Key Takeaways

Playa Hotels' ( PLYA ) shares surged Monday after the resort operator said it has entered into an agreement to explore a potential acquisition by Hyatt Hotels ( H ).

The sides will discuss "strategic options," including a potential acquisition , and the agreement will last either until a deal has been made, or through Feb. 3, Playa said Monday.

Hyatt Chief Executive Officer Mark Hoplamazian on Monday called Playa a "valuable partner for many years," and said a potential deal could "have compelling strategic merit to add new incremental durable fee streams for Hyatt."

Playa Hotels Runs Resorts in Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic

Playa operates two dozen resorts with more than 8,600 rooms across Mexico, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic, under brands including Hyatt, Hilton ( HLT ), and Wyndham ( WH ). Hyatt operates more than 1,300 hotels across 79 countries.

In its latest earnings call last month, Playa CEO Bruce Wardinski reiterated Playa's belief that there is "tremendous opportunity" for consolidation in the all-inclusive resort industry. When discussing a deal Hyatt had made with another resort company that operates in some of the same markets as Playa, Wardinski said Hyatt was "just really smart strategically" and said the deal likely wouldn't have much impact on Playa's business.

Hyatt shares were nearly 2% lower Monday. Playa shares were up about 28%, pushing them greater than 40% higher on the year.

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