Hyatt Is Buying Hotel Booking Site Mr and Mrs Smith for $66 Million

Hyatt is acquiring UK boutique hotel booking site Mr and Mrs Smith for £53 million — or about $66 million in today's exchange rates at the time of the announcement.

"We believe this planned acquisition will help us appeal to new types of travelers in existing Hyatt destinations and introduce World of Hyatt to new members via access to the curated Mr & Mrs Smith collection," Mark Vondrasek, chief commercial officer of Hyatt, told Skift.

The transaction is anticipated to close in the second quarter, Hyatt said in a statement. If approved, Hyatt plans to add direct booking access to properties within the Mr & Mrs Smith platform through Hyatt’s website and mobile app.

The online specialist, which offers direct booking to hand-picked 1,500 boutique and luxury properties, was founded 20 years ago by husband and wife team Tamara Lohan and James Lohan. The company began life as a travel guide.

"After 20 years building the company, it's hugely exciting to think that a company with such a wealth of resources, experience, and support will be there with me helping to grow the business," sai