New Brand: Caption by Hyatt

In September, Hyatt announced a new brand, Caption by Hyatt. Caption by Hyatt is Hyatt’s 20th brand. Hyatt describes Caption by Hyatt as “a new lifestyle brand within the select service category that will bring people closer together, allowing them to work, eat or socialize in comfortable, flexible, communal spaces that encourage meaningful conversations and connections”.

Here’s what you can expect from Caption by Hyatt:

* Alluring and approachable spaces. Caption by Hyatt hotels will invite guests in with cozy rooms and common areas that are flexible enough to move things around and make the space uniquely theirs. Social spaces will be richly designed and unexpectedly put together – sparking conversation and giving guests and locals alike no choice but to stay awhile.

* Conversation-worthy food and beverage. Eating and drinking at Caption by Hyatt hotels will be about more than what’s on the table. They will bring people together to enjoy the locale’s dynamic culture.

* Experiences that don’t begin or end at the hotel’s front door. Whether guests try something new or meet someone new, Caption by Hyatt hotels will create the conditions for connections that matter – all-day drinks and sharable snacks; spaces designed for guests to plug in anywhere; flexible and multi-purpose spaces for lounging and small events; and a rotating calendar of do-it-yourself and hosted events from trunk shows to local beer tastings.

According to Hyatt’s Press Release, rooms will be “cozy”. Based on the size of the spec rooms, cozy likely means small. Caption by Hyatt Hotels will have 150-250 rooms ranging from 220 to 270 square feet.

Caption by Hyatt will be a upscale, select service brand, likely positioned somewhere between a Hyatt Place and Hyatt Centric.

A lot of people initially compared Caption by Hyatt to “micro brands” like Marriott’s Moxy Brand or Hilton’s Motto brand. But Moxy rooms start at 180 square feet and Motto just 163 square feet. We envision this brand as more of a competitor to something along the lines of an AC by Marriott and Cambria Hotels. And we expect Hyatt’s tommie brand to be more in line with Moxy or Motto. That’s just our take. But, to our knowledge, Hyatt currently has no Caption by Hyatt hotels in the pipeline. So we likely won’t know what the actual brand will look like until the first project is announced.