7 ways Hyatt Globalist elite status can make your next trip better
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information.
Hotel loyalty programs are not all equal. Some reward their most loyal customers much more handsomely than others.
Sitting toward the top of the pack of the most generous hotel loyalty programs is the World of Hyatt. Top-tier Hyatt Globalist status is often thought of as the crème de la crème of hotel elite status levels.
Related: The accidental Explorist: How I earned Hyatt’s second-highest status … and then kept going
With Hyatt Globalist status, you can spread out using suite upgrades, fill up on complimentary breakfast for the whole family, enjoy lounge access, waived resort fees, free parking, bonus points and more.
Globalist status can make your Hyatt stay more comfortable, more affordable, and is, in a word, outstanding. Now is a good time to review the top reasons we love Hyatt Globalist status.
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Hyatt bonus points
Those holding Globalist status earn 5 base points per dollar spent -- plus a 30% bonus on eligible purchases. Those bonus points can really add up and turn into a sweet luxury vacation.
Hyatt Globalist complimentary breakfast
Who doesn’t like being served a free hot breakfast? Anytime there’s a survey of what travelers want from hotels, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find free breakfast at the top of their wish list. But we have all probably seen a rather depressing free breakfast lineup at a mid-range or budget hotel stocked with cold cereal, questionable eggs and bland toast.
That’s not at all like the free breakfast you get by being a Hyatt Globalist.
Related: Guide to World of Hyatt elite status
Whether you’re staying on cash or points, Hyatt Globalists get to enjoy a complimentary full breakfast for up to two adults and two children registered in the room. Each Hyatt property executes this benefit a little differently, but expect to be able to enjoy the breakfast items of your choice in the hotel restaurant.
Some Hyatt properties even let you enjoy the complimentary breakfast via room service at no additional cost, which is the ultimate treat in my book.
Related: TPG’s favorite hotel breakfasts
Hyatt club lounge access
Just about the only time you won’t get free, full breakfast at a Hyatt property as a Globalist is if the hotel has a club lounge. In that case, your Hyatt Globalist status allows you to enjoy your breakfast (plus snacks, evening cocktails and other meals) in the exclusive club lounge at no extra charge.
Not all Hyatt properties have club lounges, but you’ll most frequently find them at some Hyatt Regency and Grand Hyatt properties.
Some club lounges are great, while others are just OK. In either case, you’ll typically find a variety of breakfast items (with some hot dishes), snacks in the afternoon and then evening appetizers, desserts and drinks. Some properties charge a fee of a few dollars for the evening drinks, while others don’t. Tips are always appreciated.
It’s possible to enjoy lounge access on your next Hyatt stay even without Globalist status, as lounge access certificates are awarded with Explorist status. You can also use additional points or cash to book lounge access rooms, when available.
Related: Redeem points for upgraded Hyatt rooms and suites
Hyatt suite upgrades
Hyatt Globalists can enjoy the luxury of extra space in a suite a couple of different ways.
First, having Hyatt Globalist status means you are eligible for complimentary space-available standard suite upgrades at check-in. It’s similar to space-available first-class upgrades for airline elites, only it’s a little harder to know exactly how many suites are available in a hotel than premium seats on a plane.
The second (and perhaps more reliable) way for Globalists to enjoy suites is by securing them in advance using complimentary suite upgrade awards. These upgrades are no longer earned just because you’re a Hyatt Globalist, but they still come as a byproduct of earning the status.
Related: Guide to Hyatt elite status tiers and perks
By the time you have earned 60 elite-qualifying nights with Hyatt in a calendar year (the same number it takes to earn Globalist status), you’ll have unlocked four suite upgrade award certificates. Each of these can be used to take a standard room reservation booked with points or cash (or eligible rates) all the way up to a standard suite reservation for no extra fee on up to a seven-night stay.
You can usually see which suites are considered standard, and thus eligible, for the use of a suite upgrade certificate by carefully reading the room descriptions on the individual hotel websites. For example, a junior or regular suite will probably say “this is a standard suite,” while a specialty or Presidential Suite won’t carry that language and won’t be accessible simply by using a suite upgrade certificate.
Locking in a suite ahead of time for a special trip — especially a trip with the kids — is an exceptional hotel loyalty perk that is pretty much unmatched by the other major programs.
Waived Hyatt resort fees
Hotel resort fees are awful. No traveler I’ve ever met likes paying these fees.
Thankfully, Hyatt makes it easy to avoid resort fees. Hyatt actually allows all World of Hyatt members to avoid paying resort fees (that can top $50 per night) by simply staying on an all-points award reservation.
But for top-tier Globalist members, all eligible stays booked directly with Hyatt, whether paid with points, cash or a mix of cash and points, are exempt from resort fees. This can result in hundreds of dollars in savings throughout the year, especially if you frequent high-end hotels and resorts.
A four-night stay booked with cash at the beautiful Grand Hyatt Kauai, for example, would come with $200 in resort fees. Not if you have Globalist status though.
Free parking at Hyatt hotels
While many Hyatt properties have free parking, some of the high-end or urban properties don’t.
Consider the ski-out Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, where parking costs $50 per night, or the Park Hyatt New York, which charges $75 per night for parking. Even the Andaz San Diego charges between $25 and $49 per day for parking.
Globalists who need a place to park their car during a Hyatt stay can avoid those parking charges when they’re enjoying an award stay booked with points or an award certificate. This perk is not valid on a cash reservation or a stay booked with a mix of points and cash.
Hyatt Guest of Honor
When you have something as valuable as Hyatt Globalist status, it’s natural to want to share the perks with friends and family members. With Hyatt, sharing elite perks is actually a legitimate and above-board benefit of the Hyatt Guest of Honor program.
Hyatt Globalists can use their points to book an award stay for someone else, and all of the in-hotel benefits the Globalist would normally enjoy (such as free breakfast, waived fees and suite upgrade eligibility, among others) will transfer to the guest. Note that the Globalist elite must book an award stay for someone for it to qualify, as there’s no such thing as a Guest of Honor paid stay.
Elite check-in and late checkout
Sometimes you arrive at your destination early. Globalists can ask for an early check-in if space is available. There's also expedited check-in at participating locations with a dedicated area.
Whether for nap times, a last-minute shower or extra time to play in the pool, sometimes it’s helpful to have your room for as long as possible on the day you check out. With Globalist status, you can typically secure a 4:00 p.m. late checkout time.
There are a few caveats to this, as late checkout is subject to availability and not guaranteed at hotels with a casino, Hyatt resorts or Destination Residences (it’s not typically available at Hyatt Residence Club resorts either). But if you want late checkout, it’s always worth asking, and in a polite manner, making sure the front desk is aware of your Globalist status when you make your request — especially if that means more time to enjoy the property.
How to earn Hyatt Globalist status
Hyatt Globalist elite status is earned with 60 eligible nights credited to your World of Hyatt account within a calendar year.
Unlike top-tier Hilton Diamond status, there’s no credit card you can get that automatically confers Hyatt Globalist status. It’s not necessarily easy to earn Hyatt Globalist status without being a very frequent traveler, but there are some workarounds.
First, know that both paid and award nights count toward the 60 nights you need per year to earn Globalist status. Second, the World of Hyatt Credit Card can help shorten the process of earning Globalist status. Normally, you get five nights toward elite status just by having the World of Hyatt Credit Card — and you’ll get another two elite nights for every $5,000 charged to the card with no caps on how many nights you can earn.
If you have the legacy Hyatt Visa (no longer available to new applicants), which doesn’t normally get you closer to elite status, you’ll now earn two elite nights for every $5,000 charged during this period.
Bottom line
Once you’ve enjoyed the perks of Hyatt Globalist elite status, it’s hard to let those luxuries go. From free breakfast to suite upgrades, late checkout, waived resort fees, bonus points and more, Hyatt Globalist status is a hotel elite status absolutely worth having if you can find a way to make it happen.
Additional reporting by Benét J. Wilson
