Today Hyatt has announced that for 2021 they are cutting in half the elite status requirements in 2021. Plus, they are extending several lucrative promotions. The combination will make it ludicrously easy to earn top tier status in 2021. This post includes only the basics. For an in-depth look at how to play this, see: Ludicrously easy path to Hyatt Globalist status (top-tier status for 2 years!).
Elite Status Requirements Cut in Half
For those seeking to earn Hyatt elite status in 2021, Hyatt has cut in half the requirements. Here are the new requirements for each elite level:
| Membership Level | Elite Nights Usually Required | Elite Nights Required in 2021 | Key Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discoverist | 10 | 5 | 2PM late check-out; Earn Hyatt points w/ AA spend |
| Explorist | 30 | 15 | Match to M life Gold; Room Upgrade |
| Globalist | 60 | 30 | Waived resort fees on all stays; Suite upgrades, 4PM late check-out; Club access or free breakfast; Free parking on award stays; Guest of Honor bookings |
For those who earn status through spend at Hyatt properties, the requirements for earning status through base points has also been cut in half. For example, in 2021 you can earn Globalist status by earning 50K base points instead of the usual 100K. This would require $10K calendar year spend at Hyatt. Most people will do better earning status through stays.
Lucrative Promos Extended
Bonus Journeys, Free Nights on Sale and Dine Local, Earn Triple Points will be extended through February 28, 2021. Here’s a summary:
- Bonus Journeys: October 1, 2020 through Feb 28, 2021 (Register by Jan 15)
- Earn double elite nights, with base elite nights credited to the check-out year and bonus elite nights credited towards 2021. In other words, any stays with a check-out date in 2021 and by Feb 28th will earn double elite nights.
- Earn triple points (15 points per dollar) at all Hyatt properties, participating MGM Resorts, Small Luxury Hotels of the World locations, and Lindland Expedition experiences.
- Earn quadruple points (20 points per dollar) at select properties (Find the full list here). Hyatt cardholders only.
- Free Nights on Sale (Up to 25% back): July 8, 2020 – Feb 28, 2021 (Register by Jan 15)
- Points rebate: 25% back for Hyatt cardholders; 15% back for everyone else
- Free parking on award stays
- Triple base points per dollar spent on dining at Hyatt properties.
Top Tier Hyatt status: Why chase Globalist?
In my opinion, Hyatt offers the best top-tier elite perks of any hotel chain. Top tier Globalist elites get free upgrades including standard suites, waived resort fees on paid nights (resort fees are waived on award nights for all members), free breakfast or club access, free parking on award nights, etc. Mid-tier Explorist status, meanwhile, offers very few meaningful perks. In my opinion, Globalist status is worth a lot. Explorist status is worth very little.
Quick Thoughts
Here are some quick take-aways:
- We can now earn top-tier Globalist status with only 15 nights of actual stays (or less for World of Hyatt cardholders). Plus, these stays do not have to be all-in-one. As long as each stay has a check-out date between Jan 1 and Feb 28, you’ll earn double elite nights in 2021.
- It’s time to cancel any 30 night mattress run that you booked! You can now rebook either a single 15 night stay or multiple stays that add up to 15 nights as long as each stay has a check-out date between Jan 1 and Feb 28.
- If you earn Globalist with 30 elite nights, you won’t earn suite upgrade awards. Suite upgrade awards are earned through Milestone Rewards at 50 nights and 60 nights.
- For the next two years, everyone and her brother is going to have Hyatt Globalist status. This will likely make free suite upgrades upon arrival much harder to get (and will therefore make suite upgrade awards more valuable since they let you upgrade in advance).
For more, see: Ludicrously easy path to Hyatt Globalist status (top-tier status for 2 years!).
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Does redeeming a Chase Hyatt Free Night award count as an Elite night and earn double elite nights during the promotion period?
Yes, as long as you check out sometime between Jan 1 and Feb 28 inclusive, you’ll earn 2 elite nights for 2021.
Will putting spend on the WOH reduce my elite night requirements with a new WOH card? So if i put 5k spend, i should get 2 nights and then reduce the night requirement to 8 through 2/28?
Yes, as long as you complete the $5K spend in 2021 (not in 2020), then the 2 elite nights will be applied to 2021.
[…] that Hyatt has cut in half their elite status requirements for 2021 (top tier Globalist status can be earned with only 30 elite nights!), elite nights earned in 2021 […]
Greetings…we received the 10 elite nights for a new Hyatt credit card, plus elite nights for the 5K spend in 2020. Do any of those nights count toward the new updated 30 elite night promotion? Also, I am sure we get another 10 elite nights for 2021 when do those get credited to the Hyatt account? Thanks for your reply.
No, none of the elite nights earned in 2020 will help you in 2021. If you signed up for the Hyatt card recently, then you’ll get another 10 elite nights in January and those will count towards 2021. So you’ll only need 20 more elite nights in 2021 to reach Globalist.
[…] Wow! Hyatt slashes 2021 elite status requirements & extends lucrative promos […]
[…] But the chance to get an automatic 10 elite nights in 2021 is compelling given the fact that Hyatt has cut in half their elite requirements for 2021 (only 30 nights are required for top-tier Gl…. When combined with the new World of Hyatt card offer, you would only need 20 elite nights in […]
[…] with lot of (mostly uninspiring) promotions. Hyatt does have some juicier promos and then boom: Wow! Hyatt slashes 2021 elite status requirements & extends lucrative promos. You can actually reach Globalist elite status sometime between January 1 and end of February 2021 […]
Will Hyatt give you double elite nights through credit card spend? Or are double elite nights only coming from actual stays?
Only for actual stays
If you book comp nights at an MGM property, does that count as elite nights?
I’d guess no, but I’m not sure
In my experience, comped MGM nights have counted. I wrote about it here: https://frequentmiler.com/mgm-free-nights-earn-hyatt-elite-credit/
Thanks guys. This is why I follow your blog before all others.
[…] Overview: Wow! Hyatt slashes 2021 elite status requirements & extends lucrative promos […]
Re-apply for Hyatt Card Again but….
How does chase check if you’ve had the card before? I called them asked if I’ve had this card before and they say they don’t have a record of this when they go to my accounts page, but strangely they can see my closed SW card from 2014. I know i earned the bonus (pretty close to 24 mos ago but not sure exact date) and cancelled earlier this year. I checked my credit report and Chase Credit Journey to see if I could find exact account closure dates but there are a few Chase cards around the same time that were opened and closed and I can’t distinguish which is which. Yes, I know I need to keep better records but any data points on how Chase cross references having the same product in the past if agent says those accounts have been purged???
It doesn’t really matter how long ago you had the card. What matters is when you received the bonus before. If you received the bonus more than 24 months ago then you’re good to go. Check with Hyatt as to when you last received a pile of points from Chase.
Good point. I guess it’s fair to say Chase cross checks with Hyatt on when the previous bonus was awarded when determining if it’s been 24 months????? I was hoping if Chase records were purged on me previously having the card, I might be able to sneak by the 24 month requirement. Turns out it hasn’t been quiet 24 months since the last CHase Hyatt sign up bonus.
Agree it has not been a quiet 24 months.
Concur much that Hyatt top status so much more valuable that anything offered by competitors. (esp. the ever pathetic IHG and even Marriott this and that) But sorry Greg, realize you have a business to run, credit cards to sell, but what’s “ludicrous” here is pushing normal folks to live on the road, one out of four days first two months of next year when pandemic likely still in full rage mode…. (yah I get it that you don’t even mention the horrendous risk afoot here, much like Mark O.’s posts you know where) Now if they’d count say 15 straight days in one isolated place (with a kitchen in suite), maybe we’d consider it….
What just as “comical” if not “ludicrous” is all the pictures of the sumptuous food fare….. Sure, post pandemic (say by late next summer), we might once again see such wondrous spreads…. But what we’ll get now is pathetic, money making (for the hotels) very dry, drab, grab ‘n boo dray fare, with fruit if you’re lucky, no?
Yes, “ludicrous” .. the post.
[…] that Hyatt has slashed 2021 elite status requirements and extended several lucrative promos, it will be ludicrously easy to earn top-tier Hyatt Globalist elite status early in 2021. That […]
Don’t I also get credit for 10 nights for recently signing up for the Hyatt card? So I only need 20 more nights, correct? With $5000 spend, that would give me 2 additional nights which leaves 18 left to go. With double nights, I just need to book a stay for 9 nights? Is that correct?
Yes, that’s correct.
Is this promo applied to USA market only?
I believe it is worldwide