Business Travelers Reveal the Lengths They’ll Go to for a Little Downtime
New Hyatt research finds hotel rooms have become one of the few places travelers can truly switch off - underscoring the role of Hyatt’s Essentials portfolio in delivering the comforts business travelers value most
Hyatt Place Ontario Airport
Nearly half (
The findings underscore the increasingly important role hotels play in supporting business travelers beyond providing a place to sleep. The tactics may be humorous, but the motivation is relatable: for many travelers, the hotel room is where the workday finally ends. Hyatt's Essentials portfolio, including the Hyatt Place, Hyatt House and Hyatt Studios brands, is designed to deliver the everyday comforts and conveniences travelers value most, wherever their journeys take them.
"Business travel has evolved and so have travelers' expectations," says Jason Ballard, Senior Vice President, Global Brand Leader, Essentials, Hyatt. "I travel frequently myself, and I know firsthand how much the little things can make a trip. From a thoughtfully designed guestroom and comfortable bed to reliable Wi-Fi and breakfast before early meetings, every detail matters. We want guests to spend less time worrying about the basics and more time feeling refreshed and ready for whatever comes next."
The Essentials That Matter Most
Travelers expect comfortable, consistent accommodation that helps them recharge. Nearly half of respondents (
When asked, respondents prioritized amenities that help them stay productive and well rested, including:
- Comfortable beds
- Reliable in-room Wi-Fi
- 24-hour food options
- Complimentary breakfast
- Early check-in
The findings reinforce Hyatt's focus on delivering the everyday comforts business travelers value most through its growing Essentials Portfolio. Nearly three-quarters say they typically work in their hotel room after the workday ends. This underscores the need for guestrooms that support both productivity and rest. Hyatt's Essentials Portfolio guestrooms are thoughtfully designed to include dedicated workspaces in each guestroom that help guests transition between work and downtime. Guests can also enjoy complimentary breakfast at participating hotels and convenient 24-hour food and beverage options, helping them feel at home on the road.
Rewards for the Road
The majority (
World of Hyatt helps members get more out of every business trip and bring those rewards with them long after the work is done. Members earn points on qualifying stays across Hyatt’s global portfolio of hotels, turning business travel into future vacations, while progressing toward tier status that unlocks elevated benefits like early check-in and late checkout (where available), milestone rewards, free night awards and more.
To make travel even more rewarding, World of Hyatt members can enjoy two offers at participating Essentials hotels:
- Earn up to 30,000 Bonus Points: With a limited time offer available through September 30, 2026, at participating Hyatt Place and Hyatt Select hotels. Members who register for the offer can earn Bonus Points on eligible stays of three or more consecutive nights, for up to 30,000 Bonus Points.
- Earn up to 50,000 Bonus Points: With a limited time offer available through December 31, 2026, at participating Hyatt House and Hyatt Studios hotels. Members who register for the offer can earn 5,000 Bonus Points on each qualifying stay of five or more nights, for up to 50,000 Bonus Points.
Terms apply to each offer. Each offer’s full terms can be found here and here.
Meeting Travelers Where They Are
Hyatt continues to expand its Essential brands globally, bringing more stay options to guests in more places. Today, the Essentials Portfolio includes more than 700 hotels across seven brands worldwide, offering dependable accommodations designed to meet the needs of travelers wherever their journeys take them.
During the first half of 2026, the Essentials Portfolio grew by nearly 70 hotels, with continued expansion planned across key business and leisure destinations. Recent and anticipated openings include:
- Hyatt Place JFK Airport (Expected December 2026)
- Hyatt Select Wooster (Expected December 2026)
- Hyatt Studios Tallahassee / I-10 (Expected December 2026)
- Hyatt Place Asheville Airport (Expected September 2026)
- Hyatt House Portland Airport (August 2026)
- Hyatt Place Ontario Airport (July 2026)
- Hyatt Studios Texarkana (July 2026)
- Hyatt Studios Chesapeake (June 2026)
- Hyatt Select Galveston – Beachfront (May 2026)
- Hyatt Place Vancouver / Metrotown (May 2026)
- Hyatt Studios Jacksonville / St. Johns Town Center (April 2026)
This continued growth reflects Hyatt's commitment to meeting evolving traveler demand by offering thoughtfully designed accommodations and the everyday amenities guests value most. Whether traveling for business or leisure, guests can count on a reliable, comfortable stay across Hyatt’s Essentials Portfolio.
The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.
Research Methodology
Hyatt commissioned Talker Research to survey 2,000
About Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company guided by its purpose – to care for people so they can be their best. As of June 30, 2026, the Company's portfolio included more than 1,500 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 83 countries across six continents. The Company's offering includes brands in the Luxury Portfolio, including Park Hyatt®, Alila®, Miraval®, Impression by Secrets, and The Unbound Collection by Hyatt®; the Lifestyle Portfolio, including Andaz®, Thompson Hotels®, The Standard®, Dream® Hotels, The StandardX®, Breathless Resorts & Spas®, JdV by Hyatt®, Bunkhouse® Hotels, and Me and All Hotels; the Inclusive Collection, including Zoëtry® Wellness & Spa Resorts, Hyatt Ziva®, Hyatt Zilara®, Secrets® Resorts & Spas, Dreams® Resorts & Spas, Hyatt Vivid® Hotels & Resorts, Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts, Alua Hotels & Resorts®, and Sunscape® Resorts & Spas; the Classics Portfolio, including Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Destination by Hyatt®, Hyatt Centric®, Hyatt Vacation Club®, and Hyatt®; and the Essentials Portfolio, including Caption by Hyatt®, Unscripted by Hyatt, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Studios®, Hyatt Select, and UrCove. Subsidiaries of the Company operate the World of Hyatt® loyalty program, ALG Vacations®, Mr & Mrs Smith, Unlimited Vacation Club®, Amstar® DMC destination management services, and Trisept Solutions® technology services. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
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Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: general economic uncertainty in key global markets and a worsening of global economic conditions or low levels of economic growth; the rate and pace of economic recovery following economic downturns; global supply chain constraints and interruptions, rising costs of construction-related labor and materials, and increases in costs due to inflation or other factors that may not be fully offset by increases in revenues in our business; risks affecting the luxury, resort, and all-inclusive lodging segments; levels of spending in business, leisure, and group segments, as well as consumer confidence; declines in occupancy and average daily rate; limited visibility with respect to future bookings; loss of key personnel; domestic and international political and geopolitical conditions, including political or civil unrest or changes in trade policy; the impact of global tariff policies or regulations; economic sanctions or other government restrictions that may limit our ability to conduct business or receive payments; hostilities, or fear of hostilities, including the ongoing military conflict in the Middle East and security-related disruptions in Mexico, as well as terrorist attacks or other acts of violence, that affect travel; travel-related accidents; natural or man-made disasters, weather and climate-related events, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, droughts, floods, wildfires, oil spills, nuclear incidents, and global outbreaks of pandemics or contagious diseases, or fear of such outbreaks; the impact of government-issued travel advisories, airspace closures, or flight suspensions on international arrivals and hotel bookings in affected regions; our ability to successfully achieve specified levels of operating profits at hotels that have performance tests or guarantees in favor of our third-party owners; the impact of hotel renovations and redevelopments; risks associated with our capital allocation plans, share repurchase program, and dividend payments, including a reduction in, or elimination or suspension of, repurchase activity or dividend payments; the seasonal and cyclical nature of the real estate and hospitality businesses; changes in distribution arrangements, such as through internet travel intermediaries; changes in the tastes and preferences of our customers; relationships with colleagues and labor unions and changes in labor laws; the financial condition of, and our relationships with, third-party owners, franchisees, and hospitality venture partners; the possible inability of third-party owners, franchisees, or development partners to access the capital necessary to fund current operations or implement our plans for growth; risks associated with potential acquisitions and dispositions and our ability to successfully integrate completed acquisitions with existing operations or realize anticipated synergies; failure to successfully complete proposed transactions, including the failure to satisfy closing conditions or obtain required approvals; our ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures; declines in the value of our real estate assets; unforeseen terminations of our management and hotel services agreements or franchise agreements; changes in federal, state, local, or foreign tax law; increases in interest rates, wages, and other operating costs; foreign exchange rate fluctuations or currency restructurings; risks associated with the introduction of new brand concepts, including lack of acceptance of new brands or innovation; general volatility of the capital markets and our ability to access such markets; changes in the competitive environment in our industry, industry consolidation, and the markets where we operate; our ability to successfully grow the World of Hyatt loyalty program and manage the Unlimited Vacation Club paid membership program; cyber incidents and information technology failures; outcomes of legal or administrative proceedings; and violations of regulations or laws related to our franchising business and licensing businesses and our international operations; and other risks discussed in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including our annual report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which filings are available from the SEC. 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Media Contact:
Hyatt
Rebecca Smith, Rebecca.Smith1@Hyatt.com
Source: Hyatt Hotels Corporation