History of Hyatt in Timeline

Hyatt Hotels Corporation is a multinational hospitality company headquartered in Chicago, managing and franchising luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vacation properties. It's one of the businesses overseen by the Pritzker family. With over 1350 hotels and all-inclusive properties, Hyatt operates in 69 countries across South America, North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.

1954: First Hyatt House Opens

In 1954, the first Hyatt House was opened by Hyatt Robert von Dehn and Jack Dyer Crouch as a motel near Los Angeles International Airport.

September 27, 1957: Purchase of Hyatt House

On September 27, 1957, the Hyatt Corporation was established through the purchase of the Hyatt House at Los Angeles International Airport.

1957: Hyatt House Purchased by Jay Pritzker

In 1957, entrepreneur Jay Pritzker purchased the Hyatt House hotel for US$2.2 million.

1962: Hyatt Corporation Goes Public

In 1962, Hyatt Corporation went public and had two divisions: Hyatt House Hotels and Hyatt Chalet Motels.

1966: Hyatt Chalet Motels Renamed

In 1966, Hyatt Chalet Motels was renamed Hyatt Lodges.

1967: Regency Hyatt House Opens in Atlanta

In 1967, the Regency Hyatt House (now Hyatt Regency Atlanta) opened in Atlanta, featuring a distinctive indoor atrium designed by John Portman.

1968: Hyatt International Formed

In 1968, Hyatt International was formed to operate hotels outside the United States.

1969: First International Hotel Opens

In 1969, Hyatt opened its first international hotel by managing the President Hotel in Hong Kong, which was renamed the Hong Kong Hyatt Hotel.

1969: International Expansion Begins

In 1969, Hyatt started expanding its operations internationally.

1972: Elsinore Corporation Formed

In 1972, Hyatt formed Elsinore Corporation, a subsidiary, to operate the Four Queens Hotel and Casino and the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino. Also in 1972, Donald Pritzker died.

1979: Hyatt Becomes Private

In 1979, Hyatt became a private company after the Pritzkers bought the outstanding shares. Elsinore was spun off as a public company, and Hyatt opened the Playboy Hotel and Casino as a joint venture with Playboy Enterprises.

1980: Introduction of Grand Hyatt and Park Hyatt Brands

In 1980, Hyatt introduced the Grand Hyatt brand with the opening of the Grand Hyatt New York (now Hyatt Grand Central), and the boutique Park Hyatt brand was also introduced that same year.

1982: Hyatt International Taken Private

In 1982, the Pritzkers took Hyatt International private.

June 2004: Consolidation Under Global Hyatt Corp

In June 2004, substantially all hospitality assets owned by the Pritzker family, including Hyatt Corporation and Hyatt International Corporation, were consolidated under a single entity called Global Hyatt Corp.

December 2004: Hyatt Acquires AmeriSuites

In December 2004, Hyatt Hotels Corporation acquired AmeriSuites from affiliates of the Blackstone Group and rebranded it as Hyatt Place.

2004: Acquisition of AmeriSuites

In 2004, Hyatt acquired AmeriSuites, which was later rebranded as Hyatt Place.

December 2005: Hyatt Acquires Summerfield Suites

In December 2005, Hyatt acquired limited service company Summerfield Suites from the Blackstone Group.

2005: Acquisition of Summerfield Suites

In 2005, Hyatt acquired Summerfield Suites, which was later rebranded as Hyatt House.

April 2007: Andaz Brand Launched

In April 2007, Hyatt launched its first lifestyle brand, Andaz, with the first hotel being a rebrand of the Great Eastern Hotel in London.

June 30, 2009: Global Hyatt Corporation Renamed

On June 30, 2009, Global Hyatt Corporation changed its name to Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

August 2009: Plans Filed for Initial Share Sale

In August 2009, Hyatt Hotels Corporation filed plans to raise up to $1.15 billion in an initial share sale.

September 1, 2011: Hyatt Acquires Hotel Sierra

On September 1, 2011, Hyatt acquired Hotel Sierra, which had 18 properties in 10 states.

January 2012: Summerfield Suites Rebranded as Hyatt House

In January 2012, Hyatt Summerfield Suites were rebranded as Hyatt House.

January 2012: Rebranding as Hyatt House

In January 2012, several Hotel Sierra properties, along with Hyatt Summerfield Suites hotels, were rebranded as Hyatt House.

November 2013: Introduction of All-Inclusive Resort Brands

In November 2013, Hyatt introduced their first all-inclusive resort brands, Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara, with the first resorts opening in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and Rose Hall, Montego Bay, Jamaica.

2013: Partnership with MGM Resorts International

In 2013, Hyatt partnered with MGM Resorts International, bringing 12 MGM properties in Las Vegas to Hyatt booking channels.

October 28, 2015: Advanced Talks to Acquire Starwood Hotels

On October 28, 2015, Hyatt announced that they were in advanced talks to acquire Starwood Hotels, but the transaction was not completed.

March 1, 2017: World of Hyatt Replaces Gold Passport

On March 1, 2017, Hyatt's loyalty program, World of Hyatt, replaced Gold Passport.

2018: Acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality

In 2018, Hyatt acquired Two Roads Hospitality, expanding its portfolio.

2018: Partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World

In 2018, Hyatt began partnering with Small Luxury Hotels of the World, allowing World of Hyatt members to earn and redeem points.

2019: Fortune Ranking

In 2019, Fortune magazine ranked Hyatt #32 on its list of "America's Best Companies to Work For".

2020: HRC Equality Index

In 2020, The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) awarded Hyatt 100% in the HRC Equality Index for more than ten years.

March 2021: Opening of Hyatt's 1,000th Hotel

In March 2021, Hyatt officially opened its 1,000th hotel worldwide, Alila Napa Valley in St. Helena, California.

August 2021: Acquisition of Apple Leisure Group

In August 2021, Hyatt acquired Apple Leisure Group (ALG) for $2.7 billion in cash, extending Hyatt's brand footprint into 11 more European markets.

2021: Fortune Ranking

In 2021, Fortune magazine ranked Hyatt #16 on its list of "America's Best Companies to Work For".

2021: Acquisition of Apple Leisure Group

In 2021, Hyatt acquired Apple Leisure Group.

2021: Inclusive Portfolio

In 2021, following its acquisition of ALG, Hyatt's all-inclusive resort brands are housed under the Inclusive portfolio, formerly known as AMR Collection and AMResorts of Apple Leisure Group.

November 2022: Acquisition of Dream Hotels Group

In November 2022, Hyatt acquired Dream Hotels Group for $125 million, with up to an additional $175 million contingent on future property openings.

2022: Strategic Collaboration with Lindner Hotels AG

In 2022, Hyatt entered into a strategic collaboration with Lindner Hotels AG, a German hotel operator.

April 2023: Acquisition of Mr and Mrs Smith

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.

2023: Acquisition of Dream Hotel Group

In 2023, Hyatt acquired Dream Hotel Group.

2023: End of MGM Partnership

In 2023, the partnership between Hyatt and MGM Resorts International ended.

June 2024: Acquisition of me and all hotels brand

In June 2024, Hyatt acquired the me and all hotels brand from Lindner Hotels AG.

August 2024: Planned Acquisition of Standard International

In August 2024, Hyatt announced the planned acquisition of Standard International, an upscale boutique hotel operator, for $150 million, with additional payments based on future performance. Hyatt will form a dedicated lifestyle group as part of the acquisition.

2024: Hyatt Regency Orlando Sold

In 2024, Hyatt Regency Orlando was sold for $1.02 billion to Ares Management and Rida Development.

2024: Acquisition of Standard International

In 2024, Hyatt acquired Standard International.

2024: Purchase of Me And All Hotels Brand

In 2024, Hyatt purchased the Me And All Hotels brand from Lindner.

2024: Partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World Ceases

In 2024, the partnership between Hyatt and Small Luxury Hotels of the World ceased following Hyatt's acquisition of Mr & Mrs Smith.

January 2025: Lifestyle Group Formation

In January 2025, a dedicated Lifestyle Group, led by Standard International's Executive Chairman Amar Lalvani is formed following Hyatt’s acquisition of the hotel group.