LAKE MARY, FL– Aug. 8, 2007 – Hyatt Place today announced the groundbreaking of Hyatt Place Orlando/Lake Mary. Hyatt Place, a new kind of hotel that complements Hyatt’s full service brands, combines contemporary design with innovative services and amenities to create an atmosphere of casual hospitality.
“We did extensive research before beginning development on Hyatt Place and what stood out most to us was the fact that people no longer separate their lives into business and leisure – instead they are living a 24/7 lifestyle. But even though lifestyles have changed, hotel experiences have remained stagnant,” said Jim Abrahamson, senior vice president for Hyatt Corporation. “Hyatt Place is specifically designed around this new breed of travelers, offering guests a mix of comfortable and functional amenities in an environment designed to help them stay relaxed, fulfilled and productive while traveling.”
Sunshine Hotel Group, based out of Miami, is developing the 128-room hotel, which will be located at I-4 and Lake Mary Blvd. Hyatt Place Orlando/Lake Mary is expected to create 40 new jobs when it opens in May 2008.
“Everything about Hyatt Place is a new concept, both for the guest and the hotel industry, from its design to the service to the food,” said Andreas Meinhold, managing member, Sunshine Hotel Group. “We’re confident this market is a perfect fit for this kind of dynamic, new experience.”
“Hyatt Place addresses the needs of today’s travelers with an environment that transcends geographical regions and age,” added Ira Levenshon, managing member of Sunshine Hotel Group. “The balance of comfortable and functional amenities will allow our hotel to cater to the wide range of the area’s domestic and international business and leisure travelers.”
Similar to what travelers might experience at home, guests can take advantage of free Wi-Fi access, stretch out on the eight-foot Cozy Corner sofa-sleeper or work at an oversized desk in an ergonomic chair. They can also catch the evening news, the big game or the latest feature movies on the 42-inch flat panel, high-definition television offering 11 channels of high-definition programming in addition to an already impressive channel selection. Hyatt Place guests will also have access to DIRECTV™, which includes NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ and NBA LEAGUE PASSSM as well as other professional and college sports programming. Hyatt Place guests can stay connected through the innovative Hyatt Plug Panel™, which allows guests to connect their own entertainment media to the high-definition TV, including laptops, MP3 players, DVD players or any other portable device. The signature Hyatt Grand Bed™ ensures guests can enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep in the bedroom area.
Hyatt Place hotels also feature the Gallery, an innovative welcoming arrival area where guests are personally greeted by the Gallery Host who assists guests with everything from check-in to providing personal tours of the hotel.
In the Gallery, guests will also find a self-registration kiosk, an intimate coffee and wine café and bakery, free Wi-Fi, a TV den and an e-room with free access to a public computer and printer. Guests at Hyatt Place may purchase signature hot breakfast entrées along with Starbucks® specialty coffees or enjoy a free continental breakfast. Hyatt Place also offers a variety of freshly prepared, café quality items, including made-to-order entrées, sandwiches, soups, salads and pizza which guests can order 24 hours a day, seven days a week via a touch screen menu in the Guest Kitchen or from the Gallery Host.
To help guests stay physically and mentally productive, they can also utilize the hotel’s swimming pool or StayFit@Hyatt gym featuring state-of-the-art Life Fitness® equipment.
Travelers are raving about Hyatt Place hotels already open in and around Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix, Cincinnati, San Antonio, Nashville, Dallas, Washington, DC and Louisville. There will be 120 Hyatt Place hotels open by December 2007, including locations in Phoenix, Tampa, Miami, Orlando and Detroit, in addition to other key business and leisure markets throughout the country.
About Hyatt Place
Hyatt Place, a new kind of Hyatt for today’s relaxed lifestyle, combines The Hyatt Touch® with stylish design, purposeful amenities and forward-thinking technology. Catering to today’s discerning travelers, 120 Hyatt Place hotels are to open across the U.S. by the end of 2007. Hyatt Place is a newly developed brand of Global Hyatt Corporation. For Hyatt Place information or to make a reservation, call 1-888-HYATT-HP (888-492-8847) or visit www.hyattplace.com. From the U.S. and Canada, reservations for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts worldwide may be obtained by calling 1-800-233-1234 or logging onto www.hyatt.com
About Global Hyatt Corporation
Global Hyatt Corporation, one of the world’s premier hotel companies, offers today’s travelers over 735 hotels and resorts (over 136,000 rooms) in more than 44 countries. The company’s affiliates own, operate, manage and franchise Hyatt branded hotels and resorts under the Park Hyatt™, Grand Hyatt™, Hyatt Regency™, Hyatt Resorts™, Hyatt™, Hyatt Place™ and Hyatt Summerfield Suites™ brands. In April 2007, Hyatt launched its newest global brand, Andaz™. Global Hyatt Corporation is also the owner of Hyatt Vacation Ownership, Inc. operator of the Hyatt Vacation Club and fractional residential properties and U.S. Franchise Systems, Inc, which franchises Hawthorn Suites and Microtel Inns and Suites. From the U.S. and Canada, reservations for any Hyatt hotel worldwide may be obtained by calling 1-800-233-1234 or logging onto www.hyatt.com.
Amy Patti
Hyatt Corporation
(312) 780-5620
amy.patti@corphq.hyatt.com