Hyatt Goes All-In On All-Inclusive
It might have seemed surprising when Hyatt purchased the Apple Leisure Group (ALG) in 2021. Hyatt is a widely known hotel company with its core brands in the upscale and luxury categories, while ALG was known for a sprawling collection of all-inclusive resorts, with multiple brands under the AMResorts umbrella. Hyatt had entered the all-inclusive space a while back with its Ziva and Zikara brands, but this deal brought a whole new scale to its portfolio.
Hyatt clearly saw opportunities in the all-inclusive arena and thought this kind of rapid growth was the way to go. The next step was letting consumers know the company was in the all-inclusive business in a significant way with the newly named Inclusive Collection – now including nine brands – and redefining the properties as an upscale luxury product. It was a tall order – but less than a year out, things seem to be going smoothly, according to two executives involved with the mission.
First, the reasons behind the deal. Amy Weinberg, senior vice president, loyalty brand marketing and consumer insights for Hyatt, said it was clear that leisure travel has proven to be incredibly resilient over the past two years, and all-inclusive is a fast-growing format in the resort space in key markets. Moreover, Hyatt guests were saying they liked the option of having the guesswork taken out of their vacations. These trends made it an ideal time for Hyatt to make a transformative move in the luxury all-inclusive space.
