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World of Hyatt is a niche programme for most people in the UK. I get it… There aren’t very many Hyatts in Europe – many of them expensive – and the only worthwhile level of elite status requires a whopping 60 nights in a calendar year. But despite these disadvantages, a few of us manage to stay highly loyal to the Hyatt chain for all of the benefits that Globalist status provides.
One of those benefits is 4 upgrades each year. Globalists can confirm – at the time of booking – an upgrade to a suite for stays of up to seven nights in length. 28 guaranteed nights in a suite per year if you play it right. Last year, I wrote a post identifying reasons why World of Hyatt was actually incentivising guests to NOT stay with the chain. Essentially this boiled down to:
- Suite upgrades were awarded when qualifying for status (instead of the start of the elite year)
- They expired 12 months from being awarded
- Therefore the sooner you qualified the sooner your suite upgrades would expire
- Ergo… it made sense to delay the date of qualifying for status by staying with other chains
As of 1 June, 2018, World of Hyatt has rectified the situation. Instead of expiring 12 months after being earned, they will expire at the end of the next member year (i.e. upgrades awarded today will expire on 29 February, 2020)
This is unquestionably a proper enhancement. Although of course it is just fixing an entirely unnecessary own goal made during the design of World of Hyatt…
Earn 2,500 Bonus Points
World of Hyatt has also announced a promotion that will run from 1 June until 31 August, 2018. Members can earn 2,500 bonus points after five nights at a Grand Hyatt or Hyatt Regency hotel.
Registration is required. You can do that by clicking here.
500 points per night is hardly life-altering. And limiting the promotion to two business-heavy brands for the summer seems a bit petty to me. But if you are going to do five or ten nights at a Grand Hyatt or Hyatt Regency, the added bonus points I’m sure will be a nice little extra. Now that award nights are considered to be “qualifying”, you should also receive the 2,500 bonus on points stays…
Do you have any recommendations for best value Hyatt redemptions? I have a fair few points saved up but not sure whether to use them on free nights or club upgrades where available.
Thanks,
Meera
I think the pure award nights are better value than the upgrades. You can even use points to directly book Club rooms or even Suites, but you have to call Hyatt.
There are a few gems in Categories 1 and 2. Kathmandu, Nepal for example. I quite like the Hyatt in Thessaloniki, Greece in Category 2. Last year I went to Cartagena, Colombia for another Category 2 that was great value.
Some of the German hotels cost more points, but also are pretty amazing. Hamburg, Berlin, etc. Even the Category 5 Park Hyatt on Mallorca can be outstanding value during the summer.