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World of Hyatt has announced its annual list of hotels that will be changing award category. The big news is that Hyatt is doing something that it promised that it wouldn’t do.

146 hotels are changing category.  70 hotels will soon cost more points. 76 hotels will soon cost fewer points.

These changes will be made on 22 March, 2022.

If you have your eye on any hotel that will soon cost more points, you have until 8am CDT on March 22nd (Chicago time) to make your bookings. If you have any doubt about your dates, you should book each night individually – that would allow you to cancel just the individual night(s) you no longer require. (don’t worry, you won’t be asked to change rooms)

You can find the full list by clicking here.

Hotels Increasing in Category

When Hyatt introduced a new “Category 8”, it was limited to very expensive SLH hotels. Even though Hyatt promised that no Hyatt hotel would become a Category 8 hotel, it was obvious that this promise would be broken one day. That day is today.

These Hyatt hotels will soon move from Category 7 to Category 8:

• Park Hyatt Milan
• Park Hyatt Paris Vendome
• Alila Napa Valley
• Alila Ventana Big Sur
• Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort
• Park Hyatt New York
• Park Hyatt Kyoto
• Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono
• Park Hyatt Sydney

Many hotels are also increasing to Category 5, which means that 1-4 free night certificates will no longer be eligible:

• Thompson Gild Hall, New York City
• Hyatt Place Portland, Maine
• Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay
• The Confidante Miami Beach
• Hyatt Regency Monterey
• Park Hyatt Zanzibar
• Park Hyatt Istanbul – Macka Palas

Hotels Decreasing in Category

The news isn’t all bad, especially in Asia and Europe. These hotels will soon become Category 1 hotels:

• Grand Hyatt Bali
• Hyatt Regency Bali
• Hyatt Regency Baku, Azerbaijan
• Hyatt Place Frankfurt Airport
• Hyatt Place Heathrow Airport
• Hyatt Place West London Hayes
• Hyatt Place Amsterdam Airport
• Hyatt Place Santiago, Chile
• Hyatt Regency Dubai

And these hotels will soon become available using Category 1-4 certificates:

• Hyatt Regency Guam
• The Cellars-Hohenort, South Africa
• The Plettenberg, South Africa
• Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui
• Grand Hyatt Macau
• Hyatt Regency Sydney, Australia
• Hyatt Regency Amsterdam
• The Grand Hotel, Eastbourne

Bottom Line

If you like to save up your points and/or free night certificates for high-end luxury hotels, these category changes are terrible news.

However, the Bali hotels will be an excellent redemption opportunity (whenever Bali reopens to tourism) and although some of the European airport hotels are not exciting redemptions, Category 1 award pricing should regularly offer decent “cent per point” returns and possible mattress run opportunities.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments section…