World of Hyatt to end Exhale spa and gym partnership in January

Exhale — a spa and fitness brand previously owned by Hyatt — will stop participating in the World of Hyatt loyalty program effective Jan. 1, 2022. That means World of Hyatt members will no longer be able to earn bonus Hyatt points or redeem them for rewards at Exhale. So if you've been waiting to book that spa treatment, now is the time.

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The Hyatt-Exhale partnership

Hyatt acquired Exhale in 2017, but sold the brand in December 2020. However, Exhale has continued to participate in the World of Hyatt program since the sale.

Currently, World of Hyatt members can earn and redeem points on Exhale online and in-studio fitness classes and spa treatments. Members earn 10 points per eligible dollar spent at participating Exhale locations and folks with the World of Hyatt Credit Card can earn 4 bonus points per dollar.

Elite members earn the same points bonuses as they do on Hyatt spend, and Hyatt Explorist and Globalist elite members have access to special Exhale perks, like a complimentary class when staying at a nearby Hyatt hotel.

On the redemption side, members can use 2,000 World of Hyatt points for fitness classes, or 12,000 World of Hyatt points for a 60-minute massage or a 60-minute facial.

An exit for Exhale

Starting Jan. 1, 2022, however, World of Hyatt members will no longer be able to earn or redeem points with Exhale. Likewise, World of Hyatt Credit Card members will no longer receive bonus points on Exhale purchases. Earning and redeeming World of Hyatt points with Exhale will continue as normal until that date, though.

One of the unique aspects of the Hyatt-Exhale partnership was that select brands like Hyatt House and Hyatt Place streamed on-demand video content from Exhale, including fitness classes. Unfortunately, those options will disappear in 2022, too.

While it's never great to see a loyalty program lose a partner, many World of Hyatt members probably won't even notice these changes. Exhale experiences were relatively niche redemptions, as the brand has a relatively small number of physical locations around the U.S.

For some more context, a single class cost 2,000 World of Hyatt points, and the cash value ranged from $10 for an online class to $42 for a physical class in New York City, neither of which was extremely attractive. To look at it another way, you could use 12,000 points for a 60-minute treatment, or a free night at a Category 3 hotel like the Hyatt Regency Vancouver or the Park Hyatt Mendoza. I know which type of redemption I'd save my points for.

The people losing out the most, however, are those who regularly pay for Exhale classes and earn 10 World of Hyatt points per dollar (or more depending on their elite status) in the process. These members will now lose out on points earning and potential bonus points earned from paying with a Hyatt credit card. If you fall into this camp, consider paying for your upcoming classes with one of our favorite credit cards for gym memberships once the partnership ends.

Hyatt has said it recognizes "that demand for wellbeing experiences while traveling remains strong," so it will be interesting to see if the hotel company replaces Exhale with another fitness partner in the near future. It seems possible given that one of the World of Hyatt Credit Card bonus categories is earning 2 bonus points per dollar on fitness club and gym memberships. So perhaps a new strategy is already in the works.

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