How a quick road trip to Savannah got me Globalist status and a pair of free-night certificates

To status run, or not to status run? That is the question.

(Or at least, that's been the question for travelers interested in World of Hyatt status ever since the program announced an extension of its incredibly lucrative Bonus Journeys promotion and halved elite qualification thresholds for 2021.)

It almost seemed too good to be true. Eligible nights from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2020, counted toward elite-status qualification last year and this year. In addition, any nights completed between Jan. 1 and Feb. 28, 2021, would count twice toward the newly-reduced requirements. And when you factor in the annual elite nights granted to holders of the World of Hyatt Credit Card, top-tier Globalist status was suddenly just a stone's throw away for many.

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That's the exact situation I found myself in as of mid-January. And after a short road trip to Savannah, I am now a newly-minted Globalist member — with a pair of new free-night certificates to boot.

But this story really begins back in the fall.

In November 2020, I took advantage of the Work from Hyatt program to book an eight-night stay at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay. I got a great rate and a number of added perks — including free breakfast and an extra room from which I could work during Airlines Week at the 2020 TPG Awards.

Related: Out of office: What it’s like to ‘Work From Hyatt’ at the Andaz Mayakoba

In addition, thanks to Bonus Journeys and my Hyatt card, I netted a total of 42,155 points for the stay — worth $716.64 based on TPG's most recent valuations. This was a fantastic return of over 40%.

I had a few short Hyatt stays in December and January, so all of a sudden, I found myself just six nights away from the 30-night threshold required for Globalist status in 2021 — which meant just three actual nights if I could complete them by the end of February.

This was simply too tempting to pass up.

I knew that I was spending a night at Pirate Island Hotel outside Legoland Florida, so I began looking at possible cities for a quick road trip. After no time at all, I landed on Savannah, Georgia, home to one of the best-value Hyatt properties around: the Andaz Savannah.

Sure, I could've stayed closer to home — picking a property in Orlando or Tampa. But there was one key factor that led me to select the Andaz: Hyatt's Brand Explorer Award.

For those of you who aren't familiar, the World of Hyatt program gives you a free-night certificate (valid in a Category 1-4 property) for every five brands you visit. During my planning process, I noticed that I was sitting on four. Yes, I had visited multiple Andaz properties in the past — including San Diego, Maui and both the Wall Street and Fifth Avenue locations in New York. However, these trips all happened under the legacy Hyatt Gold Passport program — so they didn't count toward my Brand Explorer tally.

Read more: Complete guide to the World of Hyatt program

As a result, completing a stay at the Andaz Savannah would get me the following:

• The final nights to qualify for Globalist status — which would be valid through February 2023
• 3x points from the Bonus Journeys promotion (along with my normal earnings from the stay)
• $60 back on my American Express® Gold Card thanks to a targeted Amex Offer
• A pair of free-night certificates — one from staying at my fifth brand and the other from the Milestone Reward at 30 nights

Needless to say, I was sold.

After finishing up my commitments at Legoland with my wife and daughter, we began the drive and spent one night at a Hyatt Place near Jacksonville — for which I paid with my Chase Sapphire Reserve to earn 3x points and get 10% back thanks to a targeted Chase Offer. Then, we completed the trek and spent two nights at the Andaz. As a Category 4 property, I could've used an existing free-night certificate in my account, but the paid rates for a one-bedroom suite were quite reasonable, so I decided to pay cash to confirm us straight into the large room.

(This would end up being an inadvertently-prescient decision, as rain kept us inside the room for virtually the entire 48 hours we were there — so we were grateful for the additional space.)

And when all was said and done, I wound up with over 8,000 Hyatt points, a $60 discount, top-tier status and a pair of free-night certificates.

Related: The 11 hotels where you’ll get the most out of your Hyatt reward night certificate

The lesson? There are many things that can turn a potentially borderline hotel stay to earn status into a no-brainer. Maybe it's another milestone bonus with Hilton Honors, or maybe you'll reach Marriott Titanium status and earn another Choice Benefit.

This is especially true if you can turn a status run into an actual vacation rather than a less-than-exciting getaway. I probably would've booked a more convenient, run-of-the-mill Hyatt Place if I was solely after the status. But once I realized that I could snag an extra certificate and enjoy some quality time with my family at a truly outstanding property, the decision was simple.

Status run: complete.