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Hyatt pushes gambling strategy in Mexico resorts

Hyatt Hotels Corporation is pushing ahead with an expansion plan that puts Mexico at the center of its loyalty and revenue diversification strategy through 2028.

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Key Points
At its Investor Day in Chicago, Hyatt named Mexico as one of the first markets for the international rollout of its World of Hyatt co-branded credit card, alongside Germany, Spain, the UK and Japan
The company's all-inclusive segment flagged gambling as an incremental revenue opportunity within its resort portfolio

Hyatt Hotels Corporation used its Investor Day at the Hyatt Regency Chicago to lay out an aggressive growth roadmap through 2028, with Mexico holding a prominent place 

Joan Bottarini, CFO, said: "The impact of the hurricane in Jamaica and recent events in Mexico and the Middle East do not affect our long-term growth outlook." He framed the disruptions as temporary and reaffirmed room count growth targets of between 6% and 8% annually through 2028.

That confidence comes against a complicated backdrop on the ground. With the 2026 World Cup approaching across the US, Mexico and Canada, hotel occupancy in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey is running between 20% and 40% in the weeks leading up to the tournament, well below the 80%-plus levels the hospitality sector had anticipated. Industry analysts point to a mix of visa processing delays, higher airfares and ticket pricing as factors dampening demand.

On the product side, the all-inclusive segment emerged as a central piece of the investor pitch. Javier Águila, Head of the Inclusive Collection, who joined Hyatt through the acquisition of Apple Leisure Group, disclosed that Hyatt controls just 16% of the Caribbean all-inclusive market despite being the segment's largest operator.

Águila said: "If you combine a large and growing market with a solid, proven platform and the ambition to build the best brands, we are very confident about the future of the segment." 

He pointed to Thompson Los Cabos and other Thompson-branded developments across Mexico as evidence that high-profile owners are choosing Hyatt without competitive bidding processes. Gambling in all-inclusive resorts was flagged as an incremental revenue line within the segment's growth strategy.

The co-branded credit card push represents a separate but related monetization track. Mark Hoplamazian, CEO, said: "We are at an inflection point to rapidly expand the number of cards and geographies in the next 12 to 24 months." 

On the ground in Mexico, Fibra Soma completed its acquisition of the Hyatt Regency Ciudad de México in October 2024 and is developing the Park Hyatt Mexico City in Polanco, slated to open in January 2027 as the capital's first Park Hyatt property. 

Good to know

Hyatt's World of Hyatt loyalty program already counts over 63 million members globally, and members spend on average 93% more than non-members, according to figures the company disclosed in January 2026

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