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Changes to hotel loyalty programs have been seen over the past few years. Some hotel loyalty programs have improved while others have gotten worse. We have seen more differences between programs when you add in the Pandemic.
I wanted to share why World of Hyatt Globalist is my favorite top tier hotel, but first I need to share my overall hotel strategy.
My hotel loyalty program strategy.
Let me share my thoughts on the four hotel loyalty programs that I am involved in, roughly in order:
Hyatt Globalist benefits.
Hyatt has some things working against it. Hyatt's footprint isn't as large as that of other companies. Hyatt has a very compelling loyalty program that I think is worth pursuing top tier status with.
The emphasis on delivering benefits is what I like about Hyatt. Hyatt does a good job in this area, even though no loyalty program is perfect.
Why do I like World of Hyatt Globalist status so much?
There are unlimited suite upgrades.
The World of Hyatt has an unlimited suite upgrade offer for Globalist members. Hyatt is the most consistent of all hotel groups when it comes to delivering on this benefit. Hotels try to offer suites if they are available.
It is important to be realistic. Some hotels don't have many suites, some hotels get a lot of Globalist members, and some hotels have a lot of paid demand for suites. Don't expect to receive a complimentary suite upgrade at the Andaz Maui or Park Hyatt Paris. Suite upgrades for Globalist members are likely at some properties.
I received a suite upgrade.
The ability to upgrade your suite.
The area where Hyatt has the best upgrade policy is with confirmed suites. You can earn up to eight confirmed suite upgrades per year if you pass 60 elite nights in a year, and then you can get an extra one for every 10 elite nights beyond that.
The suite upgrade award can be used to confirm a suite upgrade at the time of booking.
The benefit allows me to upgrade stays that matter the most to me, where I really value a suite. I have used this benefit at many properties, including the Park Hyatt Paris, Park Hyatt Milan, and Park Hyatt St. Kitts.
I received a suite upgrade at the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome.
The best breakfast benefit.
Full breakfast is offered at all hotels, and Hyatt offers the best top tier elite breakfast benefit of any hotel group. Marriott excludes brands, IHG doesn't offer a breakfast benefit, and Hilton doesn't offer a breakfast benefit.
You can get access to the club lounge with Hyatt. You can get a full, hot breakfast in the restaurant at hotels without a club lounge. The way this is done varies by hotel. You can get room service at some hotels, and at other hotels you can order anything off the menu.
The Park Hyatt Milan has a great breakfast.
Check-out is guaranteed at 4PM.
Globalist members will receive a check-out at 4PM. It is guaranteed at other hotels, but it is subject to availability at resorts. Being able to stay four to five hours is great because a benefit is most valuable when guaranteed.
The guest of honor is booked.
Hyatt has a benefit where Globalist members can redeem points for a friend or family member, and when they do, that guest will inherit Globalist benefits for that stay. This is a great reward.
I love this perk because it makes me want my family to travel comfortably as well, which is why I spend a lot of time on the road.
Being able to give perks to friends and family is pretty cool.
The resort fees on all stays were not charged.
One of the most annoying trends in the hotel industry is resort fees. These have been added at many hotels. As a Hyatt Globalist member, you don't have to worry about these, even if you book on points or cash.
The Andaz Maui waives resort fees for Globalist members.
There are no parking fees on award stays.
Globalist members don't have to pay for on-property parking when they redeem points. If you are parking in New York or San Francisco, this applies. This benefit saves me a lot of money when I use it.
Sometimes this is the deciding factor in my decision to pay cash or redeem points for a stay.
Globalist members receive free parking at the Alila Marea.
There are two free nights a year.
You can earn 60 elite nights in a year if you earn two free night certificates every year.
When you pass 30 elite nights, you will get a Category 1-4 free night certificate.
When you pass 60 elite nights, you get a Category 1-8 free night certificate.
The value of stays at those hotels could be up to 53,000 points per year, based on the peak pricing being introduced for stays as of March 2022.
I have used my free night certificate at the Park Hyatt.
Expansion of luxury.
Hyatt has a relatively small portfolio compared to competitors. Many of Hyatt's new properties have limited service and have not been organically growing as fast as competitors.
Hyatt has gotten innovative in adding luxury properties.
I am less excited about Hyatt acquiring Apple Leisure Group. Most of these properties are not considered to be luxury.
Alila Fort is in Bihar.
American Airlines has a partnership.
I don't think this is a game-changing partnership, but I do think it's great. I earn one American AAdvantage mile per dollar spent with Hyatt, and one World of Hyatt point per dollar spent with American, as an elite member.
There are even opportunities for some members to get even more privileges. Concierge Key members in the US have received Globalist status for free. We have seen other opportunities as well.
The American & Hyatt partnership gives me bonus points.
Transferring points from Chase is possible.
One of the issues with globalist status is that you wish you could redeem more points so you could enjoy the perks.
World of Hyatt is a Chase Ultimate rewards transfer partner, so you can earn additional points by using other methods. You can transfer points from one place to another.
There are many ways to earn Hyatt points.
There are many cards that can earn you Hyatt points.
Points can be combined between Hyatt accounts.
One of the great things about World of Hyatt is how easy it is to combine points between accounts.
You can transfer an unlimited number of points to another member if you don't have enough points for a redemption. There are two things to be aware of.
You cannot transfer points to another member in order to have enough points to redeem an award.
You can only combine points once every 30 days.
The Hyatt Privé is in the city.
This is something that adds significant value to my Hyatt stays, and which makes me choose Hyatt over competitors. You can receive extra perks when booking a Hyatt property through an eligible travel agent.
In many cases, this will get me a confirmed upgrade at booking, a $100 credit, and more.
You can get a property credit when you book through Privé.
I don't like World of Hyatt.
The World of Hyatt Globalist status is the biggest reason I love it, but I also don't like some things about it.
As a Globalist member, you can earn up to 6.5x points per dollar spent, which isn't that great, but I think Hyatt points are worth 1.5 cents each.
Hyatt has made huge strides when it comes to its global footprint, especially with luxury properties, but it still can't compete with the sheer number of properties belonging to Marriott, IHG, and Hilton.
There are many great hotel credit cards out there, and Hyatt has two of them, the World of Hyatt Credit Card and the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card.
I think the personal card shines because it has a lower annual fee, offers an anniversary free night certificate, and more, compared to the business card. The cards make it easier to get Globalist status. If you wanted to, you could even earn Globalist status entirely through credit card spending.
I think the best way to earn Globalist status is through a combination of credit card spending and actual stays. What is the point of earning status if you aren't actually staying at Hyatts much?
There hasn't yet been an announcement of requirements being cut for 2022, but World of Hyatt usually requires 60 elite nights to earn Globalist status. It is awesome that you can get closer to Globalist status with redeeming points.
Hyatt's credit cards can help you earn elite nights.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card gives you five elite nights each year for having the card, plus two more elite nights for every $5,000 you spend on the card.
The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card gives you five elite for every $10,000 you spend.
You could spend your way to Globalist status through a combination of elite nights earned on both cards. I don't think it's a good idea to completely do that. Credit card spending and actual stays is the best strategy.
Canaves Oia Epitome is a small luxury hotel.
The World of Hyatt Globalist status is the most compelling top tier hotel status out there. To me, it comes down to the program offering strong perks to begin with, and on top of that, consistently delivering on what is promised.
I don't count on complimentary suite upgrades, but that's the beauty of confirmed suite upgrades, which let you lock
It is not practical for a lot of people to be loyal to Hyatt, given the group's relatively small global footprint, though a lot of progress has been made there in recent years.
What is the most valuable hotel status?
