Dive Brief:

• Hyatt Hotels, along with Extell Development Co., will debut The StandardX brand in North America with an approximately 1,800-key flagship hotel in New York City, according to a Wednesday news release. It is slated to open in 2028.
• The StandardX Times Square, located in the heart of Manhattan’s Theater District at 255 W. 45th St., will feature multiple restaurants, bars and nightlife venues, as well as attractions such as an “enclosed free-fall thrill ride,” an observation deck more than 1,000 feet above the city and a rooftop pool. 
• Hyatt describes StandardX as “the irreverent younger sibling” of its boutique Standard hotels brand, which it assumed as part of its 2024 acquisition of boutique hotel operator Standard International. The brand’s North American debut “represents a significant milestone” for Hyatt’s growing Lifestyle portfolio.

Dive Insight:

The StandardX, which debuted in Melbourne, Australia in 2024, aims to take the same idea behind The Standard brand, “which has always been about being part of the city” and making it “simpler and more accessible,” Amar Lalvani, recently appointed chief creative officer at Hyatt, said in a statement. 

The brand also has an upcoming property in Thailand, according to The Standard X’s website.  

Inspired by New York City’s theatrical character, The StandardX Times Square’s design will feature bold color, sculptures, reflective finishes and other “unexpected details,” per Hyatt. Guest rooms will be “expressive but straightforward,” and public spaces will combine the design, music and social energy associated with The Standard.  

“[New York City] is energetic, theatrical and completely over the top,” Lalvani said. “We want to embrace that, have some fun with it, and create something that could only happen in New York.”

The Standard brand is no stranger to New York, home to The Standard, High Line, in the city’s Meatpacking District, and The Standard, East Village. The upcoming flagship in Times Square will bring culture and nightlife to a “very different part of the city” and marks a “new chapter” in The Standard’s relationship with New York, per Hyatt. 

The property also builds upon Hyatt’s longstanding relationship with Extell Development. The pair previously partnered on the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley resort near Park City, Utah. 

Elsewhere, Hyatt plans to convert The South Congress Hotel in Austin, Texas, under The Standard brand, marking its debut in Texas. The revamped property is expected to open this coming spring.

The project follows other hotel openings in Times Square: The 1,300-room Row NYC reopened this May following multiyear renovations, while the 419-room voco Times Square – Broadway, from IHG Hotels & Resorts, opened earlier this year.