History of Hyatt in Timeline

Hyatt Hotels Corporation is a multinational hospitality company headquartered in Chicago. It manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vacation properties, with the Pritzker family playing a significant role in its management. Hyatt boasts a portfolio of over 1350 hotels and all-inclusive properties spread across 69 countries spanning continents like South America, North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

1954: Opening of the first Hyatt House

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

September 27, 1957: Purchase of the Hyatt House

On September 27, 1957, the Hyatt Corporation was established with the purchase of the Hyatt House, a motel located at Los Angeles International Airport.

1957: Purchase of Hyatt House by Jay Pritzker

In 1957, entrepreneur Jay Pritzker purchased the Hyatt House for US$2.2 million, marking the beginning of the Pritzker family's involvement with the company.

1962: Hyatt Corporation goes public

In 1962, Hyatt Corporation became a public company with two divisions: Hyatt House Hotels and Hyatt Chalet Motels.

1966: Renaming of Hyatt Chalet Motels

In 1966, Hyatt Chalet Motels were renamed Hyatt Lodges, as part of the company's evolving brand strategy.

1967: Opening of Regency Hyatt House in Atlanta

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

1968: Formation of Hyatt International

In 1968, Hyatt International was formed to operate hotels outside the United States, eventually becoming a separate company.

1969: International expansion

In 1969, Hyatt began expanding internationally, marking the start of its global presence.

1969: Opening of first international hotel in Hong Kong

In 1969, Hyatt opened its first international hotel by managing the President Hotel in Hong Kong, renaming it the Hong Kong Hyatt Hotel (later Hyatt Regency Hong Kong).

1972: Formation of Elsinore Corporation

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. Donald Pritzker also died in 1972.

1979: Hyatt becomes a private company

In 1979, Hyatt became a private company when the Pritzkers bought the outstanding shares and Elsinore was spun off as a public company. The company also 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 also introduced the boutique Park Hyatt brand.

1982: Hyatt International taken private

In 1982, The Pritzkers took Hyatt International private. Hyatt and Hyatt International remained two separate companies until June 2004.

June 2004: Consolidation under Global Hyatt Corp.

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

December 2004: Acquisition of AmeriSuites and rebranding to Hyatt Place

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 expanded its portfolio by acquiring AmeriSuites, a hotel chain that was later rebranded as Hyatt Place.

December 2005: Hyatt acquired 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 were subsequently rebranded as Hyatt House.

April 2007: Launch of Andaz brand

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 changes name to Hyatt Hotels Corporation

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: Acquisition of Hotel Sierra

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

January 2012: Rebranding of Hyatt Summerfield Suites to Hyatt House

In January 2012, Hyatt Summerfield Suites were rebranded as Hyatt House to compete in the "upscale extended stay market".

January 2012: Rebranding of Hotel Sierra and Hyatt Summerfield Suites

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

November 2013: Introduction of Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara brands

In November 2013, Hyatt introduced their first all-inclusive resort brands, Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara, with resorts 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: Announcement of advanced talks to acquire Starwood Hotels

On October 28, 2015, Hyatt announced that they were in advanced talks to acquire Starwood Hotels in a cash and stock transaction, however the transaction was not completed.

March 1, 2017: Launch of World of Hyatt loyalty program

On March 1, 2017, Hyatt launched its loyalty program called World of Hyatt, replacing Gold Passport.

2018: Acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality

In 2018, Hyatt acquired Two Roads Hospitality, adding several hotel brands to its portfolio.

2018: Partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World

In 2018, Hyatt partnered with Small Luxury Hotels of the World, allowing World of Hyatt members to earn and redeem points at SLH properties.

2019: Fortune magazine ranking

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

2020: HRC Equality Index award

In 2020, The Human Rights Campaign 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, the Alila Napa Valley in St. Helena, California.

August 2021: Acquisition of Apple Leisure Group

In August 2021, Hyatt acquired Apple Leisure Group (ALG) from affiliates of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and KSL Capital Partners for $2.7 billion in cash.

2021: Inclusive portfolio of all-inclusive resort brands

Following its 2021 acquisition of ALG, Hyatt's Inclusive portfolio houses all-inclusive resort brands formerly of AMR Collection and AMResorts.

2021: Fortune magazine 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, further expanding its footprint in the luxury resort market.

November 2022: Acquisition of Dream Hotels Group

In November 2022, Hyatt acquired Dream Hotels Group for $125 million, with potential additional payments of up to $175 million.

2022: Strategic collaboration with Lindner Hotels AG

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

April 2023: Acquisition of Mr and Mrs Smith

In April 2023, Hyatt acquired Mr and Mrs Smith, a booking platform for boutique and luxury properties, for £53.0 million in cash.

2023: Acquisition of Dream Hotel Group

In 2023, Hyatt acquired Dream Hotel Group, continuing its growth through strategic acquisitions.

2023: End of partnership with MGM Resorts International

In 2023, the partnership between Hyatt and MGM Resorts International ended when MGM partnered with Marriott International instead.

June 2024: Acquisition of me and all hotels brand

In June 2024, Hyatt acquired the me and all hotels brand from Lindner Hotels AG, expanding its portfolio in Germany.

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.

2024: Sale of Hyatt Regency Orlando

In 2024, Hyatt Regency Orlando was sold for $1.02 billion, marking the nation's highest hotel sale of the year.

2024: Acquisition of Standard International

In 2024, Hyatt acquired Standard International, enhancing its portfolio with upscale boutique hotels.

2024: Purchase of the Me And All Hotels brand from Lindner

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

2024: Cessation of partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World

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

January 2025: Formation of dedicated Lifestyle Group

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.