Hyatt Accelerates Essentials Portfolio Momentum With Planned Brand Growth in New Markets and New Leadership
Hyatt celebrates success of newest brands with openings of Unscripted by Hyatt, Hyatt Select and Hyatt Studios hotels, including a new Hyatt Studios hotel in Huntsville, Alabama
Jason Ballard appointed to Global Brand Leader of Hyatt's Essentials portfolio
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) is expanding the reach of its Essentials portfolio with several major milestones, including signing more than 20 new Hyatt Select deals this year and reaching 70 total hotel deals for the Hyatt Studios brand since its launch, highlighting the portfolio's continued growth in new markets across the Americas. Underscoring the momentum, Jason Ballard was recently appointed as Global Brand Leader – Essentials to steer this anticipated next phase of exponential growth.
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Hyatt Place Cancun Airport
Under Ballard's dedicated leadership, Hyatt is positioning the brands in its Essentials portfolio—Caption by Hyatt, Hyatt House, Hyatt Place, Hyatt Select, Hyatt Studios, Unscripted by Hyatt, and UrCove—to offer owners attractive operating models and measurable value in the hotel industry's select-service category. Half of Hyatt's executed 2025 U.S. Essentials portfolio deals are in new markets, reflecting strong interest and confidence from developers.
In his new role, Ballard will lead ongoing efforts to ensure Hyatt's Essentials portfolio is insights-led and brand-focused. As the portfolio continues to scale, Hyatt will refine brand standards based on owner and guest insights, while safeguarding the quality and consistency that guests, customers and World of Hyatt members expect.
"Hyatt is hyper-focused on elevating the guest experience within the Essentials portfolio and deepening engagement with our 61 million World of Hyatt members to deliver a best-in-class experience each time they walk through our doors," said Ballard. "In this next chapter, I'm proud to lead a talented team driving our select-service growth strategy—designed to deliver high-owner returns and trusted brand experiences—through more markets and more stay occasions to members."
Ballard, a proven operations leader with more than two decades of Hyatt experience scaling select-service properties globally, will oversee strategy, performance, and brand evolution for Hyatt's Essentials portfolio. His Hyatt leadership roles include franchise operations, brand performance, and development across the Americas, Asia Pacific, and EAME regions. Recently, Ballard led the launch of Hyatt Studios, Hyatt's newest extended-stay concept, and the successful opening of the brand's first hotel in Mobile, Alabama, earlier this year.
"Jason's leadership has been instrumental in strengthening our franchise capabilities and establishing the Hyatt Studios brand as a standout success while setting a new benchmark for flexible, owner-focused select-service hospitality," said Pete Sears, Group President, Americas, Hyatt. "From his early career at Hyatt scaling the Hyatt Place brand globally to his foundational work in our franchise capabilities, his strategic vision and operational expertise will now guide our Essentials portfolio as we expand into more markets and deliver more value to guests, members, and owners."
Expanding Opportunity, One Market at a Time
The Essentials portfolio continues to deliver sustained owner and guest enthusiasm through flexible development options and efficient operating models.
Recent milestones include:
- Expansion of the Hyatt Studios brand with the opening of its second hotel, located in Huntsville, Alabama, offering travelers upper-midscale extended stay accommodations featuring apartment-style suites, full kitchens and dedicated workspaces.
- Strategic global growth for the Hyatt Place brand in Mexico with Hyatt Place Cancun Airport and Hyatt Place Merida / Via Montejo, and in Canada with Hyatt Place Toronto Airport.
Each opening demonstrates Hyatt's agility in scaling its brands in underserved markets and focus on creating value for owners while strengthening Hyatt's brand presence in key destinations.
Growing the Pipeline with Purpose
Hyatt's 2025 development pipeline highlights a powerful pipeline trajectory with new hotels planned across the U.S.
- New U.S. markets: 50% of new U.S. deals signed within the Essentials portfolio in 2025 represent entirely new markets for Hyatt, including the expected opening of a Hyatt Place hotel in Missoula, MT in 2027.
- Extended Stay Growth: The Hyatt Studios brand continues to see remarkable growth since its launch in 2023, with a pipeline of 70 executed deals, including new U.S. markets for Hyatt: Macon, GA, Danville, VA, Frankfort, KY and Elizabethtown, KY, Glacier Country, MT, and Lafayette, IN.
- External Pipeline Growth: The Hyatt Select brand, Hyatt's upper midscale and conversion-friendly concept for the modern traveler seeking shorter stays and streamlined amenities, has executed more than 20 hotel deals this year.
- The Unscripted by Hyatt brand recently opened Latitude Suites in Tinton Falls, NJ and has several additional executed deals across the U.S. in 2025, including for hotels in Allentown, PA and Durango, Colorado that are expected to open in 2026 and 2027 respectively.
"Our development pipeline reflects Hyatt's intentional approach to growth, anchored in expanding in the right markets with the right brands," said Dan Hansen, Global Head of Growth Operations & Strategy, Hyatt. "There is an incredible amount of white space in the Americas, and our Essentials brands give owners the opportunity to enter new markets for Hyatt where there is limited intra-brand competition and expand the Hyatt network for our guests and members."
Power of the World of Hyatt Network
Every Essentials hotel benefits from the strength of World of Hyatt, driving occupancy, repeat stays, and loyalty-driven revenue. Members are rewarded for exploring new Hyatt brands, creating incentives for consistent business for owners and developers across the portfolio.
In 2025, Hyatt's Stay More, Earn More campaign generated more than 900,000 nights across Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, and Hyatt Studios hotels, demonstrating strong conversion from loyalty engagement to real demand.
To explore development opportunities and upcoming projects, visit hyatt.com/development.
The term "Hyatt" is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.
About Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company guided by its purpose – to care for people so they can be their best. As of September 30, 2025, the Company's portfolio included more than 1,450 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 82 countries across six continents. The Company's offering includes brands in the Luxury Portfolio, including Park Hyatt®, Alila®, Miraval®, Impression by Secrets, and The Unbound Collection by Hyatt®; the Lifestyle Portfolio, including Andaz®, Thompson Hotels®, The Standard®, Dream® Hotels, The StandardX, Breathless Resorts & Spas®, JdV by Hyatt®, Bunkhouse® Hotels, and Me and All Hotels; the Inclusive Collection, including Zoëtry® Wellness & Spa Resorts, Hyatt Ziva®, Hyatt Zilara®, Secrets® Resorts & Spas, Dreams® Resorts & Spas, Hyatt Vivid® Hotels & Resorts, Sunscape® Resorts & Spas, Alua Hotels & Resorts®, and Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts; the Classics Portfolio, including Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Destination by Hyatt®, Hyatt Centric®, Hyatt Vacation Club®, and Hyatt®; and the Essentials Portfolio, including Caption by Hyatt®, Unscripted by Hyatt, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Studios®, Hyatt Select, and UrCove. Subsidiaries of the Company operate the World of Hyatt® loyalty program, ALG Vacations®, Mr & Mrs Smith, Unlimited Vacation Club®, Amstar® DMC destination management services, and Trisept Solutions® technology services. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.
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