Hyatt has today announced the next evolution in World of Hyatt, with a new award chart set to debut sometime in May (“before the end of May” is as specific as they would be). Hyatt frames this as a set of changes that enable them to keep an award chart and avoid dynamic pricing, but with the introduction of five different pricing levels within each category that enable a range of as much as 40,000 points per night within a single category, it is hard to think of the award chart as being anything but dynamic. Hyatt bundles this news with a couple of small bright spots that, frankly, feel like too little too late to soften the blow of what will, in some cases, be a devastating devaluation.
New World of Hyatt Award Chart debuts in May 2026
The new World of Hyatt Award Chart is set to debut in May 2026. When it does, Hyatt will maintain 8 categories, but will introduce 5 pricing bands within each category — lowest, low, moderate, upper, and super duper peak top. Hyatt provided the chart below that shows the comparison of today’s award chart and the “evolved” award chart debuting in May.
Hyatt gets bonus points for transparency here, not only for announcing these changes 2-3 months in advance but also for providing a simple graphic that owns the change, making it easy to reference and understand the significance of the changes. And, for what it’s worth, they say that when the new chart launches in May, the initial pricing we see should more or less be set for the rest of 2026. If only any of that made the pricing changes sting less.
If we just take the middle column of the charts — today’s “standard” versus the May 2026 “Moderate” price, each category increases by 20% to 37.5%. Ouch. And that’s probably the least painful way to look at things.
The swings within an individual category are absolutely brutal here. A category 8 property may cost as few as 35,000 points per night or as many as 75,000 points per night — a difference of up to 40,000 points per night. To put that in perspective, the price of a Category 8 property starting in May could vary by as much as more than the peak cost of a Category 7 night today. And it means that an individual property could double in award price from its lowest price to a super peak “top” night. That’s insane from an award redemption planning standpoint.
Hyatt explains that they recognize the importance of an award chart to members and say that they wanted very much to maintain an award chart, particularly in a market where other chains have abandoned them, but the pricing swings here tell a different story. While chains like Hilton and Marriott have abandoned official award charts altogether, award pricing at individual properties doesn’t vary by nearly so much at individual properties.
Hyatt’s explanation for the different pricing levels within a category is to make it such that a property that has specific high peaks in demand can avoid needing to move up in category to account for those periods. For instance, imagine a property in a college football town that likely has incredibly high demand during home football game weekends. Today, those peak demand periods might cause a property like that to increase in category, whereas in the new award chart, that property could live within a lower category that may fit the property more appropriately for most of the year, while creating the capacity to account for those brief high peak periods with increased award pricing at those times. I could imagine a similar situation in a market like Las Vegas, where midweek days are priced at the low end of the spectrum, but weekends are priced at the higher levels.
That mirrors the way that pricing varies when using cash….which is more or less the definition of dynamic pricing.
Hyatt insists that pricing won’t be dynamic in the sense of being a constantly moving target, but rather that it will be fairly predictable and not constantly changing as to when properties will be priced toward the upper end of their category spectrum. That is generally good news. In other words, if you take a specific date far in the future — say February 20, 2027 — the award price for a particular property for that date isn’t expected to vary over time. Rather, the award price should more or less be set in advance. It isn’t expected that award pricing will increase or decrease unpredictably over time, but rather that the February 20th date should generally be expected to remain at the same level within the category (assuming awards are available). While that will probably be the case in most situations, I can easily imagine things deviating from expectations in some circumstances. For instance, the moment when a new Taylor Swift tour is announced, I would be shocked if we didn’t see the price of every hotel in a host city move from whatever level at which they had been set to the new “top” level within their category.
To quantify just how much things vary here in dollars and cents, take Category 5 as an example. Based on our Reasonable Redemption Value of 1.8c per point for Hyatt points, a Category 5 award will vary from $270 worth of points per night (15K points at 1.8c per point) to $630 worth of points per night (35K points at 1.8c per point). That. Is. Insanity. Again, while Hyatt tries to frame this as “not dynamic pricing”, I don’t know how you could look at that as anything but incredibly dynamic. We don’t see that kind of variance from any other program.
To put things in perspective, our valuation for Marriott points is 0.76 cents per point. In other words, 1 Hyatt point is worth about 2.37 Marriott points. Multiplied out, that means that 15,000 Hyatt points (the “lowest” Category 5 pricing) are worth roughly 35,000 Marriott points. The swing at Hyatt Category 5 is roughly equivalent to the difference between 35,000 Marriott points and 83,000 Marriott points. I’ve never seen a Marriott property vary by that type of margin from one season to the next. Marriott’s dynamic award pricing simply isn’t nearly as dynamic as this new World of Hyatt award chart. That is really bad news for Hyatt fans. Even if Hyatt points are still worth ~1.8c per point as compared to cash rates, the high end of the spectrum will decrease the upside of outsized value.
Hyatt was asked whether there will be a commensurate opportunity to earn more points, such as for paid nights, to keep those higher-end properties within reach. They are “looking at many different things” made possible by the new award chart, but no word yet as to enhanced earn, just increased burn.
Hyatt does not guarantee that properties will have any nights at the low end of their category
Disappointingly, there does not appear to be any limit as to how many nights per year can be priced at the top end of a category spectrum, nor does Hyatt guarantee that any minimum number of nights will be priced at the lower levels.
I interpret that to mean that properties in year-round markets, like Hawaii, will likely be priced at the upper end of category levels almost all the time.
To be fair, I fully expect that there will be properties that live closer to the low end of the spectrum for most of the year. The college football example is a perfect one to illustrate that: there are numerous “football towns” that wouldn’t be top tourist destinations for 80-90% of the year, but which see a sudden spike in demand for home game weekends. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of those properties live near the bottom of their categories for most of the year. And there probably will be value to be had there during most of the year, just as there sometimes is at the “off-peak” level today. Unfortunately, given the relative rarity with which I see off-peak pricing at properties where I am actively excited to stay today, I don’t have a lot of hope to see nights priced at those lower levels at aspirational properties in the future.
It is disappointing that Hyatt neither caps the number of super peak nights per year, nor guarantees a minimum set number of “lowest” nights per year.
Free night certificates and upgrade awards not affected
Good news for those with Free Night Certificates and upgrade awards, as those will not be affected by these award chart changes. That is to say that Category 1-4 free night certificates and Category 1-7 free night certificates will continue to be valid at their top category even when the new “Top” pricing is in effect. Suite upgrades will still be valid when a standard suite is available, even when it is at top pricing.
By some measure, that increases the potential value of a free night certificate in terms of the number of points it can save you, and it makes those certificates incredibly valuable during those peak demand periods that would otherwise require parting with many more points (or a lot of cash), particularly if the new chart keeps some of those properties within the Category 4 and 7 levels.
Almost all of the award charts (including the all-inclusive and Miraval charts) get the same treatment
Sadly, this same treatment gets applied nearly across the board. Here is the new chart information for Hyatt all-inclusive properties:
To pull out a single example, a Category E property today costs 45,000 points per night when peak-priced. Under the new chart, the top level will be 75,000 points per night. That is a 67% increase at peak pricing. That’s eye-watering. At the time of writing, we haven’t yet seen the increase in price for additional guests in the room beyond two, but assuming a similar 67% increase in price (which is what we expect), a single peak night for a family of four will increase in award price from 91,000 points per night (45K for double occupancy + 23K per additional person) to almost 152,000 points per night.
And here is the new chart for Miraval properties:
The changes to both charts are similarly brutal to the general award charts. There isn’t much to add here other than “ouch”.
Paid night upgrades unaffected
One small bright spot here is that the cost of upgrading paid nights will not increase.
Hyatt has a separate lesser-discussed chart for upgrading paid nights. It is possible to upgrade a paid night to a club room for 3,000 points per night, a standard suite for 6,000 points per night, or a premium suite for 9,000 points per night.
Unfortunately, those awards are not always available. However, when they are, they could present incredible value in the new chart, where suites can cost an astronomically high number of points, if a property has an otherwise reasonable cash rate.
Category changes coming in April 2026, but 7 properties change without notice today
We are told to expect new Hyatt category changes in April 2026. However, 7 properties have changed in price without prior notice, effective today.
Those properties include five that move up one category:
- Andaz Pattaya Jomtien Beach
- Hyatt Centric Malta
- Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort
- Hyatt Place San Antionio-Northwest/Medical Center
- Grand Hyatt Incheon
One hotel increases two categories without notice today:
- Grand Hyatt Grand Cayment Resort & Spa, opening in 2026
One hotel shifts down one category:
- The Barnett, part of jdV by Hyatt
I have long appreciated the advance notice Hyatt provides of category changes each year. While this is a very limited list, I nevertheless hate no-notice category increases.
The good news is that we have a couple of months to book most properties at current rates before new category changes happen in April and the new award chart debuts in May.
As always, award reservations at pre-existing levels will be honored, and if a property decreases in award price, members should expect an automatic refund of the difference.
Elites and cardholders will get an expanded booking window
In addition to the new award charts, Hyatt also announced a couple of changes expected to come later this year. One of those changes is that Explorist and Globalist members, as well as World of Hyatt credit card holders, will be getting a 1-month head start on award booking. Whereas general members can book awards 12 months in advance, Explorists and above,e and cardholders will be able to book awards as far as 13 months in advance.
I think that’s a really smart incentive to offer, and I’m frankly surprised that other programs haven’t implemented something similar. It’s a great incentive for a member to either be loyal or get the credit card, and it is a meaningful benefit for members that doesn’t pose any real cost to Hyatt. This will theoretically make it a little easier for Hyatt loyalists to scoop up award availability at properties that are otherwise hard to find available, so long as a member is able to plan far in advance. Were it not for the big award chart changes, this is an incentive that would feel more exciting for Hyatt regulars.
We don’t yet know when this will launch, but it is expected to happen this year.
Hyatt will finally introduce digital points sharing, but don’t expect instant transfers
One really nice thing about Hyatt is that members can share points. There isn’t a hard cap on the number of points that can be transferred from one member to another, and Hyatt does not charge a fee. A member can only transfer points out or receive points one time every 30 days (either type of transaction locks you out of moving points for 30 days).
The key limitation of this process is that Hyatt requires the submission of a paper form signed by both parties: one has to print, fill out, and sign a form, and then fax it or email it to Hyatt and wait. Sometimes, the transfer takes a few days. Sometimes, it can take a week or more. It is a slow, antiquated process.
The good news is that Hyatt will digitize this process in 2026. We don’t yet know when this will launch, but it will be possible to move points online at some time this year.
Unfortunately, we don’t yet have additional details. When specifically asked whether transfers will be instant so that a spouse without status could transfer points to the spouse with status and immediately book an award, Hyatt sidestepped the question, noting that they are working out the details. We’ll see when this launches, but I’m not convinced that we should expect instant transfers. Hopefully, Hyatt underpromises and overdelivers here.
Will Mr. & Mrs. Smith join the new award chart?
Given the incredible pricing range of the new award chart, I specifically asked whether this would allow Hyatt to finally incorporate Mr. & Mrs. Smith in the award chart. Hyatt’s response indicated to me that we definitely shouldn’t expect that at launch, but that it is something at least under consideration.
I have no information to suggest this is the case, but I wonder whether Mr. & Mrs. Smith has been something of an experiment to gauge the reaction of making multiple room types available at different redemption levels. Whether they continue on that path or eventually move those properties to this new award chart might just depend on what the member reaction has been to the pricing methodology.
Bottom line
World of Hyatt has announced a huge overhaul of its award charts today, with prices set to vary by a large margin within each category. Hyatt frames this as making its award chart sustainable for years to come and is careful to set the expectation that points will continue to maintain their high value, though with some properties set to swing in price by as much as 40,000 points per night during periods of peak demand, it is impossible to see this as anything but a devaluation. Perhaps this chart makes it possible for more properties to continue to live within Categories 4 or 7, which could maintain good value for free night certificate holders, but there is no doubt that the most aspirational properties are going to see huge price increases in the long-run. Expect price changes to be moderate in 2026, but from 2027 and beyond, it looks like you’re going to need a lot more Hyatt points for those high-end stays. Hyatt points will probably still be much more valuable than Marriott or Hilton points when compared to prevailing cash rates, but they will no doubt have much less upside than they have historically had with a tighter award chart.
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No more Chase SUBs for business cards? Hyatt major devaluation? Already in place Amex and Capital One limited SUBs? Every other hotel and airline doing this every year?
Is this really worth it anymore? The windows of opportunities are closing more and more.
Yes, there are still ways to save on travel out there. But as a family man who only travels a couple of times a year (and can only do so during peak times like every other family), this game is getting tougher and tougher to keep up.
Sorry if I missed this in another post or comment… Any word on whether this will increase room availability with points? Lack of points booking availability is a big issue for me currently when trying to book aspirational properties or peak dates. Hopefully that will be a silver lining here?
Hyatt Centric Malta goes up a category — thanks, Greg for talking about it and killing the deal! (JK)
Thanks for the update.
Just a side note on CPP. I’m sure others have said as much, but I’ve long felt that we need to be careful in how we value CPP. To give an extreme example to make a point, a room that is a bad option shouldn’t be viewed as any more desirable just because a hotel jacks up its cash price while leaving its points price unchanged. A bad option at $0.01 CPP is not suddenly even marginally a more desirable option if they jack up the cash price and it’s suddenly $0.05 CPP. CPP can just be a measure of how over-inflated cash prices are, in ways that don’t in any way correspond to experiential value of that property.
I realize this is sort of obvious. And it doesn’t really have anything to do with the Hyatt post above. (Just the brief talk of CPP triggered my comment here.) But, I often feel people get too caught up with CPP as if it’s a reflection of experiential value. An experientially superior 10K option at $0.01 CPP is a much better option than an experientially inferior 10K option at $0.05 CPP, $0.10 CPP, or even a fantasy $1/pt, it seems to me.
Absolutely true. We do it for the perceived value in the option and that varies for each of us. For an Instagrammer who wants pictures, an inferior stay at 5cpp may be valuable to build business eyeballs.
For us also how we accurately value a points cost is also important
I go to Staples and get visa cards @ 5x = 200$ it is not truly free as I can’t use it in my bank account at once.
When I spend it at utilities, I lose 2.75$ fees and lost the cash back from using another card = $5.25 = $7.8/1000 points
If I use the card at Costco, (I have a BofA CCR card that gives 2×1.75) I lose 7$ at least.
Same is true of SUB – the points cost varies from 0.15c to 0.7c at times
None of my points are “Free” and my valuation of my cost and my valuation of my benefits (not just blind CPP) have to make sense and not be full of false assumptions
All we are saying is that by jacking up rates, Hyatt has changed the equation for many of us based on how we get points and cash back may be the best option for heavy spenders instead of points. For heavy churners, one can still eke out some value to an extent
Yup, totally agree that “by jacking up rates, Hyatt has changed the equation for many”. That applies to me, too, given that I’ve certainly been a Hyatt regular via Chase UR transfers.
My comment on CPP was more a tangential aside, rather than a direct response to the original post. It’s something I’ve been meaning to write every time I hear folks talk about CPP with an implicit questionable assumption that high CPP = great value. The more I think about it, the less I’m convinced CPP has any real importance at all, beyond the purely psychological lift I mentioned in my original comment. (Well, that and at least not booking for less than the rate at which you could cash out those points.)
Nothing beats a 2.625c cash back card
Here’s another perspective on the brutal devaluation of Hyatt points.
That math is all wrong. If you value Hyatt points at 1.8 cents each, then you must value Marriott points at 0.80cent each. That is because programmatically, a Hyatt Globalist earns 10.5 Hyatt points per eligible $ spent at Hyatt hotels, whereas a Marriott Plat and above earn 23.5 Marriott points per eligible $ spent at Marriott hotels (points from each program’s co-branded credit included)
Because 1$ = 1$
10.5 Hyatt points = 23.5 Marriott points
or
1 Hyatt point = 2.24 Marriott points
Dividing both sides by 2.24 Marriott point, we get:
(1 Hyatt point)/ (2.24 Marriott points) = 1 (one!)
The ratio above is known as unit factor or conversion ratio, because it allows one to convert, in this case, Hyatt points to Marriott points and vice versa.
So, if you value Hyatt points at 1.8cents each, then that is equivalent to
1.8cents/Hyatt point * (1 Hyatt point)/(2.24 Marriott points) = 0.80cent/Marriott point.
That is right
1.8 cents/Hyatt point = 0.8 cent/Marriott point
or
(1.8 cents/Hyatt point)/ (0.8 cent/Marriott point) = 1 (one!)
It means that 1.8 cents/Hyatt point are worth exactly the same as 0.8 cent/Marriott point
You value Hyatt points at 1.8 cents each and Marriott points at 0.76cent each, which is close to my estimate 0.8cent.
Therefore, you own math show that 1.8 cents/Hyatt point are worth about the same as 0.76cent/Marriott point and not 2.37 times!
If you repeat the simple but rigorous math I just did above with all the other programs you will see that Hyatt, IHG, Marriott and Hilton points are worth exactly the same. My own valuations are:
1.5cents/Hyatt point = 0.53cent/IHG point = 0.68 cent/Marriott point = 0.5cent/Hilton point
No, you are thinking in terms of cents and dropping the denominators (i.e. points denominations) and coming up with
(1.5cents/Hyatt point)/(0.5cent/Hilton point) = 3
but the correct math is
(1.5cents/Hyatt point)/(0.5cent/Hilton point) = 1 (one!)
Hyatt points and Hilton points and Marriott points and IHG points are worth exactly the same regardless of how you value them.
BTW, I agree with you that for all practical purposes, World of Hyatt is gone ‘dynamic’. The award charts are now just a fig leave or worse…
G’day!
Nick’s math isn’t incorrect. Your calculations are based on the earning of Hyatt and Marriott points on paid stays. The valuation of points that Nick is referring to relates to the value obtained when redeeming the points; the cost of acquisition is therefore a completely different factor.
My valuations are objective because they are based on how loyalty programs are designed to work. The calculations I did for Hyatt and Marriott also work for all the programs that I have modeled, which were Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott and now-defunct Radisson Rewards. Do the simple math to convince yourself.
The short if it is that my approach is analytical and the math is exact, while Nick’s valuations depend on his subjective and limited sampling. Nevertheless, if he were to do an infinite number of redemptions and then averaged the resulting redemption values, his valuations, which are too high for Hyatt, Marriott and IHG and too low for Hilton, would approach my analytically-derived values. Guaranteed.
Another key point is that Nick, like everyone else, is wrong in claiming that a Hyatt point worth more than any other hotel points currency, simply because its value in cents/point is higher. As I showed using Nick’s own valuation and my correct math, the reality is that points currencies of the major hotel loyalty programs are all worth exactly the same.
G’day!
Points currencies of the major hotel loyalty programs are all worth exactly the same? This is definitely an “agree to disagree” situation.
For you, but not in the real world where the statement is true, unless you care to prove it wrong…
I agree that the acquisition cost is the real value. If I can’t get the room for 15k points, I will just pay cash for 200$ and stay at any other hotel so redemption values are always suspect.
On the other hand when I choose to get a Hyatt point, I am giving up cash back on cards
Doesn’t this assume the only way to acquire hotel points is by paying for hotel stays? They can be acquired via other means. It also seems to assume that all hotels are fungible and so there is no intrinsic value in one hotel over another so that subbing in a cheaper hotel is an equivalent option.
No, the approach does modeling that is consistent across all programs based how hotel loyalty is designed to work and is, thus, generalizable. Importantly, the primary determinant of the value of points of a hotel program is the base earn rate of top elite in that program, including bonus points from the program’s co-branded credit card. If you care, I just provided a brief but incontrovertible mathematical proof of the validity of my modeling. Including random sources of points like transferable points, points from promos, purchasable points, etc, can favor one program or another, but makes the model less general and subjective.
Cheers!
I get my points mostly from spend on CC and SUB. That is the basis of my calculation of acqiusition cost
My usual math is SUB points cost me 0.5c average (over hundreds of cards for large family factoring in annual fees and lost cash back). My points from spend cost me 2.625c (divided by number of points I get per $spend due to BofA) (used to be 1c, then 1.5 then 2c as cash back cards became more generous. Overall a bit below 1c.
I dont get Chase UR from regular spend – I go to Staples and do 5x on cards – even that has a cost – Fee free cards have to be liquidated and lose value there 2.75$ for utilities and lost cash back from spend = 0.7c each in cost
I know value – PH Tokyo for 30-35k = <300$ with free breakfast for family is GREAT value; when it hits 75k = 750$, I will go to the Hilton Shinjuku next door on cheaper points or pay cash for another hotel a few doors down.
Hotels rebate points on cash stays- that varies between chains – can be 10-15% cash back in points when done right – again Hyatt is not the best there is for that.
Airlines – I use points for business class for value too
He said, “G’day”, was hoping that meant he was done
Not to worry. With such a childish reaction to my presence, I do not intend to make this my hang out. I now post only in forums where I can tune out (block) anyone I do not wish to interact with (and they can, of course, tune me out as well). That’s a promise.
G’DAY!
Petulant, pedantic, and puerile but still almost always wrong: Good old DCS. He’s become even more childish, proving that’s possible, and the chance to gloat over a massive devaluation by Hyatt is too much for anyone like him to ignore. As proof he claims to only interact on mediums where he can ignore sensible people. What kind of supposed adult does such things? It’s the equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and loudly saying “Lalalalalalala…”.
LOL, I just cancelled my Hyatt Visa last month because I wasn’t getting value out of the free-night cert. Now it’s worth up to 25K (but I bet they “promote” a ton of properties from cat 4 to 5).
RIP. It was good while it lasted.
My plan is
1) to burn Hyatt points before the changes land. I am planning a trip to Hawaii with my extended family in January 2027, and will book 4 nights for 4 families using points before the changes, be a hero for saving their money, and make great memories with them, and move on 🙂
2) Apply cards for sign up bonus, burn, and move on. Rather than collecting transferrable points for organic spending, it would be better to get 4-5% cash back and use that for traveling. As a family of four with two toddlers, I don’t get elevated value from airlines either as we prioritize nonstop (or max 1 stop) economy flights and we fly only once or twice a year.
3) then with AI and the unprecedented changes that will happen across industries around the world, the credit card industry is said to go down first, as they rely on “friction” that can be eliminated easily using cryptocurrency exchanges. Then I will just look back and think about good times I had on trips with my family and friends that credit card points helped me to afford.
without Hyatts award chart Ultimate Rewards points are less valuable. My CSR and relationship with Chase took a major hit today, not just Hyatts award chart….
Hyatt award pricing now seems even more dynamic than Hilton’s in many cases. A Hilton property often doesn’t have that many levels of pricing throughout the year.
At the risk of being deemed sacrilegious in the points and miles community, I have frankly always felt that people WAY overvalued Hyatt. I would often see people who acted like they only transferred UR to Hyatt, and, with the Bilt meltdown, there were plenty saying they were going to immediately transfer their Bilt points to Hyatt.
I have struggled to get decent cpp value out of Hyatt where I travel. In Bangkok, for example, I would be lucky to get 1.5 cpp given the cash rates. Now, it’s going to be even harder.
As for status, Globalist may be great but everything below it is crap.
In any event, I’ll be earmarking my UR/Bilt to long haul travel opportunities.
well youre definitely right with the first part, most beginners on instagram/reddit/etc. definitely over focus on Hyatt at the expense of other opportunities. It’s like it’s the only one they can understand easily so they just laser focus on it.
However, you cant deny the value Hyatt has traditionally offered. I believe your example about Bangkok but that’s one datapoint. For a larger set of data, I’ve redeemed 605,000 points over the past 4 years and averaged 2.41cpp (range of low to mid to high end properties). Pretty incredible value. All good things must end!
Yeah I didn’t really have to even try to get redemption at 2 cpp +. 13 mo out during the week after Christmas or spring break was easy to snag and hotels are high priced those weeks. Which is probably why they’re nuking their chart.
Yep – I just got great value at the very same hotel in Bangkok where I usually struggle because it was a last minute booking right around Chinese New Year – got almost 3 cpp. The rates there are typically 1.5 cpp or less.
Andaz in Na Jomtien was a great value using points, but they bumped it up to category 5 as part of these changes.
Case in point- this weekend I booked the Hyatt Union Square for three nights during spring break. Cash value: $2945. Points used: 75k. That’s almost 4 cpp at a nightly rate I could never afford otherwise.
I think the mistake is thinking that “others” (whichever side of the fence you’re on) are “wrong”. The truth is that no program makes sense for everyone. And in some cases, none of them do. Bangkok is a great example of a market where luxury hotels are so cheap that you’re not going to find outsized value with any lodging points. For that type of use case, I wouldn’t expect you’ll be wowed by any points.
The bottom line for Hyatt is that whether or not it is a program that has worked for you, the *median* value of points (the middle point, above which 50% of redemptions exist and below which 50% of redemptions exist) is 1.8cpp. That’s just far beyond what you’ll find with other hotel programs. If your travel patterns happen to take you to places with the lower 50% of redemptions, I wouldn’t expect you to value Hyatt. At the same time, it isn’t hard to imagine that there are many people whose travels mainly take them to places in the upper 50% of redemptions, where Hyatt is far and away the most valuable hotel currency. Again, that shouldn’t affect *your* desire to have Hyatt points — but the idea that they are overvalued ignores half of the redemptions in the Hyatt portfolio.
As for status, I don’t think you’ll find anyone extolling the virtues of anything but Globalist — you are of course right that the other levels aren’t worth much, and that is a fact that I’ve never heard disputed. I do like the guaranteed 2pm late checkout for Explorists and the ability to earn club awards at 20 nights — based solely upon stays, I’m not sure that any other program is any more compelling at 30 nights than Hyatt is, but programs like Hilton and Marriott make it far easier to get meaningful status with a credit card. 40 nights or more is certainly the goal with Hyatt, though meaningful status with any other chain would require that many nights or more also, if not for a credit card.
any international member without access to usa cc, it’s either buying points for awards or cash stay most of the time. it’s poor value for both in the parts of asia i traveled. bangkok is only but one of such areas. the vast price premium over other comparable properties made cash stay a non-starter. buying points, which price increased unannounced early last year, for awards almost always resulted in cpp less than point buying price (not to mention when against those cheaper yet comparable properties). hyatt is not the top 2 most popular (utilized/maximized) program in these necks of the woods for valid reasons. after this change, probably 4th or not even.
This is a complete disaster. RIP Hyatt, held out the longest.
OMG. This is brutal, but very timely. My WOH Business Card is up for renewal this month, and they have no retention offers for me. I was using it to bridge the gap to Globalist for the past couple of years, but I don’t see the point now since redemption rates are skyrocketing, but there is no real meaningful way to increase my points balance for redemptions. And if I will have to use cash to pay for Hyatt stays and use my Globalist benefits, I might as well go free agent or use Hyatt Prive rates to get most of the Globalist benefits anyway.
Definitely considering canceling the Business Card in the next few days.
I’m only going to be a few stays short of Globalist this year so I’m going to do it but now I’ll need to seriously reconsider my future with Hyatt.
They’ve already been ignoring the hotels that make being a Globalist worthwhile in favor of pricey all-inclusive hotels and limited service properties, which offer limited elite benefits. Now this?