World of Hyatt Complete Guide

103

World of Hyatt is, by far, my favorite hotel loyalty program.  Points are easy to earn, largely through their partnership with Chase, and Hyatt’s generous award chart makes it possible to get huge value from those points.  One sore spot is that the program offers relatively few perks with their mid-tier elite status.  However, those who earn enough nights to reach the coveted top-tier status get access to the best perks around: free suite upgrades at the time of booking, free parking on award stays, no resort fees, etc.

If you have any of the Chase Ultimate Rewards cards that allow point transfers to partners (such as Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, Ink Business Plus) or if you earn points through Bilt Rewards (which also offers 1 to 1 transfers to Hyatt), I recommend getting to know the World of Hyatt program.  While it’s possible for Sapphire Reserve cardholders to get 1.5 cents per point value by booking stays with points through the Chase travel portal, you’ll often do better by transferring your points to Hyatt and booking an award stay.  Hyatt award prices often give you much better than 1.5 cents per point value.

a table with food and a glass of water

Award charts

Free Night Awards

The following chart shows current point prices for free nights.  Resort fees and destination fees are waived when you book a stay with points and/or free night certificates.

Award prices shown above for all-inclusive brands are for up to 2 people per room.  Hyatt charges more for additional guests, as follows:

a screenshot of a hotel room

Points + Cash Awards

If you don’t have enough points for an award stay, you can choose instead to book Points + Cash.  The points rate for Points + Cash awards is exactly half the points required for regular free night awards.  The cash component is 50% to 70% off the standard cash rate.  Hyatt has not explained under what circumstances they offer more than 50% off.

Poor Value (Usually)

In my opinion, Hyatt’s Points + Cash Awards are usually a bad deal.  In general, point awards offer the best value when cash prices are high; and cash bookings offer the best value when cash prices are low.  Points + Cash strikes a middle-ground where you’ll generally get less value than by paying all in points or all in cash.  Of course if you are short on points, these awards can still make sense, especially when the cash rate is 70% off.

Good Value Suites (Sometimes)

Sometimes I’ve seen properties charge the cash component based on 50% of the cost of a standard room even when booking a suite or premium suite.  When this happens, point+cash awards can offer good value, especially when the cash rate for a suite is disproportionately larger than the rate for a standard room.

Resort Fees not Waived

Hyatt waives resort and destination fees for rooms booked entirely with points or free night certificates.  Points + Cash awards, though, are treated like paid nights and so those fees are not waived (except as a standard benefit of top-tier Globalist status).

Mr and Mrs Smith

a heart shaped sign over a house overlooking a body of water
Post Ranch Inn, a Mr and Mrs Smith property

Last June, Hyatt purchased Mr and Mrs Smith (MMS), a hotel booking platform that specializes in boutique hotels. It’s effectively like a luxury hotel travel agency. Properties bookable through Mr & Mrs Smith can also be reserved via other channels and sometimes through similar platforms like Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Preferred Hotels, etc.

There was a lot of excitement when Hyatt first announced this purchase as folks imagined that it effectively be a bigger and better version of Hyatt’s previous partnership with SLH. Unfortunately we were wrong. Really wrong.

There are currently over 700 Mr & Mrs Smith properties available to book via World of Hyatt and that number will continue to increase. Hyatt has promised that all room categories will be bookable via World of Hyatt, we’re only seeing base rooms so far. Although properties involved are stellar, the value of booking through Hyatt is underwhelming, to say the least. Here’s why:

  • Hyatt is dynamically pricing these awards instead of relying on an award chart like they do with their other non-vacation rental brands. We have seen per point values ranging from 0.96 to 1.4 cents per point. That’s awful for Hyatt points.
  • Free night awards cannot be used to book Mr & Mrs Smith hotels.
  • When Hyatt previously partnered with Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), every Hyatt member who booked through Hyatt qualified for free breakfast, a complementary room upgrade (if available), and more. Similar benefits are not promised with Mr & Mrs Smith bookings. In fact, the only promised elite benefit is an upgrade for Hyatt Globalist members…based on availability.

Hyatt members who book Mr & Mrs Smith properties through Hyatt do qualify for some benefits, including:

  • 5 base points per dollar on paid stays (same as regular Hyatt stays)
  • Earn elite bonus points (same as regular Hyatt stays)
  • Earn elite qualifying nights
  • Mr & Mrs Smith counts as a brand towards Hyatt’s Brand Explorer
  • World of Hyatt credit card members earn 4 points per dollar on Mr & Mrs Smith paid stays.

Free Night Certificates

Free night certificates can be earned through the World of Hyatt credit card, through Milestone Rewards, Hyatt’s 5-Brand Free Night Award, etc.

Book free night certificates online

Once a free night award is in your Hyatt account, you can book a free night by searching Hyatt.com for a stay using points:

Searching World of Hyatt Hotels

Then, simply click “Book Now” under “Free Night”:

Booking World of Hyatt Hotels

Another way to book free night certificates is by searching for a paid stay and clicking “Pay My Way” to apply free night certificates and/or points to some or all of the nights.

5-Brand Free Night Award (Brand Explorer)

World of Hyatt members earn a Free Night Award each time they complete stays at 5 new (to them) Hyatt brands.  This is not an annual benefit, but a lifetime member benefit.  For example, you can stay at 2 different brands in one year and then 3 additional brands in a later year in order to earn a free night.

  • Number of possible free night awards: 6 (at the time of this writing there are 30 qualifying brands)
  • Free night award details:
    • Valid for one night at any category 1-4 Hyatt (including during peak rates)
    • Valid for 12 months from issue
  • Do award stays count? Yes

Pay My Way

a screenshot of a hotel

Hyatt conveniently lets you book a single stay online with any combination of points, points+cash, free night certificates, or cash rates.  To find this option, you must search for a paid stay even if you intend to book entirely with points and free night certificates.  In the search results for a paid stay, you should see a link titled “Use Pay My Way”.  Click that link to proceed.

a screenshot of a bed

World of Hyatt Club Upgrades

World of Hyatt Club Lounge: Hyatt Regency Maui
Hyatt Regency Maui Club Lounge

Not all Hyatt hotels have club lounges, but they are available in many Hyatt Regency and Grand Hyatt hotels. Club lounges usually include free breakfast, late afternoon canapés & drinks, and evening desserts. While you can always pay more (in cash or points) to book a room that includes club access, there are several ways to get upgraded to club access instead:

  • Globalist elite status: Those with top-tier Globalist status automatically get free club access on every stay.
  • Guest of Honor award: If your stay was booked as a Guest of Honor reward, then you are eligible for all Globalist benefits during your stay, including free club access.
  • Club Lounge Access Awards: Through Hyatt’s Milestone Rewards (starting at 20 nights), it’s possible to earn Club Lounge Access Awards. On any paid or points-award stay, you can apply a Club Access Award to be upgraded to club access for the entire length of your stay (up to 7 nights). Club Access awards can be gifted to other World of Hyatt members. Note that you cannot apply a lounge access award to a night booked with a free night certificate.
  • Club Upgrade Awards on Paid Nights: On qualifying paid rates, it’s possible to upgrade to club lounge access by paying 3,000 points per night.

Before upgrading or paying extra for club access, I recommend contacting the hotel to find out if the lounge will be open and offering full service during your stay.  Unfortunately, Hyatt rarely makes this information readily available online.

World of Hyatt Suite Upgrades

World of Hyatt Suite Upgrades: Ventana Big Sur
My wife and I once stayed at Ventana Big Sur as a Guest of Honor of a Globalist member.  We had booked a standard room, but we were upgraded to this enormous premium Vista Hot Tub Suite.

If you want to stay in a suite, but you don’t want to pay full price for it (in cash or points), you may be able to get an upgrade instead. Hyatt hotels often have standard suites and premium suites.  Most of the following options apply only to upgrades to standard suites, except where noted.

Here are your options…

  • Globalist elite status: Those with top-tier Globalist status are automatically eligible for suite upgrades at check-in, based on availability.  While upgrades to standard suites are most common, it’s not unusual to snag a premium suite upgrade now and then.
  • Guest of Honor award: If your reservation was booked as a Guest of Honor reward, then you are eligible for all Globalist benefits during your stay, including free suite upgrades at check-in, based on availability.
  • Suite Upgrade Awards: Through Hyatt’s Milestone Rewards, it’s possible to earn Suite Upgrade Awards (starting at 50 nights currently, 40 nights in 2024 and on).  On any paid or points-award stay, you can apply a Suite Upgrade Award to be upgraded to a suite for the entire length of your stay.  One upgrade award can be used for a stay of up to 7 nights. Suite Upgrade Awards can be applied as early as the time of booking.  To apply a suite upgrade award, a standard suite must be available for the entire length of your stay. Suite Upgrade Awards will be able to be gifted to another World of Hyatt member. Note that you cannot apply a suite upgrade award to a night booked with a free night certificate.
  • Suite Upgrade on Paid Nights: On qualifying paid rates, it’s possible to upgrade to a suite using points.  At non-resort hotels, the qualifying paid rate is for a standard room. At resorts, the qualifying paid rate is for a deluxe room.  This option can offer amazing value when the price of a suite is far higher than the price of a standard or deluxe room.
    • Suite Upgrade: 6,000 points per night
    • Premium Suite Upgrade: 9,000 points per night

Elite status

Like most other hotel chains, Hyatt offers multiple levels of elite status.  In general, only top-tier Globalist status is particularly rewarding.  To make up for that, Hyatt also offers Milestone Rewards where you can earn valuable perks starting with 20 nights in a calendar year.

Elite status overview

Elite Status Level Requirements Per Year Key Benefits
Member Free to Join Member rates
Waived resort fees on award stays
SLH Benefits
5-Brand Free Night Award
Discoverist 10 Nights
or 25K base points
10% point bonus
Free Premium Internet
Elite check-in
Free bottled water
2PM late check-out
Earn Hyatt points w/ AA spend
Explorist 30 Nights
or 50K base points
20% point bonus
Room Upgrade
Fast track to AA elite status
Globalist 60 Nights
or 100K base points
30% point bonus
Waived resort fees on all stays
Room upgrade, including suites
4PM late check-out
Club access or free breakfast
Free parking on award stays
Book awards w/ insufficient points
Lifetime Globalist 1,000,000 Base Points All of the above
 

The chart above shows the requirements to reach each level of elite status as well as the major perks that each level offers above and beyond the lower status levels.

The benefits that I consider most valuable are these:

  • All Members
    • Waived resort fees on award stays: This is an awesome feature of the World of Hyatt program and it applies to all members.
    • SLH Benefits: All Hyatt members who book SLH (Small Luxury Hotels of the World) stays though Hyatt automatically get elite-like benefits during their stay: free breakfast, potential room upgrade, etc.  See the SLH section of this guide for details.
  • Discoverist (and higher)
    • 2 PM Late Checkout (not guaranteed at resorts)
  • Explorist (and higher)
    • Room upgrade: Explorists don’t qualify for free upgrades to suites, but it is possible to score a nicer room if you’re lucky.
  • Globalist
    • Waived resort fees on all stays:  All members get waived resort fees on award stays, but Globalists also get waived fees on paid stays.
    • Room upgrade, including suites:  Even if you don’t use a suite upgrade award (see Milestone Rewards in the next section), you can get upgraded to a suite upon check-in (if you’re lucky).
    • 4PM late check-out (not guaranteed at resorts)
    • Club access or free breakfast: Globalists automatically get free access to the club lounge.  If the hotel doesn’t have a club lounge, Globalists get fee full breakfast daily for each registered guest (up to 2 adults and 2 children)
    • Free parking on award stays: Available where parking can be charged to your room.
    • Guest of Honor: Book an award stay for a friend or family member as a Guest of Honor reservation and they’ll get all of the above in-hotel benefits during their stay!

Guest of Honor Bookings

In 2024, Guest of Honor (GOH) became a Milestone Reward (previously it was a perk exclusive to Globalist status). It gives you the ability to give someone (including yourself) Globalist status for a single stay, up to 7 nights. This works with both paid and award stays. Additionally, when given to another person, the giver will receive an elite qualifying night upon completion of the stay. Those who have earned Globalist status in 2023 for the 2024 elite year (or have lifetime Globalist status) started 2024 with 5 Guest of Honor Awards. Additionally, those with lifetime Globalist status will receive 5 Guest of Honor Awards on March 1 of every year beginning in 2025.

Guest of Honor Details

  • Applies to paid or points stays
  • The recipient receives all in-hotel benefits due to a Globalist member
  • Not valid at Hyatt Residence Club resorts.

Shortcuts to elite status

Elite status levels can be earned each calendar year through Nights, Base Points, or Meetings.  Unfortunately, they’re not stackable.  By that I mean, you can’t get to a level of status by doing some of each: some nights + some base points + some meetings = no progress.  Among those paths, earning status through elite nights is the only option that provides shortcut opportunities. Another option is to participate in a status challenge.  Both options are explored below…

Shortcuts to elite status through elite nights

  • World of Hyatt Credit Card
    • Automatically earn 5 elite qualifying nights each year
    • Earn 2 additional elite qualifying nights with every $5,000 spend
    • Free category 1-4 night after $15K spend per cardmember year (when you use this free night, you earn an elite night towards status)
    • Free category 1-4 night every year upon renewal (when you use this free night, you earn an elite night towards status)
  • World of Hyatt Business Credit Card: Earn 5 elite qualifying nights with every $10,000 spend
  • Partner property stays: When you stay at a Hyatt partner property, such as SLH, you can earn Hyatt elite night credit.  You must book through Hyatt.
  • Hyatt Leverage: For every $5,000 of eligible room rate spend that is attributed to a Hyatt Leverage administrator’s Leverage code, the Leverage administrator will earn two elite night credits (maximum of sixty per calendar year).
  • Free night awards: When you stay at a Hyatt or partner property (such as SLH) on points or with free night certificates, you earn an elite night for each night of your stay.  It is possible to book category 1 hotels for as few as 3,500 points per night off-peak.
  • Meetings and events: For every $5,000 in eligible event spend billed to a Group Master bill, the event/meeting planner will earn two elite night credits (maximum of sixty elite nights per calendar year). Spend can be associated with only one member per event.

Status challenge (Hyatt Elite Tier Offer)

Another shortcut option that is sometimes available is a status challenge.  For example, Hyatt often makes status challenges available to employees of select businesses.

The 2020 Hyatt Elite Tier Offer, for example, had the following terms:

Register by November 16, 2020 to receive Explorist status for 90 days. Stay 10 qualifying nights within those 90 days and keep your Explorist status through February 2022.

  • Register by November 16, 2020, to receive trial Explorist status for 90 days
  • Stay 10 qualifying nights at any Hyatt hotel or resort within 90 days after registering to maintain Explorist status through February 2022
  • Stay an additional 10 qualifying nights at any Hyatt hotel or resort within those 90 days and earn Globalist status through February 2022.

Milestone Rewards

In addition to the elite benefits described in the previous section, Hyatt awards members with Milestone Rewards when they complete certain numbers of elite-qualifying nights each year.

World of Hyatt introduced a number of changes to their Milestone Rewards as of January 1, 2024.  Here’s a summary:

  • Almost all Milestone Rewards are now shareable.  This means, for example, that you can now share your Club Access Awards with friends.
  • More choices: Most Milestone levels now offer choices in addition to automatic rewards.  Once you earn a choice reward, you have 90 days to make your selection.
  • More perks for very frequent guests: Milestone Rewards, which previously topped out at 100 nights, are now awarded up to 150 nights
  • More online capabilities.  We are now able to gift Milestone Perks to other Hyatt members both online and in the app; and we are able to apply milestone perks to reservations.  One exception: the ability to apply Suite Upgrade Awards online isn’t yet available.
  • New/Changed Milestone Awards:
    • Guest of Honor: The ability to give someone (including yourself) Globalist status for a single stay, up to 7 nights, is now a Milestone Reward starting at 40 nights, rather than an unlimited Globalist Perk.  It  now works with both paid and award stays (in 2023 and prior, Guest of Honor was only valid on award bookings).  Additionally, the giver receives an elite qualifying night upon completion of the stay. Those who have earned Globalist status in 2023 for the 2024 elite year (or have lifetime Globalist status) will start 2024 with 5 Guest of Honor Awards.  Additionally, those with lifetime Globalist status will receive 5 Guest of Honor Awards on March 1 of every year beginning in 2025.
    • The Ultimate Free Night Award (earned at 150 qualifying nights): Good for one free night in any Category 1-8 hotel, Category A-F all-inclusive resort or participating Miraval resort.
    • Miraval Extra Night (a choice beginning at 100 nights): Stay one night at a Miraval resort to receive a complimentary second night (in other words, this works like a “Buy One, Get One” coupon). This works with either paid nights or award nights.
    • FIND Experience Credit: FIND credits up to $300 will be available as a choice at various Milestones.  These can be used individually or combined on any FIND experience around the globe.
    • 2K Next Stay: Earn 2,000 Bonus Points on your next stay at a Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Caption by Hyatt or UrCove hotel.  Your next stay must be within 180 days of selecting this award.

Here’s a full list of Milestone Rewards:

Elite Nights Earned Milestone Reward
20 Nights (or 35K base points)
Automatic: N/A
Pick 1: 2K Next Stay Award
2 Club Access Awards
$25 FIND Credit
30 Nights (or 50K base points)
Automatic: 1 Cat 1-4 Free Night
Pick 1: 2K Next Stay Award
2 Club Access Awards
$25 FIND Credit
40 Nights (or 65K base points)
Automatic: 1 Guest of Honor Award
Pick 1: 5K Bonus Points
1 Suite Upgrade Award
$150 FIND Credit
50 Nights (or 80K base points)
Automatic: N/A
Pick 1: 5K Bonus Points
2 Suite Upgrade Awards
$150 FIND Credit
60 Nights (or 100K base points)
Automatic: 1 Cat 1-7 Free Night
2 Suite Upgrade Awards
My Hyatt Concierge
2 Guest of Honor Awards
70, 80, 90 Nights
Automatic: 1 Guest of Honor Award
Pick 1: 10K Bonus Points
1 Suite Upgrade Award
$300 FIND Credit
100 Nights
Automatic: 1 Cat 1-7 Free Night
Pick 1: 10K Bonus Points
1 Suite Upgrade Award
Miraval Extra Night
110, 120, 130, 140 Nights
Automatic: 1 Guest of Honor Award
Pick 1: 10K Bonus Points
1 Suite Upgrade Award
Miraval Extra Night
150 Nights
Automatic: Ultimate Free Night Award
Pick 1: 10K Bonus Points
1 Suite Upgrade Award
Miraval Extra Night

Completely separate from elite status, Milestone Rewards are available to everyone and are based on the number of nights you stay in a calendar year. Most awards are valid for the rest of the calendar year in which they are selected and 14 months beyond. Free Night awards, the Miraval Extra Night Award, and the 2K Next Stay Awards are good for only 180 days.

Hyatt Privé (elite-like benefits on paid stays)

Hyatt Luxury via Prive
Breakfast at the Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht. Breakfast is free for Hyatt Globalist members and for those who book through Hyatt Privé.

Hyatt Privé is a program that makes it possible for travel agents to book Hyatt hotels at standard rates but with extra perks.  Not all Hyatt hotels participate, but many do.  You can find a complete list of Hyatt Privé properties here.  When you book a stay through a Hyatt Privé agent, you get the following benefits:

  • Free breakfast for 2 each day (which consists of restaurant breakfast rather than just club lounge breakfast)
  • A 1-category room upgrade roughly at the time of booking based on availability (requested with the hotel right away and said to be confirmed within 24 hours; in practice it takes a couple of days for the hotel to confirm).
  • A welcome amenity
  • Early check-in (as early as 9am) subject to availability
  • Late check-out at Park Hyatt properties (as late as 4pm) subject to availability
  • A $50 or $100 property credit per stay (it’s always $100 at Park Hyatt hotels but can vary between $50 or $100 at other brands)
  • Full Hyatt elite credit.
  • Full elite benefits for those with status.
  • Waived resort fees at select properties.

If you’re thinking of booking a Hyatt for a paid stay, it makes a lot of sense to book through a Privé agent so that you can get all of these extra perks.  One great way to take advantage of the confirmed upgrade is to book one level below the room you really want.

For more about Hyatt Privé and other similar programs, please see “Getting the elite experience without elite status via credit card & preferred partner hotel booking programs

Point earning

a hand holding a pile of coins

There are many ways to earn Hyatt points:

  • Hyatt credit cards (see the credit card section of this guide for details)
  • Chase Ultimate Rewards: Points can be transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Hyatt as long as you have one of the premium or ultra-premium Chase Ultimate Rewards cards.  These include: Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, Ink Business Preferred, and Ink Plus.  For details, see: Chase Ultimate Rewards Complete Guide.
  • Bilt Rewards:  Bilt Rewards is the program that rewards people for paying rent.  Bilt points transfer 1 to 1 to Hyatt. Details about Bilt can be found here.
  • Hyatt hotel stays: Earn 5 points per dollar (plus elite and promotional bonuses) on most properties; 2.5 points per dollar at Hyatt Studios.
  • Dining, Spa & More: Earn 5 points per dollar at participating locations.  Points can be earned for these services even if you are not staying at the hotel as long as you provide your Hyatt account number at the time of service.
  • Small Luxury Hotels of the World stays: Earn 5 points per dollar
  • Host a meeting: Earn 1 bonus point per dollar spent, up to 50,000 points.
  • FIND Experiences: Earn 10 points per dollar

More ways to earn and spend

FIND Experiences

World of Hyatt Experiences

Through FIND, you can use points to book experiences or earn points when paying cash.  Details:

  • Find and book FIND Experiences here.
  • Redeem points: FIND awards are priced at 1.4 cents per point value.  For example, a $140 experience costs 10,000 points.
  • Earn points: Earn 10 points per dollar plus an additional 4 points per dollar if you pay with a World of Hyatt credit card.

Dining, Spa & More

At participating Hyatt hotels, regardless of whether or not you are staying at the hotel, you can earn Hyatt points or spend Hyatt points on dining, spa & more services.  The following chart shows the point redemption rates:

If you choose to pay for these services instead, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar.

Meetings & Events

It’s possible to earn points and elite status by holding meetings at participating Hyatt hotels.  It’s also possible to redeem points for meeting charges.  Here are the details:

  • Earn one Bonus Point per eligible U.S. dollar spent (up to 50,000 Bonus Points) for hosting a qualifying meeting or event at Hyatt
  • Currently, you can earn elite status by holding multiple qualifying meetings within a calendar year:
    • Discoverist: 3 meetings
    • Explorist: 10 meetings
    • Globalist: 20 meetings
  • For every $5,000 in eligible event spend billed to a Group Master bill, the event/meeting planner will earn two elite night credits (maximum of sixty elite nights per calendar year). Spend can be associated with only one member per event.

A qualifying meeting includes:

  • 10 paid guest rooms, or
  • Meeting room or event space and purchased catered or banqueted food or beverages

You can also use points for meetings, at 1.3 cents per point value:

  • 15,000 Points = $200 Credit
  • 30,000 Points = $400 Credit
  • 45,000 Points = $600 Credit
  • 60,000 Points = $800 Credit
  • 75,000 Points = $1,000 Credit

Rental Cars (Avis)

Hyatt members can earn or spend Hyatt points for Avis car rentals.

Earn Points

  • Earn 500 Hyatt points per paid rental
  • Get 25% off base rates with Avis Worldwide Discount (AWD) number K817700

Redeem Points

Redeem 6,000 points per day for an intermediate sized car.  To reserve a Car Rental Award, call (800) 544-9288.  Please note: 6,000 points per day usually represents poor value for your points.  The exception would be if the rental would otherwise cost $90 or more per day.

Airline Miles

Earn miles instead of Hyatt points

If you prefer to earn airline miles rather than Hyatt points for your stays, you can opt to earn miles according to the following chart.  Earnings are per stay, not per night:

a screenshot of a screen

Point transfers to airline miles

You can transfer Hyatt points to airline miles, starting with 5,000 Hyatt points minimum.  Additional points can be converted in 1,250 increments.  You’ll also earn bonus miles when you convert 50,000 or more points.

  • 5000 Hyatt points = 4,000 LATAM kilometers.  With 10,000 bonus kilometers, 50,000 Hyatt points = 50,000 kilometers.
  • 5000 Hyatt points = 4,000 Aeromexico® kilometers.  With 10,000 bonus kilometers, 50,000 Hyatt points = 50,000 kilometers.
  • 5000 Hyatt points = 3,200 Air China kilometers; or 3,200 China Eastern Airlines points.  With 8,000 bonus kilometers, 50,000 Hyatt points = 40,000 miles.
  • 5000 Hyatt points = 3,000 Virgin Atlantic Airways miles.  With the 7,500 bonus miles, 50,000 Hyatt points = 37,500 miles.
  • 5000 Hyatt points = 2,400 Southwest Airlines® points.  With 6,000 bonus miles, 50,000 Hyatt points = 30,000 miles.
  • 5000 Hyatt points = 2,400 Qantas Airways points.  With 6,000 bonus miles, 50,000 Hyatt points = 30,000 miles.
  • 5000 Hyatt points = 2,000 miles in other programs (AA, ANA, Delta, United, etc.).  With the 5,000 bonus miles, 50,000 Hyatt points = 25,000 miles.

In most cases, point transfers to airline miles represent poor value.  I don’t recommend it.

Manage points

Share points with others

Hyatt generously allows members to share points with others, for free!  Simply fill out the form found here and email it to worldofhyatt@hyatt.com.  You are limited to sharing points once per month (regardless of whether giving or receiving points).

How to keep points alive

Hyatt points expire after 24 months of inactivity.  To reset the clock, simply earn points or redeem them.

Credit cards

There are two Hyatt credit cards currently available in the United States:

Card Offer and Details
Up to 45K points ⓘ Non-Affiliate
30K points after $3K in spend within the first 3 months, plus an exta 1 point/dollar on up to $15K spend within first 6 months.
$95 Annual Fee
This card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule.
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
Recent better offer: 5x Category 1-4 free night certificates after $15K spend within first 3 months. (Expired 10/31/24)
FM Mini Review: Great card for welcome bonus and annual free night. Might be worth using regularly for additional free night and as a path to status.
Earning rate: ✦ 2X restaurants / cafes / coffee shops, airlines, local transit, fitness clubs and gym memberships ✦ 4X Hyatt and Mr & Mrs Smith
Base: 1X (1.7%)
Travel: 2X (3.4%)
Dine: 2X (3.4%)
Brand: 4X (6.8%)
Card Info: Visa Signature issued by Chase. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.
Big spend bonus: One free Cat 1-4 night certificate after $15K spend in a calendar year. ✦ Get 2 elite qualifying night credits every time you spend $5K in purchases
Noteworthy perks: ✦ Free category 1-4 night every year upon renewal ✦ Additional free category 1-4 night after $15K spend in calendar year ✦ Discoverist elite status ✦ 5 elite qualifying nights
60K points ⓘ Affiliate
60K after $5,000 spend in 3 months.
$199 Annual Fee
This card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule.
FM Mini Review: Great for its initial bonus and for Hyatt enthusiasts to spend toward status and rebate on award stays.
Earning rate: 2X on fitness clubs and gym memberships ✦ 2X in the top 3 spend categories each calendar quarter. Eligible categories include dining; airline tickets purchased directly with the airline; car rental agencies; local transit and commuting; gas stations; internet, cable and phone services; social media and search engine advertising; and shipping ✦ 4X Hyatt and Mr & Mrs Smith
Base: 1X (1.7%)
Brand: 4X (6.8%)
Other: 2X (3.4%)
Card Info: Visa Signature issued by Chase. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.
Big spend bonus: Get 5 elite qualifying night credits every time you spend $10,000 in purchases. ✦ After $50K spend in a calendar year, get 10% back on redeemed points for the rest of that calendar year (Up to 20K points back per year).
Noteworthy perks: Discoverist elite status ✦ Ability to gift Discoverist to up to 5 employees (they do not need to be cardholders) ✦ Up to $100 each cardmember year in Hyatt statement credits: Spend $50 or more at any Hyatt property and get a $50 statement credit up to two times per year ✦ Hyatt Leverage membership with no minimum stay requirements.

Best Rate Guarantee

If you find a lower price than what’s available for the same room via Hyatt, you are eligible for either 20% off the lower price or 5,000 Hyatt points.  See this for more: Hyatt Has Improved Its Best Rate Guarantee Scheme.

Hyatt’s online claim form can be found here.

World of Hyatt Pros and Cons

Pros (where World of Hyatt is better than average):

  • Hyatt offers lower award prices per point than any major competitor
  • Hyatt never charges resort or destination fees on award stays
  • Hyatt’s top tier status (Globalist) offers the best perks of any major hotel elite program
  • Milestone Rewards offer perks along the way towards status levels.  Plus, even after earning top-tier status, you can continue to earn extra perks.
  • Hyatt’s partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) makes available hundreds of great properties around the world which can be booked with points.

Cons (where World of Hyatt is worse than average):

  • Hyatt does not offer 4th or 5th Night Free awards (IHG offers 4th Night Free awards for certain cardholders; Hilton and Marriott offer 5th night free awards for all members)
  • Hyatt has relatively few hotels compared to major competitors
  • Hyatt’s mid-tier status (Explorist) isn’t very rewarding
  • Hyatt’s top-tier status requires a lot of nights (60). Some see that as unreasonable given Hyatt’s much smaller footprint compared to other chains.
  • Hyatt’s elite tiers have weird names and it can be hard to remember which orders the tiers go in: Discoverist, Explorist, Globalist.

Q & A (Questions and Answers)

Do Hyatt points expire?

Yes, points expire after 24 months of inactivity.  Points do not expire if you have a Hyatt branded credit card linked to your account.

How can I keep my points from expiring?

Do any of these things at least once every 24 months:

  • Earn points
    • Earn points through stays
    • Earn points through other options (such as dining at Hyatt hotels, booking FIND Experiences, etc.)
    • Purchase points
    • Transfer points from another program to your Hyatt account (e.g. Chase Ultimate Rewards, Bilt)
    • Receive points shared with you from another member.
  • Spend points
    • Spend points for free nights, FIND Experiences, etc.
    • Convert points to miles
    • Share your points with another member

Can I book and cancel an award stay in order to reset my point expiry?

No.  Hyatt’s terms state the following:

If a Member redeems points for an Award Reservation and either cancels that reservation or does not actually check-in on the appointed date (i.e., no-shows), that reservation will not count as a redemption of points pursuant to subsection (iii) of the preceding sentence and will not toll the measurement of that Member’s Program inactivity.

Who earns elite stay credit on a Guest of Honor booking?

Currently, the recipient of the booking earns the stay credit, not the Globalist. However, starting on January 1st, 2024, when your Guest of Honor reward is applied to another person’s stay, you will earn one elite night credit at the end of that stay (the person using the Guest of Honor stay will receive credit for each night of the stay).

If I book multiple rooms for the same stay will I earn rewards on all of them?

You will earn points for up to three rooms, but you’ll earn elite night credit for only one room.

If I cancel a reservation that has a suite night award attached to it, will the award go back to my account?

Yes.

Can I apply a suite upgrade award to a Guest of Honor stay?

No.

Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

103 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
mike

As a Globalist. If I book a suite. Will Hyatt (at check in) upgrade me to the next level suite? Or can I use a suite certificate to upgrade to the next level of suite. 

JoeSchmo

Do reservations booked on https://www.hyattinclusivecollection.com earn points / stay credit?

JoeSchmo

I completed my stay and confirm that the answer is “Yes.”

My uncertainty on this question arose b/c the stay didn’t show on my account/app and my one attempt of discussing with Hyatt rep said that it was a third party booking, which didn’t make sense to me and ultimately was incorrect info.

Sammi

Under the new Hyatt program, can I still book a room with my points for someone else? I want to book a room for my kid, which I won’t be there but still want to get the night credit.

Thank you,

Frank

In the old Hyatt program (before this year) I could as a Globalist give a Guest of Honor award to a friend, but I had to pay for the stay (and maybe get refunded). Is that the same with the new 2024 Guest of Honor awards?

I want to give the Guest of Honor award to a friend but I want them to pay for the say.

I was hoping I just give away the award as I don’t need it as a Globalist.

Frank

Thanks. But I have enough (6) at least this year. Expect to get a few more – almost at 50 nights.

[…] Good for reference: World of Hyatt Complete Guide. […]

Joe

I’ve read about Hyatts that weasel out of points stays but in 12 years never experienced it until this year at Regency Etoile Paris for a November booking. I’m now wondering if I could have done better by using the ‘book my way ‘ page?

Johnny

I live by FM team! The best in the travel world.

Daniel A

Suggest adding something on properties that DO charge fees on award bookings. Three of the four properties I recently land on for trips – Grand Hyatt Kauai, Hyatt Regency Lost Pines, HG Indian Wells – had a resort fees of $50-60/night. That’s in line with the fees I’ve paid on comparable Marriott properties. Hyatt’s no fees on award bookings is often celebrated including by FM, so am I just finding the small number of properties were this is occurring? Or is this another example of Hyatt’s stealthy and piecemeal approach for devaluations?

Daniel A

You’re correct! Thanks Greg. I just spoke with Hyatt customer service and they confirmed that no resort fees would be charged on any of the award nights. I was confused as during the award booking process there was notice of the resort fee and then in the reservation confirmation email it listed the resort fee under Additional Tax, Fees and Service Charges. These are future bookings, so I thought I would be charged at the time of the stay, but great to hear that it’s truly a free stay! Yeah, Hyatt!

Lee

Greg, how might your World of Hyatt (pun intended) change if Hyatt expands dynamic pricing beyond M&MS? Or, if the Ink merry-go-round ends?

Lee

Point taken. Yeah, I was implying that Hyatt points gravitate towards the rate that M&MS is seeing. The level of flux in the hobby seems to be on the rise. For Hyatt, network-wide dynamic pricing seems to be the other shoe waiting to drop. Thanks for your thoughts.

AmyK

How do I search for 3500-point hotels? I thought there was a link somewhere.

Frank

Question: If I am a Globalist and want to travel with relatives so that we all stay at the same Hyatt, 3 rooms. What’s the difference between booking 3 rooms under my own name versus gifting Guest of Honor to the two other couples? I plan to use my points for all 3 rooms. Can I even gift 2 Guest of Honor to both at the same time?

I assume that in either scenario I would get only my own tier nights. The others don’t care about tier nights.

What about the perks like free breakfast, parking and no resort fees? Would we all get them in each scenario?

I am more interested in the others getting the free breakfast and parking, not particularly worried about the tier nights in this case (I have enough for Globalist next year and the others don’t care).

John

Will the answer to the last Q&A item (“Can I apply a suite upgrade award to a Guest of Honor stay?”) change once suite upgrades gain the ability to be gifted in 2024?

Tim Steinke

Not yet, no. That’s one thing that we’d really like to see them change.

John

Thank you. And agreed.

Madison

Just a bit of information. Recently I had a reservation at the Mirror Lake Inn Resort in New York State. Had to cancel at the last minute for two-fold reasons. Was driving back to Chicago from upper State New York for a last minute early Wednesday meeting and did not want to get caught in the blizzard that took place November 27. I called Hyatt and cancelled my reservation around 44 hours prior to reservation and received my points back for the reservation but Resort charged the $100 cancellation fee because they state 48 hours are needed. I am a Globalist and that did not make a difference. When I called Hyatt they connected me to the Resort and I had to handle the asking of the $100 cancellation fee to be reimbursed personally. I understand as a SLR they have their own policies but I did not expect Hyatt to put me on the line with the Resort. The Resort was kind enough to, after a few minutes of explaining on my part, reimburse me the fee. Just information in case someone else finds themselves in this spot that might take place. Again the Resort was kind enough to reimburse me, just did not expect it to go that route.

Neelie

With the changes coming next year, I re-read this post, which is timely. Thanks! Quick questions (may sound silly) –

  1. The nights that qualify for status (elite nights) are the same nights that qualify for Milestone? For example, will the 5 elite nights for having the World of Hyatt Credit Card count toward the Milestones?
  2. If I stay at Hyatt for 60 nights (paid or points) in a calendar year, will I get globalist for the following year, AND the perks for hitting the Milestones along the way?
Janet Melton

I have booked a hotel in Rome that is part of the JDV collection. Does the JDV collection give the same benefits that you get from SLH?

Thank you!