World of Hyatt has long been a TPG favorite when it comes to hotel loyalty programs. Top-tier Globalist elite status with Hyatt includes perks like space-available room upgrades (including suites), 4:00 p.m. late checkout and free breakfast, among other more standard benefits. Best of all, free nights start as low as 5,000 points per night.
Hyatt is now making it easier to use those points to upgrade your standard room to a suite.
As first reported by Monkey Miles, you can now book Hyatt suite upgrades with points directly online — at the time of booking — at select properties. This change comes a year after Hyatt added the ability to book suites with points outright online.
Here's everything you need to know.
Who can use points for suite upgrades
Although Globalist members receive suite upgrade awards to secure a standard suite at the time of booking, all World of Hyatt members can redeem points for a suite upgrade. Assuming there's availability, you can redeem points for Regency Club or Grand Club upgrades, standard and premium suite upgrades.
Related: What is World of Hyatt elite status worth in 2021?
How much suite upgrades cost
To book a suite upgrade with points, you must pay the standard cash rate of the base-level room plus a points copay. The points copay is fixed at the following rates, regardless of the hotel category:
- Regency Club or Grand Club upgrade: 3,000 points per night
- Standard suite upgrade: 6,000 points per night
- Premium suite upgrade: 9,000 points per night
Keep in mind that this redemption method is different than booking suites using the Points + Cash option. You pay 50% of the points required for a free night for those bookings and get 50-70% off the standard rate for the room type you’re booking.
Related: Your guide to the World of Hyatt award chart
How to use points for a suite upgrade online
Using points for suite upgrades is now as easy as booking any other award night. Simply log into your World of Hyatt account, search for a hotel as you normally would and check the "use points" box.
After searching, click on the tab that says "Lp Suite Pts Upgr" for a standard suite upgrade or "Upgrade Premium Suite" for a premium suite upgrade. Depending on how many rates are available, you might need to click the right arrow to view more rates.
Regardless of what type of upgrade you're booking, the cash portion will always match the standard flexible rate. In other words, you cannot opt for the cheaper member or AAA rates, for instance, for the cash portion.
Just note that based on our searches, it appears that this feature hasn't fully rolled out for all properties yet. Some properties that had suites available to book entirely on points didn't show upgraded bookings available.
Related: How and when to use Hyatt upgrade certificates
Is it worth it?
Depending on the property, if the standard rates are low, you can get terrific value redeeming points for a room upgrade. This is especially true when staying at higher-end properties and booking premium suites.
For instance, in mid-November, the standard rate for an executive suite at the Grand Hyatt SFO is $829 per night before taxes and fees. However, when redeeming points for the upgrade, you can book the same room for just $229 plus 9,000 points. So, in this case, redeeming 9,000 points will save you $600, yielding a value of about 6.7 cents per point. That's phenomenal considering TPG normally values World of Hyatt points at 1.7 cents apiece.
Related: You can now book Hyatt suites with points online and save big
Boosting your World of Hyatt balance
If you're looking to book a suite upgrade but are short points, there are also many ways to boost your World of Hyatt balance quickly. For instance, you can currently earn up to 60,000 points by applying for the World of Hyatt Credit Card.
You’ll earn 30,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 in the first six months of account opening
Another option is to transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards. If you have a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, you could instantly transfer your points to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio.
Related: Why the World of Hyatt credit card is great for family travelers
Bottom line
Redeeming World of Hyatt points for room upgrades isn't new. However, it's a lot easier to do so now that it can be done online. Previously, you needed to call in to request such an upgrade. Just remember that it appears that this feature hasn't fully rolled out yet, so don't be alarmed if a property doesn't show room upgrades available online.
Ashley Onadele contributed to this story.
