News

CHICAGO (December 22, 2014) – As part of the company’s continued efforts to evolve the guest experience by listening and responding to guest needs, Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced plans to offer free Wi-Fi at all Hyatt hotels worldwide, providing connectivity and convenience regardless of booking method or loyalty program participation.

Free Wi-Fi will become available to Hyatt guests around the world in February 2015. Travelers will be able to access free Wi-Fi on an unlimited number of mobile devices or laptops in Hyatt-branded hotel guest rooms and social spaces.

“Internet connectivity is no longer an amenity. It has become an integral part of travelers’ daily lives and a basic expectation,” said Kristine Rose, vice president of brands for Hyatt. “Travelers shouldn’t have to remember which brands or locations offer it for free or the strings attached to get it.”

Hyatt hotels across many brands have long offered Wi-Fi at no charge to guests in several of its brands and to elite members of the Hyatt Gold Passport loyalty program. Expanding free Wi-Fi is part of Hyatt’s ongoing focus to make the guest experience more seamless.

“Our colleagues are committed to not just listening to what our guests say, but understanding their real needs. This practice has already brought us new ways to make a guest’s stay more personal and seamless, from expedited check-in methods to easier ways for guests to make requests,” Rose said. “Today, people consider smartphones just as important as their car, and more important than television or coffee.* Travelers feel out of sync with their lives when they can’t freely connect. Giving free Wi-Fi without a catch will enable us to continue innovating the guest experience to help people be more productive and stay better connected to colleagues, friends and family.”

Where available, Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond and Platinum tier members will receive a complimentary upgrade to premium Wi-Fi service.

The term “Hyatt” is used in this release to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates. 

About Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a proud heritage of making guests feel more than welcome. Thousands of members of the Hyatt family strive to make a difference in the lives of the guests they encounter every day by providing authentic hospitality.  The Company’s subsidiaries develop, own, operate, manage, franchise, license or provide services to hotels, resorts, branded residences and vacation ownership properties, including under the Hyatt®, Park Hyatt®, Andaz®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Zilara™, Hyatt Ziva™, Hyatt Residences® and Hyatt Residence Club® brand names and have locations on six continents. As of September 30, 2014, the Company’s worldwide portfolio consisted of 573 properties in 48 countries. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Our actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “likely,” “will,” “would” and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by us and our management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the rate and pace of economic recovery following economic downturns; levels of spending in business and leisure segments as well as consumer confidence; declines in occupancy and average daily rate; if our third-party owners, franchisees or development partners are unable to access the capital necessary to fund current operations or implement our plans for growth; changes in the competitive environment in our industry and the markets where we operate; our ability to access the capital markets; and other risks discussed in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, which filings are available from the SEC. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are made as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable laws. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

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*Braun Research on behalf of Bank of America, June 2014

CONTACT:

Amy Patti
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
+1 312 780 5620amy.patti@hyatt.com

CHICAGO (February 26, 2018) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced the appointment of Mark Vondrasek as the company’s chief commercial officer. In this role, Vondrasek will be responsible for the previously announced commercial services organization driving guest and customer engagement functions while working across the organization to enhance the frequency and level of engagement with guests. Vondrasek will assume his new role effective March 1, 2018, continuing to report to Mark Hoplamazian, president and chief executive officer.

“Mark’s track record as a transformational leader, his past experience and recent success in accelerating the World of Hyatt loyalty program make him uniquely qualified for this role,” said Hoplamazian. “His ability to identify and advance innovative ideas that deepen relationships with customers is vital to our experience-based growth strategy.”

Vondrasek will continue to oversee the World of Hyatt loyalty platform as well as new growth platforms, including Miraval and exhale, along with global sales, revenue management, distribution strategy, corporate marketing, brands, communications, digital, consumer insights and global contact centers. Information technology will report into Alex Zoghlin, global head of data strategy, innovation and technology.

Hyatt further announced Jim Chu has been selected as global head of development and owner relations to maintain and enhance the momentum in new hotel development around the world, continuing to report to Chuck Floyd, global president of operations. Building on the previously announced streamlined structure for full service and select service operations, managed and franchised operations and development will reside within each region.

Additionally, James Francque has been appointed head of transactions, focusing on new investment opportunities for the company, and reporting to Mark Hoplamazian.

“I am extremely grateful to have a team of versatile leaders equipped to lead across a variety of areas within our business,” said Hoplamazian. “This new organizational structure will help accelerate our growth and position us to practice the agility and adaptability that is essential to our future.”

The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.

CHICAGO (April 11, 2017) – Hyatt has selected SONIFI Solutions, Inc. as its preferred provider for delivering a personalized in-room streaming solution to hotel guests. SONIFI’s patent-pending STAYCAST™ solution, powered by Google Chromecast, has been seamlessly integrated with the World of Hyatt mobile app.

With this first-of-its-kind integration, participating Hyatt hotels now offer guests simple, seamless and secure streaming of their favorite apps, such as Netflix®, Hulu®, YouTube® and 1,000+ others, to the in-room television through a Chromecast device. This technology is already available at 14 Hyatt hotels, including Hyatt Regency New Orleans and Hyatt Centric French Quarter New Orleans, with more to follow.

“This industry-leading collaboration is one more way World of Hyatt builds experiences with an understanding of what’s most important to our community of travelers,” said Debbie Goetz, Senior Vice President – Corporate Marketing, Hyatt. “Today’s traveler often has one or more streaming subscriptions, and now they can view their favorite content on the big screen when they’re on the road, too.”

STAYCAST (previously SoniCast) fully integrates with the World of Hyatt mobile app, so guests can connect and stream at participating locations with the tap of a button. Benefits include:

An at-home experience where guests enjoy their favorite streaming services on the in-room TV screen
No need to enter a code or personal credentials on the TV
Ability for guests to stream photos, videos, or even presentations for upcoming meetings
A world of choice, with entertainment available in virtually any language
A secure system that automatically logs guests out at check out

“The World of Hyatt mobile app provides guests with a one-stop-shop of services to personalize their travel experience, whether it’s using your phone to book the best room type for you to requesting a forgotten toothbrush or now enjoying your favorite entertainment on the guestroom TV,” said Jeff Bzdawka, Senior Vice President – Global Hotel Technology, Hyatt. “Our guests deserve the best, and SONIFI has a proven track record of superior, secure service. They have been true teammates at every turn.”

SONIFI and Hyatt share the spirit of innovation. SONIFI has been an industry technology pioneer for more than 30 years and is the first to offer an enterprise-grade streaming solution for hospitality in partnership with another well-known innovator, Google. In 2015, Hyatt Regency San Francisco was the first hotel to offer the STAYCAST streaming experience, powered by Google Chromecast. Andaz 5th Avenue, a midtown Manhattan lifestyle hotel in the Hyatt portfolio, was also the first Hyatt hotel to enable 4K streaming.

“Hyatt’s forward thinking approach has pushed, motivated and mobilized our respective teams to deliver an experience that is quite personal and simple for Hyatt guests around the world,” stated SONIFI CEO Ahmad Ouri. “We are proud to have formed such a strong relationship and look forward to continued collaborative innovation to promote understanding in World of Hyatt.”

Download the World of Hyatt app for iOS and Android to get started.

The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.

About SONIFI® Solutions Inc.

SONIFI® Solutions Inc., the leader in innovative guest engagement solutions for the hospitality and healthcare industries, serves 500 million travelers in over 1.2 million hotel rooms annually. The company’s core services include guest Internet access, mobility, interactive television, streaming and free-to-guest solutions along with unparalleled nationwide technical support and professional services. For more information, please visit www.sonifi.com.

CHICAGO (April 18, 2016) – Today, Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announces the launch of an exclusive discount for Hyatt Gold Passport members, rewarding loyal guests with an up-to-10-percent discount for bookings made through Hyatt.com or the Hyatt mobile app.

The Hyatt Gold Passport member discount, available beginning today at Hyatt hotels in the U.S., Canada and Australia, strengthens the value for travelers who book directly with Hyatt and builds guest engagement. Additional direct-booking benefits include Hyatt Gold Passport points, Online Check-In and Express Checkout, mobile reservation management, and around-the-clock customer care, including through social channels.

“We want to build strong, long-term relationships with our guests and drive deeper engagement, so we are rewarding Hyatt Gold Passport members with an exclusive discount only available when you book with us,” said Ellen Lee, senior vice president, global digital for Hyatt. “Hyatt.com guarantees the best price, and its hassle-free experience means you manage your reservations on your terms.”

The Hyatt Gold Passport member discount joins a suite of benefits enjoyed by travelers who book direct, including:

Best value: Hyatt.com has long offered the lowest prices. With Hyatt’s Best Rate Guarantee, if a guest finds a qualifying lower rate published on another site within 24 hours of booking, Hyatt will match it and discount it by 20 percent for the entire stay. See Hyatt.com for more details.
Loyalty program benefits: Hyatt Gold Passport members who make direct bookings can earn loyalty points and credit toward elite tier status, which provides members additional benefits such as free premium Wi-Fi and complimentary suite upgrades.
On-the-go access and support: Hyatt.com and the mobile app make it easy to manage reservations on-the-go, including reservation changes without surprise fees and around-the-clock support by phone or the social channels travelers prefer.
Personalized experiences: Not only can travelers select the right room type and amenities that fit their needs when they book direct, but Hyatt can also better get to know guests and tailor experiences accordingly.

Plus, later this year, the enhanced Hyatt mobile app will provide guests who book direct the ability to make on-demand requests by communicating instantly with Hyatt on services like Messenger or text messaging.

“Coming mobile features for on-demand communication and services will further travelers’ ability to drive their own experiences,” Lee said. “And when you book direct, Hyatt colleagues have more opportunities to personalize guest experiences based on preferences, from knowing you want an extra blanket to helping you celebrate a special occasion.”

The Hyatt Gold Passport member discount is also available to members who request it by phone and travel advisors who book on behalf of members through Hyatt.com.

CHICAGO (July 9, 2018) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced that Hyatt has selected Julia Vander Ploeg as senior vice president, global head of digital. Vander Ploeg will report to Mark Vondrasek, global chief commercial officer.

“Julia is a dynamic and reputable leader in the digital space and will play a critical part in helping re-imagine Hyatt’s digital capabilities and increase the frequency and depth of engagement with our guests,” Vondrasek said. “Her proven track record of creating high-quality digital experiences across all touchpoints, particularly mobile, makes her an ideal fit for the role and will advance our ability to build meaningful, direct guest relationships.”

As senior vice president and global head of digital, Vander Ploeg will be responsible for setting digital strategy and enhancing Hyatt’s digital capabilities, managing revenue from digital channels and ensuring Hyatt continues to advance the guest experience by providing seamless digital interactions throughout the Hyatt ecosystem.

“I am thrilled to be joining the team at such an important time in Hyatt’s digital evolution,” said Vander Ploeg. “I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues across the organization to create and deliver digital experiences throughout the travel journey that enhance relationships with our guests. By accelerating digital platforms and channels, we will grow the value of Hyatt brands.”

Most recently, Vander Ploeg served as vice president of digital and business transformation for Volvo where she was responsible for establishing a transformative digital strategy for Volvo Cars. Prior to that, she helped McDonald’s implement its first strategic, internal digital function and has also previously held leadership roles at Ticketmaster, United Airlines and the Chicago Tribune. Vander Ploeg earned her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.

CHICAGO (January 9, 2019) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced the launch of a public bug bounty program with HackerOne in which ethical hackers are invited to test Hyatt websites and mobile apps for potential vulnerabilities and securely disclose them to Hyatt. In working with HackerOne, Hyatt is able tap into the vast expertise of the security research community to accelerate identifying and fixing potential vulnerabilities.

“At Hyatt, protecting guest and customer information is our top priority and launching this program represents an important step that furthers our goal of keeping our guests safe every day,” said Hyatt Chief Information Security Officer Benjamin Vaughn. “As one of the first global hospitality brands to launch this type of program, we extend the ways we care for our guests and deepen our commitment to protecting their sensitive information.”   

Through the bug bounty program, security researchers will be able to earn cash rewards, also known as bounties, if they report valid security flaws on Hyatt.com, m.hyatt.com, world.hyatt.com, and the iOS and Android versions of the Hyatt mobile app so they can be safely resolved. All ethical hackers that have agreed to HackerOne’s terms and conditions, and adhere to disclosure guidelines are eligible to participate in this program.

“Bug bounty programs are a proven method for advancing an organization’s cyber security defenses, trusted by leading enterprises across industries,” said HackerOne CEO Marten Mickos. “In today’s connected society, vulnerabilities will always be present. Organizations like Hyatt are leading the way by taking this essential step to secure the data they are trusted to hold.”

For more information, please visit: hackerone.com/hyatt

The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates

CHICAGO (December 8, 2021) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today the introduction of room keys in Apple Wallet across the first six participating U.S. hotels: Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa, Hyatt House Chicago/West Loop-Fulton Market, Hyatt House Dallas/Richardson, Hyatt Place Fremont/Silicon Valley and Hyatt Regency Long Beach. As the first hotel brand to offer room keys in Apple Wallet, World of Hyatt guests at participating locations can now seamlessly and securely tap their iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock guestrooms and key card-protected common areas like gyms, pools, and elevators – no need to open an app or handle a traditional plastic room key.* This marks an important milestone as Hyatt continues to reimagine the guest experience through digital innovations, offering more control and flexibility during their stay.

“Like everything we do at Hyatt, our approach to technology always includes listening to our guests and members. We heard that they want access to be near-instantaneous. Room keys in Apple Wallet is an easy, convenient and secure room key option for our guests when they travel,” said Julia Vander Ploeg, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Digital and Technology, Hyatt. “We are proud to work with Apple to launch this game-changing digital experience. Many consumer technologies evolve through a ‘tipping point’ that drives a change in adoption. We believe our collaboration with Apple on this new approach to room keys in Apple Wallet can be exactly that.” 

How it Works:

Hyatt room keys in Apple Wallet help deliver an easy and contactless experience from check-in to check out, while also providing additional security and privacy benefits for guests. 

Seamless Set-up and Check-In: From the World of Hyatt app, members can add their room key to Apple Wallet after completing a reservation. Once added, the room key in Apple Wallet will be updated to let them know when it’s time for check-in. Once a guest is checked in and the room is ready, the room key in Apple Wallet will be activated, will note the guest’s room number and can be used immediately. The room key will not activate until the guest is checked into the hotel and a guestroom has been assigned.
Safe, Easy and Contactless Experience: If a World of Hyatt guest needs to change rooms, extend a stay or access late checkout, the hotel can update the guest’s room key in Apple Wallet remotely – bypassing the need to visit the front desk. When it’s time to check out, guests can simply do so through the World of Hyatt app. The guest’s room key in Apple Wallet will then be remotely deactivated and archived in Apple Wallet.
Simply Tap iPhone or Apple Watch to Unlock: Room keys in Apple Wallet give World of Hyatt guests easy and secure access to their room and common areas around the hotel such as the gym, spa, pool and more, with a simple tap of their iPhone running iOS 15 or Apple Watch running watchOS 8. Once a room key is added to Apple Wallet on iPhone or Apple Watch, guests can hold their device near the door’s NFC-enabled lock to access key card-protected areas. With Express Mode, guests don’t need to unlock their device to use their room key in Apple Wallet. If their iPhone needs to be charged, they can still use the device to unlock their room or common areas for up to five hours with automatic Power Reserve.
More Secure and Private: Room keys in Apple Wallet are stored on your device and take full advantage of the privacy and security built into iPhone and Apple Watch. When or where a World of Hyatt guest uses a room key in Apple Wallet is never shared with Apple or stored on Apple servers. If an iPhone or Apple Watch is misplaced, the guest can promptly use the Find My app to lock the device and help locate it.

Hyatt room keys in Apple Wallet are supported by ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions door locks and their Vostio Access Management cloud-based solution. Vostio Access Management provides the digital key information that is securely delivered to guest devices.

Additional Digital Solutions Hyatt Offers:

Guided by its purpose of care, Hyatt continues implementing digital solutions throughout the travel journey to reimagine and enhance the guest experience:

Digital Key in the World of Hyatt App: Hyatt’s digital key in the World of Hyatt mobile app utilizes Bluetooth technology that allows guests to use the World of Hyatt app on their iPhone or Android phone as a digital key. Offering Hyatt room keys on multiple digital platforms provides members with more choices during their stay. Hyatt digital keys in the World of Hyatt mobile app are currently available at more than 600 participating hotels.
Two-Way Hotel Chat: Hyatt is deploying Medallia Zingle-powered intelligent messaging technology across its global portfolio, offering personalized communication between guests and hotel colleagues. This integration seamlessly supports any pre-arrival and in-stay questions, in guests’ preferred language and method of communication, via SMS text, in-app, web chat or popular social messaging apps like WhatsApp.
Hyatt Collaboration with Gopuff: Hyatt recently introduced a pilot program at participating Hyatt Place properties, offering guests fast, free delivery on thousands of everyday items directly to their hotel from Gopuff’s local micro-fulfillment centers, adding a one-of-a-kind convenience for travelers.
Together by Hyatt: Earlier this year, Hyatt launched Together by Hyatt, a new suite of events offerings for the re-imagined approach to meetings, building on Hyatt’s deep-rooted expertise in meetings and events to advance care for planners as they navigate the new normal.
Hyatt Together: Hyatt introduced the Hyatt Together digital platform featuring custom streaming content for guests, members and colleagues. The content is inspired by signature Hyatt experiences from around the globe and designed to inspire wellbeing while traveling, or at home.
Connect with Chromecast: In-room Chromecast enables guests to pair a personal device to the guestroom TV to stream their favorite shows and movies using preferred apps like YouTube, Netflix, Disney+ and thousands more. Available at participating hotels.

The room key in Apple Wallet feature is now available at the six participating U.S. properties. Looking ahead, this technology is expected to be rolled out across Hyatt’s global portfolio.

For more information about Hyatt room keys in Apple Wallet, visit hyatt.com.

The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.

*Requires an iPhone running iOS 15 and Apple Watch running watchOS 8