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The Brando, French Polynesia - For a once-in-a-lifetime getaway, this luxurious private island resort is hard to beat.
(Credit: The Brando)
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W Melbourne, Australia - Opened in February 2021, the W Melbourne is the first international five-star hotel to open in Australia this year.
(Credit: W Hotels)
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Sensei Lanai, Hawaii - The private spa cabanas are scattered amongst the lush foliage on Sensei Lanai.
(Credit: Four Seasons)
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Hotel Château du Grand-Lucé, France - An 18th-century castle in the Loire Valley with luxurious suites and plenty of quiet outdoor space seems like a good way to start an international journey.
(Credit: Adam Lynk / Courtesy of the Hotel Château du Grand Lucé)
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Hotel Château du Grand-Lucé - Sun-filled suites feature sumptuous fabrics and antique furniture.
(Credit: Michael Spengler / Courtesy Hotel Château du Grand Lucé)
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Crown Sydney, Australia - This new property opened in late 2020 after four years of construction and a whopping $ 1.7 billion in spend.
(Credit: FloodSlicer Pty Ltd / Courtesy Crown Sydney)
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1 West Hollywood - The pool surrounded by cabanas at this new hotel is a sanctuary of calm and tranquility high above the busy streets of Los Angeles.
(Credit: James Baigrie / Courtesy 1 West Hollywood Hotel)
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Hotel Grand Tremezzo, Lake Como, Italy - A pool on top of Lake Como is a new way to swim and sunbathe.
(Credit: Grand Hotel Tremezzo)
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Soneva Jani, Maldives - The ultimate overwater resort villas at Soneva Jani are equipped with private infinity pools and slides.
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Raffles Singapore - This 133-year-old establishment is the definition of luxury, from its recently updated suites to its elegant Long Bar, where the Singapore Sling cocktail was invented in 1915. (Credit: Raffles Singapore)
London (CNN Business) -
Hyatt is expanding its reach into luxury resorts, betting that pent-up demand after the pandemic will drive demand for high-end leisure travel.
The US hotel group said in a statement Sunday that it has agreed to purchase luxury resort operator Apple Leisure Group from private equity firms KKR and KSL Capital Partners for US $ 2.7 billion.
The acquisition will double Hyatt's global presence in resorts and make it the largest operator of luxury hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean.
It will also expand its presence in 11 new markets in Europe, "a key region for the global growth of leisure travel," Hyatt said.
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The deal is the latest move by an international hotel chain to expand into luxury travel, which is leading the sector's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, according to travel research company Skift.
InterContinental Hotels Group, which also operates chains such as Crown Plaza and Holiday Inn, announced last week its plans to launch a new "luxury and lifestyle" brand, expanding its portfolio of high-end hotels.
The demand for leisure travel is expected to exceed that for business travel after the pandemic, as many companies continue to telecommute.
High levels of savings, especially among wealthier households, are also expected to boost travel spending.
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"The travel market is now, in effect, a leisure market," Accenture's European head of travel and hospitality Miguel Flecha said in a recent report.
"Travel companies must reposition themselves for the post-pandemic market by activating a new strategy based on leisure travel."
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Apple Leisure Group manages the largest portfolio of all-inclusive luxury resorts in the entire Americas, including brands such as Zoëtry and Secrets Resorts & Spas, as well as Alua Hotels & Resorts, which is expanding in Europe.
The company's hotel portfolio has grown from nine resorts in 2007 to about 100 properties and 33,000 rooms in 10 countries, with a large number of additional hotels under development.
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Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian said the deal would help "transform" the hotel group's earnings profile.
The company's goal is to generate 80% of its revenue from management fees, rather than hotel ownership, by the end of 2024. It expects to sell $ 3.5 billion in hotel real estate over the next three years, including $ 1.5 billion in property this year.
"[Apple Leisure Group's] portfolio of luxury brands, its leadership in the all-inclusive segment and its large pool of new resorts will expand our reach into existing and new markets, including Europe," said Hoplamazian.
Hyatt
