Chicago resident Tom Markwell travels frequently for business and has come to expect a certain level of service wherever he stays. He explains, “The one thing I like about the Hyatt brand is that no matter where I am or where I go in the world, I can always count on the sophisticated elegance of Hyatt properties to meet my business needs.”

Hyatt Hotels Corp., headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a heritage of providing authentic hospitality and making guests feel extra special. Hyatt subsidiaries manage, franchise, license, own and develop hotels, resorts, branded residences and vacation ownership properties. The 573 branded properties on six continents and in 48 countries include Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Andaz, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt, Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, Hyatt Place and Hyatt House.

Hyatt’s story includes a long-term focus with growth accelerating in 2015 and becoming robust in 2016. A total of 23 full-service hotel properties are expected to come on line throughout 2015, with another 21 select-service properties joining the brand. (Full-service brands include Hyatt, Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Andaz, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara. Select-service brands include Hyatt Place and Hyatt House.)

Park Hyatt, one of the company’s luxury brands, offers locations in premier destinations around the world, including the newly opened Park Hyatt Vienna and Park Hyatt New York. Grand Hyatt, Hyatt’s other luxury brand, comprises larger-sized hotels in major cities, with a high concentration of properties in Asia. The large, premium Hyatt Regency hotels cater to both leisure and business travelers, with sophisticated meeting capabilities that connect and energize guests; and the Hyatt brand contains smaller hotels in well-known neighborhoods like Union Square and Times Square in New York City. Hyatt’s Andaz, a lifestyle boutique-inspired brand located in dynamic urban and leisure destinations worldwide with a lively local art scene, attracts guests who are a part of the creative class and who embrace a vibrant and creative environment.

As all-inclusive resorts, the Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara brands focus on food and beverage quality and guest service. The Hyatt Ziva brand is designed for all guests, while Hyatt Zilara resorts offer an adults-only all-inclusive experience that creates unique opportunities to focus on living in the moment.

Hyatt Place select-service hotels cater to family and business travelers in urban, airport and suburban areas, while Hyatt House properties, formerly known as Hyatt Summerfield Suites, are extended-stay residential hotels and smaller to mid-sized modern hotels located in U.S. urban and suburban areas.

THE UNITED STATES will see the highest number of 2015 Hyatt launches, with four full-service properties opening in Houston (Hyatt Regency); McLean, Va. (Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center); Miami Beach (Hyatt South Beach); and Chicago (Hyatt The Loop Chicago). Eight select-service hotels will join the company, including five Hyatt Place hotels (Asheville, N.C.; Bowling Green, Ky.; Charleston, S.C.; Denver; and New York Times Square); one Hyatt House (Chelsea, N.Y.); and two dual-branded Hyatt Place/Hyatt House hotels (in the historic district of Charleston, S.C., and downtown Denver).

The 108-room Hyatt Place hotel opening in downtown Bowling Green, Ky., is the first Hyatt-branded hotel in the area. According to Jeff Flater, vice president of marketing, Hyatt Place, “The Hyatt Place brand is a perfect fit for a campus environment because it was designed for people living a multitasking lifestyle, not just a business traveler or a leisure traveler. From visiting parents and sports teams to guest lecturers and prospective students, we believe that all guests will appreciate the casual hospitality and practical amenities offered at Hyatt Place Bowling Green.”

Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta exterior © Playa Hotels & Resorts

WITH THE INTRODUCTION of the Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara brands, Hyatt enters the all-inclusive market, debuting in Mexico and the Caribbean in 2015. Hyatt Ziva Cancun (formerly Dreams Cancun) expects to reopen in the fourth quarter of 2015. Owned and operated by Playa Hotels & Resorts under the Hyatt Ziva brand, it is located in trendy Punta Cancun and welcomes guests of all ages. Hyatt Ziva is a complete rebuild surrounded by Caribbean waters on three sides. The extra amenities and services that guests will enjoy as part of an inclusive experience will set the Hyatt Ziva apart from other resort properties.

“With brands like Andaz, Hyatt Place and Hyatt House, we have redefined every segment we’ve entered in the past seven years and believe we can do the same with the all-inclusive segment,” says John Wallis, global head of marketing and brand strategy, Hyatt Hotels Corp. “We are delighted to enter this segment working with an experienced company, Playa, to provide a distinctive all-inclusive experience that delivers the consistent quality and service for which Hyatt is known.”

Hyatt Playa del Carmen is a beachfront urban oasis just steps away from the city’s famous Fifth Avenue. Natural elements, artwork, textures and light harmonize with amazing floor-to-ceiling window views. Acclaimed Mexican architect Sordo Madaleno and the award-winning New York-based Rockwell Group designed the concept. The hotel is now accepting reservations from July 1.

“We are very excited and proud to be expanding Hyatt’s brand presence in vibrant Riviera Maya with the addition of Hyatt Playa del Carmen,” says Alvaro Valeriani, regional vice president of sales and marketing, Latin America and Caribbean, Hyatt. “Hyatt is expanding and strengthening its brand presence in new and exciting markets throughout the Americas, such as Mexico, with bold new offerings to suit the needs and lifestyles of travelers.”

Two Grand Hyatt hotels make their entrance in this region — Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in Nassau, The Bahamas, and Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro in Brazil — as do Hyatt Regency Cartagena in Colombia and Hyatt Montevideo in Uruguay. Three Hyatt Place hotels will debut in Tijuana, Mexico; Managua, Nicaragua; and Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

LUXURY SETS THE STAGE for Hyatt-branded hotel openings in China, while India reflects major expansion plans coming to fruition in 2015. Hyatt is slated to open five full-service properties in China during 2015. Grand Hyatt makes its entrance into Chengdu and Sanya Haitang Bay; Hyatt Regency will be introduced to Changchun and Wuxi. The Park Hyatt brand is scheduled to open in Hangzhou, as well.

India will be home to seven new Hyatt-branded hotels: three full-service and four select-service. This marks an upward trend of Hyatt’s expansion within India, where acceptance of newer brands has been stellar. Andaz Delhi will open along with two Hyatt Regency hotels — one in Ahmedabad and the other in Chandigarh. A total of four Hyatt Place hotels will debut in Chakan, Chennai, Gurgaon and Hyderabad.

Other regional openings include Hyatt Place Seoul in South Korea, Park Hyatt Bangkok in Thailand and Grand Hyatt Colombo in Sri Lanka.

HYATT WILL INCREASE by four hotels in Saudi Arabia (Hyatt Regency Makkah, Hyatt Regency Riyadh-Olaya, Hyatt House Jeddah and Hyatt Place Jeddah) along with three in Africa (Hyatt Dakar in Senegal, Park Hyatt Zanzibar in Tanzania and Hyatt Place Taghazout in Morocco). A Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi will be opening in the United Arab Emirates.

Additionally, three Hyatt Regency hotels will open in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Minsk, Belarus; and Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Hyatt Place London Heathrow Hayes and Hyatt Place Jermuk, Armenia, round out the openings in Europe.

OTHER HYATT PROPERTIES continue to update this year. Hyatt Regency in San Francisco will complete Phase III of its renovation in the first quarter of 2015, featuring a spacious transformed atrium lobby with a new restaurant and bar. The hotel boasts a Guinness World Record for the “largest atrium.”

Grand Hyatt Taipei completed major renovation work on guestrooms, the lobby and restaurants in 2014 and will have a grand re-launch in spring 2015, in time to coincide with its 25th anniversary.

Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, the company’s first branded all-inclusive resort, and Hyatt Place Los Cabos were severely impacted by Hurricane Odile, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on the evening of Sept. 14, 2014. Most of the destruction was attributed to a water surge causing extensive saltwater damage. Odile left most of the area’s 250,000 inhabitants without power while stranding about 30,000 tourists. Hyatt expects to reopen the properties this spring.

IN THE FOURTH QUARTER of 2014, Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall Jamaica introduced a new level of guest service. An exclusive transfer service personally greets guests at an airport and transports them to the properties. Both hotels mark the arrival of Jamaica’s first Hyatt-branded all-inclusive resorts.

Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall’s pool © Playa Hotel & Resorts

Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta opened in December 2014 and is now accepting reservations. This secluded tropical paradise on the Pacific Coast boasts the region’s only private cloistered beach cove.

Hyatt House San Juan opened in late 2014, becoming Puerto Rico’s first extended-stay hotel. Featuring panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and San Juan Bay, it is the brand’s first Hyatt House outside the continental United States.

ANDAZ
Demographic: Guests looking for a creative hotel experience
Offerings: Each hotel evokes the vibe of the local area, from the communal spaces and artwork to the food and event spaces.
Highlight: Andaz Maui is the brand’s first resort property, and the Andaz Tokyo recently opened in the city’s second-tallest building.

GRAND HYATT
Demographic: Upscale travelers looking for luxury accommodations in large cities
Offerings: The brand’s focus is on offering upbeat lobbies, great dining, state-of-the-art technology and amenities and comprehensive meeting facilities.
Highlight: Generally located in the center of major cities, the brand has a large concentration of Asian locations.

HYATT
Demographic: Savvy guests looking for smaller hotels in well-known neighborhoods
Offerings: Staff are insiders, sharing the best of the hotels and their home cities with guests.
Highlight: The guestrooms are designed as flexible spaces for work and relaxation.

HYATT HOUSE
Demographic: Extended-stay guests
Offerings: Apartment-style accommodations include kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms.
Highlight: Complimentary amenities include the Morning Spread buffet and a workout room.

HYATT PLACE
Demographic: Family and business travelers in urban, airport and suburban areas; people living a multitasking lifestyle
Offerings: The brand’s motto is all about doing things differently, offering every modern comfort and convenience.
Highlight: 24/7: Eat, drink and stay fit in the gym.

HYATT REGENCY
Demographic: Business and leisure travelers
Offerings: Known for sophisticated meeting capabilities and for hosting conventions and events
Highlight: Urban, suburban, airport, convention and vacation destinations ensure there’s a Hyatt Regency everywhere you want to be.

HYATT ZILARA/HYATT ZIVA
Demographic: All-inclusive vacation travelers (Hyatt Zilara is adults-only)
Offerings: A focus on food and beverage offerings and guest services, the all-inclusive experience also includes suites, unlimited top-shelf alcohol and live entertainment.
Highlight: Resorts are open or opening soon in Jamaica, Puerto Vallarta and Mexico.

PARK HYATT
Demographic: Affluent luxury travelers
Offerings: The concept started as the founder’s vision for an intimate experience celebrating art, food, wine and personalized service.
Highlight: Park Hyatt New York and Park Hyatt Vienna debuted recently.