How to earn and use Hyatt upgrade certificates
Hyatt upgrade certificates can provide great value if you use them strategically. Club access awards give you club lounge access, while Hyatt suite upgrade awards let you confirm a standard suite at booking.
I recently used a Hyatt suite upgrade award to confirm a suite at booking for a stay at the Hyatt Regency Cape Town later this year, and I just checked out from a stay at the Lindner Hotel Prague Castle, for which I used a suite upgrade award to confirm a standard suite at booking.
Each of these awards is valid for stays of up to seven nights. So, if you maximize World of Hyatt upgrade certificates, you can enjoy upgraded experiences at select properties without paying any extra points or cash. Here's what you should know about Hyatt upgrade certificates.
Types of Hyatt upgrade certificates
Hyatt offers two types of upgrade certificates that members can apply to eligible stays: club access awards and suite upgrade awards.
Hyatt club access award
You can use Hyatt club lounge access awards at participating hotels and resorts with a club lounge. Doing so gives you club lounge access during an eligible stay of up to seven consecutive nights. However, you can't use club lounge access awards at the following Hyatt brands:
- Caption by Hyatt
- Destination by Hyatt Residences
- Hyatt House
- Hyatt Place
- Hyatt Studios
- Hyatt Vacation Club hotels and resorts
- Hyatt Zilara
- Hyatt Ziva
- Me and All Hotels
- Miraval
To use a Hyatt club lounge access award, you must pay an eligible rate or redeem points (including for a standard room or suite; points and cash awards are eligible).
In the below example, I could redeem 6,500 points per night and a club access award to book a standard room with Regency Club access. However, since I have Hyatt Globalist status, using a club access award doesn't provide any incremental benefits over those my status already provides.
You can't apply a club lounge access award to a stay that includes one or more free night awards, such as those you can earn through the Hyatt Milestone Rewards program or the World of Hyatt Credit Card (see rates and fees). You also can't use a club lounge access award when booking a hotel or resort that hasn't opened yet.
Hyatt suite upgrade award
You can use a Hyatt suite upgrade award to upgrade to a standard suite (if one is available for your entire stay) when making a reservation for seven consecutive nights or fewer at a participating Hyatt hotel or resort. Only some suites are standard ones that you can secure with a suite upgrade award.
You must pay an eligible rate or redeem Hyatt points (including for a standard room or club room; points and cash awards are eligible). However, you can't apply a Hyatt suite upgrade award if your stay includes one or more free night awards or is at a property that hasn't opened yet.
When you use a Hyatt suite upgrade award to book a standard suite that typically comes with additional services, you'll get those additional services. However, you can't use a Hyatt suite upgrade award at properties that are ineligible for suite awards (as defined in the World of Hyatt terms and conditions), the Residences at Grand Hyatt Deer Valley and Hyatt Vacation Club resorts.
Related: Which credit card should you use for Hyatt stays?
How to earn Hyatt upgrade certificates
You can earn upgrade certificates through the Hyatt Milestone Rewards program. Specifically, you may receive Hyatt suite upgrade award and club access award certificates at the following milestones each calendar year (sometimes as a choice and sometimes automatically):
- 20 qualifying nights or 35,000 base points: Option to choose two club access awards
- 30 qualifying nights or 50,000 base points: Option to choose two club access awards
- 40 qualifying nights or 65,000 base points: Option to choose one suite upgrade award
- 50 qualifying nights or 80,000 base points: Option to choose two suite upgrade awards
- 60 qualifying nights or 100,000 base points: Receive two suite upgrade awards
- 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140 and 150 qualifying nights: Option to choose one suite upgrade award
Of course, for the milestones at which you can choose upgrade certificates, you'll pass up on other valuable perks if you choose suite night award or club access award certificates. So, you'll want to ensure you make the most valuable choice.
Related: 3 ways to earn Hyatt Globalist elite status
How to track your Hyatt upgrade certificates
You can see your current suite upgrade award and club lounge access award certificates by logging into your Hyatt account and navigating to the "My Awards" section.
Hyatt suite upgrade award and club lounge access award certificates are valid for the year you earn them plus 14 months. So, if you earn a Hyatt suite upgrade award in 2025, it will expire at the end of February 2027. You can only use these award certificates for reservations with a checkout date on or before the award's expiration date.
Related: Is the World of Hyatt credit card worth the annual fee?
How to use Hyatt upgrade certificates
To use a Hyatt upgrade certificate, log into your account and search for a stay as usual. If the property you choose offers an eligible club lounge or standard suites, you'll see the option to use a suite upgrade award or club access award above the room types.
If you select suite upgrade award, you'll see any standard suites that are available for your stay and can be reserved with a suite upgrade award. In this case, I could use 6,500 points per night and a suite upgrade award for a Regency Suite King at a Category 1 Hyatt hotel on a peak award date.
Meanwhile, if you select a club access award, you'll see rooms you could reserve with that award.
In early 2024, Hyatt also began letting its members gift most types of awards — including suite upgrade awards, club access awards and Guest of Honor awards — to another member through the World of Hyatt app or website. From the "My Awards" section of your Hyatt account, click the three dots next to the award you want to gift, click "Gift Your Award" and follow the prompts to gift an award to another member.
If you receive an upgrade certificate from another member, you can track and use the award exactly as described above. The process isn't different just because someone gifted the award to you.
Related: Why I aim to spend $15K on my World of Hyatt Credit Card each year
Bottom line
It's great that World of Hyatt members can earn suite upgrade award and club access award certificates as Milestone Rewards. You can choose two club access awards after just 20 qualifying nights or 35,000 base points in a calendar year and a suite night award after just 40 qualifying nights or 65,000 base points.
As you might have noticed in this article, I didn't use all my suite night award certificates with Feb. 28, 2025, expiration dates. I also didn't use any club access award certificates that expire Feb. 28, 2025, since I get club lounge access as a Hyatt Globalist, and I gave Guest of Honor awards to friends and family. However, I don't plan to choose any club access award certificates in 2025, and I already have plans to better utilize my suite night award certificates with 2026 expiration dates.
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