CHICAGO - July 25, 2001-- Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced today that it is the first hotel company to offer truly interactive online group booking. The new service called e-mmediate meetings(TM) will allow planners to book space, rates and dates for small meetings in real time by using a newly developed booking engine within Hyatt's industry-leading sales automation system -- Envision.

"Among the top priorities of our customers, especially those booking smaller meetings, is speed," said Fred Shea, vice president Sales Operations for Hyatt Hotels Corporation. "This initiative allows them to dramatically reduce the time spent on the front end of the process, so they can move on to more important issues for their company or organization."

This technological breakthrough differs significantly from other meeting planning sites and offers the following features:

• Guest room availability is live and can be booked for groups with less than 100 rooms on peak night. 

• Eligible meetings can be booked up to six months prior to arrival for Hyatts in the U.S., Canada or the Caribbean. 

• Net non-commissionable room rates are quoted online as a result of an interactive availability search. 

• Group room availability search tool allows planners to search by hotel, city, hotel type or region with flexible arrival days and up to a 14-night stay pattern over a wide range of dates. 

• Function space at the requested hotel is searched while online based on the planner's program of events. 

• Food and beverage guideline prices are provided based on event types selected by the planner. 

• Meeting room rental is quoted online for the requested program. 

• Planner receives online acknowledgement of the arrangements and a tracking number. 

• The planner's final specifications are automatically entered into Hyatt's proprietary sales system, Envision, and transmitted to the hotel for immediate follow up. 

• A Hyatt sales representative will finalize arrangements and e-mail a contract within one business day. 

"Although this is an online booking mechanism, it is totally supported by our Hyatt service staff," said Shea. "Our customers can continue to expect the same high level of care we have always delivered. This simply automates those parts of the process that customers would like to see handled more efficiently."
    
There are 203 Hyatt hotels and resorts around the world. Hyatt Hotels Corporation operates 122 hotels and resorts in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.