CHICAGO — Chicago-based Hyatt Hotel Corp. (NYSE: H) has agreed to acquire Dream Hotel Group’s lifestyle hotel brand and management platform, including the Dream Hotels, The Chatwal Hotels and Unscripted Hotels brands. Upon closing, Hyatt will pay a base purchase price of $125 million, plus up to an additional $175 million over the next six years as new developments open. The acquisition includes a portfolio of 12 managed or franchised lifestyle hotels, with another 24 signed long-term management agreements for hotels expected to open in the future. The acquisition will add more than 1,700 rooms to Hyatt’s lifestyle portfolio and increase Hyatt’s room count in New York City by more than 30 percent. Hyatt says that Dream Hotel Group properties are known for their vibrant dining and nightlife experiences, including restaurants, entertainment venues and exclusive night clubs. The acquisition will extend Hyatt’s footprint in markets such as Nashville, Tenn.; Los Angeles; Miami; Durham, N.C.; several locations in New York City; and one in the Catskill Mountains of Upstate New York. Signed contracts include additional destinations such as Las Vegas, the island of Saint Lucia in the Caribbean and Doha, Qatar. The transaction is expected to close in the coming months, …
