How to maximize World of Hyatt award redemptions
Although Hyatt’s growing portfolio may still be smaller than those of Marriott and Hilton, the hotel brand has earned a phenomenal reputation among value-seeking award travelers. Not only is it easy to earn World of Hyatt points, but Hyatt’s lengthy list of hotels contains some of the most luxurious properties around the globe.
Looking to include a stay at a Hyatt property during your next big (or small) vacation? Here are five ways you can maximize your redemptions with the World of Hyatt program.
Redeem World of Hyatt points
One appealing part of the World of Hyatt program is that you can find high-value redemptions throughout its award chart, though you’ll usually find the best redemptions at high- and low-category properties.
Here’s a look at the current World of Hyatt award chart for standard rooms at most hotels and the points required per night to book them (note: Hyatt’s all-inclusive properties use a different award chart):
| Award category | Off-peak | Standard | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 | 3,500 | 5,000 | 6,500 |
| Category 2 | 6,500 | 8,000 | 9,500 |
| Category 3 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 15,000 |
| Category 4 | 12,000 | 15,000 | 18,000 |
| Category 5 | 17,000 | 20,000 | 23,000 |
| Category 6 | 21,000 | 25,000 | 29,000 |
| Category 7 | 25,000 | 30,000 | 35,000 |
| Category 8 | 35,000 | 40,000 | 45,000 |
You can earn World of Hyatt points by opening a World of Hyatt credit card. Here are the current offers:
- World of Hyatt Credit Card: Earn up to 65,000 points (35,000 points after spending $3,000 within the first three months from account opening, plus up to 30,000 more points by earning an additional 2 points per dollar spent on purchases made in the first six months or the first $15,000 spent). This is the best welcome offer we’ve ever seen on the card.
- World of Hyatt Business Credit Card: Earn up to 75,000 points (60,000 points after spending $5,000 within the first three months from account opening, plus 15,000 points after spending $12,000 in the first six months from account opening). This is the best offer we’ve ever seen on the card.
As you can see in the award chart, Category 1 awards on off-peak dates cost 3,500 points per night. So, you could redeem 60,000 points for an impressive 18 award nights at Category 1 Hyatt hotels like the Park Hyatt Chennai and the Hyatt Regency Kuantan Resort on off-peak dates.
Getting upward of two weeks of lodging out of a single credit card bonus is nice, but if you have your eyes set on a more luxurious getaway, Hyatt also has you covered.
Rooms at some of Hyatt’s top properties, like the Park Hyatt Sydney and the Park Hyatt New York, can exceed $1,000 during peak season. So, redeeming for a stay at a high-end property can be a surefire way to get high value from your points.
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Related: The ultimate guide to redeeming your World of Hyatt points
Upgrade paid Hyatt stays
While we generally consider room upgrades as perks reserved for travelers with hotel elite status, World of Hyatt allows its members to upgrade eligible paid stays using points. Best of all, the upgrade cost is reasonable:
- Club room upgrade award: 3,000 points per night
- Suite room upgrade award: 6,000 points per night
- Premium suite room upgrade award: 9,000 points per night
TPG values World of Hyatt points at 1.7 cents each, which makes 3,000 points worth about $51. There are plenty of Hyatt properties with club-level lounges where breakfast and other lounge benefits will provide more than $51 in value per night. So, this is an option you should consider if you don’t have Hyatt Globalist status or club lounge access awards to use.
If you’ve already booked an eligible paid stay and later on decide you would like to upgrade, you must call to book. If you book your paid stay and want to upgrade your room with points when booking, you can usually do so online. So, you may find it easier to upgrade your Hyatt stay with points online when booking.
While only certain paid rates are eligible to be upgraded, this can be a great strategy if suites and premium rooms are much more expensive than standard rooms.
Related: How to redeem Hyatt points for upgraded rooms and suites
Redeem Hyatt points at all-inclusive resorts
Another way to get more value out of your points is to use them at an all-inclusive resort. The Hyatt portfolio now includes 10 all-inclusive brands you can book using World of Hyatt points.
Award nights at Hyatt’s Miraval resorts include a $175 resort credit per person, gourmet dining, snacks, beverages, wellness activities, lectures and fitness classes. However, award nights at Miraval properties follow a unique award chart that depends on the room type and the number of guests who will occupy the room. For a standard room with single occupancy, you’d need to redeem 40,000 points on off-peak dates, 45,000 points on standard dates and 50,000 points on peak dates.
Meanwhile, Hyatt’s other all-inclusive brands — including Hyatt Zilara, Hyatt Ziva, Secrets Resorts & Spas and Dreams Resorts & Spas — are part of Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection, which has yet another award chart. Here’s the award chart showing the Hyatt points required per night for standard rooms in the Inclusive Collection:
| Award category | Off-peak | Standard | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category A | 12,000 | 15,000 | 18,000 |
| Category B | 17,000 | 20,000 | 23,000 |
| Category C | 21,000 | 25,000 | 29,000 |
| Category D | 25,000 | 30,000 | 35,000 |
| Category E | 35,000 | 40,000 | 45,000 |
| Category F | 42,000 | 50,000 | 58,000 |
If you fret about breaking the vacation budget on dining, an all-inclusive Hyatt resort might be a great option to consider for your next getaway.
Related: 15 best affordable all-inclusive resorts for every type of traveler
Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt
As you can see above, Hyatt uses a relatively inexpensive award chart.
Hyatt hotels often cost fewer points than equivalent Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors properties would. As a result, TPG’s valuations peg the value of Hyatt points higher than Marriott and Hilton points. This difference in value can give you a leg up on the transferable currency side.
Chase Ultimate Rewards allows you to transfer points to three hotel programs: World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy and IHG One Rewards. The transfer ratios are all the same (1:1). However, free nights at Hyatt properties frequently cost less than ones booked using Marriott or IHG points. As a result, transferring to Hyatt is one of the best ways to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for solid value.
If you want to earn more Chase Ultimate Rewards points to transfer to Hyatt, consider the following cards:
If you have one (or more) of the above cards, you can combine your Ultimate Rewards points in a single account. Then, you can effectively convert the cash-back earnings on the following cards into fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points:
- Chase Freedom Flex: Earn a $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year), worth up to $300 cash back.
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Use Hyatt points to avoid resort fees
Unfortunately, resort fees are increasingly widespread, particularly in Hawaii and major U.S. cities. Luckily, Hyatt members receive waived resort fees when redeeming points (while still getting the resort fee’s benefits).
At hotels with more than $50 per night (like the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort), waived resort fees can save you serious money. We recommend comparing the total cash rate with the total points rate when deciding whether to redeem Hyatt points.
Related: How I’m spending 1 million World of Hyatt points
Bottom line
The World of Hyatt program is easy to love thanks to its valuable, easy-to-earn points, especially when using the handy Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer option. Whether you’re a longtime Hyatt loyalist or a hotel free agent, you can find plenty of value in the World of Hyatt program.
Make sure to leverage the extreme ends of the award chart, remember to consider using your points to upgrade to a premium room and don’t overlook the value Hyatt’s all-inclusive hotels can offer.
And if you hold elite status with American Airlines or Hyatt, link your accounts to automatically earn extra rewards.
