Hyatt Robert Von Dehn

• https://www.nytimes.com/1973/08/01/archives/h-r-von-dehn-is-dead-at...
• https://archive.architecturaldigest.com/article/1961/09/01/residenc...
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71212439/hyatt_robert-von_dehn

Funeral services will be held at 9 a m. Wednesday in the Christian Chapel, Desert Memorial Park for Hyatt Robert von Dehn, 58, of Palm Springs who died at his vacation home in Pebble Beach, California. Saturday of an apparent heart attack.

A resident of Palm Springs for 25 years, he was a member of the Thunderbird Country club. Born in Buffalo, New York. He founded the Hyatt House hotel chain. He was also former assistant vice president of Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company of New York and former president of the Cherry Valley Land and Water Company. He built the first airport hotel and 7,000 housing units for the city of Los Angeles.

NOTE: Hyatt House is now known as Hyatt Hotels Corporation or Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. Hyatt has expanded its footprint through a number of acquisitions, including the acquisition of AmeriSuites (later rebranded Hyatt Place) in 2004, Summerfield Suites (later rebranded Hyatt House) in 2005, Two Roads Hospitality in 2018, Apple Leisure Group in 2021, Dream Hotel Group in 2023 and Standard International in 2024

He leaves his wife and two sons.

Built Airport Hotel

Mr. von Dehn built what was believed to be the world's first airport hotel at Los Angeles International Airport in 1953.

While hotel men at the time thought he was making a mistake, the hotel‐80 rooms and a coffee shop, far from downtown Los Angeles—operated at capacity from opening day and added 70 rooms within a year.

For the next eight years, Mr. von Dehn's 150‐room hotel operated at 98 per cent occupancy, a phenomenal figure for an industry used to regarding 65 per cent or more as “good.