Another day, another unnecessary hotel brand reveal. Last week, Marriott announced the launch of its 37th unique hotel brand and this week Hyatt decided to add another of its own. The new brand is called Unscripted by Hyatt and, according to the company, will bring to life a flexible, collection-style approach where each property reflects its own identity and local flavor yet remains unmistakably Hyatt in quality and care.
Unscripted by Hyatt, Where Does it Fit?
This new brand appears to slot in below the Unbound Collection by Hyatt and JdV , which is part of the company’s Luxury portfolio, and feature a variety of different properties. According to the company, Unscripted by Hyatt brand fills a key white space in Hyatt’s portfolio and is designed to unlock growth through adaptive reuse and conversion-friendly opportunities.
Conversion brands like this have driven much of the growth in the major hotel chain portfolios in recent years which allow independent properties to maintain their identity while gaining access to major distribution channels. Hyatt states that there are currently 40+ properties around the world looking to join the brand.
Dan Hansen, Head of Americas Development at Hyatt, said this about the new brand:
“The Unscripted by Hyatt brand gives owners a flexible path to join the Hyatt system while still delivering the high-quality, dependable experience guests expect from Hyatt. By joining the growing World of Hyatt loyalty program, owners benefit from our powerful network where an innovative new brand like Unscripted by Hyatt widens our guest and customer reach and strengthens the value of the whole Hyatt system.”
The Unscripted by Hyatt brand will be part of the company’s Essentials portfolio. Other brands in the portfolio include Caption by Hyatt, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Hyatt Studios, Hyatt Select, and UrCove. Based on its portfolio peers, I would expect these properties to be lower end, select service independent hotels as opposed to being “positioned in the upscale segment” as the company describes it.
Ultimately, this seems like an odd addition to me. I fully understand wanting to bring cool, independent hotels under a major brand and I have really enjoyed my stays at some independent properties. I’ll reserve final judgement until I see the types of properties that are added to the portfolio but, for now, this seems like another unnecessary hotel brand.
Summary
Hyatt Hotels has introduced a new brand under its select-service, Essentials portfolio. Unscripted by Hyatt is designed to entice conversion properties by allowing them to tap into Hyatt’s distribution network while maintaining their own identity. I can’t quite figure out where this brand will sit so I’m interested to see what properties join the brand.
(Images courtesy Hyatt Hotels Corporation)