Hyatt’s New Brand Focuses on Essentials, Flexibility, and Local Flavor

We’ve witnessed significant brand expansion across major hotel groups in recent years, as they strive to cater to a broader range of hotel owners. In line with this trend, Hyatt has unveiled the details of its latest hotel brand.

The “unscripted” brand name is inspired by Hyatt’s Unscripted Durham property (Source: Hyatt)

Key Features of the Unscripted by Hyatt Brand

Unscripted by Hyatt is Hyatt’s newest entry into its growing brand portfolio. It’s described as being tailored for travelers who prioritize the essentials and prefer spontaneity over rigid structure. The brand aims to deliver a flexible, collection-style experience—each property will showcase its own identity and local character while still maintaining Hyatt’s recognized standards of quality and care.

“unscripted” logo by Hyatt

Positioned within Hyatt’s “Essentials” portfolio, Unscripted by Hyatt targets the upscale segment. It addresses a gap in Hyatt’s brand offering by supporting adaptive reuse and conversion-friendly development. According to Hyatt, 40 hotels around the world are currently in active discussions to join the brand, which will feature a light-touch operating model and flexible brand standards. Most initial properties are expected to be conversions rather than new constructions.

Dan Hansen, Hyatt’s Head of Americas Development, puts it this way:

“The Unscripted by Hyatt brand gives owners a flexible path to join the Hyatt system while still delivering the high-quality, dependable experience guests expect from Hyatt. By joining the growing World of Hyatt loyalty program, owners benefit from our powerful network where an innovative new brand like Unscripted by Hyatt widens our guest and customer reach and strengthens the value of the whole Hyatt system.”

Market Positioning

When hotel brands are introduced via press releases, the real meaning often lies between the lines. These announcements are usually geared toward hotel owners and investors more than travelers.

Based on what we know, there are two key takeaways. First, this will be an upscale brand, which places it at the more affordable end of Hyatt’s portfolio—these are not luxury properties. Second, the brand is highly conversion-friendly and encourages individuality among properties, which suggests a lack of rigid, uniform brand standards.

The “unscripted” brand name is inspired by Hyatt’s Unscripted Durham property (Source: Hyatt)

We interpret Unscripted by Hyatt as a more accessible counterpart to the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, which comprises independent luxury properties. In fact, it also seems to share a lot of DNA with JdV by Hyatt, though Unscripted will likely be even more casual or limited-service in nature.

Hyatt describes JdV as “a collection of original hotels with a deep respect for the neighborhoods that make up each destination,” with each hotel uniquely inspired by its local community. Similarly, Unscripted appears focused on adaptive reuse and essential offerings, meaning many locations may fall into the limited-service category.

Get amazing benefits when you book with Unmatched Voyages Hotels

If we were to draw a comparison to Marriott’s portfolio, Unbound Collection by Hyatt might align with Marriott’s Luxury Collection or Autograph Collection, JdV would be closer to Tribute Portfolio, and Unscripted? That one’s still a bit hard to place.

That said, we always appreciate the idea of distinctive, independently inspired properties joining larger hotel networks—offering guests more personality while still benefiting from global distribution and loyalty rewards.

Conclusion

Unscripted by Hyatt represents a new collection-style concept in the upscale segment. We see it as a lighter, less luxurious counterpart to the Unbound Collection, and perhaps a more budget-conscious sibling to JdV by Hyatt. It’s another sign of Hyatt’s ongoing efforts to expand its reach through flexibility and creative adaptation.