The Hyatt Regency Brand Makes Its Debut in Central America with Panama City Opening

Rhea-AI Summary

Hyatt Hotels (NYSE:H) has announced the opening of Hyatt Regency Panama City, marking the brand's first entry into Central America. The hotel, located in Panama City's financial district, features 382 guestrooms and suites, nearly 25,000 square feet of event space, and four on-site restaurants.

The property offers various amenities including a 24-hour fitness center, ground-level pool, and Regency Club Lounge for eligible guests. The hotel's dining options include Rulfo (international cuisine), Amado (coffee shop), and two venues expected to open in late 2025: Belisario (wine bar) and Refugio (speakeasy bar).

As part of the opening, Hyatt is offering promotional deals including a Grand Opening Offer with up to 15% off stays (additional 5% for World of Hyatt members) for bookings between April 6, 2025 – June 1, 2025, when booked by March 31, 2025. This marks the fourth Hyatt branded property in Panama.

Positive

• Strategic expansion into Central America with first Hyatt Regency property
• Large-scale property with 382 rooms and 25,000 square feet of event space
• Prime location in financial district with proximity to cultural attractions
• Multiple revenue streams through four dining venues

Negative

• Two of four dining venues not operational until late 2025

Insights

Hospitality Industry Analyst

The debut of Hyatt Regency in Panama City represents a calculated move to capture the growing Central American business travel market while diversifying Hyatt's regional portfolio. The property's 25,000 square feet of event space positions it as a significant MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) revenue generator, particularly important as corporate travel continues to rebound post-pandemic.

The strategic location in Panama City's financial district, combined with proximity to UNESCO World Heritage sites, creates a dual revenue opportunity - capturing both business travelers during weekdays and leisure tourists on weekends, optimizing occupancy rates throughout the week. This dual-market strategy typically leads to more stable revenue streams and higher average daily rates.

The property's integration into Hyatt's World of Hyatt loyalty program, with special promotional offers, indicates a push to build brand loyalty in a new market. This is particularly significant as Panama serves as a gateway to Central America, potentially driving cross-border business opportunities and establishing a strong brand presence in the region.

From a competitive standpoint, the hotel's extensive meeting facilities and technology-enabled spaces, including the unique Broadcast Lounge, provide a distinct advantage in the local market. The four diverse dining venues, including a speakeasy and wine bar, suggest a strategy to capture high-margin food and beverage revenue from both hotel guests and local patrons.

The timing of this opening aligns with Panama's growing status as a regional business hub, benefiting from its strategic location, dollarized economy, and robust banking sector. This positions the property well for potential appreciation in both revenue and asset value as the market matures. The partnership with Grupo Desarrollo Bahía, a developer with over 40 years of local experience, mitigates operational risks and provides valuable market insights.

The hotel, which is part of the Classics portfolio, marks the fourth Hyatt branded property in Panama

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) and Grupo Desarrollo Bahia announced today the opening of Hyatt Regency Panama City, the first Hyatt Regency hotel in Central America. The hotel is strategically located in the city’s financial district, catering to business travelers, while also serving as a welcoming gateway to explore Panama’s rich history. With over 40 years of experience in real estate development, Grupo Desarrollo Bahía has played a pivotal role in shaping the Panama City skyline.

Hyatt Regency Panama City Exterior (Photo: Business Wire)

Guests can enjoy nearby cultural attractions and neighborhoods like Casco Viejo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with colonial architecture, boutique shops, authentic cuisine and vibrant nightlife as well as the Frank Gehry-designed Biodiversity Museum, which celebrates the country’s ecological diversity.

“The opening of Hyatt Regency Panama City marks a key moment in Hyatt’s global brand growth strategy, solidifying the brand’s presence in this vibrant and rapidly developing region,” said Richard Westell, General Manager, Hyatt Regency Panama City. “This milestone ushers in a new era for business travelers and meeting professionals coming from key markets, offering them the opportunity to explore the deep cultural energy of Panama City while enjoying flexible meetings spaces, curated food and beverage offerings, personalized service and technology-enabled experiences.”

Open and Welcoming Spaces

Hyatt Regency Panama City’s warm lobby draws inspiration from the immersive city of Panama, embracing heritage with locally crafted furniture and natural textures. Each of the hotel’s 382 guestrooms and suites exude comfort and sophistication with green marble accents in the bathrooms and carved wood bedside tables and wood bedframes that showcase the charm of local Panamanian craftsmanship. For those balancing work during their stay, most rooms include a well-appointed desk, offering a seamless space to stay productive while traveling. Guests and World of Hyatt members with club access guestrooms can enjoy daily complimentary breakfast, afternoon snacks and happy hour hors d’oeuvres in a memorable setting at the Regency Club Lounge. The hotel also offers a 24-hour fitness center with a variety of cardio and strength equipment and a ground level pool.

Dining Options for Every Occasion

Guests and locals alike can enjoy a variety of onsite dining options, perfect for meeting a friend for coffee, hosting a business dinner or indulging in an exquisite weekend brunch. With quick bites, enhanced mixology and authentic Panamanian flavors, Hyatt Regency Panama City caters to every occasion with four on-site restaurants including:

• Rulfo: A sophisticated dining experience that redefines international cuisine, the full-service lobby level restaurant offers elevated flavors with a focus on fresh, high-quality ingredients. Rulfo provides a breakfast buffet in the morning and transforms into a lively cervecería (brewery) for lunch and dinner, making it an ideal spot for both business meals and memorable outings with friends and family.
• Amado: Amado is a modern coffee shop that embodies the essence of comfort, warmth and connection. Serving freshly brewed specialty coffees, teas, and light bites and pastries, Amado offers a cozy space where guests can relax, socialize or work.
• Belisario (expected to open late 2025): Belisario is more than just a wine bar; it’s a haven for wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs of fine dining. Featuring a meticulously curated selection of international and local wines paired with gourmet tapas and small plates, this intimate venue offers a refined ambiance and memorable tasting experience.
• Refugio (expected to open late 2025): A secret gem waiting to be discovered, Refugio is a speakeasy bar that transports guests to an exclusive and mysterious experience with handcrafted cocktails, curated music and a moody atmosphere steeped in intrigue.

Crafting Exceptional Events

The hotel is home to nearly 25,000 square feet of event space across two towers, offering the opportunity to curate the ultimate event – from business meetings to wedding celebrations – with the help of experienced event experts along the way.

• Regency Ballroom: As the largest venue on-site, the Regency Ballroom can accommodate up to 500 guests and can adjoin to other spaces for even larger events.
• 12 Designated Meeting Rooms: The hotel’s meeting rooms are designed for collaboration, offering customizable setups for any type of event.
• Outdoor Event Terrace: The hotel’s expansive event terrace provides the perfect outdoor setting for a variety of occasions.
• Hyatt Regency Broadcast Lounge: This technology-enabled space streams video feeds of the main event, so if guests need to step out from the main space they can stay connected to the event’s speakers and activities.

Hyatt Regency Panama City will join Hyatt’s existing portfolio in Panama including Dreams Playa Bonita Panama, Hotel La Compañia and Hotel La Compañia del Valle, part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt.

Be More Rewarded

Hyatt Regency Panama City is joining the World of Hyatt loyalty program and is accepting reservations for stays from February 19, 2025, and beyond. Members can register by March 10, 2025 to earn 2X points for qualifying stays at participating hotels, including at Hyatt Regency Panama City, completed by March 28, 2025, with the World of Hyatt Bonus Journey’s offer. Terms and conditions apply, to learn more visit https://world.hyatt.com/content/gp/en/offers/bonus-journeys.html.

Take advantage of Hyatt Regency Panama City’s Grand Opening Offer, where guests can enjoy up to 15% off stays and an extra 5% off for World of Hyatt members, valid for stays between April 6, 2025 – June 1, 2025, when booked now through March 31, 2025. For more information or to book a reservation, please visit www.hyattregencypanamacity.com or follow the hotel on Instagram @hyattregencypanama.

To learn more about the Hyatt Regency brand, please visit https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-regency.

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

For further information:

About Hyatt Regency

The Hyatt Regency brand is a global collection of hotels and resorts found in more than 230 locations in over 40 countries around the world. The depth and breadth of this diverse portfolio, from expansive resorts to urban city centers, is a testament to the brand’s evolutionary spirit. For more than 50 years, the Hyatt Regency brand has championed fresh perspectives and enriching experiences, while its forward-thinking philosophy provides guests with inviting spaces that bring people together and foster a spirit of community. As a hospitality original, Hyatt Regency hotels and resorts are founded on openness—our colleagues consistently serve with open minds and open hearts to deliver unforgettable celebrations, effortless relaxation and notable culinary experiences alongside expert meetings and technology-enabled collaboration. The brand prides itself on an everlasting reputation for insightful care—one that welcomes all people across all countries and cultures, generation after generation. For more information, please visit hyattregency.com. Follow @HyattRegency on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and tag photos with #HyattRegency.

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 December 31, 2024, the Company's portfolio included more than 1,400 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 79 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, Sunscape® Resorts & Spas, and Alua Hotels & Resorts®; 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®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Studios, 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

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, 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 and political or civil unrest or changes in trade policy; hostilities, or fear of hostilities, including future terrorist attacks, that affect travel; travel-related accidents; natural or man-made disasters, weather and climate-related events, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts, floods, wildfires, oil spills, nuclear incidents, and global outbreaks of pandemics or contagious diseases, or fear of such outbreaks; our ability to successfully achieve certain 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; 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 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. These factors are not necessarily all of the important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any of our forward-looking statements. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are made only 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 law. 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.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250219129437/en/

Media Contact:

Bianca Flores

Hyatt

Bianca.flores@hyatt.com

Source: Hyatt Hotels Corporation

FAQ

When is Hyatt Regency Panama City (NYSE:H) opening?

Hyatt Regency Panama City is opening on February 19, 2025, marking the brand's first entry into Central America.

What special offers are available for Hyatt Regency Panama City's opening?

The hotel offers a Grand Opening Offer with up to 15% off stays and an additional 5% off for World of Hyatt members, valid for stays between April 6, 2025 – June 1, 2025, when booked by March 31, 2025.

How many rooms and event spaces does the new Hyatt Regency Panama City have?

The hotel features 382 guestrooms and suites, along with nearly 25,000 square feet of event space across two towers.

What dining options will be available at Hyatt Regency Panama City?

The hotel will have four restaurants: Rulfo (international cuisine), Amado (coffee shop), and two venues opening in late 2025 - Belisario (wine bar) and Refugio (speakeasy bar).

What amenities does Hyatt Regency Panama City offer to business travelers?

Business travelers can access well-appointed desks in most rooms, Regency Club Lounge for eligible guests, multiple meeting spaces, and a technology-enabled Broadcast Lounge.