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Quick Points: World of Hyatt members don't pay hotel taxes or fees on award stays

Aug. 23, 2024
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4 min read
SECIM_P0035 Two Story Penthouse Suite Terrace
Quick Points: World of Hyatt members don't pay hotel taxes or fees on award stays
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World of Hyatt is one of our favorite hotel loyalty programs at TPG.

Obtaining elite status within the program can provide complimentary room upgrades, free breakfast, early check-in, late checkout and even free night awards.

TPG values Hyatt points at an impressive 1.7 cents per point, per our August 2024 valuations, which is among the highest of any hotel points. In addition to many other sweet spots, you can book award nights starting at just 3,500 points for a Category 1 off-peak property — far fewer points than you will need for the cheapest Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy properties.

You might think these valuable Hyatt points are hard to come by unless you are doing a lot of paid stays at Hyatt properties worldwide, but don’t fear. Hyatt is a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards; you can transfer reward points at a generous 1:1 rate.

Related: Your guide to World of Hyatt award charts

And when you use points (or free night awards) for Hyatt stays, you can avoid one of the most frustrating added costs in the travel industry: taxes and fees.

How to save on Hyatt hotel taxes and fees

SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY

If you’re a regular traveler, you’ve probably been hit with a daily resort or destination fee for a hotel stay that required you to pay extra for items you might not want or need, like a discount on beauty treatments at the hotel spa, or items you had assumed were included in the room rate, like internet access.

If so, World of Hyatt has you covered.

There are no resort fees, destination fees or other taxes and surcharges on World of Hyatt award redemptions.

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I recently booked a four-night stay at the new Grayson Hotel in New York, a Category 5 property that costs 17,000 Hyatt points per night on off-peak dates. As a Discoverist member (the lowest elite status Hyatt tier), I was upgraded to a room with an excellent view of the Empire State Building.

Best of all, my four-night award stay had no cash charges, saving me the $30 per night destination fee plus taxes that this particular hotel charges.

Related: Meet the Grayson Hotel, a new Hyatt sweet spot in New York City

Topping off your World of Hyatt points balance

Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt remains an excellent way to use your Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Here’s a look at some of the current Chase credit card offers:

The information for the Ink Business Preferred has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

While we don't typically recommend purchasing Hyatt points, it could make sense if you need to top off your account to save money by booking an award stay. Additionally, Hyatt occasionally offers a discount or bonus points promotion, which could prove valuable if you have a specific redemption in mind.

Featured image by IMPRESSION MOXCHE BY SECRETS/HYATT
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.