When you’re traveling and looking for a place to stay, you’ll likely see several different brand names pop up in your searches. Yet, in reality, many of these brands really fall under the banner of a few key companies such as Marriott, Hilton, IHG, or Wyndham. The idea is that each of these sub-brands is meant to appeal to a different type of customer or travel need — even if those intents aren’t always 100% clear to most laymen. On that note, however, Hyatt has just announced the upcoming launch of its newest brand: Hyatt Studios. After reading their press release on the concept, I’m a little confused but also pretty excited.
From what I can tell, Hyatt Studios is meant to appeal to extended-stay travelers or just those who enjoy having some practical in-room amenities. For example, guestrooms will include kitchenettes with full-sized fridges, stovetop burners, and multi-function convection microwaves. Outside of the rooms themselves, Studios properties will also offer complimentary grab-and-go breakfast options as well as 24-hour markets with items for purchase. According to the company, there are plans to build more than 100 Hyatt Studios properties, with the first expected to open sometime next year.
As for the parts that confused me, Hyatt says that this new imprint “marks Hyatt’s entry into upper-midscale lodging in the Americas.” I suppose this implies that Hyatt views itself as a luxury brand that is now slumming a bit to appeal to more budget-conscious travelers. Actually, I can tell you that’s exactly what it means after checking out their site and list of brands. Sidenote: the way they describe some of these brands is even more ridiculous, with my favorites being the many brands that were billed as being “upper-upscale.” In any case, I guess this is an expansion of their brand identity to them but I’m not sure many folks will really notice, to be honest.
Back to the matter at hand: despite having status with Hyatt (thanks to their partnership with MGM), I’ve only stayed at one of their properties in recent memory: a Hyatt Regency in Chicago, which apparently was “upper-upscale.” Nevertheless, I’m very interested in this Hyatt Studios concept as someone who loves hotel rooms with more homey amenities. In fact, having recently stayed at a Home2 Suites — which is Hilton’s extended stay brand — and spending many, many trips at an Aparthotel Adagio near Disneyland Paris, I could definitely see myself getting on board with this new brand.
Extended stay or not, I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for Hyatt Studios properties as they being to pop up. Even if I find their positioning of the brand to be a bit overblown, I do like the overall concept. Of course, whether or not I actually stay at a Studios location will also come down to where they build them.
Personally, I’d love to see one pop up near Walt Disney World as I’m always looking for new options in that area — but I’d also love to have one pretty much anywhere I’d be staying for more than a night or two. Oh! And if they could manage to sneak one onto the Las Vegas Strip, that’d be amazing. I’m not holding my breath for that last one but, hopefully, come 2024, I’ll be able to check out a Hyatt Studio for myself and report on my experience.