AH July 2025

News

08

www.asianhospitality.com

July 2025 | Issue 238

yatt Hotels Corp. recently

reorganized its Americas Global

Care Center operations, cutting

about 30 percent of staff across guest

services and support teams, the company

said in a statement. It did not disclose the

total number of employees affected or any

plans for additional reductions.

View From The Wing, a travel blog run by

Gary Leff, earlier reported that about 300

U.S.-based employees were let go as some

operations shifted to El Salvador, where

outsourced agents reportedly earn about

$400 a month.

A Hyatt spokesperson confirmed the

layoffs but did not comment further

on whether severance, job placement

assistance or benefits continuation were

offered.

“Decisions and conversations with

impacted colleagues were handled with

respect and care,” a spokesperson said.

Hyatt dismissed 18 managers and most

of the U.S. chat team, leaving about 36 chat

agents, View From The Wing reported.

Employees were given 24 hours’ notice.

All remaining U.S.-based agents now work

remotely, as physical call centers have

closed.

Former Hyatt employees shared layoff

experiences on Reddit, TikTok, and Leff’s

blog.

“No more U.S. phone agents,” a person

claiming to be a laid-off employee wrote

on Reddit. “So today, Hyatt finished what

they started six months ago and terminated

the rest of their U.S. call team. Enjoy the

customer service, y’all!”

Another Reddit user said they were laid

off over Zoom. On TikTok, a former Hyatt

employee posted a video on June 18 showing

themselves being laid off, including a

recording of an alleged group video call.

“We have made the very difficult decision

to reduce the number of guest services and

support [staff],” a voice is heard saying in the

video, according to the UK’s Daily Mail.

A commenter on View From The Wing

identifying as a former staffer said they

received 60 days of paid leave after the layoff.

The Hyatt spokesperson reiterated that

the changes reflect “the evolving nature

of guest inquiries and shifting business

needs.” The spokesperson said global care

centers in Marion, Illinois, and Omaha,

Nebraska, continue to operate, including

Loyalty, Social, Customer Care, and Chat

teams, as well as My Hyatt Concierge

contacts, who were not affected by the

staffing changes.

“We remain committed to delivering

elevated levels of care to all of our guests

and World of Hyatt members,” the

spokesperson said.

In November, Marriott International

reportedly laid off more than 800 corporate

employees in a move estimated to save $80

million to $90 million annually. Marriott

CEO Anthony Capuano told CNBC it was

not a “traditional cost-cutting measure” but

aimed to shift decision-making from the

U.S. to other regions.

As of March 2025, Hyatt Hotels Corp.,

founded in 1957 by the Pritzker family

and led by president and CEO Mark

Hoplamazian, operated more than 1,450

hotels and all-inclusive properties in 79

countries across six continents. At the end

of 2024, it had a record pipeline of about

138,000 rooms.

The company recently added the

Unscripted brand, part of Dream Hotel

Group, to its Essentials portfolio. Rebranded

as Unscripted by Hyatt, it targets growth

through adaptive reuse and conversion-

friendly projects, filling a gap in Hyatt’s

offerings.

More than 40 hotels globally are in

discussions to join the brand, which offers

independent properties and small portfolios

an operating model with minimal oversight

and flexible brand standards, Hyatt said in

a statement. In 2022, Hyatt acquired Dream

Hotel Group’s lifestyle brands—Dream

Hotels, The Chatwal Hotels, and Unscripted

Hotels—for about $300 million.

“The Unscripted by Hyatt brand gives

owners a flexible path to join the Hyatt

system while still delivering the dependable

experience guests expect from Hyatt,” said

Dan Hansen, Hyatt’s head of development

for the Americas.

Hyatt trims 30 percent

of Americas GCC staff

‘Decisions and conversations with impacted colleagues were handled with

respect and care’

Hyatt Hotels Corp. recently reorganized its Americas Global Care Center operations, cutting about

30 percent of guest services and support staff, a company spokesperson said in an email.