News Releases

CHICAGO – March 12, 2008 – Today’s technologically savvy, sophisticated travelers are looking for accommodations that balance their need for technology with their desire for a personal connection. While more than 70 percent of respondents in a new Hyatt Place survey¹ say an ideal business hotel offers technological options that enable independence and drive efficiency, at the same time nearly 90 percent of respondents expect to have hotel staff available to help with any requests.

“Today’s travelers are comfortable using technology, but also value warmth and personal service,” said Alison Kal, vice president, marketing, Hyatt. “Hyatt Place is designed to give guests the ability to choose the type of interaction that’s right for them. The same guest who values the personal connection when checking in may prefer to order a late-night snack from a touch-screen menu.”

At Hyatt Place, guests can customize their stay by doing as much – or as little – for themselves as they wish. In addition to providing technology at every touch point, all Hyatt Place Gallery Hosts are trained in a variety of tasks, so the same associate can assist guests with check-in/out, prepare a fresh meal and give them a personal hotel tour. For example, guests can:

·         Check in or out at a self-serve kiosk or choose to have a friendly associate check them in at the Host Stand

·         Order a freshly prepared entrée from a touch-screen menu or from a Gallery Host

·         Ask a Gallery Host for assistance with local information or utilize the complimentary Internet-accessible computers to research the area

Hyatt Place Knows What Travelers Want

When referring to their ideal business hotel, the survey found that 84 percent of respondents want a hotel that allows for multi-tasking on the road exactly as they do at home. More than 80 percent said that guestrooms should ideally be designed the way people really live. Additional findings from the survey include:

·         More than 60 percent will only consider hotels whose guestrooms have state-of-the-art technology

·         81 percent prefer to make their own travel arrangements (hotel, flight, car, etc.) rather than trust this to someone else

·         65 percent said when traveling for business, they don’t have a set schedule for meals and prefer to stay in a hotel offering freshly prepared
          food 24/7

·         83 percent said that staying connected to friends and family is a top priority when traveling for work

Hyatt Place Answers Need for Efficiency

Research² shows that today’s business travelers no longer separate their professional and personal lives, so they expect their environment away from home or the office to adapt seamlessly to their lifestyle. More than 70 percent of travelers said if they left work early for personal reasons, they will get their work done on their own time and more than 70 percent of business travelers believe it is important to be as self-reliant as possible³.

At Hyatt Place, business travelers will enjoy 24/7 services – including complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel – that will enable them to be as efficient as they need to be.

·         Guestrooms: For work, guests can take advantage of the complimentary Wi-Fi, oversize desk and ergonomic chair in each room. And when
          it’s time to relax, they can stretch out on the eight-foot Cozy Corner sofa-sleeper and watch their favorite shows on the room’s 42-inch flat
          panel, high-definition television. Each room’s innovative Hyatt Plug Panel™ also allows guests to connect their own entertainment media to
          the television, including laptops, MP3 players, DVD players or any other portable device. At bedtime, the signature Hyatt Grand Bed™ ensures
          guests will enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep.

·         Gallery: An innovative welcoming arrival area where guests are greeted by the Gallery Host who assists guests with everything from check-in
          to providing tours of the hotel, the Gallery offers two self-registration kiosks, an intimate coffee and wine café and bakery, free Wi-Fi, a TV
          den and an “e-room” with free access to public computers and a printer with secure remote technology.

·         Mealtime: 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 24/7 via a touch screen menu in the Guest Kitchen or from the Gallery Host.

·         StayFit@Hyatt: To help guests stay physically and mentally productive, each Hyatt Place offers a StayFit@Hyatt gym featuring state-
          of-the-art Life Fitness® equipment.

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 December 2008. 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.