Thompson Hotels Unveils Immersive Experiences Curated by Emerging Creatives Through New ‘Culture Lives Here’ Campaign

Marking 20 years of elevating culture, the brand has tapped noteworthy ‘culture shifters’ including multifaceted architect Arielle Assouline-Lichten, fashion designer Charles Harbison, graffiti artist Defer and more to honor the latest in today’s cultural landscape

CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today introduces Culture Lives Here, the Thompson Hotels brand’s new campaign that celebrates the brand’s passion for elevating noteworthy and emerging creatives, dubbed ‘culture shifters.’ Taking place at 13 Thompson Hotels via creative local collaborations in tandem with the brand’s 20^th anniversary, this campaign recognizes the abundance of creativity that influences today’s cultural landscape by curating cultural experiences that connect hotel guests and neighbors with rising talent in music, art, fashion, design and culinary.

“Culture Lives Here is a true celebration of the deeply important creative voices that flourish in and around each Thompson Hotel,” said vice president and global brand leader of Hyatt’s lifestyle & luxury brands, Crystal Vinisse Thomas. “We’re honoring our heritage as arbiters of culture and providing a platform for both established and up and coming creatives to connect our guests with the most relevant and authentic expression of culture in each destination.”

The Thompson Hotels brand is proud to announce three ambassadors for the Culture Lives Here campaign, who each, through their lives and their work, impact culture in meaningful and original ways:

Sustainable designer, architect and artist, Arielle Assouline-Lichten, founder of Slash Objects
Celebrity-favorite fashion designer Charles Harbison, founder and creative director of HARBISON
One of Los Angeles’ most admired—and oft imitated—graffiti artists, Defer

The three brand culture shifters’ activations are on display to experience at Thompson Hollywood for a limited time. Assouline-Lichten’s installation features a large free-form mirror rooted in an onyx cube, an extension of her previous works in which mirrors are central, interactive objects in a space; Harbison’s textile installation presents 7-foot-tall steel frames with suspended textiles inspired by the hanging paintings of Tadao Cern, the masterful colorworks of Sam Gillam and the graphic shapes of midcentury design, in addition to childhood memories of watching his mother get dressed; and Defer’s graffiti will result from a live, on-property painting experience upon a raised 10-foot-tall canvas in which he channels inspiration from the people, surroundings and energy on-site in real time.

“It’s a true honor and pleasure to join the Thompson Hotels brand’s prestigious team of culture shifters,” says Charles Harbison. “As someone who loves hotels, I’ve always admired how Thompson Hotels have creatively fostered local culture, and I am excited to help celebrate the brand’s anniversary with the next generation of diverse creative talent. The visibility and platform each Thompson Hotel is providing to creatives, while prioritizing inclusivity, shows their commitment to cultivating culture and their important place within it.”

Starting this month and through early 2022,12 Thompson Hotels across the U.S. and Mexico are launching local Culture Lives Here collaborations with culture shifters who have conceived immersive activations for both guests and locals alike. From a series of live performances from singer-songwriter Abraham Alexander at Thompson Dallas, to unique wellness offerings from Mills Miller’s whole-plant hemp brand MINERAL at Thompson Austin, to a community-focused art exhibit by Susan Laney of Laney Contemporary at Thompson Savannah, each local culture shifter will offer guests an original contribution in the form of an exhibition or experience. In addition, each culture shifter will curate a local list of five “hot spots” to help guide guests to the latest across art, music, fashion, design, and culinary in the hotel’s neighborhood.

Local culture shifter collaborations live or beginning in November 2021 include:

Gild Hall, A Thompson Hotel x The Haiku Guys & Gals – Gild Hall, A Thompson Hotel (New York) teamed up with The Haiku Guys & Gals, a Brooklyn-based group of poets who craft personalized haikus on typewriters for coveted events, and now Gild Hall guests. Like a photo booth for the soul, this new weekly residency in the hotel’s lobby gives guests the opportunity to go home with a personal travel keepsake in less than 2 minutes.
The Cape, A Thompson Hotel x The Shamans – The Cape, A Thompson Hotel (Cabo San Lucas, Mexico) is making music the local way with The Shamans, a cool, San Jose del Cabo-based band whose members love music as much as they do the surf and are ready to celebrate the cultural pillars of the region through monthly live performances.
Thompson Hollywood x Wade Cresent – Thompson Hollywood teamed up with London-born DJ Wade Crescent to specially curate the music at its chic rooftop lounge, Bar Lis. For those guests looking to keep the party going, a guide of Cresent’s favorite music hot spots around town is available via complimentary QR in guestrooms.
Thompson Nashville x Raja Ratan – Thompson Nashville (Tenn.) is proving it’s not all cowboy boots when it comes to fashion in the Music City through its collaboration with designer Raja Ratan and his dual concept store Q Clothier/Rye 51, soon to open on the hotel’s first floor. Together the property and luxury menswear retailer created a custom Thompson Nashville experience exclusively for hotel guests including 50% off of a custom-made belt and shirt.
Thompson San Antonio – Riverwalk x Kevin Elkins – Thompson San Antonio – Riverwalk is awakening guests’ senses with its evolving collaboration with Kevin Elkins of luxury fragrance brand Soular Therapy. In addition to creating unique, emotion-inducing scents specifically curated for each of the property’s different spaces, Thompson San Antonio – Riverwalk is hosting monthly retail pop-up shops where Soular Therapy’s fragrances – including their limited-time custom holiday scent “Santa” inspired by the property at-large – are available.
Thompson Savannah x Susan Laney – Thompson Savannah (Ga.) is exciting art lovers through a creative collaboration with local gallerist, Susan Laney. As the owner of Laney Contemporary, Susan is curating a visual display in the lobby that showcases the best of the city’s art community, and features the work of Benjamin Jones, which reflects the connections between past iconography and renewed energy.
Thompson Seattle x Lolli Morlock – Thompson Seattle is implementing a tattoo artist in residency program through their collaboration with creative, colorful, and edgy Seattle-based tattoo artist, Lolli Morlock. Seeking to highlight Seattle’s tattoo culture as an art of its own, this will be taking place in the form of a pop-up in the lobby featuring live tattoos, tattoo design consultations, and a shopping experience with merchandise including signature hotel-inspired temporary tattoos for those not ready to commit to something permanently.
Thompson Zihuatanejo x Oscar Torres – Thompson Zihuantanejo (Mexico) is taking an important mural to new heights by commissioning Mexican visual artist and illustrator Oscar Torres to create a piece that conveys the daily life and culture of Zihuatanejo. Torres’ mural at the entrance of Thompson Zihuatanejo’s HAO restaurant will unveil to exude the local culture of this beautiful and magical fishing village as well as provide a photo-worthy destination for guests to snap imagery and share their experiences.

Local culture shifter collaborations to come in December 2021 and beyond, include:

Thompson Austin x Mills Miller – Wellness is on the menu at Thompson Austin (Texas) thanks to the new hotel’s collaboration with Mills Miller and his Austin-based, whole-plant hemp brand MINERAL to offer mindful guests and locals’ access to natural wellness products. Aiding in normalizing the use of hemp for wellness and self-care, Thompson Austin will feature MINERAL’s “SLEEP” sublingual at nighttime and “BALANCE” during the day, within several hotel touchpoints including: a complimentary turndown cart; for sale at a pop-up in the hotel lobby and within guest room honor bars; and more.
Thompson Buckhead x Huelani Mei Foglemen – Thompson Buckhead (Atlanta, Ga.) is collaborating with local artist Huelani Mei Foglemen of Hue Designs to create a pop-up sculpture exhibition, inspired by its signature Italian American restaurant, Dirty Rascal. Led by James Beard-nominated chef Todd Ginsberg, Dirty Rascal’s symbol – a trouble-making spirit of a fox – is the inspiration for the eight different sculptures that will debut throughout the hotel.
Thompson Dallas x Abraham Alexander – Thompson Dallas is teaming up with Greece-born, Nigerian singer/songwriter Abraham Alexander, to select three promising musical talents for a live music series at its buzzy rooftop lounge, Catbird. An opportunity to curate the best of Dallas’ local music scene and provide them with exposure to guests and locals, Alexander is giving a platform to local musicians Remy Reilly, Brandon Marcel and Joseph M respectively.
Thompson Denver x Scott Hagen – Thompson Denver is getting in the groove with Scott Hagen, CEO of iconic record player company Victrola, to curate a bespoke vinyl selection throughout the new hotel’s 15 suites and the Victrola Listening Lounge in Reynard Social. Hagen will also create a “music pairing menu,” complete with songs as courses and desserts, for special events in the first-floor restaurant, Chez Maggy by James Beard and Michelin Guide recognized chef, Ludo Lefebvre.
Thompson Washington D.C. x Aaron Crist – Thompson Washington D.C. is spotlighting Aaron Crist of Hyde Closet, a tech-savvy player in the city’s fashion retail space that links customers with remote stylists to provide highly personalized shopping experiences using rentable inventory from local designers and retailers. The collaboration will launch with a special holiday pop-up complete with a model showcase, stylist appointments, and curated ready-to-wear looks. Through this collaboration, hotel guests will be able to receive personalized styling and complete outfits on demand via a simple add-on at check-in or by scanning an in-room QR code.

To learn more about the Thompson Hotels brand’s Culture Lives Here campaign, concepted in collaboration with RO NY and Maverick Creative, and to see all participating hotels and those coming soon, visit http://thompsonhotels.com/cultureliveshere.

The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.

About Thompson Hotels

Founded in 2001, Thompson Hotels is an award-winning boutique lifestyle hospitality brand with a collection of stunning, dynamic properties. Each of Thompson Hotels’ urban and resort locations offer a carefully layered environment that molds into its surrounding community. Guests are provided tailored stays with connections to world-class culinary offerings, arts and entertainment, and groundbreaking design. The Thompson Hotels portfolio of lifestyle hotels includes The Beekman and Gild Hall in New York City; Thompson Washington D.C.; Thompson Nashville; Thompson Seattle; Thompson Chicago; The Cape in Los Cabos, Mexico and Thompson Playa del Carmen in Riviera Maya, Mexico; Thompson Zihuatanejo on Mexico’s Pacific Coast; and new Texas hotels, Thompson Dallas, Thompson San Antonio, as well as Thompson Savannah and Thompson Hollywood. Hotels currently under development include Texas properties in Austin and Houston, as well as Thompson Denver, and Thompson Buckhead. Follow @ThompsonHotels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for news and updates. For more information, please visit www.thompsonhotels.com.

About Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company guided by its purpose – to care for people so they can be their best. As of September 30, 2021, Hyatt’s portfolio included more than 1,000 hotel and all-inclusive properties in 69 countries across six continents, and the acquisition of Apple Leisure Group added 96 properties in 10 countries as of November 1, 2021. Hyatt’s offerings include the Park Hyatt®, Miraval®, Grand Hyatt®, Alila®, Andaz®, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt®, Destination by Hyatt™, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt®, Hyatt Ziva™, Hyatt Zilara™, Thompson Hotels®, Hyatt Centric®, Caption by Hyatt, JdV by Hyatt™, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Place®, UrCove, and Hyatt Residence Club® brands, as well as resort and hotel brands under the AMR™ Collection, including Secrets® Resorts & Spas, Dreams® Resorts & Spas, Breathless® Resorts & Spas, Zoëtry® Wellness & Spa Resorts, Alua® Hotels & Resorts, and Sunscape® Resorts & Spas. Hyatt’s subsidiaries operate the World of Hyatt® loyalty program, ALG Vacations®, Unlimited Vacation Club®, Amstar DMC destination management services, and the Trisept Solutions® travel technology platform. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “likely,” “will,” “would” and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by us and our management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and the pace of recovery following the pandemic, any additional resurgence, or COVID-19 variants; the short and longer-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the demand for travel, transient and group business, and levels of consumer confidence; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, any additional resurgence, or COVID-19 variants, and the impact of actions that governments, businesses, and individuals take in response, on global and regional economies, travel limitations or bans, and economic activity, including the duration and magnitude of its impact on unemployment rates and consumer discretionary spending; the broad distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and wide acceptance by the general population of such vaccines; the ability of third-party owners, franchisees, or hospitality venture partners to successfully navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, any additional resurgence, or COVID-19 variants; general economic uncertainty in key global markets and a worsening of global economic conditions or low levels of economic growth; the rate and the pace of economic recovery following economic downturns; levels of spending in business and leisure segments as well as consumer confidence; declines in occupancy and average daily rate; limited visibility with respect to future bookings; loss of key personnel; domestic and international political and geo-political conditions, including political or civil unrest or changes in trade policy; hostilities, or fear of hostilities, including future terrorist attacks, that affect travel; travel-related accidents; natural or man-made disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, oil spills, nuclear incidents, and global outbreaks of pandemics or contagious diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, or fear of such outbreaks; our ability to successfully achieve certain levels of operating profits at hotels that have performance tests or guarantees in favor of our third-party owners; the impact of hotel renovations and redevelopments; risks associated with our capital allocation plans, share repurchase program, and dividend payments, including a reduction in, or elimination or suspension of, repurchase activity or dividend payments; the seasonal and cyclical nature of the real estate and hospitality businesses; changes in distribution arrangements, such as through internet travel intermediaries; changes in the tastes and preferences of our customers; relationships with colleagues and labor unions and changes in labor laws; the financial condition of, and our relationships with, third-party property owners, franchisees, and hospitality venture partners; the possible inability of third-party owners, franchisees, or development partners to access capital necessary to fund current operations or implement our plans for growth; risks associated with potential acquisitions and dispositions and the introduction of new brand concepts; the timing of acquisitions and dispositions, and our ability to successfully integrate completed acquisitions with existing operations; failure to successfully complete proposed transactions (including the failure to satisfy closing conditions or obtain required approvals); our ability to successfully execute on our strategy to expand our management and franchising business while at the same time reducing our real estate asset base within targeted timeframes and at expected values; declines in the value of our real estate assets; unforeseen terminations of our management or franchise agreements; changes in federal, state, local, or foreign tax law; increases in interest rates and operating costs; foreign exchange rate fluctuations or currency restructurings; lack of acceptance of new brands or innovation; general volatility of the capital markets and our ability to access such markets; changes in the competitive environment in our industry, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, industry consolidation, and the markets where we operate; our ability to successfully grow the World of Hyatt loyalty program; cyber incidents and information technology failures; outcomes of legal or administrative proceedings; violations of regulations or laws related to our franchising business; and other risks discussed in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including our annual report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which filings are available from the SEC. These factors are not necessarily all of the important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any of our forward-looking statements. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are made only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

Contacts

Gloria Kennett

Hyatt

gloria.kennett@hyatt.com