OUR story

Hyatt was founded by Jay Pritzker in 1957 when he purchased the Hyatt House motel adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport. Over the following decade, Jay and his brother Donald Pritzker, grew the company into a successful North American management and hotel ownership company.

In 1968, Hyatt International was formed as a separate entity, and both companies were later taken private by Pritzker family business interests before uniting under Hyatt Hotels Corporation in 2004 and going public in 2009. Today, Hyatt is a global hospitality leader with more than 1,450 hotels and all-inclusive resorts across over 80 countries and six continents.

Through strategic growth and new brand introductions, the World of Hyatt portfolio now spans more than 30 brands across five distinct portfolios – Luxury, Lifestyle, Inclusive, Classics, and Essentials – driving brand differentiation and exceptional guest experiences.

1957

Jay Pritzker buys Hyatt House, a small motor lodge near LAX.

1967

Hyatt Regency Atlanta becomes the first Hyatt Regency property. The dramatic, 22-story atrium lobby and groundbreaking design spawn many imitators, and define Hyatt as a leader in global hospitality.

1969

Hyatt Regency Hong Kong becomes Hyatt’s first international location.

1972

Always on the cutting edge of customer service, Hyatt opens a central reservations office in Omaha, Nebraska-with a dedicated toll-free 800 number.

1980

Grand Hyatt New York and Park Hyatt Chicago open and add two iconic brands to Hyatt's portfolio.

1987

Hyatt Gold Passport launches as Hyatt's loyalty program.

1995

Hyatt Sunset Harbor, in Key West, Florida, heralds Hyatt’s arrival to the vacation ownership market.

2006

The Hyatt Place brand is introduced in Lombard, Illinois. At the same time, Hyatt purchases Summerfield Suites with an aim to expand into the extended stay market.

2007

The stylist Andaz brand debuts on Liverpool Street in London.

2009

Hyatt goes public on the NYSE, trading under the ticker symbol H.

2011

Hyatt Thrive launches as Hyatt's global corporate responsibility platform.

2012

Hyatt Summerfield Suites is rebranded as Hyatt House.

2013

With the debut of the Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara brands in Mexico, Hyatt is advancing into the rapidly growing segment of all-inclusive resorts.

2015

The Hyatt Centric brand launches with its first location in Chicago offering accessible, chic lodgings in prime city locations for the cosmopolitan traveler.

2016

The Unbound Collection by Hyatt becomes the 12th brand in Hyatt’s portfolio, introducing guests to a whole new range of experiences.

2017

On March 1, World of Hyatt launches as a reimagined loyalty program designed to deepen engagement with Hyatt’s most loyal guests.

Guided by its purpose, Hyatt enters the wellbeing space with the acquisition of the Miraval brand.

2018

The new World of Hyatt Credit Card launches, rewarding members for how they live, work and travel, including an industry-first Bonus Points fitness category.

Hyatt completes the acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality, expanding its hotel and resort portfolio with the inclusion of brands like Alila, Destination by Hyatt, JdV by Hyatt, and Thompson Hotels.

2019

Hyatt announces two new hotel brands, Caption by Hyatt, a lifestyle brand designed to inspire personal connections, and UrCove, a brand developed in a joint venture with BTG Homeinns Hotels Group to cater to China’s growing upper-midscale market of frequent business travelers.

World of Hyatt continues to advance, connect and add to the program with a newly designed mobile app, expansion of Small Luxury Hotels of the World destinations, and new alliances with American Airlines and Lindblad Expeditions.

2020

On January 15, Hyatt announces a new global wellbeing collaboration with Headspace, a leader in mindfulness and meditation. Members can access a curated selection of meditations and sleep exercises in the World of Hyatt app and in-room at participating Hyatt hotels.

Hyatt is the first hospitality brand to commit to Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation. GBAC STAR accreditation is part of Hyatt’s Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment, which builds on Hyatt’s existing rigorous safety and cleanliness protocols.

2021

On November 2, Hyatt announced the acquisition of Apple Leisure Group (ALG), a leading luxury resort-management services, travel, and hospitality group with a unique collection of resort brands with the AMR™ Collection, which consists of more than 100 hotels and resorts across 10 countries.

World of Hyatt Credit Card

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