CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 9, 2013-- Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with Lacoste & Cie S.A. for a new Hyatt hotel in Senegal’s capital city, Dakar. Hyatt Dakar will become the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Senegal, joining the previously announced Park Hyatt Marrakech and Hyatt Place Taghazout in Morocco, as well as Park Hyatt Zanzibar and Hyatt Regency Arusha in Tanzania.

“We are delighted to work with Lacoste & Cie S.A. on Hyatt Dakar, our first hotel in Senegal. The company has a depth of expertise that matches Hyatt’s ambition to provide an exemplary guest experience,” said Peter Norman , senior vice president, real estate and development, for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. “Africa’s hotel market remains underdeveloped, despite a growing middle class and increased inward investment in recent years which has pushed up demand for hotels. This creates significant opportunities for us and has increased Hyatt’s development focus on the continent. We believe that the Hyatt brand and the hotel’s excellent location in Dakar – one of West Africa’s major business hubs – will have strong appeal to business and leisure travelers visiting the region.”

Expected to open in 2016, Hyatt Dakar will offer 140 guestrooms, and will feature two restaurants, a guest lounge and bar, as well as meeting space and a spa. The hotel will be located in the heart of the city’s business district, within walking distance of major international organizations in the city, such as UNICEF and UNESCO. Additionally, the hotel will border the popular Kermel market, which was originally built in 1860 and is known for its striking original architecture.

“We appreciate Hyatt’s commitment to providing authentic hospitality to its guests, and we believe Hyatt Dakar’s excellent location in the city’s business district will deliver an exceptional hospitality experience to guests visiting the region,” said Dr. Mahmoud Aidibé , Lacoste & Cie S.A.

There are currently six Hyatt-branded hotels in Africa, including:

• Hyatt Regency Sharm El Sheikh Resort
• Hyatt Regency Taba Heights
• Hyatt Regency Casablanca
• Hyatt Regency Dar es Salaam, The Kilamanjaro
• Hyatt Regency Johannesburg
• Hyatt Regency Oubaai Golf Resort and Spa

About Hyatt

Hyatt hotels are smaller-sized properties conveniently located in proximity to diverse business and leisure areas. Typically ranging from 150 to 350 rooms, Hyatt hotels offer guests the opportunity to experience hospitality in a vibrant environment. Customers include individual business and leisure travelers, and Hyatt hotels can accommodate smaller scale business meetings and social gatherings.

About Lacoste & Cie S.A.

Lacoste & Cie S.A. is holding company founded by Dr. Mahmoud Aidibé . Dr. Aidibé is the owner of the Clinique de la Madeleine, located in the center of Dakar. It is the largest private hospital in West Africa specializing in general surgery, gynecology and orthopedics. In addition, Dr. Aidibé is also owner of one the largest office supplies companies in Senegal.

About Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a proud heritage of making guests feel more than welcome. Thousands of members of the Hyatt family strive to make a difference in the lives of the guests they encounter every day by providing authentic hospitality. The Company's subsidiaries manage, franchise, own and develop hotels and resorts under the Hyatt®, Park Hyatt®, Andaz®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Place® and Hyatt House® brand names and have locations on six continents. Hyatt Residential Group, Inc., a Hyatt Hotels Corporation subsidiary, develops, operates, markets or licenses Hyatt Residences^TM and Hyatt Residence Club^TM. As of June 30, 2013, the Company's worldwide portfolio consisted of 524 properties in 46 countries. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “likely,” “will,” “would” and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by us and our management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the rate and pace of economic recovery following economic downturns; levels of spending in business and leisure segments as well as consumer confidence; declines in occupancy and average daily rate; if our third-party owners, franchisees or development partners are unable to access the capital necessary to fund current operations or implement our plans for growth; changes in the competitive environment in our industry and the markets where we operate; our ability to access the capital markets; and other risks discussed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, which filings are available from the SEC. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are made as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable laws. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

Source: Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Siân Martin
+1 312 780 5797
sian.martin@hyatt.com
or
Malene Rydahl
+33 1 53 45 2838
malene.rydahl@hyatt.com