History of Hyatt in Timeline

Hyatt Hotels Corporation is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in Chicago. It manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vacation properties. Hyatt is managed by the Pritzker family and boasts a portfolio of over 1350 hotels and all-inclusive properties located in 69 countries across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. It is a major player in the global hospitality industry.

1954: First Hyatt House Opens

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

September 27, 1957: Purchase of Hyatt House

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

1957: Pritzker Acquires Hyatt House

In 1957, entrepreneur Jay Pritzker purchased the Hyatt House hotel for US$2.2 million, recognizing the value of locating a high-quality hotel near a major airport.

1962: Hyatt Corporation Goes Public

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

1966: Hyatt Chalet Motels Renamed

In 1966, Hyatt Chalet Motels were renamed Hyatt Lodges as part of the company's ongoing evolution.

1967: Regency Hyatt House Opens in Atlanta

In 1967, Hyatt opened the Regency Hyatt House in Atlanta, Georgia, which is now named Hyatt Regency Atlanta, featuring a distinctive indoor atrium designed by architect John Portman.

1968: Hyatt International Formed

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

1969: International Expansion Begins

In 1969, Hyatt initiated its international expansion, marking a significant step in the company's growth and global presence.

1969: First International Hotel Opens

In 1969, Hyatt opened its first international hotel with the management contract for the President Hotel in Hong Kong, renaming it the Hong Kong Hyatt Hotel.

1972: Elsinore Corporation Formed and Donald Pritzker's Death

In 1972, Hyatt created Elsinore Corporation to manage the Four Queens Hotel and Casino and the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino. Also in 1972, Donald Pritzker passed away, leaving Jay Pritzker to continue leading the company.

1979: Hyatt Becomes a Private Company

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

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. The boutique Park Hyatt brand was also introduced that same year.

1982: Hyatt International Goes Private

In 1982, the Pritzkers also took Hyatt International private.

June 2004: Consolidation Under Global Hyatt Corp

In June 2004, 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.

December 2004: Hyatt Acquires AmeriSuites

In December 2004, Hyatt Hotels Corporation acquired AmeriSuites from affiliates of the Blackstone Group. The AmeriSuites chain was later rebranded as Hyatt Place to compete with Marriott International's Courtyard by Marriott and Hilton Worldwide's Hilton Garden Inn.

2004: Acquisition of AmeriSuites

In 2004, Hyatt acquired AmeriSuites, which was later rebranded as Hyatt Place, expanding Hyatt's portfolio.

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, later rebranded as Hyatt House, further growing its range of hotel offerings.

April 2007: Hyatt Launches Andaz Brand

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

June 30, 2009: Name Change 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, it was reported that 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.

2011: Cage-Free Egg Commitment

In 2011, Hyatt announced its commitment to source 100% cage-free eggs by 2025.

January 2012: Summerfield Suites Rebranded as Hyatt House

In January 2012, Hyatt Summerfield Suites were rebranded as Hyatt House to compete in the "upscale extended stay market" against Residence Inn, Homewood Suites, and Staybridge Suites.

January 2012: Hotel Sierra Properties Rebranded 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 being opened 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 to bring 12 MGM properties in Las Vegas to Hyatt booking channels, and collaborated on loyalty programs.

October 28, 2015: Advanced Talks to Acquire Starwood Hotels

On October 28, 2015, Hyatt announced advanced talks to acquire Starwood Hotels in a cash and stock transaction, but the transaction was not completed, and Starwood was acquired by Marriott International instead.

March 1, 2017: Launch of World of Hyatt Loyalty Program

On March 1, 2017, Hyatt launched its loyalty program called World of Hyatt, which replaced Gold Passport. This program includes various membership tiers and benefits.

2017: Doubling of Luxury Room Count

Since 2017, Hyatt doubled its luxury room count and quintupled the number of lifestyle-branded rooms.

2018: Acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality

In 2018, Hyatt acquired Two Roads Hospitality, which added brands like Joie de Vivre, Destination, Alila, and Thompson to the Hyatt portfolio, increasing its reach to 85 hotels in 23 markets.

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 participating SLH properties.

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 Award

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, the Alila Napa Valley in St. Helena, California.

August 2021: Hyatt Acquires 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 (ALG), a luxury resort-management services, travel and hospitality group, further expanding its presence in the luxury and resort sector.

2021: Inclusive Portfolio

In 2021, following its acquisition of ALG, the Inclusive portfolio houses Hyatt's all-inclusive resort brands.

November 2022: Hyatt Acquires Dream Hotels Group

In November 2022, Hyatt acquired Dream Hotels Group for $125 million, with up to an additional $175 million over the next six years as properties come into the pipeline and open. This acquisition includes 12 managed or franchised lifestyle hotels under four brands.

2022: Strategic collaboration with Lindner Hotels AG

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

2022: Collaboration Agreement with Lindner Hotels AG

In 2022, Hyatt entered into an exclusive collaboration agreement with Lindner Hotels AG to bring more than 30 hotels across seven European countries into Hyatt's portfolio under the JdV by Hyatt brand.

April 2023: Hyatt Acquires 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 consideration.

2023: Acquisition of Dream Hotel Group

In 2023, Hyatt acquired Dream Hotel Group, adding 12 managed or franchised lifestyle hotels under four brands to its portfolio.

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: Hyatt Acquires me and all hotels brand

In June 2024, Hyatt acquired the me and all hotels brand from Lindner Hotels AG, consisting of six lifestyle hotels and over 1,000 rooms in central city locations across Germany.

August 2024: Hyatt Announces 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 up to an additional $185 million over time as additional properties enter the portfolio. Hyatt will also form a new dedicated lifestyle group.

2024: Acquisition of Standard International

In 2024, Hyatt acquired Standard International, an upscale boutique hotel operator, consisting of 21 open hotels and more than 30 future properties under various brands.

2024: Hyatt Purchases the Me And All Hotels Brand

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

2024: Sale of Hyatt Regency Orlando

In 2024, the Hyatt Regency Orlando was sold for $1.02 billion to Los Angeles-based Ares Management and Houston-based Rida Development, marking the nation's highest hotel sale of the year.

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: 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.

2025: Formation of Luxury Group

A dedicated Luxury Group will form in late 2025 to manage Hyatt's top luxury brands.

2025: Hyatt Closes Sale of Real Estate Portfolio

In 2025, Hyatt closed on the sale of the real estate portfolio acquired from Playa Hotels & Resorts for $1.98 billion dollars.

2025: Cage-Free Egg Commitment Deadline

In 2025, Hyatt committed to source 100% cage-free eggs.

2025: Reorganization of Brand Architecture

In early 2025, Hyatt reorganized its brand architecture into five portfolios—Luxury, Lifestyle, Inclusive, Classics, and Essentials—as part of a strategic brand realignment aimed at enhancing guest experience and owner returns.