Hyatt to develop a luxury hotel within the historic 16th century castle

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2014-- Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into an agreement with Badriah Investments B.V. to develop a Hyatt-branded hotel within a 16th century castle in Baden-Baden, located in southwestern Germany.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand Hyatt’s brand presence in Germany, while at the same time, restoring a local icon for the community to once again enjoy,” said Peter Norman , senior vice president, real estate and development for Hyatt in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. “This hotel will add to our growing portfolio in Germany, bringing the authentic hospitality for which Hyatt is known to a beautiful region visited by high numbers of business and leisure travelers throughout the year.”

Neues Schloss Baden-Baden, a Hyatt Hotel will be the seventh Hyatt-branded hotel in Germany, joining Grand Hyatt Berlin , Park Hyatt Hamburg , Hyatt Regency Cologne, Hyatt Regency Dusseldorf, Hyatt Regency Mainz, and Andaz Munich, which is currently under development and is expected to open in 2017.

“We are very optimistic about the strength of our future relationship with Hyatt,” said Fawzia Mubarak Al Hassawi , owner of Badriah Investments B.V. “We are immensely proud to work with Hyatt on this project to restore this beautiful castle. My father, the late Mubarak Abdulaziz Al Hassawi , was the visionary behind this project, and he wanted to revive this unique landmark to allow people to share in both the history of Neues Schloss and its vibrant future as a luxury hotel. We have no doubt Neues Schloss Baden-Baden will be warmly received by both the local residents and visitors to Baden-Baden.”

Built in the 16th century, the castle was the former residence of Baden’s margraves, military commanders that protected the borders of the Holy Roman Empire, and later, the summer residence of Grand Dukes of Baden. The hotel will take its name from “Neues Schloss,” or “New Castle.”

Scheduled to open in 2018, Neues Schloss Baden-Baden, a Hyatt Hotel will undergo a transformation to restore the historic aspects of the castle, which will include 146 guestrooms, a bar and restaurant, a fitness center and meeting space. In addition to the historic castle, a modern extension will be added, which will offer guestrooms and private apartments, as well as a spa, pool and sauna area with views of Baden-Baden and the Black Forest. The hotel will offer more than 590,000 square feet (55,000 square meters) of historic grounds and parkland.

Situated in the northern foothills of the Black Forest, close to the borders of France and Switzerland, Baden-Baden is know for its ancient Roman baths and thermal spas. The spa town is host to Germany’s most famous horse race meeting, the Kurpark-Meeting, and is home to one of Germany’s oldest and most beautiful casinos. Baden-Baden is also a major year-round meetings and incentives and leisure destination.

The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation or one or more of its affiliates.

About Badriah Investments B.V.

Badriah Investments B.V., owner of the Neues Schloss and the adjacent land on which 16 luxury residential units will be built for sale to national and international buyers, was acquired from the rest of the family by The Fawzia Mubarak Al Hassawi Group of companies, an international investment group with interests in Europe and the Middle East in property, hospitality and healthcare, under the leadership of Fawzia Mubarak Al Hassawi.

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®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Zilara™ and Hyatt Ziva ™ brand names and have locations on six continents. Hyatt Residential Group, Inc., a Hyatt Hotels Corporation subsidiary, develops, operates, markets or licenses Hyatt Residences® and Hyatt Residence Club®. As of March 31, 2014, the Company's worldwide portfolio consisted of 554 properties in 47 countries. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.

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Source: Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
Siân Martin
+1 312 780 5797
sian.martin@hyatt.com
or
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts – Europe, Africa, Middle East
Malene Rydahl
+33 1 53 45 28 38
malene.rydahl@hyatt.com