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Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Guides
6 ways World of Hyatt should improve its loyalty program
Katie Genter is a digital nomad who has traveled full time since June 2017. She writes and edits stories about points and miles, and loyalty programs, often letting her personal experiences color these stories.
March 23, 2022 • 9 min read
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Quick summary
World of Hyatt remains a popular hotel loyalty program due to its set award chart and valuable elite benefits, especially for top-tier members.
The program could improve by enabling online bookings for all award types, such as Guest of Honor, club lounge access and suite upgrade awards, which currently require phone calls.
Other areas for enhancement include introducing a premium credit card option, expanding elite upgrade eligibility to more brands and offering a fourth or fifth night free on award stays.
Hyatt's limited global footprint and lack of a flexible calendar for paid rates are also noted drawbacks compared to competitors.
What to consider
Some award bookings still require phone interaction, which can be inconvenient for international travelers or those who prefer digital channels.
Elite room upgrades are not available at certain Hyatt brands, and upgrade decisions are at the discretion of individual properties.
Hyatt has fewer participating hotels in many international destinations, which may limit options for travelers seeking specific locations.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed suggestions for how Hyatt could enhance its loyalty program and comparisons to similar offerings from other hotel chains.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
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In short, there are many reasons travelers love the World of Hyatt program. And since I earned Globalist status for the first time last year and am working to requalify this year, I've started to see the appeal of Hyatt myself as I interact with the World of Hyatt program and stay at Hyatt brands.
But, despite its popularity, there's still room for the World of Hyatt program to improve. So, in this guide I'll discuss some of the top ways I'd like to see Hyatt improve its loyalty program.
Facilitate online bookings for all awards
The club lounge at the Hyatt Regency Cape Town. (Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)
I don't like talking on the phone. And when I'm overseas, calling can be costly if the country I'm in blocks calls over Wi-Fi. So, I'd rather do everything I need to with a program online, through the program's website, email or social media.
Granted, when I called to book a Guest of Honor award for a friend recently, an agent picked up almost immediately and the entire call lasted about 16 minutes. But I'd appreciate it if Hyatt would allow all awards, including Guest of Honor awards, club lounge access awards and suite upgrade awards, to be booked online similar to the way guests can book other stays online.
The Park Hyatt Sydney. (Photo by Eric Rosen/The Points Guy)
I signed up for the World of Hyatt Credit Card in late 2020 and expect to keep the card for the long term. After all, each year I get a free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort and five qualifying night credits toward my next tier status. These perks easily justify the card's $95 annual fee. Plus, I get the ability to spend on my card to earn more qualifying night credits and a second free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort each year.
However, other programs offer premium hotel credit cards with elevated perks. So, I'd like to see Hyatt offer a premium card. And unfortunately, the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card didn't fill this gap.
For example, I'd like to see a premium Hyatt card that offers higher earning rates at Hyatt properties, additional rates with extra perks for cardholders and access to extra promotions. A premium Hyatt card could also offer an annual Hyatt travel credit for use at select brands.
A suite at the Hyatt Regency JFK Airport at Resorts World New York. (Photo by Benji Stawski/The Points Guy)
World of Hyatt elite members are eligible for an "upgraded room based on availability at check-in at participating locations," according to the tiers and benefits page. In particular, each World of Hyatt elite status tier is eligible for upgrades as follows:
Discoverist: Preferred room within type booked, where preferred is defined as "rooms on higher floors, corner rooms or rooms with more appealing views."
Explorist: Upgraded room excluding suites and rooms with club lounge access.
Globalist: Including standard suites.
But upgrades aren't available at Caption by Hyatt, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Destination Residences and Hyatt Residence Club hotels and resorts.
And although Hyatt's terms and conditions state, "Globalists will receive the best room available at the time of check-in at Hyatt hotels and resorts, including standard suites and rooms with club lounge-access," the terms go on to note that "the best room available will be determined by the applicable hotel or resort in its sole discretion and may vary from stay-to-stay."
So, a hotel can effectively exclude any of its rooms or suites when deciding the "best room available." And, even when staying at an eligible property that is still selling upgraded rooms and standard suites through the Hyatt app when I arrived at the hotel, I've mostly gotten upgrades within the type booked or one-category upgrades as a Globalist.
I appreciate that hotels may want to exclude some rooms and standard suites from upgrades. But I'd like Hyatt to find a way to encourage properties to include most available rooms into the "best room available" calculation.
I'd also like to see Hyatt House, Hyatt Place and Caption by Hyatt participate in elite upgrades. Doing so would provide consistency and be a nice perk for elite members opting to stay at these usually lower-category brands.
I usually aim to redeem Marriott and Hilton points in five-night increments and IHG points in four-night increments. But Hyatt doesn't offer any similar perk. As such, I often find myself redeeming Hyatt points for shorter stays. I'd love to see Hyatt add a fourth- or fifth-night-free perk for its members -- or potentially just its elite members or Hyatt credit card holders -- to encourage extended award stays.
If you're visiting Johannesburg right now, you'll have your choice of two suburban Hyatt Houses if you want to stay with Hyatt. (Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)
One obvious shortcoming of World of Hyatt, when compared to other popular hotel loyalty programs, is the number of participating hotels, especially outside the United States. You may only find one or two Hyatt properties, even in popular international destinations. And in some major cities or destinations, you may not find any Hyatt hotels.
For example, there are only 19 Hyatt hotels in Canada currently. And there are just 24 Hyatt hotels in all of Africa. Many popular countries for travelers, including Peru, Israel and Sri Lanka, have just one Hyatt hotel. If location and property type are important to you, you may find that Hyatt comes up short.
As a traveler who often has flexible dates -- or who may split my time in a destination among multiple hotels -- I appreciate when a program allows you to see daily rates on a calendar. Luckily, World of Hyatt added this ability for point redemptions around the same time it implemented peak and off-peak points redemptions.
(Screenshot from hyatt.com)
But you can only see award rates on a calendar, not paid rates. So, I'd like Hyatt to add a calendar search function for paid rates. Of course, you can use a third-party site, such as Google Hotels, to see prices on a calendar. But these third-party sites often show lower rates from online travel agencies that usually won't earn Hyatt points or be eligible for elite benefits.
Again, although this story focused on areas where Hyatt can improve, Hyatt is doing many things right.
Indeed, many Hyatt elite members rave about the program. For years, I figured they were overhyping the program and its customer service. But, although I haven't had any over-the-top experiences with Hyatt yet, now that I'm staying at Hyatts and using the World of Hyatt program, I can certainly see why many frequent travelers find that Hyatt provides the best experience for them.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
