Hyatt Recognizes the Hyatt Centric Beale Street with The Best New Property Award

See full list of honorees on Travel Daily News

CHICAGO – Hyatt Hotels Corporation awarded 32 owners, operators and developers at its 2021 America Owners Conference, held at Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa in Huntington Beach, California.

At Hyatt, we remain focused on our growth and we are both intentional and thoughtful about where we want the Hyatt flag raised. Our brand growth and success are a testament to our fellow owners, operators and developers, and we are immensely proud of the many longstanding relationships that we have throughout our industry, as well as new ones that we continuously cultivate,” said Jim Chu, Executive Vice President, Global Franchising and Development, Hyatt. “Leading with our purpose of care, we remain empathetic to the challenges that our owners and operators have experienced in recent months and we are truly appreciative of their commitment to maintaining and growing Hyatt’s brand portfolio.  We are privileged to work with industry-leading owners, operators and developers and congratulate all of our award recipients.

The Best New Property award recognizes notable full service and select service hotel openings:

Full Service

  • Hyatt Centric Beale Street Memphis (Carlisle Corporation, LLC.): “One Beale,” a transformative five-acre multi-phased development, is the site of the beautiful Hyatt Centric Beale Street Memphis. As the first Hyatt Centric hotel in Memphis, the 227-room hotel offers a central location and Beale Street address, steps from the culture, food and nightlife that makes Downtown Memphis an iconic destination. Carlisle Corporation, LLC is also developing Caption by Hyatt Memphis, which is currently under construction within the One Beale development.
  • Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana and Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana (Playa Hotels & Resorts): In 2013, Hyatt entered into an agreement with Playa Hotels & Resorts for the development of the Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva all-inclusive brands in Latin America and the Caribbean. Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana and Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana together comprise a 3,000-acre luxury master-planned community within Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, offering more than 1,300 feet of beachfront on Juanillo Beach. Built by Playa Hotels & Resorts from the ground up, the combined 750-room Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana and Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana have a multitude of dining venues and leisure activities for families and adults, receiving numerous accolades as one of the best new all-inclusive resorts in the region.
  • The Seabird, a Destination by Hyatt hotel, and Mission Pacific, a JdV by Hyatt hotel (SD Malkin): The Seabird and Mission Pacific are both beautifully programmed and designed – unique in their interpretation of the spirit and vibe of Southern California. They have been transformational in the impact that they have had on the local Oceanside community and there is no doubt that these two properties will be treasured by visitors and locals for many years to come.
  • Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas (JMI Realty): Alila Marea Beach Resort is the third Alila hotel to open in the Americas. Situated along coastal bluffs with panoramic views overlooking Grandview and South Ponto Beaches, this luxury oceanfront resort in Encinitas, Calif. is distinguished by an innovative eco-design, a passionate commitment to sustainability and specially curated activities designed to immerse guests in nature, culture, and community, making it an outstanding representation of the Alila brand in North America.
  • Thompson San Antonio (DC Partners): Located steps from the celebrated River Walk in San Antonio’s dynamic and evolving Arts District, the new Thompson San Antonio and The Arts Residences is a stunning addition to the River City. In February 2021, Houston-based DC Partners completed development of this landmark mixed-use project, which is a sophisticated modern-day interpretation of the rich history of this beloved Texas city. The hotel’s diverse and dynamic collection of culinary and bar venues span indoor and outdoor spaces and are sure to become a hub of activity for its guests and Arts District neighbors.

Designing for the Caption brand - InspireDesign Magazine interviews the new brand's lead designer

See Full Story in InspireDesign Magazine

Hospitality design firm HBG Design is embracing the new Caption by Hyatt brand with a focus on redefining what hospitality looks like in the modern world; and it couldn’t come at a better time. The first U.S.-located Caption by Hyatt hotel, and second to open worldwide, is a beacon of hope following widespread disruption to the hospitality industry caused by the pandemic. Caption by Hyatt’s upscale, select-service lifestyle brand is targeted to conscientious locals and guests, with a focus on creating social spaces that punctuate connection and interaction with their locale. The Memphis, TN location celebrates the spirit of this iconic American city, steeped in history with many stories to tell.

Caption by Hyatt will become an integral component of downtown Memphis’ One Beale mixed-use development located at the base of Beale St. on the Mississippi River bluff, and will connect with the adjacent Hyatt Centric hotel, also designed by HBG Design, which opened to guests on April 15.

We spoke with Mark Weaver, FAIA, principal/senior architectural designer, HBG Design, who is leading both the architectural design and interior design of the project:

What inspired the hotel’s design?
When complete in 2022, the new Caption by Hyatt hotel will become an integral component of downtown Memphis, Tennessee’s One Beale mixed-use development…The new development represents a merging of vibrant live/work/play functions among downtown Memphis’ landmark structures.

Each hotel sits prominently within the One Beale development offering its own distinct interpretation of brand and Memphis history and culture. Specifically, the new Caption design will offer an inimitable contemporary boutique hotel experience while paying homage to Memphis’ historic riverfront legacy and industrial architectural vernacular.

Where and how do you seek your inspiration?
Inspiration comes from so many places for our hospitality designers—local culture and the regional landscape, branding and market influences, our clients’ project visions, storytelling, and biophilic, sustainability and wellness concepts. We design hospitality and entertainment projects all over the U.S., in both urban and more agrarian environments, and design language based on regional context and culture resonates highly with our clients and their guests.

The Caption hotel benefits from our designers’ knowledge of Memphis; this is HBG Design’s home and has been our company headquarters since 1979, even before we added our San Diego and Dallas office locations. The hotel property is situated in downtown Memphis, a hub of activity near the banks of the Mississippi River, and not far from our design studio. The city has a long industrial history with rows of ornate brick warehouse buildings lining the downtown streets. Our designers walk these streets daily and are inspired by the city’s former life and the possibilities for its current and future growth.

How did local culture, landscape and history influence the design?
Design influenced by local flavor is an important aspect of the guest experience. For example, the hotel design is being integrated into the historic architectural remains of the William C. Ellis & Sons Ironworks and Machine Shop building on Memphis’ Front St., which will house the hotel’s ground and second floors.

The Ellis company was one of the earliest, longest-running businesses in Memphis. The original blacksmith shop once made wrought-iron straps for carriages and shoes for horses and mules, and other structures on-site were used for river trade manufacturing and the repair and building of agricultural machines such as cotton compresses and railroad equipment.

Conceptually, the integration of the historic Ellis facade serves as a distinguishing artifact that will be remembered and appreciated as part of Memphis history.

The Caption’s 136-key hotel guestroom tower will then rise dramatically above the Ellis facade offering guests superb views of the river and the city skyline. The tower’s modern, darker exterior is designed to complement the light-colored Ellis building in front.

The interior design concept reflects this duality with a comfortable, refined ambiance featuring subtle references to the industrial roots of the hotel’s location highlighted with soft colored tones and metal accents. The guestrooms will reveal uniquely designed custom furniture that offer signature touches of comfort and luxury.

How do you define a design vision for the first U.S. property of a new brand?
At the heart of the Caption by Hyatt brand experience will be the F&B concept Talk Shop, which will serve as a welcome area, all-day lounge and workspace, coffee shop, eatery, grab-and-go artisanal market and cocktail bar. A patio and beer garden courtyard will be incorporated into the building’s historic Ellis facade on Front St. The unpretentious style and approachability of the space combines with locally inspired experiences, ideal for socializing and appealing to both travelers and locals.

Additionally, each Caption hotel builds on signature brand features, including marquee signs above each main entrance, local hand-drawn graphic art and animated social and F&B spaces with tech-forward features like digital check-in, digital keys and mobile-order food service.

Keeping with that, what challenges and opportunities did you face in doing so?
There are always challenges when integrating historic structural elements with new builds, but HBG Design is accustomed to this challenge through our 40-plus years of experience revitalizing other historic projects, many of which are in downtown Memphis. We are intimately familiar with these older Memphis buildings and appreciate the opportunity to reuse and integrate the long-vacant Ellis Shop on Front St., which has been adapted to hold Talk Shop lounge space and hotel meeting space. Talk Shop’s double-height lounge will be enveloped by the historic building’s original heavy timber framing, decorative brick walls, archways and clerestory windows. The historic building will also accommodate the new Foundry Ballroom and new meeting rooms with names like the Welding Shop and Pattern Shop, serving as a connecting point between the Hyatt Centric and the Caption by Hyatt properties.

Is there anything else readers should know about the hotel and its design?
Developed by Carlisle Corporation, the Memphis Caption by Hyatt hotel is currently in construction with an expected opening date of spring 2022. HBG Design has worked with Carlisle Corporation for over 15 years exploring and leading the planning and design for the One Beale mixed-use development through multiple iterations of development possibilities.


HBG Design is the Architect of first new-build Caption by Hyatt

See full article in Memphis Business Journal

Developing a new hotel right now is extremely difficult. But, it's apparently not impossible.

Carlisle LLC CEO Chance Carlisle told the MBJ Oct. 22 he is set to close financing within two weeks and start construction by the end of November on One Beale's second hotel.

He knows that sounds risky, as the global pandemic rages on, but he's bullish on Downtown Memphis and the way a second hotel will complement the rest of One Beale.

"My confidence to start construction on the [second hotel] is a combination of my faith in our partnership with Hyatt, the strength of the [Caption by Hyatt] brand, and the belief by our partners in a resurgence in Downtown," Carlisle said. "Both our lenders and Hyatt strongly believe this will be highly successful."

Caption by Hyatt is a brand new limited-service flag that's largely targeted toward millennials. A property in Los Angeles is being converted into the first one; the Memphis location will be the first new-build property.

"[It's for] someone who appreciates good food and beverage [and] wants to be in the middle of the action, not the closest hotel off of the highway," Carlisle said. "It is a hangout hotel."

Carlisle said the new hotel's guests will benefit greatly from being next door to the full-service Centric — with its rooftop bar and abundance of meeting rooms — while paying less.

With the Centric set to open in March 2021, Carlisle is hoping the Caption will be ready by March 2022 — in time to take reservations for Memphis in May. It is set to contain almost 140 rooms on 10 floors.