Hyatt has been among the busiest hotel companies over the last few years when it comes to adding new brands and partnerships, and many of those are finally fully integrated into the World of Hyatt loyalty program.
The Chicago-based hotel company reported a $68 million second-quarter profit and a nearly 7% net increase in overall hotel room count. That’s driven by several additions to the World of Hyatt ecosystem in recent years, including the Apple Leisure Group all-inclusive resort portfolio, Germany’s Lindner Hotels AG and Mr & Mrs Smith hotels.
Since 2017, Hyatt doubled its number of luxury hotel rooms, tripled its resort room count and quadrupled its lifestyle hotel room count, CEO Mark Hoplamazian said on a company earnings call Thursday.
But it isn’t all additions to the Hyatt food chain. The company is losing its partnership with MGM Resorts at the end of September as the casino resort giant moves to a broader linkup with Marriott beginning in October.
It’s a game of brand and partnership musical chairs, and it’s easy to lose track of what’s in and what’s out. Here’s the latest from the Hyatt leadership team’s mouth (and be sure to check out TPG for where you can earn bonus World of Hyatt points at some of the brand’s new hotels).
World of Hyatt arrivals
Some of Hyatt’s recent additions and integrations underway give the company a major leg up in Europe, where it has lagged behind its rivals in certain markets. The Apple Leisure Group deal gave it a boost last year in the realm of all-inclusive resorts, and many of its latest additions push Hyatt further into Europe with luxury and lifestyle hotels.
- Dream Hotel Group: Dream Hotel Group became another boost to Hyatt’s lifestyle hotel room count earlier this summer with its full integration into the World of Hyatt network. This enables guests at Dream Hotels, New York City’s The Chatwal, The Chatwal Lodge in Upstate New York, The Time New York and North Carolina’s Unscripted Durham hotel to earn and redeem points.
- Lindner Hotels AG: Hyatt loyalists now have another option for earning and redeeming points when heading to Germany. The company’s partnership with German hospitality company Lindner Hotels AG is moving ahead, with Lindner Hotels & Resorts and Me and All Hotels joining World of Hyatt under the JdV by Hyatt Collection brand. The full integration was completed at the end of June.
- Mr & Mrs Smith: This boutique hotel booking platform, previously linked up with IHG Hotels & Resorts, is now under Hyatt ownership. The completed acquisition means 1,500 boutique and luxury hotels around the world — with a concentration in Western Europe, Hoplamazian said — are entering the World of Hyatt network. It also adds 20 new countries to Hyatt’s geographic reach, including Fiji, Croatia, Iceland and Anguilla. Details are still a little murky on when you can expect to earn World of Hyatt points at a Mr & Mrs Smith property, but there is a dedicated website for Hyatt to provide updates.
MGM Resorts departs World of Hyatt
There was no mention of Hyatt losing its MGM Resorts partnership at the end of next month, but it is important for Hyatt loyalists to remember they only have a few weeks left to take advantage of the reciprocal perks between World of Hyatt and MGM Rewards.
One of the biggest gripes Hyatt members had about this partnership is the often longer lag time for elite qualifying nights to appear from an MGM stay on their World of Hyatt account. Be sure to stay on top of this while the partnership winds down and get credit for any stay you have between now and the end of September.
Pay My Way updates
World of Hyatt members also got a little more award booking autonomy Thursday when Hyatt announced adjustments to its Pay My Way platform. Instead of the Hyatt booking platform automatically using whatever award night certificate travelers had that was set to expire first, travelers can now pick which award certificate they want to use on a reservation.
“This allows members to thoughtfully use their awards and removes the need to call Hyatt customer care to change the award that was automatically applied,” a company spokesperson said.
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