CHICAGO (June 18, 2020) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announces Hyatt’s path forward to welcome back guests and customers to Hyatt hotels, helping them once again experience the…
Creativity, care and innovation help reimagine the Hyatt hotel experience for guests and colleagues
CHICAGO (June 18, 2020) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announces Hyatt’s path forward to welcome back guests and customers to Hyatt hotels, helping them once again experience the joy of travel. With a focus on safety first and wellbeing always, Hyatt is reimagining the hotel journey with new amenities and offerings and taking comprehensive steps to implement enhanced protocols that help colleagues feel comfortable and confident at work.
As an extension of Hyatt’s recently announced Global Care and Cleanliness Commitment, Hyatt is collaborating with medical experts from Cleveland Clinic among other trusted medical and industry advisors to fine-tune reopening and operating procedures such as colleague reorientations, enhanced cleaning and safety protocols, and a Hygiene and Wellbeing Leader at every property.
“Over the past few months we have been intensively engaging with and listening to guests and colleagues, and we are implementing new offerings with their safety and wellbeing in mind,” said Mark Hoplamazian, president and CEO, Hyatt. “While the most important element of opening our doors is doing it safely, we have gone beyond cleaning to advance care across the entire hotel experience to proudly and confidently welcome back our guests, World of Hyatt loyalty members and colleagues.”
Beyond Safe and Clean, New Guest Experiences
With creativity and care, Hyatt is giving guests and members greater control of their hotel journey and focusing on a more holistic sense of wellbeing from pre-arrival to checkout and beyond. Hyatt is reimagining places and spaces to make social distancing not feel that way, striking the right balance of connection and space.
Wellbeing Where You Are: The true fulfillment of Hyatt’s purpose of care is wellbeing. Through a new, exclusive collaboration with Headspace, guests, members and colleagues may access mindfulness exercises, guided meditations and sleep content via the World of Hyatt app either on in-room TVs or on the road. Guests can also enjoy enhanced fitness and wellbeing amenities in-room at some hotels, such as Exhale on Demand TV content, fitness equipment delivered to the guestroom (bikes, treadmills, weights), or spa kits and treatments available for delivery. In some cases, hotels have created outdoor workout spaces.
Less Contact, More Care: Hyatt hotels are working to roll out enhanced digital amenities through the World of Hyatt app that will give guests more control over how they connect with Hyatt. The new features, available in select markets and rolling out on an ongoing basis, will allow guests to manage preferences like scheduling housekeeping, choosing between pick-up or knock-and-go food orders, mobile key entry, contactless check-in and checkout, and more. For meetings and events, Hyatt hotels are exploring audio-visual technology that will help offer customers hybrid meeting options – on-property and remote – for large-sale events with social distancing in mind.
Feeding the Senses: Exceptional food and beverage experiences have always been fundamental to Hyatt and a crucial part of the excitement of travel. Now, Hyatt is bringing together all the senses to deliver reimagined dining offerings in beautiful, unique spaces like private dining in a premium suite at Park Hyatt Moscow or creating meals in private garden suites at Hyatt Pune. Hotels are experimenting with new food and beverage offerings such as individual buffet-style meals that are curated and proportioned for each dining table at Hyatt Place Hyderabad Banjara Hills. New QR codes display menus so guests can browse options at The Confidante Miami Beach and order from their own mobile device at Grand Hyatt Seoul.
The Luxury of Space: At some hotels, on- and off-property events and excursions are being reimagined as private bookable leisure activities with plenty of space such as garden or rooftop yoga classes, private beekeeping, or exploring outdoor paths with guided maps on foot.
Curated with Care: Guestroom décor and amenities will be curated to remove some extraneous high-touch items, while still providing the high quality Hyatt experience for which our brand is known including engaging art and distinguished design.
Halfway Points: Soon, Hyatt will help inspire new ways to travel and connect with family and friends by helping pinpoint hotel locations that are convenient halfway points for friends and family to reunite.
“We’re continuing to evolve the guest experience as we listen and seek to understand what’s most important to our guests,” said Amy Weinberg, senior vice president global brand, loyalty, data & analytics, Hyatt. “Flexibility and peace of mind are essential to our guests right now, and we’re delivering personal care in everything we do throughout a guest’s travel journey.”
Unprecedented Flexibility
Based on guest feedback, Hyatt understands flexibility is key to offering guests peace of mind when they’re booking travel. Hyatt is now offering flexibility with cancellation at no charge up to 24 hours before scheduled arrival for most reservations for stays through July 31, 2021. As part of Hyatt’s new extended cancellation policy, reservations booked July 1, 2020 and beyond – for any future arrival date through July 31, 2021 – can be cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before scheduled arrival on hyatt.com or via the World of Hyatt app at least 24 hours before scheduled arrival. This includes Advance Purchase Rate reservations. Some exceptions* are noted below.
Caring for Colleagues
At Hyatt, the wellbeing of colleagues is core to advancing care for guests and customers. In response to COVID-19, Hyatt has also reimagined the colleague journey to include new work procedures, colleague resources, and reorientations, in an effort to ensure colleagues’ safety and wellbeing. Daily colleague surveys have been introduced to measure colleague comfort and wellbeing, enabling hotel leaders to address opportunities, make adjustments as necessary and meet colleagues’ needs in real time.
As part of the Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment, by July 2020, every Hyatt hotel will have at least one person on property trained as Hygiene & Wellbeing Leader who is responsible for their hotel adhering to new operational guidance and protocols. Each Hygiene & Wellbeing Leader will help maintain his or her hotel’s mandatory GBAC STARTM accreditation, including a cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention program that will focus on establishing hotel environments that are sanitary, safe and healthy.
The new hotel colleague journey also includes:
Daily temperature checks of all global colleagues upon arrival to the hotel
Wellbeing check reminders sent to colleagues prior to arriving at work
Personal protective equipment like face coverings required by all colleagues
Social distance guidance and additional hand sanitizer stations in colleague areas and
Complimentary access to Headspace for Hyatt colleagues to practice mindfulness and self-care.
For more information on Hyatt’s enhanced cleanliness protocols and reimagined experiences, please visit hyatt.com/care-and-cleanliness.
*Cancellation Policy Terms and Conditions
Hotels may adjust this cancellation policy during some high-demand periods (e.g., holidays or special events). When making reservations, guests are always encouraged to review the rate rules, which show the current cancellation and deposit policies for all properties and rates, to ensure they understand the cancellation and/or deposit rules for each reservation.
Reservations can be changed or cancelled on hyatt.com or via the World of Hyatt app (subject to the exceptions noted here and during the booking process). Please note that changes to existing reservations will be subject to availability and any rate differences.
With some very limited exceptions, existing reservations booked before July 1, 2020, for arrivals through July 31, 2021, can be cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival. This includes Advance Purchase Rate reservations.
Reservations made after April 1, 2020 at select Destination Residences or under Special Event Rates, after June 3, 2020 at Hyatt Residence Club properties, and any other reservations made after June 30, 2020 that disclose a different cancellation or refund policy at the time of booking are excluded from this policy and subject to the cancellation or refund policy disclosed at the time of booking. Please visit the Change and Cancellation Fee Waiver Exceptions for a list of excluded properties.
Please note: These policies apply to reservations made through Hyatt directly. Guests who booked via online travel agents or other third parties are advised to contact their booking provider for information on their policies and for assistance. These policies do not apply to convention and group business due to the contractual nature of these reservations. Guests with reservations at a Hyatt Residence Club property who did not book through Hyatt channels should contact Hyatt Residence Club.
Reservations with MGM, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and Lindblad Expeditions
Cancellation policies for MGM Resorts International, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and Lindblad Expeditions may vary from Hyatt’s policies and will be noted in the rate’s Rate Rules section during booking.
For the latest information and cancellation policies from our strategic alliances, please visit these helpful resources:
Small Luxury Hotels of the World
The term “Hyatt” is used in these release for convenience to refer 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 portfolio of 20 premier brands. As of March 31, 2020, the Company’s portfolio included more than 900 hotel, all-inclusive, and wellness resort properties in 65 countries across six continents. The Company’s purpose to care for people so they can be their best informs its business decisions and growth strategy and is intended to attract and retain top employees, build relationships with guests and create value for shareholders. The Company’s subsidiaries develop, own, operate, manage, franchise, license or provide services to hotels, resorts, branded residences, vacation ownership properties, and fitness and spa locations, including under the Park Hyatt®, Miraval®, Grand Hyatt®, Alila®, Andaz®, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt®, Destination®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt®, Hyatt Ziva™, Hyatt Zilara™, Thompson Hotels®, Hyatt Centric®, Caption by Hyatt, Joie de Vivre®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Place®, tommie™, Hyatt Residence Club® and Exhale® brand names, and operates the World of Hyatt® loyalty program that provides distinct benefits and exclusive experiences to its valued members. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934. 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, but are not limited to, the short- and longer-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including on the demand for travel, transient and group business, and levels of consumer confidence; actions that governments, businesses, and individuals take in response to the COVID-19 pandemic or any future resurgence, including limiting or banning travel; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic or any future resurgence, on global and regional economies, travel, and economic activity, including the duration and magnitude of its impact on unemployment rates and consumer discretionary spending; the ability of third-party owners, franchisees or hospitality venture partners to successfully navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; the pace of recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic or any future resurgence; general economic uncertainty in key global markets and a worsening of global economic conditions or low levels of economic growth; the rate and the 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; limited visibility with respect to future bookings; loss of key personnel; domestic and international political and geo-political conditions, including political or civil unrest or changes in trade policy; hostilities, or fear of hostilities, including future terrorist attacks, that affect travel; travel-related accidents; natural or man-made disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, oil spills, nuclear incidents, and global outbreaks of pandemics or contagious diseases or fear of such outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; our ability to successfully achieve certain levels of operating profits at hotels that have performance tests or guarantees in favor of our third-party owners; the impact of hotel renovations and redevelopments; risks associated with our capital allocation plans; the seasonal and cyclical nature of the real estate and hospitality businesses; changes in distribution arrangements, such as through internet travel intermediaries; changes in the tastes and preferences of our customers; relationships with colleagues and labor unions and changes in labor laws; the financial condition of, and our relationships with, third-party property owners, franchisees, and hospitality venture partners; the possible inability of third-party owners, franchisees, or development partners to access capital necessary to fund current operations or implement our plans for growth; risks associated with potential acquisitions and dispositions and the introduction of new brand concepts; the timing of acquisitions and dispositions, and our ability to successfully integrate completed acquisitions with existing operations; failure to successfully complete proposed transactions (including the failure to satisfy closing conditions or obtain required approvals); our ability to successfully execute on our strategy to expand our management and franchising business while at the same time reducing our real estate asset base within targeted timeframes and at expected values; declines in the value of our real estate assets; unforeseen terminations of our management or franchise agreements; changes in federal, state, local, or foreign tax law; increases in interest rates and operating costs; foreign exchange rate fluctuations or currency restructurings; lack of acceptance of new brands or innovation; general volatility of the capital markets and our ability to access such markets; changes in the competitive environment in our industry, including as a result of industry consolidation, and the markets where we operate; our ability to successfully grow the World of Hyatt loyalty program; cyber incidents and information technology failures; outcomes of legal or administrative proceedings; violations of regulations or laws related to our franchising business; and other risks discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including our annual report on Form 10-K, which filings are available from the SEC. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements set forth above. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are made only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake or assume any 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 law. 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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Media Contacts:
Jorian Weiner
Hyatt
312-780-3004
jorian.weiner@hyatt.com
Gloria Kennett
Hyatt
312-780-5506
gloria.kennett@hyatt.com