bcosinteno

The Park Central is becoming a Hyatt Regency. And conversion means an existing hotel or resort that is changing flags.

josephstern

Yeah - I've always felt like the W plus an audience a decade older = the Andaz line.

Single_Flyer

I would assume the new aspirational Alila would be in Hawaii, but it sounds like an Alila in Maui is already planned so I don't know if I can see them opening another Alila in Hawaii (though they have two in California). I've also heard rumors of a Miraval in Hawaii.

I am guessing the Trump Hotel in DC is looking to rebrand -- maybe that's it?

txhyattlvr

For Hyatt (and Marriott and Hilton and everyone else) the money is in the franchising fees that come from the volume building out of the lesser brands and I’d bet you HH/HP and the new lower end brand will remain the real focus....

Don’t be mislead. Everyone on here has a point of view (including me) and some are even actively (if indirectly) advertising a service. Prive’ only concerns full service properties....

Chris2013

Can someone shed light on what type of travelers that Thompson caters to? It's always been of a mystery to me. They're nice properties but not as artsy as Andaz, not as luxurious as Park Hyatt, and not as big and bold as Grand Hyatt's.

drewdawg199

I've never stayed at a Thomson, but to me just based on their marketing it comes off as perhaps a more refined/slightly more upscale Kimpton type brand?

txhyattlvr

I actually think you nailed it...

A half step or so below Park Hyatt... and less expensive.
Not as artsy as Andaz...
Smaller than HR or GH...

For someone that loves Park Hyatt (me me me!) but doesn’t ever pay cash for Park Hyatt (also me me me!) Thompson is an excellent option. They are about as expensive as I’d ever consider paying cash for... and almost (but not quite) Park Hyatt in feel/experience and quality: basically in between a nice HR/GH and a nice PH...

Chris2013

That's interesting...makes sense but is there a big segment of travelers for that type of chain? I really tend to enjoy Grand Hyatt/Hyatt Regency properties when traveling with my family as they generally offer a large number of amenities contained inside the property itself such as little convenient stores, Starbucks/coffee shops, restaurants, etc. Very nice to have when traveling with a little one. Park Hyatt I don't mind splurging on when it is just my wife and I as the properties are top-notch. Not sure if I would ever really consider an "in between" unless it offered a very compelling value for the money.

CLEguy

Thompson properties tend to be smaller, so they feel more "boutiquey" and service can be a little more personalized. Frankly, I've really enjoyed my stays at several Thompson properties, and I love having them as an option for much the same reasons as @txhyattlvr.

writerguyfl

(Note: The following is based on my experience working in the industry. I've never worked for a Hyatt. But, I believe the way they function is similar to industry standards.)

There's a whole side of hotel branding that relates to hotel owners and not guests. Typically, a hotel owner who buys into a franchise will be given geographic exclusivity. Essentially, the hotel group will guarantee they won't sell another franchise of a given brand within a certain area. Typically, the larger the market, the smaller that area will be due to the fact that there will be more potential guests.

Hotel groups work around this restriction by developing multiple brands that are similar. My educated guest is that the overlap in brands that you're describing is due, in part, to need to sell franchises to similar hotels within the same market.

Personally, I end up feeling somewhat confused as a potential guest when this happens. But it seems like all major hotel groups do it. That means there probably are multiple studies by MBAs that have concluded that amorphous branding doesn't hurt the bottom line.

azepine00

it would be nice to get smth on Big Island.. like rebrand FS Hualalai or at least Mauna Kea

alextrips

Thanks for the info! I never would have known this type of inside info otherwise.

For the Alila rebrand, is this a property distressed by the pandemic or someplace that was going to be reflagged regardless? Wondering how many distresses/shuttered properties get rebranded post-covid and how many stay empty.

coleslaw

Id have thought that an expensive rebranding (moving “upward” or, at worst, “sideways”) would be one of the last things a distressed property would want to do!

FriscoHeavy

I agree. I hate that you have all these stupid ‘brands’ under Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, etc.

I don’t want a fancy name. Just name it Marriott Downtown Austin or The Hyatt Dallas, etc.

That way, I know what property it is, where it is and have up to date photos so I can check out the joint prior to booking.

Hotel chains have gone nuts in all their ridiculous naming gimmicks.

MSPeconomist

I would also wish for consistency in names: Why Cityname Hyatt Regency in one place and Hyatt Regency Cityname in another location, not to mention The Cityname Hyatt Regency and The Hyatt Regency Cityname? My preference would be to have Hyatt as the first word in hotel names so that Hyatts can be quickly identified in alphabetical lists such as AAA tour books and city tourism literature. Fort some online sources, it's hard or impossible to search by the hotel family or brand too.