In November 2022, Hyatt announced it would acquire Dream Hotel Group. This transaction was completed in February 2022, at which point Dream properties began to join World of Hyatt. There’s an exciting update now, as this integration has been completed, so all properties are now participating in World of Hyatt.
In this post:
Dream Hotel Group joins Hyatt portfolio
Hyatt has acquired Dream Hotel Group’s lifestyle hotel brands and management platform, including Dream Hotels, Chatwal Hotels, and Unscripted Hotels, with properties in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
This asset-light acquisition is initially increasing Hyatt’s portfolio by roughly a dozen properties, with another 24 properties expected to open in the future. This expansion is adding 1,700 rooms to Hyatt’s lifestyle portfolio, and increases Hyatt’s room count in New York City by more than 30%.
Hyatt has paid a base purchase price of $125 million, with up to an additional $175 million paid over the next six years, as properties come into the pipeline and open. Management fees associated with the base purchase price of $125 million are expected to be approximately $12 million per year, and the hope is that this grows to $27 million per year as more properties open.
As I’ll discuss in more detail below, Hyatt has added these properties to the World of Hyatt program, giving members the opportunity to earn and redeem points, and take advantage of elite perks.
The basics of the Dream Hotels portfolio
For those not familiar with Dream Hotels, they’re basically known as party hotels with destination bars and nightclubs. As Hyatt describes it, these hotels are known for their “vibrant dining and nightlife experiences, including hotspot restaurants, lavish entertainment venues, and exclusive night clubs built on strategic collaborations with innovative and award-winning industry leaders.”
While these hotels no doubt have some personality, I would say that they’re more lifestyle properties than luxury properties. To compare them to other major hotel brands, they’re probably most similar to W Hotels or Thompson Hotels.
The Dream Hotels brand is expected to grow significantly, with future locations planned for Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, Las Vegas, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Oklahoma City, Palm Springs, San Antonio, and Valle de Guadalupe.
Here’s how Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian describes this acquisition:
“We have tremendous respect for what Dream Hotel Group founder Sant Singh Chatwal and Chief Executive Officer Jay Stein and their team have created and are grateful for the trust being placed in us by Dream Hotel Group to care for their brands and carry their success forward into the future. We look forward to continuing our growth journey with more than 600 new Hyatt family members who will further elevate our lifestyle expertise and expand the success of our dedicated lifestyle division. We are excited to offer even more inspiring experiences and celebratory programming to our guests and loyalty members and bring the value of the Hyatt network to a growing number of discerning hotel owners and developers around the world.”
Dream Hotels World of Hyatt integration complete
Dream Hotel Group properties have now been integrated into World of Hyatt, so here are the properties that are now fully participating in the program:
- Dream Downtown, New York
- Dream Hollywood, California
- Dream Midtown, New York
- Dream Nashville, Tennessee
- Dream South Beach, Florida
- The Chatwal, New York
- The Chatwal Lodge, New York
- The Time New York, New York
- Unscripted Durham, North Carolina
These properties are fully integrated into World of Hyatt. This means that members can earn and redeem points, and take advantage of elite perks, like Globalist members receiving complimentary breakfast and being eligible for suite upgrades.
To celebrate these new additions, there’s a promotion offering 1,000 bonus points per night at Dream Hotels properties, up to 10,000 bonus points. You can find all the details here.
Bottom line
Hyatt has completed its acquisition of Dream Hotel Group. This acquisition initially includes around a dozen properties, and we can expect that there are another two dozen properties in the pipeline. Dream Hotel Group is known for its lifestyle hotels, including Dream properties, as well as Chatwal properties.
Dream Hotel Group’s integration into World of Hyatt is now complete, meaning that members can earn and redeem points for stays at all eligible properties.
There are some useful additions to Hyatt’s portfolio, especially for those who like lifestyle properties. In particular, it’s impressive to see Hyatt’s continued growth in New York, as it’s amazing how that portfolio has grown over the past decade.
What do you make of Hyatt acquiring Dream Hotel Group?
Is it just me or Hyatt Globalist Line customer service reps can be not so Polite at times? I have been getting too many Lashaun, & Faleshas lately that may or may not be suited for Elite phone lines.
Perhaps you’re the common denominator in all of this?
Looking forward to the Dream Hotel/Hyatt project breaking ground in the mid-town corridor of Cleveland in the near future. This property will be a gem of an addition to Hyatt’s already remarkable hospitality footprint in Greater Cleveland. Much success wished to all parties involved!
I know you really long for that to be true, but unless you have been a Diamond for at least 10 years and have accumulated 2M points or 1K nights, you do not get breathe the rarefied air that I just breathed the last...
I know you really long for that to be true, but unless you have been a Diamond for at least 10 years and have accumulated 2M points or 1K nights, you do not get breathe the rarefied air that I just breathed the last 4 weeks.
After the automagic suite upgrade at Hilton Singapore Orchard, I indicated that I had two more Hilton stays to test how well the new global automated upgrades work for LT Diamonds: WA Bangkok and Conrad Hong.
Well, the verdict is in and I got a perfect score on the automagic suite upgrades, including one for a King Executive Harbour Suite that cleared fully 3 days before check-in.
Like I said, "the Nile" is a river, while "denial" is the state of troll's fevered mind.
I just took the required COVID test out HKG and going back to SIN on SQ to connect with my nonstop flight back to EWR also on SQ.
The "reboot" of my Asian Escapade has been nothing short of magical, in large part because of the "red carpet" treatment I just got for being LT Diamond, HH's top tier elite status. Deal with it...
Wow. Who the hell blockquotes another comment and posts another top level thread -- other than a complete self absorbed ass?
@DCAss (seems about right as moniker):
So, it is okay for a troll to impersonate the real deal, but it's "self-absorbed" for the real deal to provide evidence that so-called "self-absorption" is actually the reality that so unhinges the 'natives' they are howling at the moon?
Deal with it or get lost.
Don't believe me? Here is the link to screen captures for both the WA BKK and Conrad HK suite upgrades:
https://bit.ly/3DoN7Ji
Here are HKG Room Details
See how that works? Any questions?
I have a question. Why are you an ass?
The answer: if you wish to see an ass just take a look in the mirror.
You addressed me, launching insults, which makes you a troll and an arsehole
Get lost !
Ugh, not again with this silliness. Watching the posers and imposters go back and forth is exhausting.
And again- what does this have to do with an article about an Hyatt acquisition?
Glad you got some kind of upgrade, whoever you are. And nice to see you're taking time out from this purported trip to scour the comments section. Go sightseeing or on a tour or something. Stop wasting your time here- you're on vacation (supposedly)
Impostor - as they say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. Well, you can only dream of being the real thing.
What baffles me is why the forum host allows this type of unethical and immortal impersonation. Maybe one should launch some anti-LGBTQ trope to show why this type of impersonation is anathema to the medium to get it stopped?
That's immoral impersonation rather than "immortal" impersonation.
No, you had it right the first time- it's immortal all right.
I still find this all strange.
Which "DCS" is this anyway, the "Diamond", the "guest", the "member"? Can't keep everyone straight.
@Ben (Lucky): Genug ist genug! Please toss this troll out of here, lest we conclude that this is something that you are sanctioning. It is utterly unethical for anyone to comment in this medium pretending to be someone else. That this person keeps doing it is clear evidence that they are unhinged and do not belong here.
Breaking News - DCS got an upgrade 3 days in advance in *Asia* (literally childs play for any elite in any hotel loyalty program in the region - a pulse gets you at least a junior suite)
Meanwhile as a Hyatt Globalist you could have gotten that room CONFIRMED a year in advance. NBD it’s just a better program than mediocre Hilton).
And what does the Chatwal have to warrant being a Category 8?
It's gonna be brutal in March, folks.
Hyatt, please turn your focus to expanding in the European market beyond your SLH portfolio. It's 2023 - how are you still absent from cities like Warsaw and Copenhagen, where Marriott and Hilton have high-end properties?
"For those not familiar with Dream Hotels, they’re basically known as party hotels with destination bars and nightclubs."
Well, I like Hyatt quite a bit; my go-to chain and the one that I like the most for top tier status. But I think they weren't thinking of me personally when they added this brand! I'm definitely not the target audience....
I await the incoming rage of the "real" DCS in 3, 2, 1...
Maybe he woke up and realized he spent 3+ years of his life in total and $100K chasing something that's free w/ a credit card each year...? :)
Not sure what these replies mean. This all seems strange to go on about in a thread about a hotel brand acquisition.
Again, just saying this brand doesn't seem like something I'd seek out.
Actually, I'd actively avoid "party" hotels. Sounds loud and obnoxious and would probably attract the kind of posers I don't like being around.
The only thing I like about the concept is that I know which hotel brand to avoid
These replies mean you are an ass. You see my username? I took on the hassle of registering for an actual account just to underscore that you are an ass.
Category "F" because that's how successful you will be at using your free night certs there. ;-)
Love the Chatwal in NYC! The last couple times we've stayed we've been upgraded on points stays/Platinum members. The last upgrade was to the Zen suite with a huge rooftop deck (unfortunately it was December and really cold and windy so we didn't use it much). The elite breakfast here has always been one of our favorites as it's in the Lambs Club and they do a great job accommodating my GF diet. Not in...
Love the Chatwal in NYC! The last couple times we've stayed we've been upgraded on points stays/Platinum members. The last upgrade was to the Zen suite with a huge rooftop deck (unfortunately it was December and really cold and windy so we didn't use it much). The elite breakfast here has always been one of our favorites as it's in the Lambs Club and they do a great job accommodating my GF diet. Not in love with their bath products, so maybe an upgrade coming with Hyatt???
The Chatwal’s points pricing is pretty outrageous compared to the rest of the NY portfolio. Looking in March I see rates in the $400s but 35K points. Hopefully is adjusted soon.
Back with Bonvoy, it was $700s+ and I believe in the 80-100k points range.
So I think the cash price you see is 'cheap' now but points is normal.
I just wish Hyatt's footprint was dramatically better. They're usually pretty well positioned in most of the cities I visit, but I have a trip planned for next summer where the closest Hyatt is something like 500 miles away. But there's HIX/Hampton/etc. in most of those places.
And then they turn into Marriott with a sh!t loyalty program. Pass.
I think Hyatt is doing some interesting stuff with its acquisitions. I know people (including me) want them to massively increase their footprint, but I see the value of rounding out their portfolio like this. This will allow them to reach customers they haven't been able to target before and bring them into the Hyatt ecosystem. It's arguably a better tactic than just buying a chain with a huge number of properties, that doesn't really...
I think Hyatt is doing some interesting stuff with its acquisitions. I know people (including me) want them to massively increase their footprint, but I see the value of rounding out their portfolio like this. This will allow them to reach customers they haven't been able to target before and bring them into the Hyatt ecosystem. It's arguably a better tactic than just buying a chain with a huge number of properties, that doesn't really offer anything unique or attract a new customer base.
"In other news, we're adding a Category 9."
They're not really building a Dream Hotel in Dallas. They're building it in Frisco (or at least they're scheduled to break ground in 2023 in Frisco). Frisco to Dallas, at the odd chance of zero traffic, is at least 30 minutes by car.
It’s the founding Chatwal’s son that is running the Chatwal hotel show and into flashiness and the party scene. But the chance to be more W than W has already passed its prime.
Hyatt has money and interest to expand, and the leveraged Chatwals needed financial assistance to stay in the game in this environment with a recession looming. A good match for the time.
More JdV or Unbound collection hotels in markets well-represented by Hyatt. Yet in other major and middle-tier cities, Hyatt is very conspicuously absent or woefully inadequate. St. Louis, Detroit, Columbus, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh are glaring examples of this. In St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh, even Accor is ahead of Hyatt - with far more valuable points, too.
FNT
1) How do you know business travelers don't like hotels like the ones in the Dream portfolio?
2) There are hundreds of thousands of Hyatt Place, Hilton Garden Inn, Courtyard, etc across the world for business travelers, and they keep getting built. Those are business traveler brands
On a pure hotel addition basis these are good hotels for earning and redeeming points. Nothing wrong with that at all
"Party hotels with destination bars and nightclubs" aren't where road warriors stay.
There are not "hundreds of thousands" of Hyatt Place properties; let alone the other brands you said.
Hyatt's biggest problem that they continue avoiding is a lack of full-service hotels in large swaths of the United States. I have never understood how there is a Hyatt Regency in Algeria, but not a Grand Hyatt or Hyatt Regency in Ottawa, Paris (outside airport), downtown...
"Party hotels with destination bars and nightclubs" aren't where road warriors stay.
There are not "hundreds of thousands" of Hyatt Place properties; let alone the other brands you said.
Hyatt's biggest problem that they continue avoiding is a lack of full-service hotels in large swaths of the United States. I have never understood how there is a Hyatt Regency in Algeria, but not a Grand Hyatt or Hyatt Regency in Ottawa, Paris (outside airport), downtown Pittsburgh, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Montreal, etc.
RIP 8k HR Montreal.
@FNT Minor nitpick, but Paris does have a Hyatt Regency--the Hyatt Regency Etoile. I'm not sure why you picked that brand though, there are several other Hyatts that aren't the Park Hyatt in Paris. Hyatt Regency also has the benefit of being only a category 4. I haven't actually stayed there, but almost did a staycation there one year when a cat 4 reward was going to expire. Ended up using it on the Hyatt Regency Chantilly, which is sadly no longer with Hyatt
@Anthony - FNT's point is very valid. No doubt (in Lucky's mind and that of many bloggers) that Hyatt is better for elites than Hilton. Both in number of properties and the program. For someone like me, however, I can find a Hampton Inn in any place I need to go for work (or pleasure). Unlike Hilton-brand properties, Hampton Inns are pretty uniform - I know what I am getting. The massive footprint (like Marriott)...
@Anthony - FNT's point is very valid. No doubt (in Lucky's mind and that of many bloggers) that Hyatt is better for elites than Hilton. Both in number of properties and the program. For someone like me, however, I can find a Hampton Inn in any place I need to go for work (or pleasure). Unlike Hilton-brand properties, Hampton Inns are pretty uniform - I know what I am getting. The massive footprint (like Marriott) allows someone like me (who pays for work travel out of my own pocket) to stay at a Hilton property like a Hampton in Harrisburg PA and accrue Hilton points and benefits to stay at the Beverly Hill's Waldorf. I can't do that with Hyatt because of its smaller footprint. Sure, there are other ways, but FNT's point is spot on - road warriors (whether OPM or not) want to stay at "their" brand to then accrue points / benefits for staying at aspirational properties. Hyatt's focus doesn't benefit that type of traveller.
Oct - I don't think we disagree that much. In your case, you stay with Hilton for Hampton Inn - not the Hilton brand (which is the equivalent of Hyatt Regency) - because there are a ton of them and they fit your travel patterns. It is probably too late for Hyatt to build a ton of Hyatt Regency hotels, which would be located in most of the major US cities. The can build more...
Oct - I don't think we disagree that much. In your case, you stay with Hilton for Hampton Inn - not the Hilton brand (which is the equivalent of Hyatt Regency) - because there are a ton of them and they fit your travel patterns. It is probably too late for Hyatt to build a ton of Hyatt Regency hotels, which would be located in most of the major US cities. The can build more Hyatt Places and Hyatt Houses, which they are doing. What Hyatt is doing with these lifestyle acquisitions is building a pretty good portfolio of places to redeem points, which is probably their best strategy. They are not going to be the choice of the US based road warrior, not for a long time, but it doesn't mean this deal doesn't add to the program or won't attract the lifestyle customer (many of whom also travel for business)
Let's be clear. Hyatt doesn't build any Hyatt House or Hyatt Place properties. Those hotels are almost exclusively built by developers and operated by them or a third-party management company like Aimbridge.
To Hyatt's credit unlike Marriott or Hilton, most full-service Hyatts (Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Park Hyatt) are managed by Hyatt and not a franchisee or a third-party management company. However, Hyatt still needs an owner.
Most hotel owners/developers seem to...
Let's be clear. Hyatt doesn't build any Hyatt House or Hyatt Place properties. Those hotels are almost exclusively built by developers and operated by them or a third-party management company like Aimbridge.
To Hyatt's credit unlike Marriott or Hilton, most full-service Hyatts (Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Park Hyatt) are managed by Hyatt and not a franchisee or a third-party management company. However, Hyatt still needs an owner.
Most hotel owners/developers seem to have stopped building full-service hotels in Canada and the United States. That obviously hurts Hyatt. I think the reason why is a combination of factors.
First, labor costs are very high. A limited-service branded hotel makes owners as much or more money with reduced costs. It is very difficult to properly staff a full-service hotel, especially at the high-end brands, right now in the United States.
Second, I suspect many owners/developers feel the local market can't support another full-service hotel even if the labor costs aren't a factor.
Who wants to open a Hyatt Regency, Sheraton or J.W. Marriott right now in a downtown major city? I wouldn't. That doesn't mean there aren't markets for Hyatt to expand.
Look at Toronto. There is are two Hyatts; a Park Hyatt and a tired, old Hyatt Regency that used to be a Holiday Inn. Hyatt could easily have a Hyatt or Hyatt Regency elsewhere in the Toronto area. The Hyatt Place Toronto/Mississauga Centre is a perfect example. That should be a full-service hotel.There isn't any full-service Hyatt in Ottawa, Montreal or Quebec City.
Hyatt should have bought Radisson. There are quite a few Radisson and Blu
Radisson properties that with investment could have converted to Hyatt or Hyatt Regency.
I have to imagine there are quite a few Marriott owners not happy with Marriott's endless brand addition. Yes, some of those properties are dumpy (think the old Marriotts and Sheratons) but you have to think there are some Marriott brands in markets that could be converted to a Hyatt brand.
There is a Hyatt Centric in Montreal, with a restaurant. Generally I have been pleased with the Centric brand. There is an Andaz in Ottawa; while the restaurant is closed on Sunday evenings, there are tons of restaurants nearby. There is a new Grand Hyatt at SFO… So it is not a disaster. I have found the Small Luxury Hotels a great place to stay. The lack of good full-service hotels is a US problem - hotels in Asia and Europe are generally much better.
Hyatt once again shows that its only path forward are leisure and limited-service properties. Think resorts, all-inclusives and Hyatt Place/Hyatt House. Nobody seems interested in developing new full-service hotels for the Hyatt Regency, Hyatt and Grand Hyatt brand.
All of the additions over the past couple years are great for vacationers but not so great for business travelers.
And what's with copying Marriott and adding yet more brands? Why not consolidate all of the leisure additions into one or two brands?
they will probably have a couple of categories for them but consolidating all of there more boutique style hotels would make them lose its attraction,
I think what you are seeing now is their pre-covid strategy and the desire to compete with airbnb. I don't think they expected to see the outrageous profits luxury hotels are making now and the ridiculous prices people are willing to pay.
Or, alternatively, their research is showing that the current demand and room pricing is unlikely to continue for much longer. Wouldn't surprise me at all - i have just realized how much I spent on travel last year... Painful
Looks like Marriott is losing the Chatwal luxury collection to be now with Hyatt