It’s not your father’s Hyatt Regency—or Holiday Inn—anymore. Several major hotel companies are in the midst of updating some of their most familiar brands in order to make them more competitive in today’s marketplace.
One of the most ambitious endeavors is Hyatt Hotels & Resorts’ $1.3 billion worth of renovations at 48 of its Hyatt Regency hotels in North America, many of which were built in the 1970s and ‘80s. New dining options, upgraded technology and redesigned guest rooms and public spaces are among the elements expected to be completed by the end of 2010.
“We are making major investments to reclaim the reputation for stylish design and innovation that are the Hyatt DNA,” says John Wallis, Hyatt’s senior vice president of product and brand development. “The scope and the changes and improvements at many properties are so comprehensive that the hotels are positioned to compete for new types of business.”
Completed projects include the first phase of a $60 million renovation of the Hyatt Regency O’Hare and a $20 million makeover of the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino. In Monterey, Calif., the Hyatt Regency Monterey will wrap up a $60 million renovation this spring with the opening of a new spa, while the Hyatt Regency Bellevue in Bellevue, Wash., will unveil a $100 million tower next summer with 350 guest rooms and 50,000 square feet of meeting space.
Last year InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) embarked on a worldwide relaunch of the Holiday Inn brand, which includes Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express, with the goal of completing enhancements to all properties by the end of 2010. The effort includes everything from a new logo to refurbished guest rooms and new service training.
At the same time, IHG has been converting some of its older Holiday Inn hotels to its more upscale Crowne Plaza brand. Among them is the Crowne Plaza Portland-Downtown, which opened in Portland, Ore., in July after receiving a $3 million renovation. A Crowne Plaza is also expected to open by the end of the year in Bloomington-Normal, Ill., following an $11.5 million conversion of a former Holiday Inn.
Hilton Hotels & Resorts, which embarked on a $1 billion renovation plan after it acquired Hilton International in 2006, has since completed over 50 multimillion-dollar hotel makeovers. These include the Hilton Anatole in Dallas; Hilton Times Square in New York City; Hilton Oceanfront Resort in Hilton Head, S.C.; Hilton Anaheim in Anaheim, Calif.; Capitol Hilton in Washington, D.C.; and Hilton Atlanta.
