News Releases

CHICAGO (December 5, 2024) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a franchise agreement with JR Tokai Hotels Co., Ltd for Hotel NEI Nara in downtown Nara. Situated in the historic heart of the city, the luxury hotel will be at the entrance to Nara Park and overlook iconic UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The property will be the first The Unbound Collection by Hyatt hotel in western Japan, and third overall in Japan, joining Fuji Speedway Hotel in Shizuoka and Hotel Toranomon Hills in Tokyo. The project is a joint undertaking between Central Japan Railway Company, JR Tokai Real Estate Co., Ltd., and JR Tokai Hotels Co., Ltd.

The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand caters to travelers seeking an elevated yet unscripted experience. The collection is a curated compilation of one-of-a-kind, story-worthy hotels, each one offering guests unique experiences in special locations, ranging from luxurious boutique hotels nestled in historic landmarks to modern stays that serve as hidden urban havens. Hotel NEI Nara will join 39 other hotels within The Unbound Collection by Hyatt portfolio globally.

NEI Nara is written 寧 奈良 in Japanese characters. The character Nei (寧) connotes serenity and tranquility. It embodies a deep respect for tradition and a return to origins, inviting guests to experience and discover the city’s timeless heritage and mystical charms alongside modern hospitality.

The ancient city of Nara has a history of over 1,300 years. It was the spiritual center where Buddhism first flourished in Japan. Home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites with preserved temples, shrines and scenic gardens of natural beauty, Nara is a top year-round travel destination in the Kansai region. Hotel NEI Nara will be an ideal base for exploring Nara Park and its free-roaming deer, the distinctive Kasuga Taisha Shrine, the renowned Kofuku-ji Temple, and the magnificent Todai-ji Temple housing one of the world’s largest bronze Buddha statues. The property’s prime location will easily connect guests through Kintetsu Nara Station and JR Nara Station. Nara is an hour from Kyoto and Osaka by express train and about 3 and a half hours from Tokyo via Kyoto with the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train.

According to the Nara City Tourism Survey for 2023, the number of tourists visiting Nara in 2023 increased by over 30% year-on-year, totaling to more than 12 million. Overnight tourists exceeded 1.7 million, surpassing the pre-pandemic level in 2019. Overseas visitors topped 1.8 million, eight times more than the previous year.

“We are honored to join hands for the first time with JR Tokai Group to bring The Unbound Collection by Hyatt to western Japan,” said Sam Sakamura, vice president of Japan and Micronesia, Hyatt. “We look forward to the opening of this luxury boutique hotel that will appeal to guests and World of Hyatt members from all over the world.”

“As the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, Nara is a very special place,” said Tom Pritzker, executive chairman of the board of directors, Hyatt. “The city’s historical and cultural importance is awe-inspiring, and adding a Hyatt hotel in this location is a unique opportunity that we couldn’t be more excited about.”

“We actively promote the uniqueness of Nara to people in Tokyo and across Japan, with tremendous support from the people of Nara,” said Shunsuke Niwa, president of Central Japan Railway Company. “We are honored by this collaboration with Hyatt, which has luxury hotels around the world. Through our planned first base in this wonderful city, we are excited about working with the local community to create even more attractive travel opportunities to Nara. We hope to entice both domestic and international travelers to have culturally rich experiences in this historic and spiritual city.”

The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.

About The Unbound Collection by Hyatt

More than a compilation of independent, one-of-a-kind hotels, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand is a thoughtful curation of stories worth collecting. Whether it’s a modern marvel, a historic gem or a revitalizing retreat, each property provides thought-provoking environments and experiences that inspire for guests seeking elevated yet unscripted service when they travel. For a full list of hotels in the collection, visit unboundcollection.hyatt.com. Follow @UnboundxHyatt on Facebook and Instagram and tag your photos with #UnboundxHyatt.

About Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company guided by its purpose – to care for people so they can be their best. As of September 30, 2024, the Company's portfolio included more than 1,350 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 79 countries across six continents. The Company's offering includes brands in the Timeless Collection, including Park Hyatt®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt®, Hyatt Vacation Club®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Studios, and UrCove; the Boundless Collection, including Miraval®, Alila®, Andaz®, Thompson Hotels®, Dream® Hotels, Hyatt Centric®, and Caption by Hyatt®; the Independent Collection, including The Unbound Collection by Hyatt®, Destination by Hyatt®, and JdV by Hyatt®; and the Inclusive Collection, including Impression by Secrets, Hyatt Ziva®, Hyatt Zilara®, Zoëtry® Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets® Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas®, Dreams® Resorts & Spas, Hyatt Vivid Hotels & Resorts, Alua Hotels & Resorts®, and Sunscape® Resorts & Spas. Subsidiaries of the Company operate the World of Hyatt® loyalty program, ALG Vacations®, Mr & Mrs Smith™, Unlimited Vacation Club®, Amstar DMC destination management services, and Trisept Solutions® technology services. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include statements about our plans, strategies, outlook, occupancy, the amount by which the Company intends to reduce its real estate asset base, the expected amount of gross proceeds from the sale of such assets, and the anticipated timeframe for such asset dispositions, the number of properties we expect to open in the future, pace and booking trends, the expected timing and payment of dividends, RevPAR trends, our expected Adjusted G&A Expense, our expected capital expenditures, our expected net rooms growth, our expected system-wide RevPAR, our expected one-time integration-related expenses, financial performance, prospects or future events and involve known and unknown risks that are difficult to predict. 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Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: general economic uncertainty in key global markets and a worsening of global economic conditions or low levels of economic growth; the rate and pace of economic recovery following economic downturns; global supply chain constraints and interruptions, rising costs of construction-related labor and materials, and increases in costs due to inflation or other factors that may not be fully offset by increases in revenues in our business; risks affecting the luxury, resort, and all-inclusive lodging segments; levels of spending in business, leisure, and group segments, as well as consumer confidence; declines in occupancy and average daily rate; limited visibility with respect to future bookings; loss of key personnel; domestic and international political and geopolitical conditions, including political or civil unrest or changes in trade policy; hostilities, or fear of hostilities, including future terrorist attacks, that affect travel; travel-related accidents; natural or man-made disasters, weather and climate-related events, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts, floods, wildfires, oil spills, nuclear incidents, and global outbreaks of pandemics or contagious diseases, or fear of such outbreaks; our ability to successfully achieve certain levels of operating profits at hotels that have performance tests or guarantees in favor of our third-party owners; the impact of hotel renovations and redevelopments; risks associated with our capital allocation plans, share repurchase program, and dividend payments, including a reduction in, or elimination or suspension of, repurchase activity or dividend payments; the seasonal and cyclical nature of the real estate and hospitality businesses; changes in distribution arrangements, such as through internet travel intermediaries; changes in the tastes and preferences of our customers; relationships with colleagues and labor unions and changes in labor laws; the financial condition of, and our relationships with, third-party owners, franchisees, and hospitality venture partners; the possible inability of third-party owners, franchisees, or development partners to access the capital necessary to fund current operations or implement our plans for growth; risks associated with potential acquisitions and dispositions and our ability to successfully integrate completed acquisitions with existing operations; failure to successfully complete proposed transactions (including the failure to satisfy closing conditions or obtain required approvals); our ability to successfully execute our strategy to expand our management and hotels services and franchising business while at the same time reducing our real estate asset base within targeted timeframes and at expected values; our ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures; declines in the value of our real estate assets; unforeseen terminations of our management and hotels services or franchise agreements; changes in federal, state, local, or foreign tax law; increases in interest rates, wages, and other operating costs; foreign exchange rate fluctuations or currency restructurings; risks associated with the introduction of new brand concepts, including lack of acceptance of new brands or innovation; general volatility of the capital markets and our ability to access such markets; changes in the competitive environment in our industry, industry consolidation, and the markets where we operate; our ability to successfully grow the World of Hyatt loyalty program and Unlimited Vacation Club paid membership program; cyber incidents and information technology failures; outcomes of legal or administrative proceedings; and violations of regulations or laws related to our franchising business and licensing businesses and our international operations; and other risks discussed in the Company's filings with the SEC, including our annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, which filings are available from the SEC. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements set forth above. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are made only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake or assume any obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. 

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Masayo Imai
Hyatt – Japan and Micronesia
HyattJapanPR@hyatt.com

Dana Fioravanti
Hyatt
Dana.fioravanti@hyatt.com