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CHICAGO (September 23,  2010) – Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok has been honored as a 2010 World Saver by Condé Nast Traveler magazine. Announced in the September 2010 issue as part of the fourth annual World Savers Awards, Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok is recognized for its social responsibility in the “city hotels” category, namely for the hotel’s dedication to minimizing its environmental impact, improving the quality of life in its neighboring communities, and engagement in philanthropic activities.

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.

“The teams at each of our hotels around the world are committed to managing their properties responsibly and to making a difference in the communities that we call home,” said Mark S. Hoplamazian, president and chief executive officer, Hyatt Hotels Corporation. “We are extremely proud of the work of our colleagues at Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok that led to this recognition and their receiving of this internationally renowned award; the team’s commitment to environmental stewardship and to engaging with their local community to improve health and living conditions for local residents serves as an inspiring example to all."

Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok has been engaged in environmental stewardship and community programs for more than 17 years, including the launch of the “Green Hotel Project” in 1993, and through its Green Leaf certification, which recognizes hotels for their commitment to environmental conservation. Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok has had a measurable impact with results that include:

• Participation by more than 600 hotel associates in Hyatt’s six hour environmental training program focused on reducing waste, emissions and consumption of energy and water.
• Implementation of a wide range of water savings initiatives, including simple steps such as training housekeepers to check for leaks that result in the saving of over 1,200 liters of water per day.
• Reducing energy consumption through the installation of energy efficient lighting across many areas of the hotel, car park areas, and by upgrading to more efficient technology and equipment.
• Diverting over 2,000 Kg, or more than 4,000 pounds, of waste monthly from landfills through recycling practices and by working with suppliers to reduce packaging and participate in donation programs.
• Implementing a system that treats water before it is released into public drains. This program helps reduce waste water that may be released into public water resources by as much as 500m³ per day. The hotel also uses chlorine-free water in its swimming pool to prevent approximately 18 liters of chlorine being released into the public water system per day.
• Collecting some 20 kilograms of soft drink caps, which are considered garbage, each month and donating them to a charity that uses them to help produce artificial limbs. The hotel also organizes annual blood donation drives for the Thai Red Cross.
• Working with local farmers on an organic farm that produces more than 12 varieties of vegetables. These products are served in the hotel’s restaurants, emphasizing its commitment to offering quality, healthy food products, and enhancing the hotel’s responsibility for the environment and awareness of the health benefits of fresh vegetables.
• Planting mangroves along the shore in Samut Sakorn Province to help prevent erosion. More than 600 hotel associates took part in this event, designed to highlight the value of mangrove forests and wildlife. Hotel associates also took part in a mango tree planting event in Erawan National Park in an effort to help save wild elephants by offering the elephants living in the Park sufficient food resources (they eat both the fruit and the leaves of the mango tree).

“Here at Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, we strive to make a positive impact on the environment, one person at a time, by empowering our employees to become visionary leaders in sustainability,” said Richard Greaves, general manager, Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok. “It is an honor to be recognized by Condé Nast Traveler as a World Saver for the city hotels category as it not only reinforces our efforts, but it will hopefully influence others to engage in philanthropic and socially responsible activities that can truly make a difference at both a local and global level.”

Winners of the 2010 World Savers Awards have to meet exacting standards. This year’s 164 applicants provided detailed responses to more than 20 questions. Twenty-two expert judges, which included academics, CEOs, and philanthropists, and seven passionate Condé Nast Traveler editors, picked the 32 honorees in the five categories: education, environmental and/or cultural preservation, health, poverty relief, and wildlife conservation. World Savers Awards winners will be recognized in an award ceremony during the 2010 World Savers Congress on October 20 in Singapore.

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 in 45 countries 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 under development on five continents. Hyatt Vacation Ownership, Inc., a Hyatt Hotels Corporation subsidiary, develops and operates vacation ownership properties under the Hyatt Vacation Club® brand. As of June 30, 2010, the Company’s worldwide portfolio consisted of 445 properties. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.

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