If you have a Hyatt credit card you can register for a shortcut to elite status.
For a long time Hyatt was a my favorite hotel chain for earning elite status.
From 2002 through 2010 that Hyatt promotion offered a free night in any Hyatt after every 2 stays. In 2009 I was earning 13,500 United miles+6,000 Hyatt points+1 free night at any Hyatt in the world for every 2 stays that I made. And I did a lot of “Mattress running” to rack up stays that would earn dozens of free nights and hundreds of thousands of miles. While Mileage running refers to the art of flying on cheap tickets to generate more miles than the cost of the ticket, Mattress running refers to making hotel stays that generate more benefits than the cost of the stay. Over the years I redeemed dozens of Faster Free Nights in the wonderful Park Hyatts in Sydney and Melbourne and Hyatts in Maui and Kauai.
Then last October Hyatt announced that they were going to make it significantly harder to achieve top-tier elite status. Instead of 25 stays it would take 60 nights. They also changed the elegant Platinum and Diamond names to some nonsense about Explorists, Discoverists, and Globalists. Apparently they are trying to give American a run for their money for their new Platinum Pro level in the contest for dumb new elite status names.
Earlier this year I managed to earn top-tier Globalist status for $249 and gained 6,000 points, plus I got a free systemwide free night worth at least $300 and 4 confirmed suite upgrades. But that is long dead.
The new Hyatt program has been much maligned though and apparently Hyatt is bleeding out elites, as they are offering cardholders the ability to earn top-tier Globalist status by staying 20 nights between 9/1-12/30 instead of the normal 60 nights.
There were some nice improvements with the new Hyatt program, including the ability to use a confirmed suite upgrade on award stays.
Unfortunately Hyatt no longer awards confirmed suite upgrades to top-tier elites. You need to actually have 60 nights to get them, so even if you do stay 20 nights under this promotion you won’t get confirmed suite upgrades. You also won’t get a free systemwide night under this promotions as that requires 60 nights.
Hyatt used to award a 1K point amenity on all stays to top-tier elites, but that has been eliminated with the new program.
However hotels do seem to be getting better at giving suites at checkin to top-tier elites when they’re available. And many Hyatt hotels will even buy top-tier elites kosher breakfast in lieu of the standard breakfast.
Other Globalist benefits include 4pm late checkout, free parking on award nights, free breakfast/club access, and waived resort fees.
Award nights don’t count towards the 20 stays, but points+cash nights and paid nights do.
It’s pretty unlikely that it will be worth staying 20 nights for Globalist status, especially without the confirmed suite upgrades and systemwide free night. However if you’re going to have some nights at Hyatt hotels anyway, it can be worth staying some extra nights to get to 20.
Will you try to earn Globalist status with this promotion?
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11 Comments On "Hyatt Is Giving Cardholders A Shortcut To Top-Tier Elite Status, But Is It Worth It?"
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Not worth putting the extra effort to specifically stay at Hyatt (due to their limited footprint) unless you happen to plan on going to place only with Hyatts. This does not offer any real perk as its “globalist lite” without the suite upgrade certs etc. Sure you get some extra points back but upgrade at checkin is a farce and rarely happens esp if all of a sudden tons of “globalist lite” people show up. Better off staying at SPG/Marriott
Yup, as I said, only worthwhile if you just need a few extra nights anyway.
The lack of confirmed upgrades and removal of the old diamond amenity really stinks.
Do they offer lifetime status?
Only if you spend $200,000 in Hyatt hotels.
does that lifetime statues include the free “systemwide” night? and is the systemwide night good for any category?
I remain amazed that there’s anyone still chasing “Globalist” status. I don’t see how 99% of travelers could need/want/be able to stay 60 nights in Hyatts in a year. Their footprint isn’t that big. And if you achieved this feat — presumably at considerable cost and inconvenient — the benefits aren’t that great. The vast majority of their USA properties are Places and Houses, where being elite is pretty meaningless.
Clearly the best thing to do with Hyatt is not make it your preferred hotel chain, but get their Chase credit card and another Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards points (preferably an Ink, where you can gin up as many points as you need at office supply chains for free or low cost). When you want to stay in a Hyatt — and they do have some nice city properties and resorts, and some convenient and cheap Places and Houses in the USA — you redeem your UR points at a favorable rate because Hyatt has a “strong” currency and they’re good valuable. Why on earth would most savvy travelers do anything else?
dan ploease forgive me but whats the diffrence between a stay and a night? thanks
A stay is one or more consecutive nights at the same hotel. In other words, if you stay two nights in a row at the same hotel, you’ve done only one stay but two nights.
I was a big fan of Hyatt for a long time as well. Hyatt has always been one of my favorite transfers of UR points. I used my free CC nights and matching status at the Park Hyatt Paris for a ridiculous room. My biggest problem with them is the inability to book with points and actually book a suite at some of the top hotels these days (Park Hyatt). I have been a regular at the Park Hyatt Chicago for several years. They simply will not let me book anything besides a standard room using points. The service there has declined quite a bit over the years. I did complete a survey a few years ago where I complained about the obnoxious GM talking loudly about certain guests by name in front of me. I do not believe that made a difference for me but I always wonder when I can only book a standard room. I stayed there just 5 weeks ago and they still gave me a standard room even though it was a major occasion for me. I realize I am complaining about rooms booked with points but it still bothers me.
Do stays at Mlife hotels count towards the 20 nights? Mid-week stays at the Excalibur can run under $50/night (even with the resort fee).
I asked Hyatt this question and they said no.