How to give (or receive) top-tier Globalist perks with Hyatt Guest of Honor awards
Hyatt has a relatively small footprint compared to Marriott and Hilton. But where Hyatt really shines is its loyalty program, World of Hyatt.
Not only does the Hyatt award chart offer great value, but Hyatt also offers a unique Guest of Honor perk that lets members occasionally enjoy top-tier Globalist benefits without having Hyatt Globalist status. Here's what you should know about earning and using Hyatt Guest of Honor awards.
What is Hyatt Guest of Honor?
A Hyatt Guest of Honor award provides on-site Globalist benefits on an eligible stay of up to seven nights. You can use a Guest of Honor award when you book an eligible paid rate or redeem Hyatt points for a standard room, suite or points-and-cash stay.
You can't apply a Guest of Honor award to a booking that includes free night awards, such as those you can earn through the World of Hyatt Credit Card (see rates and fees), the Brand Explorer promotion and the Milestone Rewards program. You also can't apply a Guest of Honor award to a stay at select properties, including all Hyatt Vacation Club properties.
Related: World of Hyatt elite status: What it is and how to earn it
How to earn Hyatt Guest of Honor awards
You can earn Guest of Honor awards through Hyatt's Milestone Rewards program. Specifically, you'll earn Hyatt Guest of Honor awards at each of the following milestones each calendar year:
- 40 qualifying nights or 65,000 base points: One Guest of Honor award
- 60 qualifying nights or 100,000 base points: Two Guest of Honor awards
- 70, 80 and 90 qualifying nights: One Guest of Honor award
- 110, 120, 130 and 140 qualifying nights: One Guest of Honor award
Guest of Honor awards earned through the Milestone Rewards program are valid for the year you earn them, plus 14 additional months. So, if you earn a Guest of Honor award in 2025, you must use it for a stay with a checkout date on or before Feb. 28. 2027.
Additionally, lifetime Globalist members get five Guest of Honor awards when they earn lifetime status and then around March 1 each year. These Guest of Honor awards are valid for 12 months from insurance.
Related: Ways to earn Hyatt Globalist elite status
How to use Hyatt Guest of Honor awards
When you log in to your World of Hyatt account, click on your name in the upper right-hand corner and then select "My awards. " If you've earned (or been gifted) Guest of Honor awards, you'll see them here.
You can use a Hyatt Guest of Honor award for yourself or for someone else. Here's a closer look at both options.
Use a Hyatt Guest of Honor award for yourself
If you don't have Hyatt Globalist status, you might want to use a Guest of Honor award to get Globalist benefits on an upcoming stay. There are two ways you could earn a Hyatt Guest of Honor award without having Globalist status: Someone could gift you a Guest of Honor award, or you could earn one after staying 40 qualifying nights or earning 65,000 base points within a calendar year.
Either way, if you have a Guest of Honor award in your account, you'll see an additional option when you book eligible stays on the Hyatt website. Go through the booking process as normal until you've selected a property. On the page where you can see the available room types for a specific stay, you'll see Guest of Honor listed as an award you could apply if your stay is eligible.
If you want to apply a Guest of Honor award to this stay, select the award and then continue booking as normal.
Use a Hyatt Guest of Honor award for someone else
You can also use a Guest of Honor award for someone else's stay — and if you have Globalist status, this is the only way you'll get value from using these awards.
You can contact Hyatt to redeem a Guest of Honor award when booking a stay in the name of another person. In this case, you could redeem points from your account to book the stay or book an eligible paid rate.
However, you can also easily gift another Hyatt member a Guest of Honor award online. From the "My awards" page mentioned above, click the three dots next to an award, select "Gift your award," verify your account via text message or email, and then enter the recipient's World of Hyatt number and last name.
If you gift your Guest of Honor award, the member can book their stay using their points or another payment method. Plus, you'll earn a tier-qualifying night each time another member stays on a Guest of Honor award you gifted them.
However, once you gift an award, you can't get it back even if the member decides not to use it. So, if the member isn't confident they'll use the stay, you may want to book a stay in their name instead of gifting a Guest of Honor award. You won't get the tier-qualifying night after they stay, but you'll retain your Guest of Honor award if the member cancels their stay.
Related: Best Hyatt hotels in the world
Hyatt Guest of Honor benefits
Members staying on a Guest of Honor award stay will enjoy on-site benefits usually offered to Hyatt Globalist members. These benefits include:
- Room upgrade to the best room available at the time of check-in, as determined by the hotel (including standard suites and rooms with Club lounge access, when available)
- Club lounge access at properties with a Club lounge, and daily complimentary full breakfast (one entree or standard buffet plus juice and coffee) at properties without an open Club lounge
- 4 p.m. late checkout upon request (subject to availability at hotels with a casino, Hyatt resorts and Destination by Hyatt Residences locations; not offered at Hyatt Vacation Club properties)
- Waived resort, destination and facility fees when paying an eligible rate (not offered at Hyatt Vacation Club properties)
- Free parking when redeeming points for your stay (only when you can charge the parking fees to your room; not offered at Hyatt Vacation Club properties)
On some stays, such as at a Hyatt Place property, Guest of Honor benefits won't provide much value. But on an award stay at an urban property with high parking fees and expensive breakfast rates or a resort with a nice Club lounge, Guest of Honor benefits can provide significant value.
Related: Here's why lounge access is my favorite hotel elite status perk overseas
Bottom line
Hyatt Guest of Honor awards let Explorist members enjoy Globalist benefits on one stay if they reach 40 qualifying nights or 65,000 base points within a calendar year. Plus, Guest of Honor awards let Globalist members share their benefits with other members several times each year.
World of Hyatt even gives members a tier-qualifying night each time another member stays on a Guest of Honor award they've gifted. So, Hyatt incentivizes its members to gift Guest of Honor awards to other members. As such, don't feel bad asking your Globalist friends whether they're willing to gift you a Guest of Honor award if you don't have Globalist status but plan to book a Hyatt stay for which you could enjoy Globalist benefits.
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| 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
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
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- 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.
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- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.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.