When Julienne Smith rejoined Hyatt as head of Americas growth late last month, the timing was deliberate. Hyatt is in the midst of one of its most ambitious expansion periods in the company's history, with record pipeline growth, accelerating U.S. signings and a broader, more diversified brand portfolio than at any point in the company’s almost 70‑year history.
Smith, who spent much of her career at Hyatt before taking on the chief development officer, Americas for IHG Hotels & Resorts, returns to a development organization that has grown significantly in both scale and complexity in 2022.
“It’s an exciting time to be back at Hyatt,” Smith said. “The company has strong momentum, including Hyatt’s highest number of U.S. signings in five years and continued growth across the Americas and globally.”
Her mandate now spans development across North America, Latin America and the Caribbean—regions with different market realities, ownership structures and demand drivers. Over her first 6 to 12 months, Smith said her focus will be on converting Hyatt’s momentum into disciplined, high‑quality growth.
“Just as importantly, we will elevate how we tell the Hyatt story and clearly articulate the strength and performance of each brand to owners and developers,” she continued.
Raising the Bar on Performance
Smith’s early priorities center on alignment—both externally with owners and internally across Hyatt’s development teams.
“In my first few months, my priority is to build on that momentum while raising the bar on performance,” she said. “That starts with reconnecting with owners across the region, but also ensuring we’re fully aligned as a development organization on our growth strategy and priorities for 2026.”
Smith sees collaboration as critical to sustaining growth at scale. Equally important, she said, is strengthening how Hyatt tells its story to owners and developers. With the portfolio spanning Luxury, Lifestyle, Classics and Essentials brands, brand performance and positioning is more important than ever.
“We will elevate how we tell the Hyatt story and clearly articulate the strength and performance of each brand to owners and developers,” Smith said. “Ultimately, it’s about converting that strong interest in our brands into high‑quality deals that are profitable for owners and sustain Hyatt’s growth in a thoughtful, disciplined way.”
An Insights‑Led Approach
Hyatt has been increasingly vocal about its “insights‑led and brand‑focused” development strategy, a philosophy Smith says must be applied consistently at the deal level.
“Being insights‑led means we start with real data and real feedback—what guests want, what owners need to be profitable, and what’s happening in each unique market,” she said. “We listen.”
One of the clearest examples, Smith noted, is the development of Hyatt Studios, the company’s extended‑stay brand. Insights revealed that Hyatt’s most loyal World of Hyatt members were leaving the system primarily because Hyatt lacked a presence in certain markets—particularly secondary and tertiary cities.
“That revealed clear demand and the need for the right brand to expand into those markets,” Smith said. “We worked closely with owners, developers, customers and guests to gather invaluable insights that shaped the brand—from room design to materials used. I view it as the brand that our owners created.”
With Hyatt’s portfolio now organized into distinct brand groupings, Smith said the development team can be more intentional in matching brands to markets based on demand, economics and long‑term potential.
“Being brand‑focused means we’re disciplined about where each brand belongs,” she said.
Conversions
Hyatt entered 2026 with a record pipeline and U.S. signings up roughly 30 percent year over year. For Smith, the opportunity now lies in execution—moving from interest to openings.
“A key opportunity right now is converting that interest into signed deals, construction starts and openings, particularly through conversions,” she said.
Similar to most of the major brands, conversions remain one of Hyatt’s powerful growth engine, allowing owners to join the system quickly across multiple chain scales. Smith pointed to Hyatt’s collection brands as natural fits for independent properties seeking brand affiliation without sacrificing identity. while at the same time, newer brands like Hyatt Select offer conversion‑friendly options in the upper‑midscale space.
Beyond conversions, Smith sees significant runway in underpenetrated markets. Compared with peers, Hyatt operates fewer hotels per key market, particularly outside of major gateways.
“That opportunity spans primary markets and is especially pronounced in secondary and tertiary cities,” she said, “where the right brand—particularly within our Essentials portfolio—can unlock meaningful growth.”
Returning to Hyatt’s Roots
Smith said the relationships she built during her earlier tenure at Hyatt remain foundational to her leadership approach today.
“Strong owner relationships are fundamental to growth—trust, transparency, and alignment are what ultimately drive deals and long‑term performance,” she said. “I hope I’m considered someone who can be trusted to provide sound and balanced guidance.”
What has changed most since her previous role, Smith noted, is the breadth of Hyatt’s portfolio. Acquisitions such as Apple Leisure Group and Standard International, along with new brand launches, have expanded Hyatt’s reach into lifestyle, all‑inclusive and extended‑stay segments.
Owners today face a far more complex operating environment with higher construction costs and tighter capital markets on the top of that list. Smith believes Hyatt’s responsibility is to deliver practical support.
“Our role is to provide near‑term solutions,” she said. “That includes flexible deal structures, brands that are easier and faster to develop or convert, and stronger commercial support to drive performance.”
The Southeastern U.S. stands out as a major growth engine, driven by population inflows and corporate expansion, according to Smith. As of March, Hyatt had more than 30 Essentials‑portfolio hotels in the pipeline across states such as Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama.
At the same time, Hyatt will continue to grow its luxury and lifestyle brands in urban and resort destinations, reflecting sustained demand for differentiated, experience‑led stays.
Looking Ahead
Smith describes her leadership philosophy as collaborative and execution‑focused, rooted in alignment across teams.
“Growth in this business is a team effort,” she said. “It requires strong relationships, clear strategy and consistent follow‑through.”
Over the next five years, she expects development to be shaped by continued growth in luxury and experiential offerings, increased conversions, greater emphasis on sustainability and efficiency, and more widespread use of artificial intelligence in development and operations.
Smith said success in her role will be measured not by deal volume alone, but by the long‑term health of Hyatt’s system. “The strength of our system of hotels—and the value this creates for owners, guests and teams—that’s what matters,” she said. “We’re focused on driving growth that delivers real, lasting value.”