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CHICAGO (August 23, 2011) – Grand Hyatt São Paulo has been honored as a 2011 World Saver by Condé Nast Traveler magazine. Announced in the September 2011 issue as part of the fifth annual World Savers Awards, Grand Hyatt São Paulo is recognized for its corporate responsibility in the “Doing It All” global category for city hotels, namely for the hotel’s dedication to initiatives in education and poverty relief by offering training opportunities for youth from neighboring communities, programs for minimizing the hotel’s environmental impact, engagement in philanthropic activities, and support of local businesses as preferred vendors.

The World Savers Awards honor travel companies from around the world for their leadership in social responsibility in five key areas, which include education, environment and/or cultural preservation, health, poverty relief and wildlife conservation.

“We are extremely proud of the team at Grand Hyatt São Paulo. They have been working hard for many years to manage their property responsibly and to make a difference in the community they call home,” said Mark S. Hoplamazian, president and chief executive officer, Hyatt Hotels Corporation. “This is the second consecutive year a Hyatt hotel has been recognized in the internationally renowned World Savers Awards. I am thrilled with this honor and inspired by the commitment of the Grand Hyatt São Paulo team to the pillars of our corporate responsibility platform, Hyatt Thrive, with the dedication to environmental stewardship and engagement with their local community to improve health and living conditions for local residents.”

Grand Hyatt São Paulo has been engaged in environmental and community programs since its opening in 2002. Some of the initiatives include:

Reaching out to the community through two education programs that allow Grand Hyatt São Paulo to give opportunities to underserved youth who would not be able to afford college or technical courses, receive training, or obtain a diploma. The Formare and YCI programs bring much more than education and skills to unprivileged youth, they also provide them with income to support their families and help their health condition with complimentary medical insurance offered by the hotel. A psychologist helps guide them to help them focus on having a long-lasting career with a company that will support their growth and development.

• Participation by more than 700 hotel associates in Hyatt’s four hour basic environmental training program focused on reducing waste, emissions and consumption of energy and water. Since 2010, the hotel has also offered an advanced environmental training module that nearly 200 associates have completed.
• Implementation of a recycling program in 2010 for cooking oil. Just in the first month on the initiative, 90 liters of oil were collected. The hotel has teamed up with a non-profit organization, which specializes in recycling oil and reutilizing it to make bars of soap.
• Recycling more than 3,300 kilos of paper, 900 kilos of plastic, 9,000 kilos of glass, 2010 liters of cooking oil and 150 kilos of batteries in the 2010 calendar year.
• Reducing water consumption through toilet and shower head replacement to more efficient models and by implementing a project to collect rainwater that can be utilized for watering the hotel’s gardens and cleaning the car parking garage and sidewalks. This initiative represents a reduction of more than 30% in water consumption.
• Supporting local artists by displaying more than 200 pieces of artwork throughout the hotel.

“It is a great honor to be recognized by Condé Nast Traveler as a World Saver. This validates even more our commitment to our local community and environment and is a great incentive and acknowledgement of our associates who have dedicated their time and energy to volunteer in our projects,” said Thierry Guillot, general manager, Grand Hyatt São Paulo. “To have the Formare and YCI projects in place is particularly special because besides helping the community, it brings a sense of togetherness among our associates, improves our work environment, and increases cooperation among co-workers. Our team genuinely feels that they are making the difference in the lives of those they touch every day, which truly engages them in the company’s philosophy. We have cases of young students that had hostile behavior or were tempted to get involved with alcohol and drugs, but with the help of our volunteers, became strong, solid employees who now provide most of their family income. We can only feel privileged about having the opportunity to reach out and contribute.”

Winners of the 2011 World Savers Awards have to meet exacting standards. This year’s 131 applicants provided detailed responses to more than 20 questions. Nineteen expert judges, which included academics, CEOs, and philanthropists, and passionate Condé Nast Traveler editors, picked the 14 honorees in the six categories: education, environmental and/or cultural preservation, health, poverty relief, wildlife conservation and “Doing It All.” World Savers Awards winners will be recognized in an award ceremony during the 2011 World Savers Congress in Singapore in October.

For more information or for reservations at Grand Hyatt São Paulo, please visit www.saopaulo.grand.hyatt.com. For additional information on Hyatt’s corporate responsibility platform, Hyatt Thrive, visit www.hyattthrive.com.

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 June 30, 2011, the Company’s worldwide portfolio consisted of 456 properties in 44 countries. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.