How Hyatt’s Lifestyle Chief Does a ‘Portfolio Cleanup’

Nineteen months after Hyatt bought Standard International in a $335 million deal, the executive who sold it has used the time to rebuild how the group defines a lifestyle brand, improve the economics for owners, and open the first hotel in a new brand, The Manner.

Amar Lalvani, former CEO of Standard International, now runs all of Hyatt’s lifestyle brands as president and creative director of the lifestyle group, reporting to CEO Mark Hoplamazian. 

Hyatt had signed several lifestyle hotel deals pre-pandemic but they had underperformed. 

“There’s been a little bit of a portfolio cleanup,” Lalvani said. “We’ve been going on a case-by-case basis to establish if each hotel has a clear business and marketing plan and if the building is the right quality in a good location.”

Hyatt had 16 global lifestyle hotel openings last year alone. Lalvani signed off on each one and met with each owner to confirm they will commit to the higher-touch