Could Hyatt be bought out?
Feb 8, 2018, 12:21 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 35
Could Hyatt be bought out?
Given with what happened with SPG being taken over by Marriott is it a possibility? It won't be by Marriott anytime soon but another hotel group could. SPG is bigger than Hyatt, elites fleeing because of ridiculous status requirements, lack of properties. Other hotel mergers are happening too. What do you think?
Feb 8, 2018, 12:24 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat
Posts: 182
The way Hyatt is acting certainly makes it seem like something is going on. Hyatt Gold Passport was about creating loyalty and brand differentiation, but WOH seems like it is running on autopilot and without any actual commitment to brand. Maybe that means they are coasting towards a buyout.
Feb 8, 2018, 1:20 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
The way Hyatt is acting certainly makes it seem like something is going on. Hyatt Gold Passport was about creating loyalty and brand differentiation, but WOH seems like it is running on autopilot and without any actual commitment to brand. Maybe that means they are coasting towards a buyout.
Feb 8, 2018, 3:20 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: MR-Amb, Hyatt-Globalist, AA-EXP
Posts: 1,744
I’ve always felt WOH was just a stopgap “program” designed to get rid of some of the long standing GP benefits before a merger or acquisition happens. When you look at how huge the competition is, with Accor/Fairmont/Raffles, Starwood/Ritz-Carlton/Marriott, etc... it seems likely that something will happen.
Feb 8, 2018, 7:20 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,324
I agree. I think the changes were meant to boost numbers for a potential buyout, and if that doesn't happen in the near future I expect the program will go through another big change. But I can't imagine that change would happen until the joint SPG/Marriott program is announced and they know what they need to compete against.
Feb 9, 2018, 1:19 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,029
This comes up frequently...
Unless every member of the Pritzker family wants to cash out, it's unlikely that a larger hotel chain can buy Hyatt.
Remember that Hyatt wanted to buy SPG, but maintaining family control was a stumbling block.
Unless every member of the Pritzker family wants to cash out, it's unlikely that a larger hotel chain can buy Hyatt.
Remember that Hyatt wanted to buy SPG, but maintaining family control was a stumbling block.
Feb 9, 2018, 8:09 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Stilllwater OK (SWO)
Programs: AAdvantage ExecPlat, World of Hyatt Globalist, plain "member" of Marriott, IHG, enterprise, etc.
Posts: 1,844
While we are all speculating, which is fairly useless, I don't know why Hyatt would overhaul its loyalty program in advance of a buyout, when if it was going to be bought out, its program would be re-overhauled anyways. I think it more likely that Hyatt invested time, energy, and risk into an overhaul and rebranding towards 'lifestyle', because after the SPG debacle, they know they are going to need to better position themselves to compete in the long-run as a smaller brand against a consolidating industry (and by compete, it's only about increasing profit, not about showering awards on more marginal customers). Is it working for them? Maybe, maybe not, that too is something we speculate about with scant facts/evidence.
Feb 9, 2018, 10:39 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,474
+1.^ Pritzkers didn't even want to bring Hyatt public until they were forced by lawsuit. They prefer to remain as a privately hold family company.
Feb 9, 2018, 3:15 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA EXP, WOH Globalist
Posts: 43
While we are all speculating, which is fairly useless, I don't know why Hyatt would overhaul its loyalty program in advance of a buyout, when if it was going to be bought out, its program would be re-overhauled anyways. I think it more likely that Hyatt invested time, energy, and risk into an overhaul and rebranding towards 'lifestyle', because after the SPG debacle, they know they are going to need to better position themselves to compete in the long-run as a smaller brand against a consolidating industry (and by compete, it's only about increasing profit, not about showering awards on more marginal customers). Is it working for them? Maybe, maybe not, that too is something we speculate about with scant facts/evidence.
Feb 9, 2018, 3:51 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
I agree. I think the changes were meant to boost numbers for a potential buyout, and if that doesn't happen in the near future I expect the program will go through another big change. But I can't imagine that change would happen until the joint SPG/Marriott program is announced and they know what they need to compete against.
Feb 9, 2018, 3:59 pm
#12
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
While we are all speculating, which is fairly useless, I don't know why Hyatt would overhaul its loyalty program in advance of a buyout, when if it was going to be bought out, its program would be re-overhauled anyways. I think it more likely that Hyatt invested time, energy, and risk into an overhaul and rebranding towards 'lifestyle', because after the SPG debacle, they know they are going to need to better position themselves to compete in the long-run as a smaller brand against a consolidating industry (and by compete, it's only about increasing profit, not about showering awards on more marginal customers). Is it working for them? Maybe, maybe not, that too is something we speculate about with scant facts/evidence.
