Can You Change A Paid Hotel Stay To An Award Stay?
TPG reader Joey Tweeted me this question about hotel stays:
@thepointsguy: Can you book a cash reservation with Hyatt and then switch to points later?
The answer is technically no. As long as there is a standard room available, you can redeem your points. However, hotels often oversell rooms and even if you want to cancel your standard room reservation, there is no guarantee that it will go back into inventory, and then become available for a points redemption. It could just be reallocated to an existing reservation.
That said, although it's not supposed to happen, you can get it to work by calling the Hyatt Gold Passport desk and getting an agent who can switch the reservation for you. You can try to keep calling until you get an agent who is willing to make something work for you. I have done this before with success, though it's not guaranteed.
The same rule goes for most other chains as well, that you cannot convert a reservation from a paid stay to an award stay, even if your dates and all other information remain the same. You must just cancel and hope that the room goes back into the inventory. For instance, with Hilton I have had some success with them trying to change a paid reservation to a points reservation when I called, but I believe there was award space available when I requested the change.
Preemptive Bookings
Before you go making reservations and trying to switch them, though, keep in mind that some of the hotel chains will allow you to make a preemptive award booking even if you don't have the necessary points in your account at the time of booking, and then you just have to earn the rest of the points you would need before the reservation is canceled under their normal policies.
For example, when I called Hyatt to inquire about their policies, I was informed that as a Diamond member, if you are close to the needed points for a specific award and will earn them in time for the actual stay, Hyatt will preemptively book the award space for you, and then once you have the needed points they will deduct them. So that's one way to sort of hedge your bet.
The agent said it's on a case by case basis, meaning that if you are a Diamond member and wanted to book 4 nights at the Andaz Maui which would require 88,000 points, but you only had 5,000 points in your account, they probably wouldn't book the award for you, since you are nowhere near the needed amount of points.
On the other hand if you wanted to book one night at the Park Hyatt Chicago, which requires 22,000 points per night since it is a Category 6 property, and only had 18,000 points in your account, they would be able to book the award and then once you had earned the rest of the required points, Hyatt would deduct them at that time. You would have up until the time you'd have to cancel the reservation under normal circumstances (usually 24 hours beforehand with Hyatt) to earn those points, otherwise the reservation would be canceled.
I called some of the other chains such as Starwood and Hilton, and they don't have a formal policy in place from what the reps told me. Starwood said they can hold the award space for up to seven days but if the points aren't in there by the time the hold expires, the award will automatically cancel. Hilton said they can easily switch from a paid stay to a points stay...but only if there is award space available at the time you want to make the change.
I also called Marriott, and they said that they will allow Marriott Rewards members to book award stays even if they don't have enough points, and then just to call the reservations line once all the points post in the account, and then they can issue the award. In this case also, you have up until the cancellation deadline on the reservation (usually 6pm day of check-in) to earn those points and get the award issued, otherwise the reservation is canceled.
Since there really doesn't seem to be a formal policy in place at any of the major chains, my best advice is to call and if the agent says no, just call back a few times until you can get one who would be able to help you. Also it can't hurt to reach out to the property directly and explain your situation and see if they would be willing to work with you.
[card card-name='Ink Plus® Business Credit Card' card-id='22129636' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.