Final Week: Hyatt Offering Bonus Elite Qualifying Nights For Opening Or Spending On A Hyatt Credit Card, Should You Do It?

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Update: This promo ends on 6/30! Do you have a Chase World Of Hyatt Visa? 

Originally posted on 4/17:

Hyatt is my favorite hotel chain, by a long shot.

Their competitors continue to heavily devalue their points, but Hyatt has kept their valuable point structure and has limited hotel category creep that has plagued their competition. That means it’s still valuable to transfer Chase points to Hyatt, while transfers to other hotel chains are typically not worthwhile.

Their competitors watered down the value of having elite status, while Hyatt kept their top-tier status quite valuable.

As a Hyatt Globalist, I get 4 annual suite upgrades confirmed at the time of booking. No other chain currently offers anything like that. Hyatt hotels will often buy us kosher breakfast for free with Globalist status.

Globalists also get a personal concierge, and mine has been awesome. She has arranged for some fantastic birthday surprises on stays, exchanged expired award nights into points, hooked me up with AA Executive Platinum status, and she has even checked in on me via email during the COVID-19 outbreak to make sure I’m OK.

Hyatt previously extended elite status and award nights, cancelled award category changes, and extended points validity and my Globalist status earned last year has been extended through 2/28/22.

Over the last days of Pesach, Hyatt announced that:

• From April 15 through June 30, 2020, Chase World Of Hyatt Credit Cardholders  will earn 3 elite night credits for every $5,000 spent on their card. Normally you earn 2 elite night credits for every $5,000 spent.
• If you still have the discontinued Hyatt card that doesn’t normally earn elite night credits, you’ll be able to earn 2 credits for every $5,000 spent during that timeframe.
• If you open a new Chase World Of Hyatt Credit Card you’ll get 10 elite night credits, consisting of the 5 annual night credits that all cardholders get and 5 bonus elite night credits.

You can get elite night credits with paid stays, award stays, and with credit card spending. The 50% bonus credits for spending through 6/30 can be quite lucrative.

What can you get with those elite night credits?

• All Chase World Of Hyatt Credit Cardholders get a free anniversary night at category 1-4 hotels without any spending required. Nights with an expiration date of 3/1/20-12/31/20 will not expire before 12/31/21.
• Spend $15,000 on the card and you’ll get a 2nd free anniversary night at category 1-4 hotels.
• Earn 20 night credits and you’ll get 2 club lounge awards that are valid for club access for the duration of your Hyatt stay.
• Earn 30 night credits and you’ll get Explorist status, 2 more club lounge awards, and another free night at category 1-4 hotels.
• Earn 40 night credits and you’ll get a $100 Hyatt gift card or 5,000 bonus points.
• Earn 50 night credits and you’ll get 2 confirmed suite upgrades that are each valid on paid or award stays of up to 7 nights.
• Earn 60 night credits and you’ll get Globalist status, 2 more confirmed suite upgrades on paid or award stays, and a free night at category 1-7 hotels.
• For every additional 10 night credits you’ll get another confirmed suite upgrade or 10,000 Hyatt points.

Status earned now will be valid through 2/28/22.

Of course spending on Hyatt card isn’t without an opportunity cost. You could earn 1.5 Hyatt points per dollar by spending on a card like Freedom Unlimited or Ink Unlimited if you also have a card like Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Sapphire Reserve to transfer the points.

The Chase World Of Hyatt Credit Card earns 4 points per dollar at Hyatt hotels, 2 points per dollar on dining (including restaurants, cafes and coffee shops, etc)offer details reference link, airplane tickets, local transit and commuting (including mass transit, Uber, Lyft, taxis, tolls, etc), and fitness/gym memberships. But if you’re spending on other categories you’ll earn just 1 point per dollar.

But you’ll also earn the elite night awards.

• If you spend $15,000 on the card you’ll get 15K points plus a free night worth up to 15K points (on top of the free annual night up to 15K points that you get automatically with the card). Alternatively you would earn 22.5K points on a Freedom/Ink Unlimited, so you’re trading off 7.5K points but gaining a night worth up to 15K.
• If you spend $35,000 on a new card you’ll have 5 elite night credits from the new card offer, 5 elite night credits for having the card, and 21 elite nights for the spending, for a total of 31 elite night credits. That earns 35K points, Explorist status, 4 club award nights, and a 3rd free night worth up to 15K points. Alternatively you would earn 52.5K points on a Freedom/Ink Unlimited, so you’re trading off 17.5K points, but gaining 2 nights worth up to 15K points each, Explorist status, and more.
• If you spend $85,000 on a new card you’ll have 5 elite night credits from the new card offer, 5 elite night credits for having the card, and 51 elite nights for the spending, for a total of 61 elite night credits. That earns 85K points, a $100 Hyatt gift card (or 5K points), Globalist status, 4 club award nights, 3 free nights worth up to 15K points, and a free night worth up to 30K points. Globalists get free lounge access and many Hyatt hotels will also buy Globalists free kosher breakfast where available. I’ve taken advantage of free kosher breakfast in Buenos Aires, Cleveland, Hawaii, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Nassau, New York, Paris, Sydney, and more. Globalists also get access to a personal Hyatt concierge for reservations and personalized service. Resort fees are waived for Globalists on paid and award stays and parking fees are waived on award stays as well. Globalists can share their Globalist benefits on award stays with their friends and family. Alternatively you would earn 127.5K points on a Freedom/Ink Unlimited, so you’re trading off 37.5K points, but gaining 2 nights worth up to 15K points each, 1 night worth up to 30K points, Globalist status, and much more.

That’s also not factoring the 50K signup bonus.

I’d say those tradeoffs are worthwhile if you stay in Hyatt hotels and can meet the spending needed. It can even be worth paying taxes on a credit card to help get to another threshold.

Will you try to spend your way to Hyatt status?