Building on the success of Hyatt’s global initiative in 2020, Hyatt hotels are teaming up with even more minority and female-owned businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen the communities in which they operate. Following the success of the 2020 community-driven initiative, which provides complimentary resources and exposure to select local businesses that have struggled during the pandemic, Hyatt Loves Local has evolved to further meet the current needs of Hyatt communities and guests, including collaborating with more minority-owned and female-owned businesses and delivering reimagined experiences inspired by the new travel landscape.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced Hyatt hotels across the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Southwest Asia regions have launched more than 160 Hyatt Loves Local collaborations in a continued effort to help revitalize and advance care to communities and small businesses recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In turn, Hyatt Loves Local connects those in need directly with Hyatt guests and locals through distinctly local offerings, including wellbeing, arts and entertainment, “voluntourism,” traveling with pets, and culinary experiences.
Aligned with Hyatt’s Change Starts Here commitment to accelerate Hyatt’s longstanding diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, nearly half of the 100 participating hotels are teaming up globally with more than 65 minority-owned and female-owned businesses, two groups that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
“Based on how enthusiastically guests and colleagues embraced Hyatt Loves Local since launch last year, we are excited to expand the program with more than 100 new community collaborations that truly support the people, businesses and organizations that are the foundation of the local communities in which Hyatt hotels operate,” said Amy Weinberg, senior vice president, loyalty, brand marketing and insights “Hyatt has been advancing care across communities for more than 60 years and to see Hyatt’s role helping small businesses thrive through Hyatt Loves Local last year has been a rewarding experience. We are proud to continue supporting communities while simultaneously offering our guests experiences that celebrate the future and recovery of travel.”
The latest Hyatt Loves Local trends and collaborations include Emphasizing Wellbeing, Pet Projects, New experiences on the menu, Stepping up for Voluntourism, and The Art of Hospitality.
With a focus on safety first and wellbeing always, Hyatt is reimagining the hotel journey with new wellbeing amenities and offerings that support local wellness providers who were forced to reduce or reshape their offerings during the pandemic:
Hyatt Regency Chandigarh is collaborating with wellness brand H2 Origin. The brand had to permanently close their brick-and-mortar space, so the hotel is providing complimentary space in the hotel’s Amaira Spa & Club to lead guided meditation and yoga classes for guests beginning May.
Pet Projects: Pet adoptions boomed during the pandemic lockdown with many travelers planning to bring their furry friends along for their next trip. Hyatt hotels are collaborating with local pet businesses to offer pampering and perks to pet travelers
Andaz Delhi is working with animal rescue, medical and adoption shelter, Touch and Treat Animal Trust, to build a community where people value and respect stray animals. Guests are invited to volunteer daily to help feed strays or with rescue missions to support this very important cause. This collaboration began in March 2021 and will be ongoing through the year.
Grand Hyatt Goa is supporting a local NGO, Welfare for Animals (WAG) – an organization dedicated to rescuing stray animals from the streets of North Goa. As part of this collaboration, animal lovers staying on the property have the opportunity to spend a day volunteering to help injured and stray animals under the care of WAG. Alternatively, guests can sponsor an animal for a year as a way to ensure their long-term care. This collaboration began in 2018 and is ongoing through 2021.
The Art of Hospitality: As museums, movie theaters, and concert venues continue to face strict regulations to curb the spread of COVID-19, consumers are hungrier than ever to reconnect with arts and culture again. Hyatt hotels are serving guests art, music, and film experiences in a socially distant manner.
Alila Diwa Goa has teamed up with Jim Fernandes, a local singer and musician to perform live for guests on Saturdays from 7-10 pm, and Moinuddin, a local food cart owner and one of the hotel’s regular vendors is providing food carts for onsite events.
Alila Fort Bishangarh is collaborating with villagers who lost contracts for their services during the long pandemic shutdown. The hotel provides venues for artist Mohammed Rafiq Khan to perform Rajasthani Sufi folk arts, support for Ms. Leela’s work with the Fort’s organic farm and livestock, and work for Matu Singh and his crew with the hotel’s real estate development. The collaborations are ongoing through 2021.
Grand Hyatt Mumbai Hotel and Residences are collaborating to help sisters, Sujata and Taniya (Su and Ta), behind saree- and apparel-maker Suta to offer various programs featuring the brand’s owners and artisans, including a High Tea and panel discussion for female entrepreneurs in June 2021 (invite-only), a weekly pop-up at Grand Brunch on Sundays for Suta to display and sell their collection, and private experiences for guests and locals including “Know and Experience Indigenous Crafts of India,” “Learn Indian Draping Styles,” and “Learn an age-old Indian craft directly from Suta artisans.”
Stepping up for Voluntourism: The struggles of the pandemic have inspired many travelers to volunteer their time to support local organizations who have seen a dip in volunteer support over the past year, and Hyatt hotels are connecting guests with these opportunities:
Alila Diwa Goa in India teamed up with a local Podher (breadmaker) offering guests the experience to learn about the local breadmaking artistry and volunteer to prepare fresh bread for children at the nearby community center.
Reimagining Hotel Gift Shops: Hyatt properties are taking onsite retail to new, hyper-local heights by inviting local makers and businesses to create and sell their products on property, resulting in guest experiences that educate and make a positive impact on communities:
Andaz Delhi is featuring two artisanal food organisations: Darima Farms, a female-run maker of all-natural, preservative-free cheese in the village of Darima, and House of Umang, a female-run collective of producers, specializing in honey, at the hotel’s award-winning food hall AnnaMaya, whose slogan is – “Eat Mindful. Shop Artisanal. Raise Awareness”.
Hyatt Centric MG Road Bangalore is offering space to two local companies – Elemental by Nanya, a female-owned maker of handcrafted, earth-friendly concrete décor, will display her items for sale to guests and locals near the hotel’s 24/7 restaurant during brunches and events through May 2021, while Paul and Mike, a farm-to-bar maker of chocolates, fine flavors and real floral distillates, have been offered complimentary banquet space for interactive exhibitions, tastings, and product displays through June 2021.
Hyatt Regency Ahmedabad is supporting the creativity of local women by providing popup outlets for two local female-led businesses to showcase their products. SEWA Kalakruti, led by Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) Cooperative Federation, is an organization aimed at teaching local, underprivileged women crafts and arts, while The Heritage Shop, run by a young female artist, is a curated art & lifestyle boutique whose mission is to pay tribute to India’s First World Heritage City, Ahmedabad. Both businesses are receiving complimentary space in the property’s lounge and cafe on alternate weeks during the hotel’s Sunday brunches to showcase and sell handcrafted items and artworks to guests and locals. The hotel is also featuring artistic postcards from The Heritage Shop in its front office for sale to guests as souvenirs. The pop-up shops are debuting in June and will continue weekly through September.
Hyatt Regency Chandigarh is collaborating with two local brands. Female-owned Phulkari brand, Phulkaris of Punjab, is receiving complimentary space weekly during Sunday brunches to sell their hand-embroidered clothing and accessories through June; and the hotel is outfitting its entire team with masks (100,000 orders to date) made by female artisans supported by Insha-e-Noor – a local NGO.
Hyatt Regency Chennai has been collaborating with local, minimalist men’s and women’s fashion designer Vivek Karunakaran (VK) to create a special, socially distant shopping experience for guests and locals since September 2020. The pop-up will be ongoing through 2021.
Hyatt Regency Dharamshala Resort is indulging guests with departure gifts that help local businesses, including specially made tea bags from Anandini Himalaya Teas; handmade photo frames from Green Shop, and recommended pottery workshops from Dharamkot Studio as a unique guest experience.
New experiences on the menu: Nurturing the local community, Hyatt properties are collaborating with artisans to enhance their existing F&B portfolio, thus giving the artisans an opportunity to thrive amid the pandemic while innovating on the range of healthy and organic offerings for guests.
Hyatt Raipur is collaborating with T-Tales, the country’s first sustainably led tea-maker, to launch an onsite Bio-Café in June 2021. This will feature organic products that speak to climate, social, and organically sustainable practices in line with Hyatt’s vision of advancing care for communities.
Hyatt Regency Mumbai is collaborating with the citizen-action committee Rewilding Aarey that supports ecological sustainability and the indigenous tribes in the Aarey-Sanjay Gandhi National Park Forest. The hotel will feature farm-to-table brunches serving indigenous recipes while offering space in Glasshouse restaurant for the Adivasis (tribe) to set up a farmers’ market with the fresh produce available for purchase by guests. The “Farm-to-Table” brunches will be held on Sundays from 12:30-3:30 pm in June and July.
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