Your ultimate guide to Hyatt's hotel brands

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the latest information.

Hyatt has long been one of the most popular hotel chains among award travelers. But World of Hyatt has one serious shortcoming: Hyatt has a relatively small global footprint compared to giants like Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors.

Hyatt is working to improve its footprint by rapidly expanding in Europe and adding many all-inclusive brands into its portfolio. Rather than focusing solely on opening new properties for its core brands, Hyatt has continued to acquire and partner with existing hotel chains to add more brands and properties worldwide to its umbrella.

In this guide, I'll highlight the differences between Hyatt’s many brands.

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Park Hyatt

Park Hyatt is the cream of the crop and Hyatt’s most luxurious brand. There are only 48 Park Hyatts around the globe, with almost half of them located in Asia.

You'll typically find Park Hyatt properties in big-city destinations (Sydney, New York, Paris, etc.) and more tropical getaways like the Maldives and St. Kitts. Park Hyatts tend to feature a more modern luxury design, unlike other hotel brands like St. Regis or Waldorf Astoria, which can feel old and stuffy at times.

Related: Your guide to maximizing redemptions with Hyatt

Three Park Hyatt properties, in particular, deserve special attention: the Park Hyatt New York, Park Hyatt Sydney and the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme. Not only are these three of the most aspirational points hotels in the world, but you can book a standard award for just 40,000 Hyatt points per night. While that sounds steep, they're generally some of the best redemptions in the World of Hyatt portfolio, with cash rates over $1,000 per night. Combined with easy 1:1 point transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards, it's one of the big reasons Hyatt remains so popular.

Reviews: Park Hyatt Sydney, Park Hyatt New York, Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme, Park Hyatt Aviara, Park Hyatt Istanbul, Park Hyatt St. Kitts, Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa

Andaz

With its 28 properties around the world, Andaz straddles the line between a luxury and lifestyle brand, drawing heavily on local art and culture. Andaz believes in “fully immersing guests through every one of the senses,” but unlike W Hotels, it manages to do so without going over the top.

Reviews: Andaz Maui, Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi, Andaz 5th Avenue New York, Andaz West Hollywood, Andaz Mayakoba

Alila

Alila was one of Hyatt’s most exciting additions when it acquired Two Roads Hospitality back in 2018. Alila has just 21 properties worldwide, all of which are stunning boutique hotels in exotic destinations. More than half of the properties are in Asia, with a handful of locations in China, India, Indonesia, Oman and three in the U.S. rounding out the list. Alila is a great choice for anyone looking to get intimately acquainted with their natural surroundings without sacrificing luxury.

Reviews: Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas, Alila Napa Valley

Grand Hyatt

There are currently 59 Grand Hyatt hotels worldwide offering an upscale but affordable stay, whether you choose to pay with cash or points. You’ll find these hotels in big cities, beach destinations and even a few airport locations.

Reviews: Grand Hyatt Kauai, Grand Hyatt San Francisco, Grand Hyatt Berlin, Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen, Grand Hyatt Bogotá, Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, Grand Hyatt SFO

Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara

Despite being the smallest of the major hotel chains, Hyatt has committed to all-inclusive offerings with its Ziva and Zilara brands. All nine properties are located in the Caribbean and Latin America, including Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

Related: 11 all-inclusive beach resorts you can book with points

All-inclusive resorts don’t always have the best reputation regarding the quality of food and beverage offerings. Still, the Ziva and Zilara brands do a pretty respectable job and are great for award travelers looking to keep their out-of-pocket costs as low as possible.

Reviews: Hyatt Ziva Cancun, Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana, Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall

AMR Collection

When Hyatt acquired Apple Leisure Group last November, it came with the promise that over 100 AMR Collection hotels would be joining the World of Hyatt portfolio. Consequently, many all-inclusive hotels are joining World of Hyatt. The full list of new all-inclusive brands includes:

• Secrets Resorts & Spas.
• Dreams Resorts & Spas.
• Breathless Resorts & Spas.
• Sunscape Resorts & Spas.
• Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts.
• Alua Hotels & Resorts.
• Vivid Hotels & Resorts.

Six Cancun resorts already joined World of Hyatt earlier this month and 52 more resorts throughout Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America will be joining on May 9.

Reviews: Zoëtry Agua Punta Cana, Secrets Cap Cana

Miraval

If bottomless margaritas and all-you-can-eat seafood aren't your style, maybe Miraval’s health-focused resorts and spas are. Miraval calls itself “a sanctuary of surrender and discovery,” with a heavy focus on finding mental balance and therapeutic spa treatments. There are only a couple of Miraval resorts, but with locations in Arizona, the Berkshires in Massachusetts and Austin, they offer a healing getaway close to home for many.

Reviews: Miraval Berkshires, Miraval Austin Resort, Miraval Arizona

Hyatt

There are 22 Hyatt hotels, including 15 in the U.S. These properties are designed for leisure and meetings, offering comfortable rooms with productive workspaces.

Reviews: Hyatt Union Square, Hyatt Paris Madeleine

Caption by Hyatt

As one of Hyatt's newest organic brands, Caption by Hyatt will open its first location in Memphis later this year. The brand promises to offer a lifestyle, select-service experience for guests. In many ways, it looks a lot like Hilton's Canopy brand, which has historically attracted a younger demographic.

The Unbound Collection by Hyatt

The Unbound Collection was Hyatt’s original boutique luxury brand before it went on an acquisition spree in recent years. With 39 properties, mostly split between the U.S. and Europe, you can stay in historic buildings in Paris or Budapest or unwind at Carmel Valley Ranch in California’s wine country.

Reviews: Mar Monte Hotel, Carmel Valley Ranch, Hotel Figueroa, Confidante Miami Beach, Hotel du Louvre

Hyatt Regency

If you’re traveling for business, especially for a convention or conference, you may find yourself staying at a Hyatt Regency. This brand caters to business and leisure travelers alike with almost 250 properties, about half of which are in the U.S. You’ll find plenty of amenities for business travelers on the go, including gyms, club lounges, multiple dining options and usually a business center as well.

Reviews: Hyatt Regency London, Hyatt Regency San Francisco, Hyatt Regency Phuket, Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico, Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, Hyatt Regency Kuantan Resort

Hyatt Centric

Hyatt Centric hotels target millennials and younger travelers, proudly advertising themselves as being “located in the heart of the action, serving as the perfect spot for exploring all your destination has to offer.”

You’ll find more than half of the brand’s 55 global properties located in big cities in the U.S., offering amenities like craft cocktails and locally-inspired food.

Reviews: Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach, Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo

Hyatt Place

With over 400 locations worldwide (75% of which are in the U.S.), Hyatt Place is by far the most popular Hyatt brand. These mid-tier properties are affordable to a wide range of travelers, and they’re well known for offering free breakfast to all guests who book directly through Hyatt (including award stays).

Related: The best U.S. Category 1 Hyatt properties

Hyatt House

If you’re looking for the budget of a Hyatt Place hotel but for a longer stay, consider opting for a Hyatt House. Every room at these extended-stay properties is a suite equipped with a kitchen and on-site laundry facilities.

Thompson Hotels

Thompson Hotels is another legacy Two Roads Hospitality brand that Hyatt acquired. All 19 boutique Thompson hotels have now joined World of Hyatt.

Reviews: Thompson Hollywood, Thompson San Antonio — Riverwalk, Thompson Washington, D.C., The Cape, Thompson Beach House Playa Del Carmen, Gild Hall

Destination by Hyatt

Destination Hotels is another boutique chain that Hyatt acquired when it bought Two Roads Hospitality. As of now, over 60 properties have joined World of Hyatt, massively expanding Hyatt’s presence in Hawaii and Colorado’s ski destinations like Aspen and Vail.

Reviews: Wailea Ekolu Village, Wyndhurst Manor & Club, Hana-Maui Resort, Seabird Hotel in Oceanside

Joie de Vivre by Hyatt

Joie de Vivre, a legacy Two Roads Hospitality brand, describes itself as offering “boutique neighborhood hotels.” As of now, 25 Joie de Vivre properties have joined World of Hyatt.

Reviews: Mission Pacific Hotel, Hotel 50 Bowery

Hyatt Residence Club

Hyatt Residence Club is Hyatt's timeshare and vacation rental brand. There are 15 Hyatt Residence Club locations, all within the U.S. Note that when you book World of Hyatt award stays at these properties, you won't get daily housekeeping and may not get all of your typical World of Hyatt elite perks.

Related: 5 reasons why this under-the-radar Hyatt is an ideal base for exploring Sedona

UrCove by Hyatt

Finally, there are 15 UrCove by Hyatt properties, all located within China. UrCove says its hotels are "built specifically to meet Chinese travelers' preferences" and primarily cater to business travelers in China.

Related: How a simple game of bingo scored me a free night with Hyatt

Bottom line

Hyatt used to offer a very streamlined portfolio with just a few core brands. But, thanks to an acquisition and partnership spree, World of Hyatt now features several new hotel brands, offering hotels from exotic locales like the forest of Bali to quaint neighborhoods in San Francisco.

Additional reporting by Kyle Olsen and Katie Genter.