, an 18-hole signature golf course designed by “Greg Norman” along with a 9-hole golf academy, Jordan’s largest marina and encompassing the marina village which will serve as a commercial hub and centre, a range of different retail units, cafes, entertainment and recreational facilities.

For more information on Ayla, please visit www.ayla.com.jo.

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 Centric™, 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, 2015, the Company's worldwide portfolio consisted of 627 properties in 52 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.

Contacts

Hyatt – Southwest Asia
Yasmin Poonegar
+91 9004128086
yasmin.poonegar@hyatt.com
or
Hyatt – Corporate
Stephanie Sheppard
+1 312 780 5399
stephanie.sheppard@hyatt.com

Release Summary

A Hyatt affiliate has entered into an agreement with Ayla Oasis Development Company (AODC) for a 286-room Hyatt Regency hotel in Aqaba, Jordan.

Contacts

Hyatt – Southwest Asia
Yasmin Poonegar
+91 9004128086
yasmin.poonegar@hyatt.com
or
Hyatt – Corporate
Stephanie Sheppard
+1 312 780 5399
stephanie.sheppard@hyatt.com