At the end of last summer, Hyatt acquired Exhale Spas in order to continue bolstering its mission of caring not only for a guest's good nights sleep but their entire well being. Today, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts announced a new integration between the World of Hyatt loyalty program and Exhale Spa, allowing members to redeem their points at nearly 20 Exhale locations and offering added benefits for select World of Hyatt elite members.
Here are the basics of the partnership:
- World of Hyatt members earn 10 base points per eligible dollar spent at participating Exhale locations
- Holders of The World of Hyatt Credit Card will earn four bonus points per eligible dollar spent on their card at participating Exhale locations
- Hyatt Credit Cardmembers (no longer open to new applicants) will earn three bonus points per eligible dollar spent on their card at participating Exhale locations
- World of Hyatt members will receive their standard tier bonus points on eligible spend (10% for Discoverist, 20% for Explorist and 30% for Globalist)
- World of Hyatt members can redeem points for individual fitness classes or select spa therapies
- Members can redeem 2,000 World of Hyatt points for fitness classes
- Members can redeem 12,000 World of Hyatt points for a 60 minute massage or a 60 minute facial
- World of Hyatt members have access to a number of benefits by tier, including:
- Globalists: Free access to individual Exhale classes when staying at Hyatt hotels on an eligible rate or Free Night Award, Room Upgrade Award, or a Points + Cash Award plus (1) free Week of Wellbeing (unlimited fitness classes and retail/spa discounts at a participating Exhale location)
- Explorists: One (1) free Week of Wellbeing (unlimited fitness classes and retail/spa discounts at a participating Exhale location)
There are 18 participating locations without restrictions:
In order to get started with earning or redeeming points at Exhale locations, you need to link your World of Hyatt and Exhale accounts via the partnership splash page:
You can then easily redeem points for classes or spa treatments online after you select your desired location:
After completing the redemption, you'll receive a credit for the corresponding service at the participating Exhale location. Just be aware that a credit for a fitness class expires after one month, though you do have a full year to redeem a credit for a treatment.
Value Proposition
I looked at the cost of classes and spa treatments at the varying locations. A single fitness class goes for $22 in Atlanta and $37 at the varying New York locations. At 2,000 points per class, this gives you a value of between 1.1 and 1.85 cents per point, depending on the spa location you visit. For massages, most of the 60-minute sessions you can book with 12,000 points go for $155 online when booking on Exhale's website. This gives you a value of 1.3 cents per point, and bear in mind that you're still responsible for customary gratuity out-of-pocket. These aren't great value for Hyatt points (TPG valued them at 1.8 cents apiece in his most recent valuations), but they aren't too bad. A fitness class in New York for 2,000 points could be a steal, and if you're absolutely swimming in Hyatt points with no immediate need, why not pamper you or a loved one with a treatment?
However, I do think there is some great value for those of you with Globalist or Explorist status in the World of Hyatt program. Free access to Exhale classes as a Globalist while staying at a Hyatt property is definitely something I'll look to utilize, and a free week of membership at any participating location for both Globalist and Explorist members is a great way to get the company's most loyal guests introduced to their new wellness brand.
In addition, as a Globalist member who holds the new World of Hyatt card, I'm intrigued by the earning potential on these treatments. I would earn 2,635 World of Hyatt points on a $155 spa treatment (after my 4 bonus points per dollar spent plus 30% Globalist bonus), worth $47.43 based on TPG's valuations. This represents a roughly 30% rebate on the Exhale expenditure.
One of the biggest drawbacks to this new integration is the relatively limited reach of Exhale Spas, with just 18 locations covering 11 destinations. However, we did have a chance to speak with Amy Weinberg, Senior VP with World of Hyatt about this new integration, and she's hopeful that the footprint will expand as the Hyatt umbrella continues to grow. In fact, she pointed to the Ocean Resort Casino in Atlantic City, a new addition to Hyatt's Unbound Collection, as an example of this expansion. When the resort came into Hyatt's portfolio over the summer, it rebranded the on-property spa as an Exhale location. Let's hope that new builds or new additions to the program follow this lead, as a broader spectrum would greatly enhance this new integration.
Bottom Line
It's always nice to see a loyalty program thinking beyond its specific industry, and the new integration of World of Hyatt and Exhale Spa represents just that. In addition to creating new point-earning potential for all members, I think this adds additional value to the Explorist and Globalist levels of Hyatt elite status, and I'll certainly look to take advantage of it (if an Exhale Spa is near my next Hyatt stay). While the small footprint of Exhale Spas is currently the primary limiting factor to this partnership, I hope that enhancements like this are a sign of what's to come with the World of Hyatt program.
.
