Hyatt Names New Head of Growth to Focus on the Americas

Hyatt announced that Julienne Smith will become Head of Americas Growth.

She will lead hotel development across North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Her role will focus on expanding Hyatt’s portfolio by working with hotel owners, developers, and investors across the region.

Hyatt brings back an executive with deep development ties

Smith is returning to Hyatt after serving as Chief Development Officer for the Americas at IHG Hotels & Resorts. She also previously spent many years at Hyatt in senior development roles, where she worked closely with owners and partners.

Hyatt’s growth push is reaching beyond luxury and major cities

This appointment also fits Hyatt’s wider US growth strategy, which is no longer centered only on luxury and large urban properties.

Earlier this month, Hyatt said it is adding more than 30 select-service and extended-stay hotels across the Southeast US, representing about 4,000 rooms, as it pushes further into smaller and faster-growing markets.

That makes Smith’s return look even more relevant: Hyatt is not just expanding its portfolio, but widening the type of markets and hotel formats it wants to grow in.

Photo by Omar Ramadan on Unsplash