Hyatt plans major post-pandemic expansion in Europe with the UK a “priority growth” market.
The US group will increase its brand footprint in Europe by more than 30% in nine new countries and grow further in seven existing markets.
More than 20 new hotels have been earmarked across Europe by the end of 2023.
The properties are expected to join 63 existing hotels across nine brands in 22 European countries.
The growth is fuelled by a growing desire from travellers to discover “unique, differentiated experiences that foster genuine connections with people and cultures,” according to the company.
The first Park Hyatt hotel in London’s redeveloped Nine Elms district is part of a plan to nearly double its brand growth in the UK in the next few years.
A 203-room Park Hyatt London River Thames will be the first Park Hyatt hotel in the UK.
The Hyatt Centric lifestyle brand will be introduced with a property in Cambridge.
The first Hyatt-branded properties in Stockholm, Helsinki, Malta and Cyprus are also in the pipeline.
Nine new Hyatt properties have already opened in Europe this year.
Regional real estate and development senior vice president Peter Norman said: “Hyatt is in the process of transforming the hotel landscape in Europe with planned openings for new Hyatt-branded hotels in some of the most sought-after leisure destinations in the world.”
“Further, with half of Hyatt’s executed pipeline in Europe consisting of franchise agreements, we are thrilled to collaborate with a number of new, as well as existing, owners to bring these exciting projects to fruition.
“Because of today’s unprecedented business climate, owners of independent hotels are understandably looking for a reputable brand with strong distribution channels for added support, which makes hotel conversions a big growth driver for Hyatt through our independent collection brands.
“Because Hyatt-branded hotels have not oversaturated many European markets, we continue to intentionally grow our brands in places that matter most to our guests.”