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Hyatt focuses on expansion

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Andaz Dubai The Palm is expected to open before the year ends

Last month Hyatt announced the growth of its portfolio of lifestyle hotels across the Middle East. The planned expansion includes the opening of the first Hyatt Centric branded hotels in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the first Andaz-branded hotel in Dubai, and the second Alila branded property in the Sultanate of Oman.

These lifestyle properties will provide luxury and adventurous travellers with unique experiences in hand-picked destinations and are expected to add more than 1,300 keys to the region, bringing the number of Hyatt lifestyle hotels in the Middle East to seven by 2023.

“The Middle East is seeing a rising demand for lifestyle hotels,” said Kurt Straub, vice-president of operations for the Middle East, Africa and South West Asia for Hyatt. “At Hyatt, we aim to grow with intent. And with that in mind, we strive to expand our brand presence in the region by introducing lifestyle-driven brands that cater to the needs of our guests and, at the same time, fit very well into their locations.”

The expected growth includes the debut of Hyatt’s fastest-growing lifestyle brand across three countries, with the projected openings of Hyatt Centric Dubai La Mer (2020), Hyatt Centric West Bay Doha (2020), and Jabal Omar Hyatt Centric Makkah Hotel and Residences (2023). Located in the heart of the world’s most exciting cities, Hyatt Centric hotels are thoughtfully designed to enable exploration and discovery.

The upcoming debut of Andaz Dubai The Palm (2019) will mark the second Andaz hotel in the United Arab Emirates and expand the luxury lifestyle brand’s presence in the Gulf nation. The hotel will offer an immersive, multisensory local experience, weaving in distinctive elements of the city’s rich culture and heritage, a signature of the Andaz brand. Alila Hinu Bay Salalah (2020) will be the second Alila resort in Oman and will bring to life the brand’s contemporary expressions of century-old traditions, authentic experiences and sustainable mindset. Known for crafting rare and intimate destination experiences in unique locations globally, the Alila brand seeks to redefine luxury in the lifestyle space.

There are currently two Hyatt lifestyle hotels in the Middle East: Alila Jabal Akhdar, a luxury boutique resort perched 6,562 feet (2,000 meters) above sea level in the Al Hajar Mountains of Oman, and Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi, located in the iconic Capital Gate building, the world’s furthest leaning hotel at an impressive 18-degree incline.

Following the acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality in November 2018, Hyatt announced the organisation of a new, dedicated lifestyle division, which brings together Hyatt’s and former Two Roads Hospitality’s lifestyle brands, including Andaz, Alila, Hyatt Centric, Joie de Vivre and Thompson Hotels. The first of its kind for Hyatt, this new cross-functional division centres on the development, positioning, and execution of Hyatt’s lifestyle portfolio.

"Our guests' preferences keep evolving, and we want to ensure that we cater to every traveller’s needs and desires,” said Frederic Flageat-Simon, Hyatt’s global head of lifestyle operations. “The introduction of a dedicated lifestyle division reflects our commitment to further carve out Hyatt's role in the ever-growing lifestyle segment. We have identified this segment as a key growth driver for us and strive to advance care for our guests and meet their preference towards personalized, rare and meaningful experiences.”   

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