Owners, Operators and Developers Celebrated for Design, Development and Operational Excellence at Hy
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) recognized outstanding owners, operators and developers at its 2023 Americas Owners Conference, held at Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen. During the event, Hyatt leadership celebrated 16 organizations across full service, select service and all-inclusive brands with the presentation of awards honoring their hotel design, development and operational excellence in the past 1.5 years.
“Our transformative growth and success over the past few years wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our owners, operators and developers,” said Jim Chu, chief growth officer, Hyatt. “That’s why it is such an honor to recognize those that are going above and beyond. Our congratulations and sincerest gratitude to this year’s outstanding recipients.”
The featured award categories for this year’s program are as follows:
Developer of the Year – Recognizes full service and select service developers for their excellence in areas such as creativity, construction quality and attention to detail during hotel development.
Strategic Partner of the Year – Celebrates a company’s culture, along with its performance and operating philosophies, that further enhances its strong, multi-brand relationship with Hyatt.
Best New Property – Acknowledges notable full service and select service hotel openings.
Best Renovation – Recognizes the reconfiguration and transformation of full service and select service Hyatt-branded hotels.
Best Conversion – Celebrates the reconfiguration of an existing property and conversion to a full service or select service Hyatt-branded hotel.
Best Adaptive Re-Use – Honors outstanding full service and select service Hyatt-branded hotels developed from alternative real estate uses.
The 2023 Developer of the Year honorees:
MM Desarrollos (Secrets Moxché/Secrets Impression Moxché and Dreams Playa del Carmen): Welcomed into the Hyatt family with the recent acquisition of Apple Leisure Group, MM Desarrollos and its portfolio embodies the brand’s commitment to reimagined all-inclusive travel. The Macedo-Morales family’s extensive experience in the Cancun and Riviera Maya area brings immense value to Hyatt’s expanding global portfolio.
Portman Holdings (Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City): Portman Holdings opened the first Hyatt Regency hotel in Utah in October 2022 and the only hotel that directly adjoins to the Salt Palace Convention Center. The 25-story, 700-room property was a much-anticipated answer to the growing demand for large-scale experiences and adds 60,000 square feet of downtown event space, helping to position Salt Lake City as a top destination for hosting world-class events.
TKo Hospitality: TKo Hospitality’s Hyatt portfolio continues to expand with six new Hyatt House and Hyatt Place properties across the Northeast with another slated to open this year. The seven-story Hyatt Place Newark Main Street will bring 104 rooms to the Delaware city’s central business hub and incorporates part of the area’s historic Green Mansion.
The 2023 Strategic Partner of the Year honoree:
Carlisle LLC: Carlisle LLC has been instrumental in building out Hyatt’s brand footprint in Memphis, Tennessee, aiming to make the Home of the Blues a first-class destination for business and leisure travelers. The group currently has two properties – Caption by Hyatt Beale Street Memphis and Hyatt Centric Beale Street Memphis – both located in One Beale, a transformative five-acre multi-phased downtown development on historic Beale Street, with other projects in the works.
Additional 2023 honorees across Hyatt’s brands and collections include:
The Boundless Collection of properties embraces guests’ dynamic lifestyles and offers immersive experiences that allow them to learn, grow and expand. Winners from this collection include:
Best New Property | Thompson Denver (T2 Development): Inspired by the iconic Mile High city’s community and culture, this newly constructed lifestyle hotel seamlessly blends the mid-century modern take on luxury with upscale mountain chalet chic. Opened in the LoDo neighborhood in February 2022, Thompson Denver features 216 guestrooms, a signature restaurant from famed L.A. chef Ludo Lefebvre, and cabin-inspired, tailored design by award-winning firm Parts + Labor.
Each brand in the Independent Collection offers distinct properties that are all unique – from storied hotels to vibrant neighborhood locales to immersive retreats. Winners from this collection include:
Best Conversion | Hotel Figueroa (BGO & Highgate): Originally built in 1926 by the YWCA, the iconic Hotel Figueroa was converted to a hotel following the Great Depression and is now part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand. BGO, its local capital partners, and Highgate have preserved the historied charm of the property while adding modern hospitality and culinary experiences that guests, tourists and locals alike crave and appreciate.
Best Adaptive Re-use | Hotel la Compañía, Panama (Shebandowan Holdings, S.A.): Nestled in Panama City’s famed and charming historic district, the Hotel la Compañía offers an artfully restored, design-focused experience centered around three distinct chapters in Panama’s history and its influence on the historic Spanish and French colonial buildings that today house this special hotel.
The Inclusive Collection delivers immersive, elevated experiences where everything is seamlessly included. Winners from this collection include:
Best Renovation | Dreams Aventuras Riviera Maya (Ganzi, S. de R.L. de C.V.): Pandemic closures offered this all-inclusive oasis time to refresh its design and amenities. From the guestrooms and suites to six restaurants and The Dreams Spa, many spaces were revamped to maximize the guest experience. Additionally, the property added a new fitness room, Kiddie Splash Zone and a beachfront terrace that doubles as an event space.
Best New Property | Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen (MM Desarrollos): Debuted in December 2022, Secrets Moxché in Playa del Carmen, Mexico is a first-of-its-kind product designed to deliver luxury all-inclusive service and amenities, including a private butler for every guest, curated programming, gourmet dining and high-end design.
The Timeless Collection of properties delivers the comforts of a home away from home with a consistently elevated experience. Winners from this collection include:
Select Service
Best New Property | Hyatt House Orlando Airport (McKibbon Equities & McKibbon Hospitality): Hyatt House Orlando Airport is an all-new modern, extended-stay option in Orlando’s Gateway Village, conveniently located at the entrance of Orlando International Airport. Completed earlier this year, the 156-room development offers guests apartment-style living with both the service and convenience of hotel living with the casual comforts of home.
Best Adaptive Re-use | Hyatt House Sacramento / Midtown (Hume Development & Twenty Four Seven Hotels): Built in 1928 for a Masonic women’s organization and listed on the national historic register, the Hyatt House Sacramento / Midtown preserves and maintains the most character defining features of the building while marrying Romanesque architecture with contemporary design. This 2023 opening expands Hyatt’s brand footprint in Northern California.
Best New Property | Hyatt House Houston Medical Center and Hyatt Place Houston Medical Center (Satya, Inc. & Aimbridge Hospitality): Located just blocks from Texas Medical Center and its newly opened TMC3 research campus, the hotels with 298-rooms together form the first dual-branded Hyatt development in the city.
Best Renovation | Hyatt Place Across From Universal Orlando Resort™ (Summit Hotel Properties & OTO Development): This newly renovated property was designed with the guest’s experience in mind. Rooms now feature plush Hyatt Luxury Pillowtop mattresses, comfortable seating areas with a sleeper sofa, and self-service laundry.
Best Conversion | Hyatt Place Montreal-Downtown (Artifact Group - formerly Sageblan Investments): The Montreal-Downtown property was acquired by Artifact Group (formerly Sageblan Investments) in 2019 and underwent a $25 million renovation to infuse modern design, innovation, and 24/7 dining into the guest experience. The 354-room hotel welcomes business and leisure travelers alike with quick access to top attractions and remote work friendly views and spaces.
Best New Property | Hyatt Place Panama City Beach / Beachfront (OTO Development): The first beachfront Hyatt Place hotel on the Gulf of Mexico opened in beautiful Panama City Beach, FL in August 2022, bringing contemporary design, thoughtful service, and stunning waterfront views to one of the top beaches in the U.S. The 224-room property features more than 1,300 sq. ft. of flexible event space, a lazy-river resort pool with private cabanas, a poolside bar, and casual coastal cuisine served with a view at its signature restaurant, Coconut Charlie’s Beach Bar & Grill.
Full Service
Best Renovation | Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SOMA (Highgate): Following a comprehensive reimagination, Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SOMA features refined décor and abundant natural light to convey the feeling of the ultimate urban retreat. The renovated property is a thoroughly refreshed, multifunctional hotel centrally located in the bustling South of Market (SOMA) district, offering guests thoughtful amenities, and smart design features to create a seamless experience.
For more information, please visit hyatt.com/development.