Hyatt Files Opposition to Hilton’s Application
Hyatt has filed a formal opposition to Hilton’s application to register “Select by Hilton” as a trademark. The filing went to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, which is part of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Hyatt argues that Hilton’s brand is likely to cause confusion with its own “Select” marks, and that guests could believe the two are connected. It is asking the board to stop the application from moving toward registration.
Hyatt says it built goodwill in its marks through advertising, promotion, and sales, and it dates its rights to around February 2025. Hilton began using “Select by Hilton” in October 2025, about the same time it filed its application.
Two Brands With Different Models
Hyatt launched Hyatt Select in February 2025 as an upper-midscale brand for transient guests. It is built for both new construction and conversions, with hotels ranging from 70 to 200 rooms and a lean operating model. Guests get complimentary breakfast and a 24-hour grab-and-go market. The brand joins Hyatt’s Essentials portfolio and will focus on the Americas before expanding globally.
Hilton announced Select by Hilton in March 2026 as its 27th brand. It works as a collection of established brands that keep their own identity and brand management while gaining access to Hilton Honors and Hilton’s distribution and technology platforms. Yotel is the first brand in the collection, under a franchise agreement, and continues to manage and license its own brand at 23 hotels across 10 countries. Hilton’s chief development officer has described the collection as open only to a very selective list of companies or brands.
Yotel launched in London in 2007 and operates urban hotels in cities such as New York, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Glasgow, and Singapore. Yotel’s goal is to more than triple its portfolio in the coming years. The first Yotel hotels became bookable through Hilton starting July 15.
THP Take
The case is at an early stage, and nothing in the filing seems to say when the board will make their decision. Both brands are already using the “Select” name, so the filing does not change how either one operates today. Opposition proceedings can involve discovery and extensive legal briefing, so the matter may remain open for a while before anything more is known.
Trademark law works on a sliding scale, and where a name is positioned on it affects how much protection it gets. For example, take Amazon, a word with nothing to do with online shopping, which puts it near the strong end. Words like “great,” “premium,” “super,” and “select” are located near the weak end of the scale because they simply say something nice about the service. In hotels, “select” can suggest a carefully chosen, higher-quality stay, which is why it tends to not receive as much attention. So, it will be interesting to see how everything pans out.
For hotel suppliers, the name matters because brand names show up on signage, uniforms, amenities, and printed materials. Anyone quoting branded items for a Select-branded hotel may want to ask the project team how the dispute could affect brand standards and product needs, if at all. It also helps to confirm who owns the brand specifications and who approves any changes before an order is placed. Readers can follow the case through the public filings at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board to see where the case stands and how it moves forward.
