Hyatt Regency Orlando

Hyatt Regency Orlando is a major convention and resort hotel in the International Drive area of Orlando, Florida. The property opened on November 1, 1986, under the name The Peabody Orlando, making it a brand extension of the original Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. Its location beside and direct connection to the Orange County Convention Center established the property as a venue serving large conventions, business events, leisure travelers, and visitors to the Orlando tourism market. The hotel originally operated with 891 rooms. Its most significant physical transformation took place during a roughly $450 million renovation completed in 2010. The redevelopment added a 31-story tower, expanded the room inventory to 1,641 rooms, and introduced a resort pool complex. The new tower rises approximately 428 feet, or 130 meters, and became one of the tallest buildings in the Orlando metropolitan area. The expansion materially changed the property from a large convention hotel into a substantially larger integrated convention resort, increasing its capacity for group accommodations and leisure amenities. Ownership and branding changed in the following decade. On August 28, 2013, UST Hotel Joint Venture Ltd. sold the property to Hyatt for $717 million. Hyatt renamed it Hyatt Regency Orlando on October 1, 2013, replacing the Peabody identity with the Hyatt Regency brand. The change aligned the hotel with Hyatt's international convention and business-hotel network while retaining its Orlando resort and meetings role. In 2024, Hyatt announced an agreement to sell the hotel and approximately 45 acres of adjacent land to RIDA Development Corporation and Ares Management Real Estate. Hyatt described the transaction as the largest single-asset sale in its history. The purchasers planned to retain the existing hotel while developing a new Grand Hyatt-branded hotel on adjoining undeveloped land. The sale was completed in August 2024. Although ownership transferred to the RIDA/Ares joint venture, Hyatt continued to operate Hyatt Regency Orlando under a long-term management agreement. The property therefore combines several business functions: full-service hotel accommodation, convention and meeting facilities, resort amenities, and a strategic connection to one of the United States' largest convention destinations. Its current identity is based on the Hyatt Regency brand rather than the former Peabody name, while its scale and proximity to the convention center remain central to its market position.

Hyatt Regency Orlando opened on November 1, 1986, as The Peabody Orlando. It was created as an extension of the Peabody hotel identity associated with the original Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. From the beginning, the Orlando property served a market shaped by conventions, tourism, and the area's expanding visitor economy. Its position on International Drive and its direct connection to the Orange County Convention Center gave it a strong role in accommodating convention delegates and large groups as well as leisure travelers. The property underwent its defining expansion in 2010. A renovation reported to have cost approximately $450 million added a 31-story tower and a resort pool complex. The project increased the room count from 891 to 1,641, more than doubling the number of available rooms. The new tower reaches approximately 428 feet, or 130 meters, and became one of the tallest structures in the Orlando metropolitan area. The enlarged complex strengthened the hotel's ability to host major events while adding amenities associated with a resort rather than a conventional business hotel. A change in ownership and brand followed in 2013. UST Hotel Joint Venture Ltd. sold The Peabody Orlando to Hyatt on August 28, 2013, in a transaction reported at $717 million. Hyatt changed the property's name to Hyatt Regency Orlando on October 1 of that year. The rebranding ended the hotel's direct use of the Peabody name in Orlando and placed the property within Hyatt Regency, Hyatt's global full-service brand serving business travelers, conventions, and upscale leisure guests. The hotel remained a major Hyatt-operated asset for the next decade. Its scale, meeting infrastructure, resort pool complex, and connection to the convention center made it particularly suited to large group business. The property also benefited from its location in Orlando, a destination with substantial leisure, tourism, and corporate-event demand. In 2024, Hyatt announced that it had agreed to sell Hyatt Regency Orlando together with approximately 45 acres of adjacent land to RIDA Development Corporation and Ares Management Real Estate. Hyatt characterized the $1.07 billion transaction as the largest single-asset sale in its history. The proposed development plan included a new Grand Hyatt-branded hotel on the adjoining undeveloped land, creating the potential for a larger Hyatt-linked hospitality cluster in the convention district. The RIDA/Ares joint venture completed the purchase in August 2024. Hyatt continued to manage and operate the existing Hyatt Regency Orlando through a long-term management agreement, separating ownership of the real estate from operation under the Hyatt brand.

• 2024

  Sale to RIDA and Ares is completed

  [1]Hyatt Regency Orlandoen.wikipedia.org

  RIDA Development Corporation and Ares Management Real Estate completed the acquisition of the hotel and adjacent land in August, while Hyatt retained management responsibilities.

• 2013

  Hyatt acquires and renames the hotel

  [1]Hyatt Regency Orlandoen.wikipedia.org

  Hyatt purchased the property from UST Hotel Joint Venture Ltd. on August 28 and renamed it Hyatt Regency Orlando on October 1.

• 2010

  Major expansion completed

  [1]Hyatt Regency Orlandoen.wikipedia.org

  A reported $450 million renovation added a 31-story tower, a resort pool complex, and enough rooms to increase total inventory from 891 to 1,641.

• 1986

  The Peabody Orlando opens

  [1]Hyatt Regency Orlandoen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel opened on November 1, 1986, as an Orlando extension of the Peabody hotel identity originating in Memphis.

A large-scale, full-service convention resort positioned for major meetings, business travel, group accommodation, and leisure visits in the Orlando tourism market.

• Hotel accommodation · 1986

  Guest rooms and suites

  The property offers 1,641 rooms following its 2010 expansion. The enlarged inventory supports convention groups, business travelers, families, and leisure visitors seeking a large full-service resort hotel in the International Drive and convention-center district.

• Meetings and events · 1986

  Convention and meeting facilities

  Direct connection to the Orange County Convention Center and the hotel's large-scale infrastructure make meetings, conventions, conferences, and group events a central part of the property's commercial offering.

• Resort amenity · 2010

  Resort pool complex

  Added during the 2010 redevelopment, the resort pool complex broadens the property's appeal beyond convention business by providing leisure-oriented amenities for vacationers and families.

• 2024

  Sell the hotel while retaining operational controlM&A

  Background

  Hyatt sought to monetize the value of the hotel and approximately 45 acres of adjacent land while preserving the property's connection to the Hyatt operating platform.

  Action taken

  Hyatt agreed to sell the hotel and land to RIDA Development Corporation and Ares Management Real Estate, with Hyatt continuing to operate the hotel under a long-term management agreement.

  Aftermath

  The transaction was completed in August 2024. The new owners announced plans for a Grand Hyatt hotel on the adjacent undeveloped land.

  Sale price. $1.07 billion (2024)

  Source

• 2013

  Acquire and rebrand The Peabody OrlandoM&A

  Background

  The large Orlando property represented an opportunity to place a major convention resort within Hyatt's full-service hotel network.

  Action taken

  Hyatt acquired the hotel from UST Hotel Joint Venture Ltd. and renamed it Hyatt Regency Orlando.

  Aftermath

  The property left the Peabody brand and became part of Hyatt Regency's international portfolio.

  Acquisition price. $717 million (August 28, 2013)

  Source

• 2010

  Expand the property into a larger convention resortGeneration change

  Background

  The original hotel had 891 rooms and operated in a convention-heavy Orlando market connected to the Orange County Convention Center.

  Action taken

  The owners undertook a reported $450 million renovation that added a 31-story tower, expanded capacity to 1,641 rooms, and created a resort pool complex.

  Aftermath

  The project more than doubled room capacity and reinforced the property's dual role as a convention hotel and resort.

  Renovation investment. $450 million (2010)

  Source

1. 1Hyatt Regency Orlandoen.wikipedia.org