Thompson Playa del Carmen, Joie de Vivre Hotels Join World of Hyatt
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Hyatt added eight Thompson Hotels to its World of Hyatt loyalty program back in March, but two properties were notably absent: Thompson Playa del Carmen and the oceanfront Thompson Beach House just around the corner. As of Wednesday, May 15, both hotels will be part of the program as well, available for points accrual, redemption, elite benefits and more.
Tuesday, Hyatt also detailed the addition of Joie de Vivre Hotels, another Two Roads Hospitality brand with properties throughout the US. 14 of the brand's 18 hotels will be joining Hyatt, including the properties below, with the exception of the faded locations in San Francisco.
These hotels are now bookable on Hyatt's website, and many fall into the lower or mid-tier categories of the Hyatt award chart. Here's a table that summarizes these 14 properties:
| Property | City | Award Category (Rate) |
|---|---|---|
| Carmel Valley Ranch | Carmel, CA | Category 6 (25,000 points) |
| El Capitan Hotel | Merced, CA | TBA |
| Hotel Avante | Mountain View, CA | Category 4 (15,000 points) |
| Waterfront Hotel | Oakland, CA | Category 4 (15,000 points) |
| Hotel del Sol | San Francisco, CA | Category 4 (15,000 points) |
| Hotel Kabuki | San Francisco, CA | Category 5 (20,000 points) |
| The Laurel Inn | San Francisco, CA | Category 5 (20,000 points) |
| Avatar Hotel | Santa Clara, CA | Category 3 (12,000 points) |
| Wild Palms Hotel | Sunnyvale, CA | Category 3 (12,000 points) |
| Hotel Lincoln | Chicago, IL | Category 3 (12,000 points) |
| The Talbott Hotel | Chicago, IL | Category 3 (12,000 points) |
| Hotel Revival | Baltimore, MD | Category 2 (8,000 points) |
| Hotel 50 Bowery | New York, NY | Category 5 (20,000 points) |
| Park South Hotel | New York, NY | Category 5 (20,000 points) |
What's most notable about this list is the fact that 8 of the 14 new additions fall into Category 4 or lower, making them eligible for the free night certificates that you can earn on the World of Hyatt Credit Card. This includes two properties just north of downtown Chicago as well the Hotel del Sol in San Francisco.
However, even the higher properties have some solid value. Take the Carmel Valley Ranch over Labor Day Weekend. You can book a 650-square-foot studio room for 25,000 points, which would otherwise set you back over $650 per night, giving you a redemption value of 2.6 cents per point.
In addition, as part of Joie de Vivre's partnership, Hyatt is integrating the brand's Joy of Life Club with World of Hyatt. As a result, elite members will be offered a status match, and any outstanding points will be converted at a 1:4 ratio. Members do need to migrate their accounts manually, however, with a deadline of September 27, 2019 to retain points and status.
As for Playa, I actually had a chance to stay at the Thompson Beach House a few weeks ago, in anticipation of the hotel joining World of Hyatt. I ended up being a bit underwhelmed — especially considering that the rate was so much higher than at the far superior Grand Hyatt up the road. With Hyatt now onboard, I imagine the chain will work quickly to improve customer service, though.
The Playa Thompsons couldn't be more different, too. There's the oceanfront Thompson Beach House — now a Hyatt Category 5 — with just 27 rooms and suites located right on a popular (though apparently seaweed-filled) stretch of coastline just off the town's main drag.
And then there's the Thompson Playa del Carmen — a Category 3 hotel — which unfortunately is set back a few blocks from the beach and is far larger, with a total of 92 rooms and suites. The "Main House," as it's called, is where you'll find most of the amenities, including a gym and a huge rooftop pool, but the hotel is positioned just above a shopping mall in the most crowded, touristy section of town.
Cash rates are fairly reasonable, though they're consistently higher at the Beach House than at the Grand Hyatt, which I actually preferred.
During off-peak periods, you won't be getting a great value from redemptions, considering we value Hyatt points at 1.7 cents apiece — the value proposition increases tremendously during holidays, however, when cash rates climb significantly.
Finally, remember that existing World of Hyatt members are being incentivized to try out the new brands, too. Hyatt is offering 2,000 bonus points (worth $34 based on our valuations) after your first qualifying stay at Joie de Vivre Hotels and Thompson Hotels, along with Alila hotels and Destination Hotels once those brands are added in the future. You'll be eligible for a total of 8,000 bonus points — 2,000 for each of the four new brands. Finally, you'll earn 4x bonus points with the World of Hyatt Credit Card, just as you do with other Hyatt hotels.