In April 2023, Hyatt unveiled the details of its newest hotel brand, Hyatt Studios. There’s now an update, as the first locations for the Hyatt Studios brand have been announced, so I wanted to take a look at everything we know about the brand.
In this post:
What is the new Hyatt Studios brand?
Hyatt Studios is Hyatt’s new extended stay brand, which is described as Hyatt’s entry into the upper-midscale lodging market. The brand was conceived through direct collaboration with hotel developers, and more than 100 letters of interest have already been signed. We already know of two properties that will belong to the brand. Specifically, the Hyatt Studios in Mobile, Alabama, will open in late 2024, while the Hyatt Studios in Marysville, California, will open in 2025.
Surprisingly, Hyatt shares that this brand will entirely consist of newly built properties, and not of conversions of existing properties (which is at least good news in terms of the guest experience).
The Hyatt Studios brand will offer suites with kitchen amenities (not to be confused with full kitchens). Property amenities will include a grab & go breakfast, and a 24-hour market, with items that can be prepared in guest room kitchens, using a microwave.
Hyatt Studios will join Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, and Caption by Hyatt, in the select services category. Here’s how Hyatt describes what precipitated this brand:
The immediate interest from the development community in the Hyatt Studios brand is a testament to Hyatt taking a developer-informed approach to creating this brand, prioritizing scalable construction options and an efficient operating model designed to adapt to local market needs across primary, secondary and tertiary markets alike. The brand is designed to be flexible based on developer needs, accommodating both extended-stay and shorter length-of-stay leisure and business transient guests depending on the hotel’s market and guest base.
Below you can see renderings of the Hyatt Studios brand.
Why hotel groups create new hotel brands
Before I share my thoughts on the new Hyatt Studios brand, I think it makes sense to talk about why hotel groups start new hotel brands. It’s not necessarily to be able to sell to consumers, but rather to be able to sell to hotel owners.
For the most part, the global hotel chains don’t own most of their hotels, but rather they have management or franchise agreements for them. The reason they create so many new brands is so they have something to pitch to investors.
They try to make each brand seem unique, in hopes of getting an owner to choose their brand over a competitor. That’s why there’s also such little innovation when it comes to new hotel brands. Instead I feel like we just see each of the major hotel brands introduce similar concepts over and over.
My take on the new Hyatt Studios brand
I guess it’s nice that Hyatt’s portfolio will continue to grow, though everything about this brand screams “quantity over quality.” That’s fair enough, since Hyatt is a publicly traded company, but I can’t imagine I’m alone in not getting very excited here. A few thoughts:
- For a brand consisting exclusively of newly built hotels, I can’t help but find the whole design to be kind of bland, with the exception of a few nice-ish design touches
- I think the key point about Hyatt Studios is that “the brand is designed to be flexible based on developer needs” — in other words, don’t expect much in the form of brand standards
- Hyatt House is supposed to be Hyatt’s extended stay brand featuring kitchens, so is Hyatt Studios different in that there won’t be the same consistent brand standards and this will be a little lower end, or what?
- While I can appreciate when hotels have large suites that have a kitchen area, this room design just looks plain strange to me, with a kitchen just smack dab in the middle of the room
- Frankly many extended stay brands confuse me; what percent of guests really need a full size fridge, when there are limits to what you can really cook and prepare in the room?
- Hyatt states that Hyatt Studios will cater to the “high-end guests within its segment,” so I guess that means it’s more premium than something like Extended Stay Americas?
- While Hyatt is the hotel group I’m most loyal to, I can’t help but point out the ridiculous amount of brand inflation we’ve seen at Hyatt in recent years, all while the group’s portfolio is a fraction of that of Hilton and Marriott
- We’ve seen several new limited service brands announced in recent months, including Marriott’s StudioRes, IHG’s Garner, and Hilton’s H3, so I have to say that at least Hyatt’s new extended stay brand looks like one of the more premium versions of these
Bottom line
Hyatt Studios is Hyatt’s newest hotel brand, and it’s an extended stay brand where each room will feature a kitchen of sorts. The big question is what differentiates this from a Hyatt House or Hyatt Place, and it seems that the main difference is that developers have a lot more flexibility.
In other words, don’t expect much in the way of consistency when it comes to design or brand standards. Hyatt Studios will feature a complimentary grab & go market, as well as food for purchase, which you can heat in your microwave (yum). You can expect the first property to open in Mobile, Alabama, in 2024, followed by a property in Marysville, California, in 2025.
If you’re not excited, don’t worry. Just remember that these new brands are designed for hotel owners, and we’re just the product.
What do you make of the Hyatt Studios brand?
Sketches look very similar to Hilton's Base2Stay which are pretty nice. If I am somewhere for more than a couple nights I'm looking for a place with a mini-kitchen. Eating out can get old and expensive - and even if the place has breakfast, schedules can conflict. I've moved a few times and stayed in an extended stay type place when my new apartment wasn't ready or was waiting for the movers. Nice when I...
Sketches look very similar to Hilton's Base2Stay which are pretty nice. If I am somewhere for more than a couple nights I'm looking for a place with a mini-kitchen. Eating out can get old and expensive - and even if the place has breakfast, schedules can conflict. I've moved a few times and stayed in an extended stay type place when my new apartment wasn't ready or was waiting for the movers. Nice when I can book someplace that is a one bedroom versus a studio if I need to meet with someone.
Lucky, You may not be the target demo just yet, but you will be once you start traveling more with your son. When you have an infant or toddler, having a refridgerator and sink are godsends. The point of the fridge isn't the size; it's the addition of a real freezer, which allows you to keep frozen milk, food items, etc. for your baby. And having a kitchen sink to wash all those bottles and...
Lucky, You may not be the target demo just yet, but you will be once you start traveling more with your son. When you have an infant or toddler, having a refridgerator and sink are godsends. The point of the fridge isn't the size; it's the addition of a real freezer, which allows you to keep frozen milk, food items, etc. for your baby. And having a kitchen sink to wash all those bottles and stuff keeps you from having to do it in the bathroom sink.
Not to mention, with a baby in tow, eating out becomes more of a chore, and microwaving some chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese for the kiddo, and then ordering UberEats for yourselves and staying in becomes much more appealing, especially if you're staying for more than a few days.
So in addition to the road warriors and extended-stay workers, I'd add families with young children as another demographic for these extended stay places with full kitchens.
Can't do much worse to ruin my morning coffee than to use "extended stay" and "Mobile, Alabama" in the same sentence.
You = unexcited Me = excited
Need more Hyatts. I will take any new Hyatts to make reaching status easier. And sometimes that type of hotel is just what I need for the time or location. Then I can wallow in great benefits at a Hyatt Regency or Grand Hyatt etc at a different time and place.
A few items based on past experience:
1) based on photos, needs a larger desk as a work area. Can't tell you how much paperwork is stacked on the bed while while working in the room
2) if room service is only hap hazard, then needs a large garbage pale or can. Lots of waste generated when a room has a small kitchen. Same thing with the number of bathroom towels
3)...
A few items based on past experience:
1) based on photos, needs a larger desk as a work area. Can't tell you how much paperwork is stacked on the bed while while working in the room
2) if room service is only hap hazard, then needs a large garbage pale or can. Lots of waste generated when a room has a small kitchen. Same thing with the number of bathroom towels
3) needs a business area where something can be printed or copied on the run. Printer needs a UBS port and a place to swipe the room key to print documents.
4) please, no junk fees (parking, eco recovery, resort fees, etc). This is getting out of hand
To everybody saying to Ben, 'You are not the target market.' I am curious what target market wants a full sized refrigerator and a dishwasher, but does not want a cooker and presumably no oven. (The microwave might be an oven, but those combi-oven/microwaves don't seem very popular in the states, so I doubt it.)
I mean, having a dishwasher seems so unnecessary in this case...
As some have said, likely comp set would be Home2, Springhill Suites. If no breakfast, pull Candlweood Suites into the mix. New brands keep getting created to sell to developers so brands can get around AOP (area of protection) rules for franchise agreements already signed.
Yeah, Ben, you are nowhere near the target clientele for this type of hotel.
It's not for the luxury travel or influencer crowd. It's for people on travelling on construction/retail/on-site project/extended personal travel / etc that need a comfortable, clean room at a reasonable cost.
Check your privilege before writing articles like this.
I sell residential real estate, and clients use extened stay places (with kitchen) regularly. These are often used between the sale of one home, and the settlement on the next home. For new home buyers, they run into construction delays, and have already sold their previous home, and are left with nowhere to stay. The extended stay places are great way to fill that gap. The kitchens in places like Homewood Suites are full kitchens,...
I sell residential real estate, and clients use extened stay places (with kitchen) regularly. These are often used between the sale of one home, and the settlement on the next home. For new home buyers, they run into construction delays, and have already sold their previous home, and are left with nowhere to stay. The extended stay places are great way to fill that gap. The kitchens in places like Homewood Suites are full kitchens, with the exception of an oven. They do have cook tops for using skillets, boiling water for pasta, etc.
Lucky, you might not be the target makret for these places, but many people appreciate extended stay places.
It's another cheap addition to the Brand Explorer list, at the very least.
I would not call this an extended stay. Extended stay is intended to be more like a small apartment. With no hot plate or oven, this is nothing more than adding a sink and larger refrig. Hampton Inn / Courtyard has small refrig and microwave (at some).
Just another independent brand for Hyatt that provides no benefits.
Lucky - what changes would you make to this brand to make it more exciting? Keep the target audiences in mind:
Travelers - those staying for a week (or two or three), and aiming to spend $85 to $125 per night
Owners - those seeking to serve this customer base while earning profit margins in the 30-40% range (well above what you earn at luxury and full service hotels)
I live in Mobile and Tillmans Corner is known as the hooker part of town.
Besides a refrigerator and what appears to be a dishwater, how is this any different than Hyatt Place? This is further proof that no hotel owners and developers want to build new full-service properties in the USA. They make as much or more money on extended-stay and other limited-service branded concepts than full-service hotels, which have high labor costs and require F&B outlets that probably don't make money if the property doesn't have a good...
Besides a refrigerator and what appears to be a dishwater, how is this any different than Hyatt Place? This is further proof that no hotel owners and developers want to build new full-service properties in the USA. They make as much or more money on extended-stay and other limited-service branded concepts than full-service hotels, which have high labor costs and require F&B outlets that probably don't make money if the property doesn't have a good meetings and events business.
It's just a temporary market abnormality. As all the big groups flood the market with new extended stay places, their room rates will inevitably go down. Right now, at the places I travel to for work, extended stay places often charge *higher* than full service hotels, just because people like me would prefer a full fridge and oven when I'm staying somewhere for a week. That will change as all these new hotels come online.
I travel a lot for my job. 1 to 2 weeks at a time. I welcome this brand, as I always look for the full kitchen, fridge, and stovetop. You often get less points for these type of locations, but that’s the trade off. When you’re away for a week, or two, or three, the full fridge, microwave, and stovetop are really nice to have. You can hit up the local supermarket and save some coin on the road. And it’s nice to have options. Just my two cents.
I agree. My partner frequently spends up to 3 weeks at a work location and LOVES this type of property. I have joined him on a number of occasions and for this type of business related travel, there is nothing wrong with this concept and execution.
I agree this looks bland. But I think difference with Hyatt House is those are mostly real 1 bedrooms this is a room. I think the comparison of Homewood and H2 is dead on.
Admittedly I haven't kept track of your situation, Lucky, from judging from the commentary in the post you are very clearly not the target audience for this new hotel brand. I am a loyal Hyatt customer and lately have been traveling with family (2 small kids). Hotel rooms with kitchens, and hopefully with some sort of breakfast, are really convenient for us. I could not care less about the points paid and could splurge $$$$...
Admittedly I haven't kept track of your situation, Lucky, from judging from the commentary in the post you are very clearly not the target audience for this new hotel brand. I am a loyal Hyatt customer and lately have been traveling with family (2 small kids). Hotel rooms with kitchens, and hopefully with some sort of breakfast, are really convenient for us. I could not care less about the points paid and could splurge $$$$ for activities/restaurants, but not having to worry about finding a way to keep food fresh for the kids at all times, or what the kids can eat the next morning, is a huge plus.
Looks good to me . I like Home2 and Hyatt tends to do things better than Hilton in my mind. And another brand for my brand challenge (partway to 10).
I can't help thinking that you're unexcited because you're nowhere near the target market for these types of properties, Lucky.
I would see them being built in smaller cities and/or suburban locations or business parks. The target is someone like an IT technician or a junior auditor who has to stay in that location for several weeks working on a project. When you're there for that long, easting out every night gets old, especially if...
I can't help thinking that you're unexcited because you're nowhere near the target market for these types of properties, Lucky.
I would see them being built in smaller cities and/or suburban locations or business parks. The target is someone like an IT technician or a junior auditor who has to stay in that location for several weeks working on a project. When you're there for that long, easting out every night gets old, especially if you are working late to meet a deadline, and you might welcome the chance to have a microwave meal in your room.
As a former road warrior I can tell you the absolute last thing I wanted to do after waking up early to catch a flight and working from the client site all day is go to a grocery store and then cook my own meal. We’d always fly home for the weekend too then fly back, very rare to stay for weeks on end
I think you are both right. The kitchen is not meant for cooking, it is (at most) meant for heating prepared meals (maybe your pizza from last night) and in many cases just as a place to keep your case of beer cold.
I agree that the target market here is people who are on the road for work. They don't care about hotel extras, and the bland design of the property is intentional...
I think you are both right. The kitchen is not meant for cooking, it is (at most) meant for heating prepared meals (maybe your pizza from last night) and in many cases just as a place to keep your case of beer cold.
I agree that the target market here is people who are on the road for work. They don't care about hotel extras, and the bland design of the property is intentional - it is meant to deter holiday makers from choosing these property and channeling them to the more high end brands.
That’s you. I love having a kitchen so I can avoid all the plant-based garbage restaurants serve. It’s hard to find a place that doesn’t cook meat with seed oils and sugar. I usually have to bring a HotLogic mini and slow cook my steak.
I agree no-one wants to cook a meal. But you might prefer to heat an instant meal, or the leftovers from last nights Uber Eats, and eat it straight away (total time 5-10 minutes) than go down to the restaurant, read the menu, orderdrink, order food, wait for food, eat it (total time 1 hour+). This is even more likely to be true if you're on a per diem to cover your food while you're away.
How long until Sam Chang and Gene Kaufman bring these curiosities to Manhattan? After all, something needs to backfill the Hyatt cat 5 portfolio after everything else has gone cat 7…
At least it's another cheap addition to Brand Explorer - I'm pretty much down to just Park Hyatt, Hyatt Centric, Thompson, and JdV as viable stay options. I'm not going to stay in any of their resorts or "Inclusive Collection," even though I *am* planning on earning Globalist through that Bilt promo. And there are only *two* "Caption" hotels in the entire US.
The existence of these makes it theoretically possible for me to semi-cheaply...
At least it's another cheap addition to Brand Explorer - I'm pretty much down to just Park Hyatt, Hyatt Centric, Thompson, and JdV as viable stay options. I'm not going to stay in any of their resorts or "Inclusive Collection," even though I *am* planning on earning Globalist through that Bilt promo. And there are only *two* "Caption" hotels in the entire US.
The existence of these makes it theoretically possible for me to semi-cheaply score a third free BE night, so ~yay~ to that, even if the product doesn't look that exciting.
I don't think recently divorced dads are looking for someplace exciting to stay at. The design should match the use case right?
So, Hyatt copied Hilton's Home 2 Suites concept. What a surprise (he said sarcastically)
It looks like a Hyatt House, but with Grab&Go breakfast instead of sit-down/full breakfast, so kind of a step down. No word on whether they'll have a bar or anything.
I, for one, don't mind Hyatt adding all these brands, though. More opportunity to get another brand explorer award! Hitting 5 was easy, 10 took some doing, but 15 isn't likely to happen without visiting a few of these new ones.
This feels like Wall Street said "what about our VRBO or AirBnB property?"
And Hyatt answered. :(
It’s like Hyatt House and Hyatt Place had an ugly baby together.
Can’t wait to see the Globalist amenities!
:: bar of Dove soap ::
:: 2 Aquafina water bottles ::
:: letter from GM with inkjet splotches ::
These properties will be built in areas where there aren't Hyatt Places or Hyatt Houses to expand the domestic offerings. They will cater to longer-term residencies and my understanding is these properties will have full-size refrigerators and the ability to cook in your room (without specifics), with healthy eating and sweet/savory offerings being available to purchase. I'm all for a greater cat 1-4 presence of new builds in areas where Hyatt doesn't have existing select...
These properties will be built in areas where there aren't Hyatt Places or Hyatt Houses to expand the domestic offerings. They will cater to longer-term residencies and my understanding is these properties will have full-size refrigerators and the ability to cook in your room (without specifics), with healthy eating and sweet/savory offerings being available to purchase. I'm all for a greater cat 1-4 presence of new builds in areas where Hyatt doesn't have existing select service hotels. Seems like I'm outnumbered by far in reading the comments above. Mark Hoplamazian is an excellent business leader IMO. Most commenters squawked about buying the ALG portfolio of all-inclusives and the Two Roads portfolio of management agreements, and look what those brought to the stock's value in short order. Earnings were through the roof in just one year with the all-inclusives alone. Yes...very happy shareholder and happy Hyatt loyalist here in case you couldn't tell.
"Frankly many extended stay brands confuse me; what percent of guests really need a full size fridge, when there are limits to what you can really cook and prepare in the room?"
When you're stuck at GSA rates for extended projects, you'll really want that full-sized fridge for all the microwave foods you'll be eating
Could be appealing to a digital nomad.
Agreed. Exactly the profile of the traveler targeted for this brand.
Hey, college graduate here, but I had to google what brand inflation meant. I still don’t understand what you were saying, do you mean that the room rates at hyatts overall have increased? Or does it have to do with the brand increasing some other way? Hahah, sorry scratching my head.
Think he means the number of Hyatt brands has increased at a disproportionate rate relative to the number of new Hyatt hotels.
HI Matt, Lucky is referring to the number of new Hyatt Brands in Brand Inflation. In 2015, there were only 13 Hyatt brands. In recent years, there have been acquisitions of two roads hospitality that brought Thompson, Alila, JDV, Destinations Properties, Last year, we say the acquisition of AMR resorts that brought over another 10 All Inclusive brands like Secrets, Dreams, Zoetry, Breathless, etc.. Now , Hyatt add its 27th brand in Hyatt Studios. So...
HI Matt, Lucky is referring to the number of new Hyatt Brands in Brand Inflation. In 2015, there were only 13 Hyatt brands. In recent years, there have been acquisitions of two roads hospitality that brought Thompson, Alila, JDV, Destinations Properties, Last year, we say the acquisition of AMR resorts that brought over another 10 All Inclusive brands like Secrets, Dreams, Zoetry, Breathless, etc.. Now , Hyatt add its 27th brand in Hyatt Studios. So it seems like a lot of brands in such a short period.
Yawn
Comment regarding needing a full size refrigerator.
The original dream client of this caliber lodging is a worker (lower lever training or several month project road or mechanical project or temporary disaster insurance adjuster) spending weeks or months in the same room. These guests do need a full sized refrigerator.
Then again, I elicited laughs when there actually was an employee to help with luggage (Jacksonville, FL which gets a lot of snowbird...
Comment regarding needing a full size refrigerator.
The original dream client of this caliber lodging is a worker (lower lever training or several month project road or mechanical project or temporary disaster insurance adjuster) spending weeks or months in the same room. These guests do need a full sized refrigerator.
Then again, I elicited laughs when there actually was an employee to help with luggage (Jacksonville, FL which gets a lot of snowbird elderly drivers) and he noticed the entire refrigerator and freezer filled with special "Passover cakes".
Massive southwest groundstop today, but here we are talking about one of the least aspirational hotel chains
I would say Hyatt Studios = Home2 Suites by Hilton/TownePlace Suites by Marriott
Hyatt House = Homewood Suites by Hilton/Residence Inn by Marriott
Hyatt Place = Hilton Garden Inn/Courtyard Marriott
Oh man, how misguided and underwhelming. I have stayed at more than my share of Cat 1-2 Hyatt properties over the past year. There's already a huge variance in Hyatt Houses—some are lovely, well-constructed, feel pretty much like a respectable, modern 1br apt. Others are clearly converted Hyatt Places, with barely any extended stay amenities and rooms that were not designed for that purpose. So yeah: boring, bland, not thought-through. But I guess if it...
Oh man, how misguided and underwhelming. I have stayed at more than my share of Cat 1-2 Hyatt properties over the past year. There's already a huge variance in Hyatt Houses—some are lovely, well-constructed, feel pretty much like a respectable, modern 1br apt. Others are clearly converted Hyatt Places, with barely any extended stay amenities and rooms that were not designed for that purpose. So yeah: boring, bland, not thought-through. But I guess if it adds more Cat 1 supply to the landscape, it's a net benefit.
Another newly built, poorly sound-insulated plywood box that will look shabby after a couple years.
All hotel companies are introducing stuff in the midscale area because labor costs are lower, and the brands think they can outcompete independents. Fine.
I understand it is tough to build new luxury hotels. I would like to see more innovation in the "upscale" segment where there isn't high tough service but you have stuff like a good bar, good locations, etc. I guess AC is trying to be this for Marriott, but I see...
All hotel companies are introducing stuff in the midscale area because labor costs are lower, and the brands think they can outcompete independents. Fine.
I understand it is tough to build new luxury hotels. I would like to see more innovation in the "upscale" segment where there isn't high tough service but you have stuff like a good bar, good locations, etc. I guess AC is trying to be this for Marriott, but I see Hyatt and Hilton's efforts in this group a bit confused. Hyatt has Hyatt Centric, but I don't think that has a lot of brand recognirion.
I wonder how much was paid to consultants and if any of the consultants are friends or relatives to the management.
"the brand is designed to be flexible based on developer needs”
Aka they're going after the Ramada crowd- hotel could no longer cut it as a Holiday Inn or Hampton.
More brands add to customer confusion and frustration trying to remember what differentiates them. I hope these will be new builds and not a entry point, again, for run down 20 year old properties to convert to Hyatt.
They specifically mention "grab and go breakfast" and "subject to getting liquor licenses, we will offer alcoholic beverages in the marketplace". Essentially it's Hyatt House without the H Bar or Hyatt Place without the hot breakfast. In a tight labor market, developers are looking for ways to reduce staff required to operate at the unfortunate expense of guest experience.
They will be overpriced like the majority of US hotels.
It's a Hyatt House minus the provided breakfast. No kitchen needed which is in both Hyatt place and house. Fewer staff needed. Just one person to man the front desk. Selling point is for someone travelling to collect Hyatt nights now that mgm stays are no longer available. Full size fridges are cheap and non standard sizes arent necessary cheaper.
Home2 Suites, but make it Hyatt
The room photo makes it look like this brand is a copy of Home2.
That is exactly what it is, focusing more on studios with borrowed induction cook tops instead of cook tops installed in every room. Step below Hyatt House even in studios, but almost all the rooms look like they would fit the footprint of Hyatt Place rooms making it more attractive to dual brand the properties.
That was my first thought, looks exactly like Home2.
If this increases Hyatt's footprint in the country, I am all for it. But you are right it looks uninspiring and overlaps almost completely with Hyatt House.
This will help to earn another category 1-4 free night certificate
Just what I was thinking. It will help complete the brand bingo card.