How Hyatt Centric is Competing With Airbnb in the Renting Business

When you hear someone talking about having just “rented out someone’s house,” what assumptions pop into your mind? That they work as a part-time realtor? That they love AirBnB and want everyone to know it? If the term, “Hyatt Centric” doesn’t come into your head, you’re behind in the latest trends. Most men and women have all heard of AirBnB, the hospitality business that seems to be aiding the decline of hotels’ popularity. But just when people thought the tourism business was hectic enough, AirBnB has gained a new, elegant competitor: Hyatt Centric.

Whether you’re an avid traveler, an Airbnb lover or connoisseur of local culture, here’s everything you need to know about Hyatt Centric.

What Is It?

What exactly is Hyatt Centric? To put it simply, it’s the gifted stepchild of the massive resort conglomerate, Hyatt. Unlike typical hotels, however, the Hyatt Centric business is, according to its website, a line of “unique hotels for unique travelers.” These boutique hotels live in the very heart of cities all over the world, with their central locations being one of their main selling points. Hyatt President and Executive Chief Mark Hoplamazian explains that the Hyatt Centric targets a kind of customer known as the “Modern Explorer” who are members of a “savvy, curious group” that want a “cosmopolitan vibe in the center of the action.” True to Hoplamazian’s words, in 2015, Hyatt announced it would be opening 15 more Hyatt Centric locations in places like New York, Paris, Atlanta, Chicago and Miami. If you’re the kind of woman (or man) who loves the city, Centric is apparently the hotel for you.

What Do They Offer?

Have you ever walked into a hotel room in an establishment you’ve never stayed in before, only for the collection of decorations to be exactly the same as the last hotel you stayed in? That won’t be the case with Hyatt Centric. Paste Magazine reports that each Hyatt Centric will have diverse, culture-inspired decor reflective of its location. Even the food offered in room service will vary in order to (literally) reflect an area’s cultural flavor. For instance, Oyster.com states that the restaurant at Miami’s Hyatt Centric offers Spanish-Mediterranean cuisine that highlights local seafood like Florida shrimp and octopus.

All Hyatt Centric locations will offer some of the same elegant amenities, however. For instance, guests can enjoy a good book and a quiet nook to read in a library-esque area called the “Corner,” enjoy drinks and food from the on-site bar and restaurant and have access to plenty of modern technology throughout the hotel. The New York Times reports that Hyatt Centric is also experimenting with a new form of room service in which guests can order three ways: from the hotel restaurant, from an “express menu” of sandwiches and salads delivered within 20 minutes or through the delivery service GrubHub.

How Do They Compare?

One of the main reasons why AirBnB became such a hot commodity in the travel industry was because of the personal aspect the business offered tourists. Instead of just staying in a Marriott, tourists can see what it would be like to really live in the city they’re visiting. Since they are interacting with a single person, they can also get human recommendations of the best places to go and explore.

Hyatt Centric is essentially drawing from the most successful element of AirBnB – it’s personalization – in everything from the local decorations and cuisine to Hyatt’s emphasis on on communal space and putting a “human touch on a digital world.” And you only need to glance at Tripadvisor.com to see that people are enjoying it. In the case of the Hyatt Centric at The Loop, Chicago, guests have this to say:

• ErinMarie85: “The location can’t be beat unless you want to spend twice as much…the room felt very unique somehow, not the typical impersonal hotel room sensation.”
•  Melinda C: “…Clean and roomy with a homey feel.”
• Jnjtiger: “Cool, modern interiors in a renovated history Chicago office building. Instead of tearing down and building new, they took a great set of ‘bones’ and renovated into a very modern hotel.”
• Dory Z: “…The staff was friendly and helpful, with suggestions for cafes or bars and with directions to the train.”

Of course, Hyatt Centric has received its share of negative customer reviews, as has Airbnb. However, these reactions in particular show that Hyatt Centric – despite being a hotel with staff instead of families opening their homes and hearts to travelers – offers many of the same benefits as Airbnb: personality, local charm, “insider” tips about the area and the ability to feel like you’re living in, not just visiting, a new city or town.

So, if you’re looking for a happy medium between a large, corporate hotel and someone’s garden shed, maybe you should give Hyatt Centric some consideration as a “home” during your next trip.