Pursuits

A Hyatt Heir Who Thinks Small Is Beautiful

John Pritzker is assembling a portfolio of boutique hotels

John Pritzker collects black-and-white photographs -- and boutique hotelsPhotograph by David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

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By Nadja Brandt

February 17, 2012 at 12:51 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

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This article is part of the February 20, 2012 issue of businessweek.

Jay Pritzker, the late billionaire founder of the Hyatt Hotels chain, made a fortune catering to business travelers—who generally values practical over posh. Hyatts are comfortable, conveniently located, and affordable. One thing they are not is memorable.

John Pritzker, Jay’s 58-year-old son, has spent the past couple of years assembling a collection of 43 boutique hotels, each with a distinct personality. The 125-room Hotel Tomo in San Francisco’s Japantown has an animé theme, complete with whimsical wall murals and a player’s suite for avid video gamers, while the tiny Petite Auberge, located in the city’s downtown, resembles a French country inn. At the newly refurbished Carmel Valley Ranch, guests can take part in a scavenger hunt, while visitors to Silicon Valley’s Hotel Avante will find an “Executive Toy Box” in their room that holds an Etch A Sketch, a Rubik’s Cube, and a Slinky.