Editorial note: The original version of this story incorrectly referred to the changes to the Hyatt Place breakfast policy as a positive. In fact, breakfast is being removed as a benefit for general Hyatt Place customers and will only be available to World of Hyatt members who book direct, which is a significant devaluation for travelers who prefer to book hotel rooms through online travel agencies and other third party booking options. We've updated the story with the correct information and apologize for the error.
Hyatt has a different vision for the future of its Hyatt Place brand. On Monday, Hyatt announced that going forward, the Hyatt Place brand will shift to offer a more modern set of amenities and design, but will only offer free breakfast for World of Hyatt members and not customers who book Hyatt Place rooms through other means such as online travel agencies like Orbitz or Expedia.
According to a press release, the new Hyatt Place brand will "focus on three key areas: thoughtful design, driving value for World of Hyatt members and enhanced well-being experiences." You can see each of the three new focus areas detailed below:
Design
With the reimagined Hyatt Place brand, travelers can expect to find new furniture in rooms, as well as new features like a premium mattress, blackout shades and warm-colored lighting. In addition, travelers can expect to find redesigned bathrooms in guest rooms, featuring a larger vanity for storage, better lighting to reduce shadows, a walk-in shower with footrest and more.
Much like business traveler brands with other hotel programs, Hyatt is attempting to promote a more communal feel for guests, beginning in the lobby. The company says the lobby experience will "become an energizing intersection for guests looking to get out of their rooms."
World of Hyatt
As of Monday, the refreshed Hyatt Place brand will offer World of Hyatt members some additional perks. Specifically, Explorist and Globalist members will be able to take advantage of early check-in — beginning in early 2019. In addition, beginning in early 2019, World of Hyatt members will also be able to take advantage of mobile entry.
On the flip side, the Hyatt Place brand is removing free breakfast for customers who are not World of Hyatt members or who don't book directly with Hyatt. Non-World of Hyatt members can either pay for breakfast or sign up for the program at check-in to get the complimentary meal. In addition, guests staying with the World of Hyatt member can also take advantage of the free breakfast benefit.
The change to the complimentary breakfast offering begins on November 1, 2018. Hyatt says that it will honor the free breakfast for eligible members even for reservations made before Monday's announcement. Currently, breakfast is complimentary for all guests.
Well-Being Experiences
Finally, Hyatt is expanding its well-being options for guests with its relationship with Exhale, the spa and fitness brand. At Hyatt Place hotels, guests can expect to find built-in programming on in-room TVs for video content with Exhale's fitness and mindfulness programs. The videos will also be integrated into the Hyatt mobile app, coming no later than 2019.
In addition, Hyatt announced that it's enhancing the fitness facilities in its Hyatt Place properties, including offering more space for yoga and stretching within its gyms. Guests can also expect to take advantage of app-based well-being partnerships, such as a bike-sharing platform.
The Hyatt Place brand was originally launched 12 years ago, and has since been one of Hyatt's mainstays for business travelers. Hyatt says that in the past five years, the Hyatt Place brand has grown by 75%, with a portfolio now totaling more than 305 hotels in 200 cities around the world.
This story has been updated to reflect that all World of Hyatt members will have access to mobile entry as well as to clarify that breakfast is currently free for all guests.
