Hyatt Corp. has asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to block Hilton’s application to register Select by Hilton as a trademark, but the case was suspended the day it began so the companies can discuss a settlement, according to the office’s public docket.

Hyatt filed the opposition October 26 with the office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board against Hilton International Holding LLC, which seeks to register Select by Hilton under Serial No. 99448692. The board instituted the proceeding that day and set December 25 as the deadline for Hilton to answer. It then suspended the case after Hyatt filed a motion, to which Hilton consented, to pause it pending settlement negotiations. The latest docket entry does not describe the terms under discussion.

Hyatt’s complaint alleges that Select by Hilton is likely to cause confusion with Hyatt’s existing Select marks, according to Gerben IP, a Washington-based trademark law firm that described the filing in an October 27 blog post. The firm said Hyatt contends it built goodwill in the markets through advertising, promotion and sales, and that its filings reflect a claimed first-use date of around February 2025. Hyatt also argues that consumers could wrongly assume Hilton’s Select hotels are connected to Hyatt, the firm said.

The docket lists three Hyatt filings underlying the challenge: an application for H Hyatt Select, listed as published for opposition; an application for Hyatt Select, listed with a second extension granted; and a registration for Hyatt Select, U.S. Registration No. 8,518,176. 

Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced Hyatt Select on Feb. 25, 2025, as an upper-midscale brand for travelers on short stays, designed to give hotel owners an efficient, cost-effective operating model. Hilton’s trademark application was filed in October 2025, according to Gerben IP and One Mile at a Time. The travel site LoyaltyLobby, which reported on the filing in November 2025, said it covers hotel accommodation services, reservations of temporary accommodation and rental of rooms for meetings and social functions.

Hilton and the hotel company Yotel announced March 19 that Yotel would be the first brand in Select by Hilton. Hilton’s news release said established brands that join will keep “their own identity and brand management” while connecting to the Hilton Honors loyalty program and Hilton’s distribution and technology platforms. Yotel manages 23 hotels in 10 countries, and its rooms were expected to become bookable through Hilton’s channels later in 2026, CoStar reported at the time. Hilton’s release calls Select by Hilton a brand. One Mile at a Time described it as a collection of brands, in contrast to Hyatt Select, a single hotel brand.

Josh Gerben, the law firm’s founder, wrote that the case is “far from a slam dunk for either party.” He said words that suggest quality such as “select” generally receive narrower protection; that the Hilton name within the mark could weigh in the board’s analysis; and that Hyatt’s claimed first use precedes Hilton’s by less than a year, which could make it harder to show that consumers link the word to Hyatt alone. He estimated that a fully contested opposition could cost US$200,000 to US$500,000 or more. Gerben IP is not listed as counsel in the proceeding. The docket lists Alston & Bird for Hilton and Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman for Hyatt.

The board decides only whether a mark may be registered, not whether a company may use it. Trademark rights are also generally territorial, so the proceeding would not decide registrability in Asia, where each national office examines applications under its own law. Hyatt announced May 6 a master franchise agreement giving Huanyue International Holdings (Hainan) Co., a Dossen Group subsidiary, exclusive rights to develop and operate Hyatt Select hotels in China. Public sources reviewed for this report do not show whether Hyatt or Hilton has filed for Select marks in China or elsewhere in Asia.

- Cathy Li