Hyatt Hotels will dramatically increase number of global properties in next five years

The fifty year-old, Chicago-headquartered hospitality company currently operates 735 hotels and resorts in 45 countries around the world, and employs approximately 90,000 employees.

Hyatt has built a solid industry reputation for consistently high-quality and global representation across its three main brands - Hyatt Regency, Grand Hyatt, and Park Hyatt - and maintains that brand preference for Hyatt properties is growing among discerning travellers with each passing year.

But changing travel demands, liberalizing economies, and a surplus of liquidity has also meant that the privately held Global Hyatt Corporation is now in a position to dramatically accelerate the pace of its international growth, provided it is able to find a secure suitable locations for properties and adequately staff them to the international standard of excellence for which the company is universally known.

'Hyatt will substantially increase the number of properties under its management over the next five years, if all things go according to plan,' said Peter Fulton, Hyatt's Managing Director of South West Asia, speaking at an Arabian Travel Market press conference in Dubai.

'We envision our South West Asia region, which includes the Middle East and India, to be the fastest growing in our portfolio of properties, with several key properties opening this year in the Gulf,' added Fulton.

Hyatt currently operates eight properties in the Middle East and five in India, but has plans for several more in each of the two markets which, together, compose the company's South West Asia region.

Global Development

Major Global Hyatt Corporation announcements of late include: launching its new luxury brand, Andaz, and reaching the 100-hotel milestone of Hyatt Place hotels in the United States.

Hyatt has more than than 60 full-service hotels in the pipeline, with 16 hotels under development in greater China alone, five hotels in Russia/CIS, and other high-profile properties to open in Europe, Middle East, and the Americas.

'Hyatt will continue to grow significantly over the next decade, the number of worldwide properties expected to double in the next five years,' said Stephen G. Haggerty, Global Hyatt Corporation's Global Head of Real Estate and Development.

Hyatt currently operates more than 750 hotels and resorts worldwide.

Human Resources

Exponential growth in the world's hospitality industry has led Hyatt to embark on a new, innovative strategy to hire and retain the sector's best talent, according to company executives.

Hyatt's ambitious expansion plans for the Middle East and South West Asia - where it intends to open more than 15 new properties over the next five years - have led the hotelier to partner with leading recruitment firms and consultancies from around the world to help Hyatt's HR staff source and recruit suitable hospitality professionals for a number of job opportunities spanning from entry level and trainee level to junior management and general manager positions.

Hyatt International Corporation's Vice President Human Resources, Katie Carter, said: 'Attracting, retaining and developing key talent in our company continues to be a key strategic issue for us as we face the anticipated growth over the next three to five years and beyond'.