Hyatt Select: Yet Another New Limited Service Hyatt Brand

Details of the new Hyatt Select brand

Hyatt Select is described as the hotel group’s new “upper-midscale transient brand designed to meet the needs of modern travelers while delivering an efficient, cost-effective model for owners.” This will strengthen Hyatt’s upper-midscale presence, complementing Hyatt Studios, Hyatt’s other new extended-stay brand in the category, which recently had its first opening.

The goal for Hyatt Select is described as helping owners maximize their returns, while delivering an efficient guest experience. The brand will be flexible for both new-build and conversion environments, offering owners the opportunity to optimize existing assets, while minimizing upfront capital investments.

For owners, the Hyatt Select brand provides:

A flexible prototype, as properties can range anywhere from 70-200 keys, offering adaptability across diverse markets

A lean operating model, designed for transient travelers, with efficient staffing models to reduce labor costs while maintaining service quality

Access to Hyatt’s global distribution, as owners can benefit from Hyatt’s commercial engine, including reservations system, revenue management tools, centralized commercial services, and the World of Hyatt loyalty program

For travelers, Hyatt Select hotels are supposed to offer a balance of efficiency and comfort:

Complimentary breakfast will be offered, with a selection of hot and cold breakfast offerings requiring limited equipment

A 24/7 market, with a self-serve grab-and-go concept, operated by a third-party provider, featuring a variety of food and snack options, as well as beer and wine

Modern, comfortable rooms, designed to provide comfort and functionality, including free high-speed internet and workspaces for productivity

Here’s how Hyatt Chief Growth Officer Jim Chu describes this:

“For Hyatt, launching a new brand is never just about adding to our portfolio—it’s about strengthening our network in a way that benefits both owners and guests. Hyatt Select hotels will meet a specific need in the market by offering a cost-effective, conversion-friendly option for owners, while delivering an experience for guests who want reliability, comfort, and thoughtful design in the upper-midscale segment.”

“We’ve seen strong interest from owners both within and outside of our network who are looking for flexible conversion opportunities with access to Hyatt’s powerful commercial engine and distribution platform. The Hyatt Select brand will allow us to meet these distinct needs of owners and expand our brand presence for guests looking for a short stay option in secondary and tertiary markets.”

The introduction of Hyatt Select is part of the company’s evolution to a more brand-focused company, with five distinct brand portfolios catering to different market segments. This will be in the Essentials portfolio, alongside other select service brands.

I’ve given up on trying to understand hotel brands

As a consumer, I’ve honestly given up on trying to rationalize all the new hotel brands that we see. As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, hotel groups create new brands not to be able to sell to consumers, but rather to be able to “sell” to hotel owners.

For the most part, the global hotel chains don’t own most of their hotels, but rather they have management or franchise agreements for them. The reason they create so many new brands is so they have something to pitch to investors.

They try to make each brand seem unique, in hopes of getting an owner to choose their brand over a competitor. That’s why there’s also such little innovation when it comes to new hotel brands. Instead I feel like we just see each of the major hotel brands introduce similar concepts over and over.

I remember back when Hyatt had very few brands, and was consistent. Nowadays I’m not sure I could even name two-thirds of the company’s brands off the top of my head (in fairness, that’s because I’m not a big all-inclusive guy).

So, what makes this different than the Hyatt Studios brand that we recently saw launched? Hyatt Studio is only for new-build properties, rooms have kitchen-like amenities, and breakfast is a grab & go concept. Other than that, the brands seem very similar in terms of quality, amenities, etc.

Is that really something worth creating a new hotel brand over? Well, I guess if you’re trying to get eyeballs from hotel owners, maybe it is. But for us guests? I don’t think too many people will view this as a game changer.

Honestly, I think it’s pretty remarkable that Hyatt describes this new brand as “helping owners maximize their returns, while delivering an efficient guest experience.” I mean, that doesn’t leave much to the imagination in terms of quality, brand standards, and guest experience. The goal is to maximize profits, while offering guests an “efficient” experience. When guests check into a Hyatt Select, do we think the front desk associates will say “I hope you have an efficient stay with us?”

I also find some of the claims to only make sense in a management consulting buzzword echo chamber. For example:

“Efficient staffing models to reduce labor costs while maintaining service quality”

“A thoughtfully curated selection of hot and cold breakfast offerings requiring limited equipment, ensuring efficiency without sacrificing quality”

Reduced labor costs while maintaining service quality? A breakfast selection with limited equipment required, without sacrificing quality? What are the odds of that actually being the case?

Bottom line

Hyatt Select is Hyatt’s newest hotel brand. It’s described as an upper-midscale transient brand that should help owners maximize their returns while delivering an efficient guest experience. Properties will have complimentary continental breakfast, a 24/7 grab & go market, and… well, not much more. This will be a conversion friendly brand that minimizes upfront capital investments.

Ben Schlappig