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Only a Few Hours Before Hyatt Changes Categories on These Nine Hotels

Dec. 13, 2017
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3 min read
HYATT CARMEL HIGHLANDS Ocean View King
Only a Few Hours Before Hyatt Changes Categories on These Nine Hotels
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Hyatt is changing the award categories for nine of its hotels with very little notice. At 12:01am Central Time on December 13, 2017, one hotel's category is dropping while the other eight are increasing.

Here are the hotels affected with the current and new categories:

HotelCurrent

Category		New

Category
Hyatt Place Orlando Airport
1
2
Hyatt Place Orlando/Lake Mary
1
2
Hyatt Place St. Paul
1
2
Hyatt Place Shenzhen
1
2
Hyatt Place Augusta
2
3
Hyatt Place Santa Cruz
2
4
Highlands Inn, a Hyatt Hotel
6
7
Hyatt Place Long Island/NYC
2
3
The Confidante Hotel, Miami
6
4

Note that these changes go into effect for stays in 2018. The rates for the remainder of 2017 are supposed to stay the same.

The most tempting option for booking now may be the Hyatt Place Long Island City. Despite being just outside NYC, somehow this hotel has maintained a category 2 status. Before midnight, award nights will cost 8,000 points. At current TPG valuations, that's $144 in value per night for a hotel a short ride from Manhattan.

For this hotel, I'm finding nights for off-peak dates in January at $126 per night (AAA rate, including taxes), so this isn't as good of a deal for all dates. But, you'll get good value out of your Hyatt points — or transferred Chase Ultimate Rewards points — for spring and summer travel to NYC. If you need to top off your World of Hyatt account, transfers from Chase to World of Hyatt are instantaneous.

If you've already booked a reservation for The Confidante Hotel for 2018, Hyatt is saying that "Customer Service will proactively deposit the point difference into a member’s account."

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While not the worst round of category changes we've seen from a hotel, it's really disappointing that Hyatt is giving such short notice for these changes. If you're interesting in booking any of these hotels for stays in 2018, make sure to book now.

H/T: View From The Wing

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  • 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)
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  • 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.