World of Hyatt Rewards Program Guide: Highly Valuable for All Travelers
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World of Hyatt is one of the best hotel loyalty programs around, offering valuable rewards points, great properties and strong elite benefits. Even the infrequent traveler can unlock great value with World of Hyatt, from free nights to club room upgrades and other great experiences. Topping things off are the excellent co-branded World of Hyatt credit cards for personal and business use that make earning lots of points and elite status even easier.
With an average value of $0.017 per point when used toward hotel stays, no other hotel points rival the value of Hyatt rewards points.
By taking advantage of seasonal pricing on award nights, members can redeem points starting at just 3,500 points. And luxury and all-inclusive resorts are readily available as well starting at just 17,000 points per night. While World of Hyatt's footprint is smaller than other hotel brands, it has some of the most desirable hotels in the world.
Hyatt quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Number of properties | Over 1,000 |
| How many Hyatt points do you need for a free night? | 3,500 to 45,000 |
| Redemption options | [list has_margin_bottom="false" columns='2"] Hotel stays Room upgrades Experiences Meetings and events Airline miles Rental cars Transfer to others [/list] |
| Point value | ~$0.017 (10,000 Hyatt points are worth $170) |
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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Is World of Hyatt worth it?
Yes, the World of Hyatt program is worth it, especially since the program is free and easy to join. Hyatt points are more valuable than other hotel brands and elite status offers attractive benefits. The fact that award nights start at just 3,500 points with off-peak pricing means you don’t need to accrue many points for a free stay. [data-lightrail id="440"]{name}[/data-lightrail] makes it easy to earn both plenty of points for award stays and elite night credits toward status tiers.
How much are Hyatt points worth?
A Hyatt point is worth around $0.017, based on our sampling of domestic and international properties with various booking periods ranging from booking the week-of to booking six months in advance.
In general, you’ll get between $0.01 and $0.025 cents per Hyatt point. However, the value of Hyatt points varies greatly depending on how you use them.
- A value of $0.02 per point is easily attainable at a typical Category 1 Hyatt Place location where the cash rate is $100 per night. The Hyatt Place Memphis / Germantown is available starting at 5,000 points per night. However, if you paid cash, the rate is $95 per night ($112 with tax), which makes this redemption worth over $0.02 per point.
- Higher category properties tend to be more expensive, which makes them excellent candidates for point redemptions. For example, a king bed with a view of the harbor at The Park Hyatt Sydney in Australia starts at 30,000 points per night for a room that is almost $1,000 per night. That's a value of more than $0.032 per point.
- Some markets (e.g., Chicago) might experience high rates during one period while offering very reasonable rates at a different time. Busy travel dates can also affect the price you'll pay in cash or points. Before booking your room, compare the cash rate versus the award rate to determine whether using points is better than simply paying cash.
How do you know if using Hyatt points is worth it?
Hyatt points are generally valued at around $0.017 per point — if a hotel stay is worth $0.017 per point or more, then it’s likely worth it to use them. To calculate the value of Hyatt points, use this simple equation:
Cash price (including taxes and fees) / Number of points needed for hotel stay = Points value for that specific reservation
Pros and cons of The World of Hyatt
World of Hyatt offers excellent value for travelers who are Hyatt loyalists. There are many advantages to the World of Hyatt program but it makes sense to understand its limitations as well.
Pros
- Points are worth more. Hyatt points are worth $0.017 each, which is more than Hilton, Marriott or IHG (ranging from $0.005 to $0.01 each).
- Great benefits for higher tiers of elite status. The World of Hyatt elite program and Milestone Rewards are another excellent feature. While the lower elite tiers offer some fairly generic perks, top-tier Hyatt Globalist members enjoy excellent benefits that make this status well worth attaining.
- Milestone rewards. Milestone Rewards allow members to enjoy free nights, club upgrades and bonus points as they rack up nights throughout the year, rather than waiting until they reach a new tier of status.
- Upscale hotel brands. Hyatt’s brands themselves are a strength. Even Hyatt’s limited-service brands are often more upscale than the competition. Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels are Hyatt’s most "budget" offerings, yet they are head-and-shoulders above the budget brands of the other hotel chains. On the other end of the spectrum, Hyatt is chock-full of luxury brands and properties.
- Lots of transfer partners. Your point earning options aren't limited to Hyatt. Hyatt has several transfer partners, including Chase Ultimate Rewards®, that allow you to transfer points into its program.
Cons
- Limited footprint. Hyatt has roughly 1,000 properties, while its competitors have at least 6,000 each.
- Few card options. World of Hyatt only has one option for consumers and one for small businesses. Its competitors offer multiple cards at varying price points.
- Hyatt points are hard to come by. While Hyatt points are very valuable, Hyatt offers limited options for earning them.
Where are Hyatt hotels located?
Hyatt also partners with Small Luxury Hotels of the World, a curated collection of more than 500 boutique properties in more than 90 countries around the globe. This partnership has greatly expanded the footprint of hotels available to World of Hyatt members.
Hyatt has over 1,000 properties in over 69 countries around the world. Properties span all six inhabited continents. With 19 unique hotel brands and one non-hotel fitness brand, finding a fit for your particular travel style with Hyatt is easy to do.
Possibly the greatest weakness in an otherwise fantastic program is the relatively few number of hotels worldwide. Compared with Hilton, IHG and Marriott, with each having over 6,000 properties worldwide, Hyatt has just over 1,000 global properties.
Hyatt has one of the poorest representations of the other major hotel brands in Europe, with only ~7% of its portfolio located on the continent. However, if you include the World of Hyatt participating SLH properties, Hyatt fares a bit better. Hyatt quadrupled its presence in Europe recently through its SLH partnership.
Brand | Type of property | #of locations |
|---|---|---|
| Alila | Unique luxury hotels in less-traveled locations | 17 |
| Andaz | Luxury lifestyle brand with local focus | 24 |
| Caption by Hyatt | Upscale select-service lifestyle brand | Coming soon (500 hotels announced) |
How to earn Hyatt points
While Hyatt points are valuable, they can be hard to come by. Compared to other loyalty programs, options for earning Hyatt points are fairly limited (for instance, Hyatt does not have a dining or shopping program). Still, there are some viable options for earning Hyatt points quickly — especially through hotel stays and co-branded credit cards.
Hyatt hotel stays
One of the best ways of earning Hyatt points is by purchasing hotel rooms directly from Hyatt. Award nights start at 5 base points per dollar spent (taxes not included) for regular members and go as high as 6.5 points per dollar for Globalist members. Plus, you can earn additional points for ongoing promotions.
Some room charges are also eligible to earn base points, including spa, food and beverage purchases, but it depends on the property. Alcoholic beverage purchases billed to your room may not earn base points, depending on the property you are staying at. Elite bonus points are earned as redeemable points, but these are not counted as base points toward elite status.
Status level | Points earned/$1 spent |
|---|---|
| General member | 5.0 |
| Discoverist (10% bonus) | 5.5 |
| Explorist (20% bonus) | 6.0 |
| Globalist (30% bonus) | 6.5 |
Credit cards that earn World of Hyatt points
The World of Hyatt credit cards are another great source of Hyatt points — especially for new members who can earn the cards' sign-up bonuses. Card members get an additional 4 points on the Hyatt purchases with the cards and qualify for other great hotel perks, including automatic Discoverist status with Hyatt.
Credit card | Welcome offer | Earning rate | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| [data-lightrail id="440"]{name}[/data-lightrail] [affiliate-lightrail id="440" view="banner" width="135" /] | [data-lightrail id="440"]{signUpBonus}[/data-lightrail] | [data-lightrail id="440"]{rewardsRateDesc}[/data-lightrail] | [data-lightrail id="440"]{fee.annual.text}[/data-lightrail] |
Chase Ultimate Rewards® cards
Co-branded credit cards aren't the only cards that can help you earn more points toward future Hyatt stays. Hyatt is one of Chase's 10+ hotel and airline transfer partners. If you have an eligible Chase credit card, you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio in increments of 1,000 points to World of Hyatt.
Credit card | Welcome offer | Earning rate | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| [data-lightrail id="92"]{name}[/data-lightrail] [affiliate-lightrail id="92" view="banner" width="135" /] | [data-lightrail id="92"]{signUpBonus}[/data-lightrail] | [data-lightrail id="92"]{rewardsRateDesc}[/data-lightrail] | [data-lightrail id="92"]{fee.annual.text}[/data-lightrail] |
*These cards allow you to transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt. If you own one of these cards, you can transfer points from any no-annual-fee Ultimate Rewards cards that you own as well.
World of Hyatt partners and earning opportunities
SLH & M Life
Hyatt partners with both Small Luxury Hotels of the World and MGM Resorts / M Life Rewards. You can earn Hyatt points by booking these hotels through Hyatt channels. Earning on MGM Resorts and SLH stays is the same as with Hyatt, including the 10%/20%/30% bonus points depending on your Hyatt elite status. World of Hyatt members may also match their elite status to M LIfe for additional benefits when staying at MGM properties.
FIND Experiences
Lindblad Expeditions
American AADvantage partnership
To be able to earn points for American Airlines flights, you’ll need to link your World of Hyatt and AAdvantage accounts. Visit this page and click the "Link Accounts Now" button.
Avis car rentals
Meetings and events
Membership level | Qualifying meetings/events points/$1 |
|---|---|
| Member | n/a |
| Discoverist | 3 |
| Explorist | 10 |
| Globalist | 20 |
Buy Hyatt points
People may also purchase World of Hyatt points as a gift for someone else. Purchases follow the same limits whether you are buying points for yourself or as a gift.
Pool points with family and friends
Special promotions
- Bonus Journeys – Earn 2,022 bonus points every two qualifying nights for stays between Jan. 15 and April 20, 2022 (up to 20 qualifying nights). In addition, World of Hyatt cardmembers receive an additional 1,000 bonus points on every eligible stay in the same period (up to 10 eligible stays).
- Double Your Points – Members earn twice the points on every dollar that they spend on eligible rates and incidental charges during their stay.
- Earn 500 bonus points on stays at new hotels – Dates vary by property. There is no need to register ahead of your stay and this promotion stacks with other offers.
- Dine local – Receive 3 bonus points at participating hotels on dine-in, delivery or take-out at participating hotel restaurants through Feb. 10, 2022, when not staying the night.
- Hyatt Together Offer – Earn up to 150,000 bonus points based on the combined spend on guest rooms, venue and food and beverage when you hold an event at a participating Hyatt location. Plus, you get your choice of up to 10% off your master bill or as a credit toward upgrades.
How to use World of Hyatt points
The primary use of Hyatt points is for hotel stays with World of Hyatt. This is where you will find the best value. World of Hyatt uses a few different award charts for determining how many points are required for an award night. Hyatt recently released pricing for premium suites, which means that you can book a wide variety of room types using your Hyatt points and know the cost upfront. Here are your best options:
Free nights
Free nights with Hyatt are generally the best way to go with your points. World of Hyatt has off-peak, standard and peak pricing for each tier and category of rooms. For example, a Category 4 standard room ranges from 12,000 points for an off-peak night to 18,000 points for a peak night. You only need 3,500 points to book a room at the lowest tier in off-peak season, while premium suites can range as high as 90,000 points.
Although Category 1 is the lowest category hotel, it includes some pretty nice Hyatt Place and Hyatt House properties in a few desirable locations. The lowest tiers of Hyatt's chart, in general, are an excellent value, allowing you to book nicer-than-average hotels with a modest number of points.
On the highest end of the chart, you will find some great unique luxury hotels, thanks to Hyatt's new partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World. All of Hyatt’s standard brands will be priced within Categories 1 through 7. You will only find Destination by Hyatt Residence and SLH properties priced in Category 8.
Here are some other good uses of points:
- Weekend stays — In most tourist destinations, weekends often have the highest prices since that's when most travelers are visiting. This strategy is really useful if your points are limited and you have to choose which nights to use points and which to pay in cash.
- All-inclusive resorts — All-inclusive resorts tend to be more expensive than other hotel options, yet they still offer valuable savings because meals, drinks and some activities are included at no extra charge. For many travelers, the extra cost in points can be well worth it.
- Booking a luxury vacation. For many travelers, high-end hotels are out of their budget financially. However, when you book a room using points, these luxury accommodations become much more affordable.
Hyatt award chart
Hotel Category | Standard room | Regency/Grand Club | Standard suite | Premium suite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3,500-6,500 | 5,500-8,500 | 6,500-9,500 | 7,000-13,000 |
| 2 | 6,500-9,500 | 10,500-13,500 | 11,500-14,500 | 13,000-19,000 |
| 3 | 9,000-15,000 | 14,000-20,000 | 17,000-23,000 | 18,000-30,000 |
| 4 | 12,000-18,000 | 18,000-24,000 | 21,000-27,000 | 24,000-36,000 |
| 5 | 17,000-23,000 | 24,000-30,000 | 29,000-35,000 | 34,000-46,000 |
Savvy traveler tip: Hyatt makes it extremely easy to book hotel stays with your points. You simply need to search a destination at hyatt.com and select the "Use Points" checkbox. Once you select a property, you can easily toggle between cash rates and points rates, or select a room type to view all available rates.
Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva award nights
In addition to the standard award chart, Hyatt uses a separate award chart for its all-inclusive Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva properties. Award nights for these hotels match the highest tiers of the Hyatt chart: Depending on the hotel and the time of booking (off-peak peak/standard/peak) you can book an award night with 21,000 to 45,000 points.
Rates are based on two-person occupancy, with an extra charge for each additional person up to a maximum of four people per room. Keep in mind that the Zilara properties are adults-only, while the Ziva welcomes families traveling with children.
Property | Standard room | Suite | Additional points per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyatt Zilara Cancun | 21,000-29,000 | 35,000-45,000 | 10,500-14,500 |
| Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana | 21,000-29,000 | 35,000-45,000 | 10,500-14,500 |
| Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall | 21,000-29,000 | 35,000-45,000 | 10,500-14,500 |
Miraval Resorts
Hyatt also has special pricing for its Miraval Resorts, which are luxury all-inclusive experiences. The range of these bookings is much higher than the regular Hyatt award chart. Awards start at 40,000 points for an off-peak single-occupancy standard room and range to a sky-high 137,000 points for a Premium suite during peak season. Additionally, you'll receive a resort credit of $175 per person to cover extra charges.
Hotel | Standard room | Suite | Premium suite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-occupancy | 40,000-50,000 | 65,000-85,000 | 95,000-115,000 |
| Double-occupancy | 57,500-72,000 | 82,500-107,000 | 112,500-137,000 |
Room upgrades
Hyatt also lets you upgrade your room using World of Hyatt points. This is only applicable to cash bookings. Upgrades with Hyatt can be a good value at high category properties when cash rates are cheap. For example, booking a Club room at a Category 6 property requires 8,000 more points per night than booking a standard room. If you pay cash, you can obtain this Club upgrade for just 3,000 points per night.
Room upgrade award | Points per night |
|---|---|
| Regency/Grand Club room upgrade | 3,000 |
| Suite upgrade | 6,000 |
| Premium suite upgrade | 9,000 |
Hyatt Points + Cash
Hyatt also allows members to use half the required points for a hotel category and the rest in cash to give you more flexibility when booking free nights. Pricing for Points + Cash redemptions also follow the off-peak, standard and peak pricing schedules.
The upside here is that you won't have to accumulate a ton of points before you can use them. The downside is that you don’t get any extra value by choosing the Points + Cash rate. You’ll pay half the points and 50% to 70% of the going rate for the night, according to its website. Points + Cash stays also lose out on 100% award stay benefits, like waived resort and parking fees. Because of this rule, you may be better off splitting your reservation into all points for some nights and all cash for the others.
Whether a redemption of your World of Hyatt points is good or not often depends on your personal preferences and what the value per point is that you're receiving. These redemptions tend to offer lower value compared to other methods, so they are generally a bad option for most travelers.
- Dining and spa credit — You can use your points for dining or spa credit. However, you receive only between 1 to 1.5 cents per point when redeeming this way, making it a poor use of your points compared with hotel stays.
- Meeting credit — Using points toward meeting credit gives you a bit more value. You can redeem 15,000 World of Hyatt points for $200 of future meeting or event credit (and higher increments of 15,000 points), yielding a value of 1.33 cents per point.
- Airlines transfers — You can also convert your World of Hyatt points to airline miles. The typical rate is 2.5 Hyatt points per airline mile with most programs, although there are a few exceptions to this rule. If you convert a full 50,000 points at once, you’ll receive 5,000 bonus airline miles. In general, this does not provide good value, unless you need a few miles to top off your account to book an award ticket or have a specific high-value redemption in mind, such as international first-class flights.
- Car rentals — In addition to earning Hyatt points with Avis, you can redeem points for car rentals. The redemption option is for an intermediate-sized car for 6,000 Hyatt points a day. The price of such a car can vary across the country. Generally, airport pick-ups are the most expensive, thus you would get the highest value using this redemption to pick you up at the airport. However, this redemption option undervalues your points compared to what they can get for hotel stays. Unless your rental somehow costs you over $102 per day, giving you a point value of $0.017, then this option should be avoided.
Hyatt elite status
World of Hyatt elite status is valid from the moment you qualify for it through the end of February two calendar years in the future. For example, if you qualify for Explorist in September 2022, this status will last until February 2024.
World of Hyatt elite status is Hyatt’s way of rewarding you for your loyalty to its hotel chain. Each tier of elite status provides valuable perks that will make your Hyatt stays even more enjoyable. With perks like suite upgrades and waived resort fees, the highest tier of Hyatt elite status can be extremely valuable — worth around $5,000 per year, by our estimates.
You typically need to earn status through either nights or base points, although there are ways to shortcut this. Alternatively, you can qualify for Hyatt elite status based on meetings or events planned.
Status levels | Nights | Base points | Meetings and events |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discoverist | 10 nights | 25,000 base points | 3 meetings/events |
| Explorist | 30 nights | 50,000 base points | 10 meetings/events |
| Globalist | 60 nights | 100,000 base points | 20 meetings/events |
| Lifetime Globalist | N/A | 1,000,000 Lifetime base points | N/A |
Benefits of Hyatt elite status
World of Hyatt offers a variety of benefits to its elite members, including bonus points, room upgrades, free breakfast and waived fees. Here are the benefits of Hyatt elite status at each level.
Member
- Earn points that you can redeem for free nights
- Exclusive member rates
- Waived resort fees on award stays
- MGM Rewards status match to Sapphire
- Small Luxury Hotels benefits (free breakfast, complimentary Wi-Fi, room upgrade)
Discoverist
- All member benefits, plus:
- 10% bonus points based on base points earned
- Complimentary premium internet
- Free daily bottled water
- Complimentary upgrade (based on availability at participating locations) to a preferred room within the category booked
- MGM Rewards status match to Pearl
- Late check out up until 2:00 PM, where available
- American Airlines AAdvantage bonus
Explorist
- All Discoverist benefits, plus:
- 20% bonus points based on base points earned
- MGM Rewards status match to Gold
- Complimentary room upgrade (based on availability at participating locations), excluding suites and room with Club lounge access
- Guaranteed availability at participating Hyatt hotels up until 72 hours in advance
Globalist
- All Explorist benefits, plus:
- 30% bonus points based on base points earned
- Resort fees waived on all eligible rates and award nights
- Free parking on award nights
- Complimentary room upgrade (based on availability at participating locations) including standard suites
- Extended late check out of 4 p.m., subject to availability
- Complimentary Club access or daily breakfast (for up to two adults and two children registered to the same room) at locations without a Club
- Priority access to available rooms when checking in early
- Hyatt Guest of Honor benefit that lets friends and family enjoy your Globalist benefits
- Guaranteed availability at participating Hyatt hotels up until 48 hours in advance
Lifetime Globalist
The qualification requirement of 1 million World of Hyatt points is a major hurdle, as it equates to $200,000 spent with Hyatt Hotels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is World of Hyatt free?
Yes, World of Hyatt is free to join. You can enroll here.
Do World of Hyatt points expire?
Yes, World of Hyatt points expire after 24 months of inactivity. Members can extend the life of their points by staying at a Hyatt property, earning base points, or holding a meeting or event at Hyatt.
What hotels are part of the World of Hyatt?
Hyatt Hotels Corporation manages and franchises hotels under the 19 different hotel brands, which include Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Grand Hyatt and Park Hyatt, among others.
Can I buy World of Hyatt points?
Yes, you can buy World of Hyatt points directly here.
How do you sign up for World of Hyatt?
You can enroll in the World of Hyatt loyalty program here.
Can I add a previous hotel stay to my World of Hyatt account?
Stays prior to enrollment in World of Hyatt are not eligible for Tier-Qualifying Night credit or base points. World of Hyatt members may request stay credit for up to one year after checkout. To request retroactive credit, you’ll need to complete and submit your request using the past stay credit form and allow two to three weeks for Hyatt to process the credit.
How do I find my World of Hyatt number?
Your World of Hyatt number will be provided on the confirmation page after joining World of Hyatt. When logged into your account, click on your name in the upper right corner to view your number. Your member number also appears at the top of the Hyatt mobile app.
What is the World of Hyatt globalist phone number?
World of Hyatt Globalists have an exclusive number to reach customer service. This number is (800) 544-9288. Globalists also receive a Hyatt Concierge that is able to help them with their needs. Once you reach Globalist elite status, your concierge will reach out to make an introduction and provide their email and phone contact information.
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How We Calculate Rewards: ValuePenguin calculates the value of rewards by estimating the dollar value of any points, miles or bonuses earned using the card less any associated annual fees. These estimates here are ValuePenguin's alone, not those of the card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer.
Example of how we calculate the rewards rates: When redeemed for travel through Ultimate Rewards, Chase Sapphire Preferred points are worth $0.0125 each. The card awards 2 points on travel and dining and 1 point on everything else. Therefore, we say the card has a 2.5% rewards rate on dining and travel (2 x $0.0125) and a 1.25% rewards rate on everything else (1 x $0.0125).