Hyatt Centric’s Sandra Micek Talks The Talk At Manhattan Hotel Opening
by Jessica Montevago /Photo: Hyatt Hotels
At Hyatt Centric Times Square’s opening last week, Hyatt’s SVP of Global Brands Sandra Micek chatted with TMR about the new Millennial-focused lifestyle brand.
The 487-room Hyatt Centric Times Square, converted from a Hyatt Hotel, boasts new in-room bath amenities from Timeless -Marilyn Monroe Spa, a new food and beverage concept on the ground floor, and enhancements to the rooftop lounge and Bar 54.
Its location in the middle of Times Square is in perfect step with the brand’s focus on a young and active demographic, “a new customer mindset that wants to be in the middle of the action and feel like they are tapped into the best of the destination,” Micek said. “The hotels are launch pads for people looking to explore everything a destination has to offer.”
Unlike a Hyatt Regency, for example, Hyatt Centrics are aimed at the guest who does not want to stay on property, instead providing “everything these savvy explorers need to get out, explore and share their discoveries on social media with friends and family.”
For now, the biggest challenge is just getting the word out about that the brand, which just launched in 2015. “But we’re growing in interesting new markets across the globe, including Montevideo, Uruguay, our first international Hyatt Centric hotel.” And Hyatt Centric hotels are in the heart of the best destinations, with “a cosmopolitan vibe that invites exploration and discovery, and each is unique in its design approach, drawing on local inspiration and culture,” she said.
The perfect Hyatt Centric customer “wants to be in the middle of the action and the first in their circle to experience a new place. They pride themselves on finding the best deals and love stumbling upon new places and situations that will lead to socially sharable moments,” Micek said.
Still, she noted, “travel agents are an incredibly important part of the distribution channel for Hyatt Centric hotels and Hyatt hotels as a whole. Hyatt prides itself on our commitment to our travel partners, and the agency community makes up roughly one-third of our global salesforce business.”
There are currently 10 Hyatt Centric hotels, in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, South Beach, Santa Barbara, Long Beach, Houston, New Orleans, Park City and Montevideo, and more are on the way at Key West, Waikiki Beach, Tokyo and Barbados.
