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As you know, tomorrow the sign up bonus on the Hyatt Credit Card is scheduled to change from 2 free nights at any Hyatt property in the world to 40,000 points after meeting minimum spend. A reader sent a Facebook message suggesting that there could have been a recent change opening up the ability for a family all-inclusive stay with the free night certificates.
In the past, there has been text limiting the free nights to double occupancy at Hyatt Ziva and Zilara properties. The following text was included in the offer details:
Each Free Night Award is valid for use within one year from issuance for one (1) night in any available standard room at any Hyatt Hotel or Resort worldwide or participating M life resorts. Free Night Awards at Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva are based on single or double occupancy only.
This is what I see now under the 2 free nights heading in the terms and conditions:
Each Hyatt Credit Card Free Night Award is valid for use within one (1) year from issuance for one (1) night in any available standard room at any Hyatt hotel or resort worldwide or participating M life resorts. Each Hyatt Credit Card Free Night Award must be redeemed for a reservation with a checkout date before the expiration date of the award. After qualifying, please allow 10 days for your Hyatt Credit Card Free Night Award(s) to post to your World of Hyatt account. For complete terms and conditions of the World of Hyatt program including additional terms applicable to the use of Free Night Awards, see World of Hyatt Terms. Chase is not responsible for offer fulfillment. If your account is not open for at least 3 months, Hyatt and Chase reserve the right to deduct the Hyatt Credit Card Free Night Awards from your World of Hyatt account. Annual fee applies. For pricing details, please see Pricing & Terms.
The text limiting the free nights to single or double occupancy at Ziva and Zilara properties appears to be absent from the offer. Does this mean that you can use the certificates for a family stay at a an all-inclusive resort? Chase does make it clear that they are not responsible for fulfillment, so it’s possible that Hyatt will still limit you to single or double occupancy (or charge a co-pay of some sort) as is normally the case with award stays at the all-inclusives. Still, a good catch.
H/T: Reader Duncan
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Hyatt stingy and greedy on “free”
Were owed several nights
Hyatt stingy and greedy on “free”
For the people that used the 2 free nights signup with 4 (or 5!) adults; did you say 4 people per room when you reserved the room over the phone? Thanks!!
Nick,
On a somewhat different but related note re. booking/staying with kids, I understand based on my online booking tests and follow-up email outreach to a couple of properties that due to a flaw in the online booking process (on the website), one has to contact the property directly if you wanted to make a rez with a young child (4-10), or just make it online WITHOUT adding them, then when you arrive you will pay the small child supplement fee ($50ish). The reason being is if you try and book it on hyatt.com it will calculate the additional price as a full adult. OK, fine…good to know.
But here is my question/issue: during the promotion they regularly run where ‘kids stay free’ for new bookings over certain stay, I made a res. using the AAA rate, which is generally cheaper than any promo rate they run. During the eligible period where the kids stay free promo is running, if you add a child, the AAA is the same as if you didn’t have one…and is the SAME situation at the higher promo rate…e.g. 2 adults is the same price as 2 adults and a child. The reservation confirmation I made with the AAA rate indeed says 2a/1c..outside of the promo time period that same scenario would have a higher price. So it appears to me that the system recognizes that the child is free (during the eligible time periord) regardless of which rate is booked. Needless to say, I want to cancel the higher nightly rate reservation in favor of the AAA one. I just want to make sure they don’t try to add a child supplientary fee upon arrival. But since my reservations clearly states the total number of people, I should be OK, right?
Actually travel 20 times a year . All other chains give same points. So that very much incorrect. Only Hyatt
Shouldn’t matter. All prices the same.. Hyatt gets money. Simple corporate greed..2nd year in a row same swim up SUITE
What I asked Hyatt is even though I booked through an approved Hyatt agency(booking.com) and Hyatt got $7000 for Our stay at Hyatt zilara. They awarded a whopping 5000 points . What a joke… Got email saying g they will being it up to corporate. That’s 40 nights stay at a Hyatt… Corporate RIP off
Bummer — that’s a lot of spend to not earn the points. Unfortunately, bookings through any third party agency (Booking.com, Expedia, Priceline, Travelocity, Hotels.com, etc) usually do not earn points or elite credits or receive elite benefits even if you have status with the chain. That’s standard with most of the chains. These days, it usually makes sense to book direct unless the third party has a significantly reduced rate (and most hotel chains have a best price guarantee, where you could get them to match the lower price if terms are equal). Sometimes there are incentives for booking through third parties (like the one we posted today through Booking.com) where the value might outweigh the points and elite benefits, but it’s usually best to book direct. That said, if you got a big discount by using Booking.com, perhaps you made out better.
I know that doesn’t help you on this one — but hopefully it will the next time around. Certainly don’t hesitate to follow up with Hyatt — I know you spent a lot of money and it’s worth trying to get something even if it’s not within the terms of the program.
We are staying at the Ziva Los Cabos in Oct and got a huge savings by booking through Hyatt and then BRG to a much cheaper Expedia price for the same room category. I know there are horror stories but I found it very easy. 2 adults and 2 kids for < $300 a night! Hoping our elite status gets us something but at least we will have a chance it being recognized and will earn points since we booked direct.
At the Ziva PVR now with 2 adults & a child on the Hyatt CERTs
I never read any fine print but we stayed at the ziva Jamaica in 2015 and the Ziva Puerta Vallarta in 2016. Both times with points 2 adults 2 kids 10-14 and 11&15 each year. Paid no extra.
Is there a secret to booking this? I looked online for December/January – not available except for cash.
I believe you need to call in to reserve award nights at Ziva or Zilara resorts.
Yes, you have to call. Easy to book on the phone
Thanks.
FWIW, we did a stay in 2014 with 2 adults 3 kids, one kid over 12, for 4 nights. They made us pay for the kid over 12…I think $750 for the 4 nights…it was worth it though with as much as a 14 year old boy can eat 🙂
*at the Ziva Los Cabos property
We stayed at Ziva Cancun 2 weeks ago for 4 nights with 9 people (including 1 kid under 2) using 4 card signups. Once we arrived the hotel, the kids knew where to go and ran straight to candy store and I just presented 8 US passports for 2 rooms. No additional charge and no questions asked.
Can you tell how many adults and how many kids?
So I assume you guys got 2 rooms with 2 queen beds?
I’m kinda in a similar situations with 6 adults and 2 kids.
we have 5 adults, 12 yrs old kid, 2 x 4 yrs old kids & 1 kid under 2 yrs old and we got 2 x 2 queen beds. You only need 1 person to check in while others can scout around the hotel. The main person needs to have all passports handy and they will need all people to sign a paper so I just had 1 kid staying besides me and brought the paper outside for others to sign.
Did you book king bed and they switch you to 2 queen?
Its always been that way. AI with sign up cert gets you 2 adults + 2 kids whereas with points you get 2 adults and have to pay additional 10K per night per kid.
Brian is correct. This has been the case for at least 3 years, and is one reason that the 2 free nights offer has been fantastic.
(FWIW, you can also use the 2 free nights for 4 adults, provided you want 4 adults in one room…. based on personal experience)
We used the credit card sign up nights for a 4 night (2 card signups) stay for our family of four at Hyatt Ziva Cancun in March. Children 9 and 11. No issues.