Hyatt hands its 370 Asia-Pacific hotels to Stephen Ho as David Udell steps down after 44 years

On 1 January 2027, Stephen Ho will take charge of Hyatt in Asia-Pacific, a region of 370 hotels. He succeeds David Udell, who joined the group in Singapore in 1982 and was the first general manager of Park Hyatt Tokyo, and who steps down on 31 December 2026 after 44 years with the company. Hyatt announced the change on 2 November 2026 from its Chicago headquarters.

☰Contents

1. Udell, the man who opened Park Hyatt Tokyo
2. Who is Stephen Ho, the new man in charge?
3. 370 hotels, from China to Oceania
4. Up 10.8% outside China, 2.1% in China
5. Phu Quoc, Hakone, Kuala Lumpur: a luxury legacy
6. Andaz Shanghai ITC, open since 3 February 2026

Udell, the man who opened Park Hyatt Tokyo

A 1982 graduate of Cornell’s hotel school, David Udell joined Hyatt that same year as a management trainee in Singapore, at the Hyatt Regency Singapore according to his official biography. After food and beverage management roles in Asia, he became the first general manager of Park Hyatt Tokyo, then ran the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, before postings in Bangkok and Seoul. Senior vice president of operations for Asia-Pacific, then of the group’s global operations centre from 2012, he became president of the region in July 2014.

In that role, he helped expand the Park Hyatt brand across the region and grow the group’s luxury business. Mark Hoplamazian, Hyatt’s chairman and chief executive, praised David Udell’s part in Asia-Pacific’s strong growth, his vision, his relationships with hotel owners and more than four decades of commitment. As a senior adviser, he will mentor the next generation of hospitality leaders and support Hyatt’s luxury ambitions.

Who is Stephen Ho, the new man in charge?

Stephen Ho has more than 40 years of experience in hospitality. Before joining Hyatt in 2018, he was president of Asia-Pacific at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, then CEO of Greater China at Marriott International. At Hyatt, he currently leads Greater China and drives the group’s growth across Asia-Pacific.

In the press release, he says he is honoured to lead the team after David Udell, who laid solid foundations, and promises new opportunities for colleagues, owners, guests and local communities. Hyatt will name his successor as head of Greater China at a later date.

370 hotels, from China to Oceania

The region spans Greater China, East and Southeast Asia, India and Southwest Asia, and Oceania. At the end of 2025, according to the group’s annual report, Hyatt had 370 hotels and around 89,600 rooms there, excluding all-inclusive resorts, out of a worldwide total of more than 1,500 properties in 84 countries.

Up 10.8% outside China, 2.1% in China

RevPAR, or revenue per available room, measures what each room in a hotel earns on average, whether it is occupied or not: it combines the nightly rate and the occupancy rate. In the third quarter of 2026, at comparable hotels, it rose by 10.8% in Asia-Pacific excluding Greater China, the strongest increase of any Hyatt region, against 2.1% in Greater China and 7.2% on average for the group.

Stephen Ho therefore comes from the region’s largest market, but also its least dynamic. In the same quarter, Hyatt’s incentive fees, linked to hotel performance, jumped by 21.9%, driven notably by Asia-Pacific, and the group’s worldwide pipeline stands at around 158,000 rooms.

Phu Quoc, Hakone, Kuala Lumpur: a luxury legacy

In July 2025, Hyatt announced nearly 90 luxury and lifestyle openings in Asia-Pacific over five years. Vietnam’s first Park Hyatt resort, Park Hyatt Phu Quoc, will open on 18 December 2026. In Japan, Alila Sengokuhara Hakone, the country’s first Alila, is expected in 2028 with the Fujita group. In Kuala Lumpur, Park Hyatt occupies the top of the Merdeka 118 tower, and Park Hyatt Tokyo, with its 171 rooms and suites, reopened in late 2025 after a renovation.

Andaz Shanghai ITC, open since 3 February 2026

In Shanghai, Andaz Shanghai ITC has welcomed guests since 3 February 2026, in the Xujiahui district. Hyatt, however, places Andaz in its lifestyle portfolio, not in luxury, which is reserved for Park Hyatt, Alila, Miraval, Impression by Secrets and The Unbound Collection (see the 36 Hyatt brands ranked from luxury to economy).