Dive Brief:
- Hyatt Hotels opened The Wildbirch Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska, marking the city’s first lifestyle boutique property as well as its newest hotel lodging option in 20 years, according to the hotel company.
- The 252-key Wildbirch falls under the JdV by Hyatt brand, a collection of independent hotels located in urban destinations. The property offers on-site dining, meetings and events facilities and outdoor gathering space with scenic views.
- The hotel is the first JdV property to open in Alaska, coming as Hyatt beefs up its portfolio with recent independent hotel additions. The hotel company is more broadly expanding in lifestyle, including through acquisitions.
Dive Insight:
Anchoring Anchorage’s West Fourth Avenue shopping and dining corridor, The Wildbirch Hotel “is a destination itself,” according to Hyatt.
The hotel offers a communal outdoor deck with fire pits and views of Mount Susitna and Knik Arm, as well as 5,200 square feet of meetings and events space.
The property’s signature restaurant, Crimson, offers Alaskan-inspired dishes with Pan-American Latin flair. Meanwhile, Canteen Coffee Co. serves up coffee drinks and grab-and-go food options in the lobby. This fall, craft beer tasting room The Undertap will open at the hotel as well, with options to host private gatherings.
“This property offers a unique, modern Alaska experience unlike anywhere else,” Mark Begich, co-owner and the former mayor of Anchorage from 2003 to 2009, said in a statement. The hotel is part of a revitalization of downtown Anchorage that Begich and partners are undertaking.
The hotel joins JdV as Hyatt focuses on portfolio growth, particularly via independent hotel additions. Last month, the company launched Unscripted by Hyatt, an upscale collection brand designed to bring independent properties and small portfolios under Hyatt’s Essentials portfolio. Within the past year, Hyatt also expanded in New Orleans and Las Vegas, bringing hotels under its Independent Collection.
The growth is part of Hyatt’s broader push in the burgeoning luxury and lifestyle segment. The company has recently opened hotels under its Thompson Hotels, Andaz and Grand Hyatt brands in line with this strategy. It has also acquired brands, including lifestyle operator Standard International, to scale.
Marriott International is expanding by similar means, also launching a collection brand, Series by Marriott, last month and, in April, acquiring international lifestyle brand CitizenM.
