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There is no budget limit for acquisitions at Hyatt.

The Chicago-based hotel giant is in talks with Playa Hotels & Resorts about “potential strategic options,” which could include an acquisition. Playa is a major operator of all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico, and major brands such as Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, and IHG Hotels & Resorts have been the subject of hotel industry debate in recent years over its takeover potential, all of which go further in the field. – Incorporated resort sector.

Hyatt already owns about 10% of Playa and has properties in the Playa portfolio, such as Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall and Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall in Jamaica and Zilara and Ziva in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. property. Any potential takeover of the broader Playa brand would come after a flurry of buying activity from Hyatt in recent years.

The company made its all-inclusive resort splash with the $2.7 billion Apple Leisure Group takeover, which added brands like Secrets and Dreams to the Hyatt portfolio. Over the past several years, Hyatt has also acquired lifestyle brands such as The Standard and its sibling brands, Me & All, Dream Hotel Group and luxury and lifestyle booking platform Mr & Mrs Smith.

The play for Playa will strengthen Hyatt’s position as the leading all-inclusive resort operator among the legacy hotel brands. It also comes months after Hyatt announced a new partnership with Grupo Piñero, owner of the Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts and Cayo Levantado resort brands, which increased Hyatt’s all-inclusive resort portfolio by 30%.

“Playa has been a valued partner for many years, is one of the world’s strongest operators of all-inclusive resorts, and owns a premier portfolio of high-quality, high-end all-inclusive resorts in iconic locations and key markets throughout the Caribbean and Mexico,” Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamezian said Prepared statement Monday morning. “The strategic options under consideration may have compelling strategic merit for Hyatt to add new additional sustainable fee streams. We are firmly committed to our asset-light business model and if this process continues, we will continue to create a clear path for asset- A mild consequence for any strategic options we undertake.”

It’s unclear how these negotiations might pan out, and Hyatt’s announcement noted that the company “does not intend to comment further on these discussions unless and until a definitive agreement is fully implemented.” But it’s abundantly clear that the world of Hyatt is rapidly expanding to cater more to the all-inclusive resort clientele.

How Playa aligns with some of Hyatt’s main competitors is also a thorny issue, as some of the company’s properties in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Mexico fall under the various Marriott, Hilton, IHG and Wyndham brands.

How that shakes out (or can potentially be resolved) will be a major source of industry chatter in the new year, as it’s clear that each of these companies sees a need to get involved in all-inclusive resorts — and likely doesn’t want to admit it. Any lands or properties for survival.

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