We knew the day would come. World Of Hyatt has been one of the steadiest hotel loyalty programs in recent years, bucking devaluation trends while offering attractive loyalty opportunities and increasing its footprint to a variety of new, boutique hotels via their Small Luxury Hotel partnership. Times, they are a’changing however, and the way you redeem points with Hyatt is changing for good. Here’s everything you need to know about the World of Hyatt loyalty program changes, and when they take place…
World of Hyatt is joining the trend of offering varying points rates at each hotels, based on peak, standard and off peak timetables. Basically, a hotel which once cost 25,000 points per night may now cost fewer points on certain dates, more on others, and exactly that amount during “standard” times. We knew that already, but now we know when.
Effective March 22nd, 2020 – World Of Hyatt peak, off peak and standard points redemption rates kick in.
All peak, off peak and standard redemption dates will be announced roughly 13 months in advance, and unlike other programs, the dates cannot change once they’re locked in. You’ll see which of the three your dates will fall into from the word “go”.
The big question from your end is probably – what happens to my current Hyatt bookings with points?
Hyatt has taken a fair approach here, honoring all rates booked prior to March 22nd, and if your stay happens to fall onto an off peak date, where you’d actually require fewer points, they’ll refund the difference in points. Any points refunds will take place March 23rd.
Do note: if you cancel a stay and rebook after March 22nd, 2020, you’ll be subject to the new peak, off peak and standard rates, so it’s best to lock most points redemption bookings in before that date, unless you’re sure yours will fall off peak, where you might actually save points.
| Category | Off-Peak | Standard | Peak | |||
| 1 | 3500 | 5000 | 6500 | |||
| 2 | 6500 | 8000 | 9500 | |||
| 3 | 9000 | 12000 | 15000 | |||
| 4 | 12000 | 15000 | 18000 | |||
| 5 | 17000 | 20000 | 23000 | |||
| 6 | 21000 | 25000 | 29000 | |||
| 7 | 25000 | 30000 | 35000 | |||
| 8 | 35000 | 40000 | 45000 |
Lots Of Hotels Are Changing Hyatt Points Category
217 hotels in the World of Hyatt portfolio are changing category, which determines the number of points you’ll need for a given “free night” stay. Hyatt has actually made it pretty easy to see which hotels are going up, or down and the balance isn’t awful.
Of the 217 hotels, 117 are going up in price, and 100 are going down, with the rest unchanged. If you’d like a brief abridged summary, most of the major changes in the upward direction are “Small Luxury Hotels” (SLH) boutique hotels which were previously 30,000 points and will now be 40,000 points per night. Remember – you have until March 22nd to book at current rates.
No legacy Hyatt Hotels are moving up to Category 8, which will instead just be used for Small Luxury Hotels and Destinations Residences. Here are a few notable hotels going up, or going down, amongst others…
World Of Hyatt Hotels Going Up In Points Price (2020)
- Andaz Tokyo
- Andaz 5th Avenue
- Hyatt Centric Park City
- Carmel Valley Ranch
- Viceroy Bali
- Keemala Thailand
- Andaz Costa Rica
- Park Hyatt Maldives
World Of Hyatt Hotels Going Down In Points Price (2020)
- Park Hyatt Melbourne
- Villa Eden (Italy)
- Grand Hyatt Dubai
- Park Hyatt Sanya
- Park Hyatt Seoul
- Andaz Delhi
- Hyatt Regency Sydney
- Park Hyatt Chicago
- Parker New York
Currently, when you opt for a cash + points rate, rather than just points, or just cash, you pay a set amount of points and 50% of the standard cash rate. Hyatt has “sweetened” the deal here, moving to extend the cash part to up to 70% savings. In other words, you paid 50% of the cash rate before, but may now enjoy savings of 70% off the cash rate for your cash co-pay. That’s genuinely good news.
This could be a major win for any hotels which are moving down in category and then also give you a more substantial discount on the cash component you pay. Of course, it could go the other way a bit on hotels that move up in category, but money saved is nice.
World of Hyatt will also offers three new countries where you can redeem points, thanks to the Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) partnership. Israel, Montenegro and Mongolia now join the mix, including the excellent ‘The Norman’ hotel in Tel Aviv and the stunning Villa Geba in Sveti Stefan, Montenegro.
Properties in Amalfi Coast, Corfu and Bangkok have also been added.
Hyatt has also added properties to it’s Destinations locations portfolio including Snowmass, Waimea and Cle Elum. These properties aren’t currently bookable with points, but are expected to fully integrate within the year. Expect them at 40,000 points in Category 8.
Our Take: World Of Hyatt Loyalty Changes
With variable redemption rates offering different points prices for different dates, it can take a little getting used to, versus the simplicity of the old program. However, as long as Hyatt sticks to their standard room no blackout date policy, unlike Marriott, opportunities remain strong.
With the variable rates, anyone hoping to cash in points off peak may come out better than before, most people booking standard rates will find everything the same as always and peak dates haven’t increased by a shocking amount. The devil is in the details, and right now Hyatt is keeping the devil at bay.
Though these changes may take some getting used to, they seem to be quite fair…
I didn’t see Andaz Tokyo on the list of hotels going up in price. Did you mean Grand Hyatt Tokyo?