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In yesterday’s post “Chasing Diamond” I detailed why I had decided to signup for Hyatt’s Diamond Trial. The Trial gives me top tier Diamond status for 60 days. And, if I complete 12 eligible paid nights during that time (and, I will!), I’ll keep Diamond status through February 2015. Please see the prior post for more details.
Yesterday morning I was looking forward to my first Hyatt stay during the Trial when I remembered that suite upgrade awards were made available to all Diamond members, including Trial members. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if these were paper certificates or what. I thought that maybe I would have to wait until they arrived in the mail to use them. Just in case, though, I logged into my Hyatt account, grinned at the words “Diamond Member” above my name, and selected “Account Detail” and then “My Awards”. Sure enough, my suite upgrade awards were there! Here is the detail from the screen:
Your Suite Upgrade Awards are available to use on paid room nights at any participating Hyatt hotel or resort worldwide between now and February 28, 2014. For purposes of this award, a suite provides for one-bedroom accommodations. Suite upgrade award is not valid toward Specialty, Premier, Presidential or Diplomatic Suites.
Awards
Earned: 4
Redeemed: 0
Available: 4
Expiration: 28 Feb 2014
I thought it was awesome that I’d be able to upgrade some or all of my stays during the Diamond Trial, but I was concerned about the Feb 28 expiration. Do I really have only this month to use them? I called the number shown on the screen and was happy to learn that Diamond members get 4 upgrade certificates every year on March 1. So, I would be issued new certificates next month! Awesome!
I then proceeded to try to upgrade all of my upcoming stays. Along the way I learned some important facts:
My Elite Rate is not considered an eligible rate
One of my stays was booked with Hyatt’s new My Elite Rate (20% off the daily rate). The Hyatt representative I spoke with told me that I couldn’t upgrade a room booked with that rate. She told me that AAA and government rates were fine, though. So, I rebooked using the AAA rate at the same hotel, but for a few dollars more, and then applied the upgrade. It occurs to me now that I should have tried to hang up and call again to see if I got a different answer from a different agent…
After publishing this, several readers commented that the My Elite rate is in fact eligible for upgrades. And, Jeanne from HeelsFirstTravel let me know that this was specifically addressed by Hyatt in this Milepoint thread. Specifically, Hyatt Gold Passport Concierge wrote:
MyElite rates will be considered eligible for Gold Passport Points, stay credit, night credit, partner airline miles, M Life tier credits, etc. They also allow the four annual Diamond Suite Upgrade Awards to be applied to them (provided both the rate and the suite in question are available, of course).
It was dumb of me to think that the Diamond Desk associate I spoke with had the right information. I should have double checked before changing my plans!
Availability is based on the type of suite available
For one of my stays, the Hyatt representative told me that the suite upgrade wasn’t available. She elaborated that each hotel can choose specific suite types to be eligible for upgrades and that this hotel (the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort) had only two, and they were taken. Bummer.
You can upgrade future stays
Even though my upgrade certificates expire at the end of this month, I can apply them now to a future stay. As long as I book the stay and apply the upgrade before the upgrade expires, it is good to go. One big caveat: if I have to cancel that stay after Feb 28th, I’ll lose the certificate completely.
Suite Upgrade Awards max out at 7 nights
You can use a single upgrade award to upgrade a stay of up to 7 consecutive nights. If you want to do more than 7 nights I suppose you would have to use multiple upgrade awards. This restriction doesn’t impact me at all based upon my current reservations, but its good to know.
Excluded properties
Hyatt lists a number of excluded properties in the Upgrade Award terms & conditions:
- Hyatt Key West Resort and Spa
- Hyatt Regency Kyoto
- Hyatt Regency Paris-Madeleine
- Hyatt Regency Tulsa
- Hyatt Regency Wichita
- Hyatt Santa Barbara
- Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa
- Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
- Park Hyatt Sydney
- Hyatt House properties
- Hyatt Place properties
- Hyatt Residence Club resorts.
Basic suites only
The terms & conditions insist that the upgrade award is for basic suites only:
For the purpose of this award, a suite provides for standard one-bedroom accommodations. Suite upgrade award is not valid toward Specialty, Premier, Presidential or Diplomatic Suites.
Of course, there’s nothing stopping an individual property from upgrading you further at their discretion, but you certainly can’t bank on it.
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I just upgraded to Diamond using the Hilton Gold Match. But, I did not get the 4 suite upgrades. I called and they rep told me I have to complete the challenge in order to get the upgrades. Does anyone have any advice for me? I’m staying at the Andaz Maui in a couple weeks for my honeymoon and although I’m happy to have Diamond Status, I’d love to have the suite as well. Any help would be great….thanks in advance.
Are you sure you didn’t get the suite upgrades? I never got anything in the mail, the upgrade certificates just appeared in my account.
I kept checking my account but saw nothing so I called and they said I would not receive them for the Diamond trial. So…I emailed and then magically a few hours later they appeared. So persistence…that is the key! Now I get to spend a week at the Andaz Maui in a suite with free breakfast and treated like a Diamond Member! Thanks so much Frequent Miler!!!
Great! I’m glad that worked out
[…] Chasing Diamond: Suite Upgrade Awards […]
What happens if you do not complete the diamond challenge within the 60 days and already used the suite upgrades?
Nothing happens. The suite upgrade awards are yours to use until they expire regardless of whether you complete the challenge
Thanks so much for the post! I’ll be using this in hawaii!
One question. If i were to book a week, say today, for a stay in Sept. 2014 but wait until August 2014 to start the trial, will they still count toward the trial even though I booked them before starting? (The stay will happen while Im in Diamond trial)
Its a dumb question but I want to make sure I do it right. Thanks!
Yes, that would be fine. It doesn’t matter when you book the stay, it just matters when the stay actually happens
I am interested in understanding whether or not Diamond Suite Upgrades are replenished on March 1st for those on a Diamond Challenge. If so, I could theoretically begin the challenge today, apply 4 suite upgrades to future stays by Feb 28th, and be issued 4 new suite upgrades on March 1st which I could apply to future stays.
Seems to me like there are two ideal times to start the challenge, 1) post June 1 if you plan to complete the challenge as this will give you the longest duration as a diamond, 2) within 60 days prior to March 1st so as to have access to two sets of 4 suites upgrades (8 total).
Please let me know if I am mistaken as I plan to apply for the challenge in the next day or two under the impression that this is valid. Thanks!
Yes, they are replenished on March 1. Its funny but the rules you just stated are exactly what I wrote for a post scheduled to be published tomorrow morning.
That’s so funny. When I initially read your post this morning I had yet to read this reply and my first reaction was “wait a second…that was my insight!”
Looks like Hyatt may be getting a bunch of requests the next few days from those who are just in it for the suite upgrades. Hopefully my request doesnt get stuck in the backlog.
I just got a Diamond Challenge approval with my Hilton Gold status even though this isn’t the highest elite level at Hilton. Thank you Frequent Miler for the inspiration! My family and I will be staying at the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica and the 4 of us will enjoy a free buffet every morning for 4 days–that’s worth nearly $800. Frequent Miler, you rock!
Great!
Cash and points are not available for the stay. I can transfer 100,000 UR points to hyatt for 5night award stay or pay $1,000 in cash and use $1,200 cash back from capital one and citi reward total stay is $2,215. Sounds like transferring UR points is the better option? Thanks.
Yes, UR transfer is what I would do with those numbers
[…] Chasing Diamond: Suite Upgrade Awards […]
@Rich You will be paying an extra $200 per night for the stay credit. This is not worth it at all. Have you looked into cash and points for your stay? This will allow you to earn credit towards Diamond Challenge while giving you better value for your UR points.
Help please. I have booked hyatt Maui for 5 nights @ $2,215 inc breakfast. I can pay with 100,000 UR points or pay with $1,200 in cash back rewards, and $1,000 cash and go for 60 day diamond status. Opinions please. Thanks
I’m not clear on how you would pay with 100K UR points? Do you mean that you could switch to an award reservation?
So these upgrades can be applied to any feature stay prior to their expiration date? Any issue with the stay taking place in early 2015?
I’m not aware of any issue with that.
Also running the hyatt challenge with a new consulting project on the road. breakfast has been a step above the other chains
thanks for notifying me about these upgrades, will try to apply on my-elite-rate bookings coming up
Thinking about doing the Diamond Challenge. If I stay a week at a Hyatt…could I buy a room for myself and buy a room my daughter/and husband…..and get 14 nights credit?
I think you’ll only get elite night credit for one room if you do that.
Is cash + points eligible rate for the challenge?
Yes c&p count towards challenge and you can use suite upgrades on those nites also.
I agree with Gerard…I have use a suite upgrade with the my elite rate…the agent was mistaken.