Hyatt and White Lodging Announce Joint Venture and Franchise Agreement for Hyatt Place Austin Downtown
CHICAGO, May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H)
announced today that a Hyatt affiliate formed a joint venture with White Lodging
Services Corporation to construct and own a Hyatt Place hotel in Austin, Texas.
A Hyatt affiliate and a White Lodging affiliate will each own 50% of the joint
venture and White Lodging will operate the property under a franchise agreement
with a Hyatt affiliate.
“We are thrilled to be working with White Lodging on this property,” said Chris
Ivy, senior vice president, real estate and development for Hyatt Hotels &
Resorts. “This is a great opportunity to expand our relationship with White
Lodging.” The number of Hyatt Place locations continues to grow, with more than
160 hotels open in the U.S. and more than 30 under development throughout the
U.S., India, the Netherlands, Panama and Costa Rica.
Construction of Hyatt Place Austin Downtown is expected to start in third
quarter 2011 and the hotel is anticipated to open in 2013. The stand-alone
14-story building will have 296 hotel rooms and will be located within steps of
the Austin Convention center.
There are currently five Hyatt hotels in the Austin area, including Hyatt
Regency Austin, Hyatt Regency Lost Pines, Hyatt Place Austin -North Central,
Hyatt Place Austin/Arboretum and Hyatt Summerfield Suites Austin/Arboretum,
which is operated by White Lodging Services, as are Hyatt Summerfield Suites
Houston/Galleria, and Hyatt Summerfield Suites Colorado Springs. “We are
committed to doubling our current managed revenue to $1.5 billion by 2015 and
anticipate this expanded relationship with Hyatt to be a major factor in
reaching our goal,” said Deno Yiankes, president & CEO, investments and
development for White Lodging.
Launched in 2006, Hyatt Place brings to the upscale select-service hotel
category the authentic hospitality for which Hyatt is known. Inspired by
multitasking travellers’ 24/7 lifestyle, Hyatt Place combines stylish design and
practical amenities with forward-thinking technology and purposeful service.
Hyatt Place hotels feature complimentary Wi-Fi access, complimentary continental
breakfast, a StayFit@Hyatt fitness center, a coffee and wine bar serving
specialty coffees and premium wine and beer, and a Grab ‘n Go case stocked with
freshly made sandwiches and salads. Guest Kitchens offer made-to-order
breakfast, lunch and dinner entrees around the clock. Specially trained gallery
hosts offer assistance with everything from directions to check-in to a freshly
made meal.
About Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global
hospitality company with a proud heritage of making guests feel more than
welcome. Thousands of members of the Hyatt family strive to make a difference in
the lives of the guests they encounter every day by providing authentic
hospitality. The Company’s subsidiaries manage, franchise, own and develop
hotels and resorts under the Hyatt®,Park Hyatt®, Andaz®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt
Regency®, Hyatt Place®and Hyatt Summerfield Suites®brand names and have
locations on six continents. Hyatt Residential Group, Inc., a Hyatt Hotels
Corporation subsidiary, develops, operates, markets or licenses Hyatt Residences
(TM)and Hyatt Vacation Club®,which is changing its name to Hyatt Residence Club
(TM). As of December 31, 2010, the company’s worldwide portfolio consisted of
453 properties in 45 countries. For more information, please visit
www.hyattdevelopment.com.
About White Lodging Services Corporation
White Lodging Services Corporationwas established in 1985 and is headquartered
in Merrillville, Indiana. White Lodging is a fully integrated hotel ownership,
development, and operations company – a recognized leader that has defined and
cultivated the ability to achieve consistent, sustainable growth among mid- to
large-scale hotels across the country. Their current portfolio consists of over
155 hotels in 18 states and encompasses representation of the following leading
brands: Hyatt Hotels, Marriott International, Inc., Starwood Hotels and Resorts,
Hilton Worldwide, InterContinental Hotel Group, and Carlson Hotels Worldwide.
For more information about White Lodging, please visit www.whitelodging.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are
“forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include statements about our
plans, strategies, financial performance, prospects or future events and involve
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inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially
from current expectations include, among others, the rate and pace of economic
recovery following the economic downturn; levels of spending in business and
leisure segments as well as consumer confidence; declines in occupancy and
average daily rate; hostilities, including future terrorist attacks, or fear of
hostilities that affect travel; travel-related accidents; changes in the tastes
and preferences of our customers; relationships with associates and labor unions
and changes in labor law; the financial condition of, and our relationships
with, third-party property owners, franchisees and hospitality venture partners;
risk associated with potential acquisitions and dispositions and the
introduction of new brand concepts; changes in the competitive environment in
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changes in federal, state, local or foreign tax law; fluctuations in currency
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forward-looking statements.
SOURCE White Lodging Services Corporation















