to empower individual hotels to
take the decisions they need to
offer what guests want in their
locations. Today’s traveler doesn’t
want uniformity, so we have gotten
rid of scripts for our employees
and have given our hotels the
freedom to innovate. Putting
trust in our hotels and employees,
rather than controlling everything
from the center, has made us
much more nimble and responsive
to the changing habits of modern
travelers.
The Hyatt Centric brand has
announced its growth into
Montevideo, Uruguay, and also
Tokyo, Japan, and three US Hyatt
hotels are moving under the Hyatt
Centric brand. Can you tell us
about this millennial-directed
venture? What can we expect the
next few years?
Hyatt Centric is a great example
of Hyatt listening to our guests
and offering them what they
need. It is an exciting innovation
based on the desire to put our
guests at the center of the action
in the best destinations. The new
generation of travelers want to
embrace the city beyond the walls
of their hotel and Hyatt Centric
destinations act as a launching pad
for outside exploration. Each hotel
is unique, embracing the style and
culture of its surroundings. We
are looking forward to opening our
first international Hyatt Centric
in Montevideo later this year and
we will be looking to add to the
brand’s portfolio in some of the
world’s most exciting cities.
You will be speaking at the ILHA
European Luxury Hospitality
Summit in May on the Future
of Food and Beverage in Luxury
Hotels. What key elements will
you be exploring?
Interest in the food and beverage
offerings in hotels has changed
immeasurably since I started out in
the business 40 years