Following several years of acquisitions to build out a more robust brand portfolio, Hyatt Hotels Corporation ended 2024 by realigning its brands into collections that can better focus on specific segments in the industry and the guests they serve.
Now in the early days of 2025, Dan Hansen, head of Americas development and global head of Hyatt Studios, said the company is poised to realize the benefits of those efforts.
In an interview with Hotel News Now, Hansen said the new structure gives Hyatt a "greater focus" and allows the company to deliver "greater service" both to hotel guests and owners.
"I think that really translates into opportunities," he said.
Editor's note: This interview was conducted before Hyatt's recent announcement of a new select-service brand aimed at transient travel demand, Hyatt Select.
Hyatt has traditionally been a company that focuses on high-end travelers, and Hansen said the new structure doesn't take away from that but instead "allows us to enhance it even more."
"As the company grows, brands and teams can become more fragmented, and this realignment brings that focus back together so that we can deliver on our high-quality promise," he said.
He said part of that greater focus on the ownership side is providing hotel investors with a higher degree of flexibility and making sure they know their concerns are heard and valued. He said not prescribing to a cookie-cutter approach also can translate to better experience for guests — recognizing a property on a beach shouldn't have the same experience as a ski resort or an urban hotel.
"That flexibility just gives greater opportunities to grow the strength of the brands," he said. "It still has to be have the foundation of quality guests want: good, clean, well-located and have great service. So I think with those kind of pillars in mind, I think there's a new sense of flexibility around what works."
For more from HNN's interview with Hyatt's Dan Hansen, which includes discussions on the growth of the World of Hyatt loyalty platform, the value of loyalty in branded hotels, opportunities for growth in 2025 and more, watch the video above.