Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian just made some comments about hotel loyalty programs, which I think OMAAT readers will find to be interesting. While I think some will take issue with the premise of what he’s saying, I’m not sure he’s wrong, though there is some nuance to it.
Continue reading: Hyatt CEO Says Good Loyalty Programs Are About Experiences, Not Points
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
The connection is because of the points. While the elite status benefits count for a lot, they don’t count for as much at limited service properties and count for little until qualifying for Globalist.
Exactly. Hyatt wants to destroy the value customers get out of the points and instead count on “elite status benefits” which really are thin unless earning at least 60 status nights in a year.
Sure guy, and one of the things necessary for having an emotional connection is trust, and you lost that trust. Though the emotional experience of earning your points thinking I'll get a stay at a park Hyatt, but then only getting a Hyatt place sounds really interesting, I think I'll pass.
You mean like the "Experience" I had at the Hyatt Regency Times Square where I had to find a roll of toilet paper in the public restrooms because housekeeping didn't supply my room with one?
Or the "Experience" of a mobbed cafe/mini restaurant every morning which apparently wasn't designed for the capacity of the Hyatt Regency Times Square?
Got it.
This is what we refer to as gaslighting!
If I had a nickel for every time a corporate type has told me what unprecedented value they are bringing the equation, while collecting their millions and screwing over regular employees and customers… I would have many nickels.
In a way, it’s sad. But another way, it’s hardly surprising. Hyatt is big enough now that this sort of thing is bound to happen. Time to just be a free each and accept what you can get. It doesn’t matter anymore. All points hotels are the same now
That's funny - my "experience" as a first time Explorist is that my two bottles of Aquafina now come with a handwritten note.
The relationship to a brick is purely transactional. The corporation does not love you back.
Agree with others, there is a major screwing brewing.
The only thing Hyatt has going is the program. Take that away and you are left with overpriced, mediocre hotels with an extremely limited global footprint.
Well….hyatt is failing in that regard too! Virtually nonexistent footprint (Mrs and Mr smith don’t count) and overpriced (Mrs and Mr smith DEFINITELY count)
I have to wonder if he's going to kill his golden goose. Points are a big part of the value for a hotel brand running an "asset light" model, and by trashing it, Chase (and Hyatt) will suffer longer term.
If I just wanted experiences, I'd be at Four Seasons before Hyatt any day of the week.
It would make sense if Hyatt were not consistently downgrading the experience at its hotels. For example, all of the Hyatts that have closed executive lounges/clubs. Now my elite 'experience' is breakfast in a crowded buffet with screaming kids, a wait for a table, and a long wait for the check from the overworked staff.
It's such hypocrisy coming from Hyatt management. If emotional connections were so important, Hyatt would be expanding or improving service at several of its brands, not cutting back. Hyatt must remember that they are a hospitality company, providing service. Unfortunately they don't.
It seems the whole essence of Hyatt Place is transactional. Hyatt offers less and charges less (than Park Hyatt, not their peers for similar properties). Loyalty perks are mostly useless there (usually no suites, free breakfast for all anyway). Being given bottled water at check-in really drives my emotional connection while carrying up the water in one hand to my room and my luggage in the other. Maybe Hyatt could always stock the room with bottled water instead.
WoH is their devised loyalty scheme and we are just playing along when it is to our benefit. They must think it drives sales, and shouldn't be disappointed if sales slip if WoH offers customers less.
Does he mean the destroyed experiences of a once great solid company with closing club lounges and subpar meager offerings in the clubs that still exist.
Hyatt once upon a time cared.
Experiences? does he mean getting 3rd party operators to replace the once proud pastry chefs that were once in many of their 4 or 5 star hotels.Lower quality less variety across the board
Poor in room amenities.
Hes clearly out of touch with guest reality.
So we don't care about points?As or more important than experience especially as Hyatt as fast tracked to imitate Marriott and Hilton
Sure right discontinue WOH points that and see if he still has a job down the road.And many of us may move on if the point value falters badly enough.I'm already booking on 3rd party platforms where I get a much better ROI
Look at the Red Marlin at Hyatt Regency Mission Bay once stellar for breakfast and dinner and now about a Dennys or Holiday Inn quality
I wont stay there as a result
North America many properties are a disgrace compared to abroad
Another poster mentioned Hyatt Regency Times Square 29000 points a night lol
No servers @ Breakfast just grab and go like an upscale gas station and get on a line and typically no functioning HVAC in rooms or select public areas
Ill be at the Hilton and Intercon down the block Hard pass on Hyatt
Hyatt's appeal for me over the past decade or two has been good full service hotels and a great loyalty program. Hyatt has been intentionally degrading both in a substantial manner for years, through numerous award and hotel category devaluations and largely ignoring the types of hotels that made them prized.
As a Globalist since the tier began and top tier before that I'm really starting to feel that Hyatt doesn't care about me nearly as much and depending on how bad the expected devaluation and annual hurtfest of higher categories shakes out - I suspect a bloodbath over the course of the next 18 months - I'm seriously considering ditching Hyatt. Even a couple of years ago I didn't believe I would say such a thing for many years.
Goodness. All the people obsessed with points sound like the bitter people on AA who sacrifice bad service for valuable points.
Bottom line, Hyatt’ consistently offers a better experience and more thoughtful customer service than a comparable “Hilton or Marriott brand”. Points are officially meaningless in 2026. Companies only care about how much money you spend so they can focus on the most important customers.
Instead of chasing points, stay at a Hyatt, Omni or Loews. If you only have the option of Courtyard or Best Western, I bet the BW will give you a better experience!
He isn’t totally wrong but…. Doesn’t explain why anyone should use a Hyatt credit card going forward or how the devaluations impact the Chase sapphire family. Since you know that is all just about points.
Hyatt hotels have long become 5* in name only, and only to diehard loyalists.
They were never in the same league as true 5* hotels.
Hyatt has absolutely NO appeal to me. No hotels we have regularly stayed in, over the decades, rely upon points or credit cards for our loyalty. They have our loyalty only because they have earned it. They provide the services which we are looking for at a cost which we are willing to bear.
Simple really, no hype, no points, no credit cards, no crap …. just exemplary service in buckets full.
So he's basically telling those of us who aren't interested in pursuing elite status with Hyatt that there's no reason to bother with their loyalty programme.
Ironically, such behaviour makes the relationship even more transactional as it diminishes any incentive to make the odd extra stay in order to top up points and/or extend their validity.
I absolutely agree. The main reason for me to be loyal to a hotel chain or an airline is to make my experience smoother. When you spend half a year on the road, little annoyances easily add up and being able to avoid them with status makes all the difference. Points are just a little cherry on top, it's nice to get a free stay every now and then but I would never chase them by sticking to one chain. And with airlines I consider miles borderline useless.
This is why I'm moving from Hilton to IHG (90+ nights at Hilton last year, 20 in first half of this year) despite considering Hilton points far more valuable. I get fewer free stays at IHG but the status recognition is much better and makes my travel substantially easier.
Jep, join The Hox's Dis-loyalty program, no points earnings, no rewards.
And you need to pay for it.
Best program in the world.
I know some DoR at Hyatt in Asia.
The whole Asia operation is getting worse day by day; the cost cutting is underway; the senior management are turning faster than a restaurant.
No....good hotel STAYS are about experiences....loyalty programs are about points and return on investment for being loyal to a chain.
Ben, you missed one of his key comments: members don't respect the sanctity of loyalty. My initial reaction: You have got to be (stinkin') kidding me. My ultimate take: Hyatt is on the road to dynamic pricing. Any Hyatt loyalist who isn't working on a Plan B has their head in the sand.
I actually agree. That experiences are worth more than points. I am generally loyal to the Hyatt brand, but on a recent trip to Hong Kong, I found no upscale options. So, looking for an alternative, we stayed at the Upper House in Hong Kong. I did not receive any points, but I did receive AMAZING service, had a beautiful room and loved it. I cannot wait to go back - points or no points. When I told the Upper House that my travel companion had a birthday, we had balloons and cake and champagne in the room at arrival.
I guess the question back to Hyatt is simply this: Can you deliver the goods? I think we all know the answer...
The reality is that property owners don't respect the sanctity of loyalty AT THE NETWORK LEVEL. Property owners only care about loyalty to their own property. And, at the individual property level, loyalty DOES exist. A regular at a given property can establish a very good relationship with that team and can end up receiving special treatment and unexpected benefits.
The CEO should give back his pay because this is all just about the relationship and experience and that mound of cash just gets in the way! lol. What a hypocritical POS!
For me, UR and BILT have been a transfer-to-Hyatt power-house; if these devaluations are as bad as suggested, the game may soon be over. That'll be a sad day for many.
I've been a Globalist for eight years. Honestly, the promise of points has kept me sane for much of my consulting life. That little bit of extra at the end of a long work travel week, seeing the points hit the account, dreaming about a points-paid stay at the end of the year with my wife--all of that helped me have something to look forward to, and helped make the work travel feel "worth it" as silly as it sounds.
Hyatt was always head and shoulders above the competition on the loyalty program. It's a shame how little they care about their most loyal customers.
Experiences are great, but all things being equal (That is, providing scarce incentive for brand loyalty), I'll choose a Four Seasons over a Park Hyatt, or a Sofitel over a Thompson.
I've been a globalist for the last 4 years and likely traveling for work for another 25 years..... comments like these only show they don't value their loyal customers. I may as well switch to chains with more options.
Today, I'm at 32 Hyatt nights for 2026 and I'm gunning for exactly 60. Depending on the devaluation, this may be my last year on the hamster wheel. 15 nights or so this year will be at Mr & Mrs Smith properties which give you nothing for being Globalist anyway and another 10 will be at Hyatt Places. Add in 5 nights for having the card, 8 nights on spend and 2 for gifting Guest of Honor I'm really only getting Globalist perks on 20 nights/year anyway. Hmmm, now that I spelled that out, why am I loyal?
Given the value of points and other programs I would choose a Hyatt experience over most IHG experiences. But if the Value of points was not good I would stop choosing that property which is why i only choose Marriott when Hyatt is not a choice.
I agree with your point - yes, amazing product/service is great, but if I'm staying at a Hyatt Place, that isn't exactly their thing (amazing product/service), so if I'm not getting points, why am I staying there instead of a Hilton Garden Inn or a similar brand that offers points? Sure, if I want a premium hotel experience, and I am not looking to use points for this, I'd choose the best experience value for the money. Do they offer that is the question.
Yup, just like Mike Gunn at American & Marty Shugrue at PAN AM, who rightly styled PAN AM
WORLD PASS, “The richest frequent traveler program in the world”! How bout Barry @ SPG!
How do loyalty programs create, ehm, loyalty among people who only care about points and not recognition? I get more or less the same amount of points (minus some measly elite bonus) whether I put all my stays in one chain, or distribute it among three. At the end of the day I get the same return, it will just take a bit longer to earn enough to redeem since my points are in different baskests.
Not to mention that chasing points will usually cost more than the value of points anyway. Imho the only pragmatic point of loyalty program is rewarding loyalty (i.e. status), points are just something to sweeten the deal.
Yikes! Glad I got a few good years with Hyatt before they decided to destroy the program. Sad but guess I just need to earn more money
Detach from credit card earnings or transfers and see who are your real loyalty members are. Go back to the time when points are earned only thru stays. Then the are the members who truly experience the Hyatt stays.
This just sounds like some bs excuse for a massive points devaluation. Stealing from long-term guest through massive devaluations is definitely an experience, and not a good one.
Very true. We have by far our best experiences at the hotels we have visited 10 or more times. These aren't all grand hotels, but our business is always sincerely appreciated, and we always receive the royal treatment!
@ 1990-- Be trendy and stay home! Its the big new thing in 2026! You don't even need to leave your bed in the morning since AI can give you all your "experiences". Seriously, AI may just be the thing that finally slows travel.
@ Ben
Would you modify the comments section so that everything is always expanded? Clicking the red "Read more" link at the bottom of a comment is annoying. Of course we want to read the whole thing. Similarly, clicking the red "X more replies" link needs to go too. Just let us easily scroll through and read the comment without excess clicking or tapping.
I agree insofar that I've started caring less about programs and points in general, but more about individual hotel experience and quality. Of course, best case is if you can get both, but I'd much rather be valued as a guest at a brand by default.
Hotel chains, like fast food chains, are fine if you value a level of consistency in terms of what you can expect. Points, like you coffee stamp card, are fine if you tend to return to the same brand either due to convenience or because you have to, and like to get some goodies for your loyalty.
However, I've stopped going out of my way purely to score some loyalty points or to achieve status. In the past, I've come to think that their value is actually limited.
Disappointing that Ben isn't seeing through gaslighting and defending Mr. Mark Hoplamazian at Hyatt. If Mark Hoplamazian was serious and genuine, Hyatt would be upping its game in providing amazing hospitality, but as the comments in this thread show, Hyatt is in fact cutting back. Loyalty and value intersect, and Hyatt is becoming more and more like Marriott: diminished brand standards, inconsistent provision of elite benefits and more and more fees - while the idea of care and service and hospitality seem to be forgotten.
Mrs and Mr Smith could have been a game-changer for Hyatt if Elite benefits could be provided as those properties really seem to get the idea of personalization and hospitality on top of providing quality, unique lodging. Instead, Hyatt keeps buying more and more All-you-can-eat resorts in Mexico.
Maybe Hyatt thinking that they want to be like The Four Seasons, Capella, Mandarin Oriental, or Claridges where people will go for the experience? And not worry about points?
They have been trying this line since World of Hyatt launched.
I think we know from the recent survey that they are refocussing (as Marriott have) on their franchisees and away from their guests.
New upper tiers is what AA did and in the process destroyed lifetime earning. I expect (as a Lifetime Globalist) that we will see the same when the changes are announced.
Ehhhh. I've stayed at several Hyatt properties in the last 2 years. Several Regency brand, a Grand Hyatt, a Thompson, a Place, a House, a Park. We had a nearly flawless experience at Grand Hyatt, but every other location was mediocre or an outright disaster. Dirty rooms, disinterested employees, obscene waits for food, disorganized clubs, etc. I stay at Hyatts because of the points I have from Chase.
I stayed at one Marriott property this year, a Westin, and the experience was fabulous. Hyatt experiences have been pretty mid at best. It's wild but the rooms at all 10 properties were dirty, except the Grand Hyatt and I STILL found dirty underwear next to the bed.
Seriously! And the pricing is so similar at this point. I'm looking at the FS in Maui and it's LESS expensive than the Andaz! The Hyatt Regency Maui is barely less expensive than either, and thr Grand Hyatt Kauai is more expensive than any other FS in Hawaii. And the Hyatts simply aren't as luxe.
75 nights for Marriott Titianium got me enough points for 2 nights at a luxury hotel in most cities (or 1 in London)
And 10 nights of guaranteed upgrades (or 1 free night and 5 upgrades)
In Europe the upgrades (including not guaranteed) have been to second-level suites.
I am more excited by the upgrades than the free via points nights, so I guess Hoplamazian has a fair point.
We certainly can talk about how *obviously* Hyatt is a capitalist corporation that only cares about profit (duh). Or how there are places and properties that desperately need improvement.
But overall, my experience of Hyatt V Mariotte or Hilton holds up to the sentiment offered by the silky CEO. My experience as a top tier member with Hyatt is better than with Mariotte or Hilton.
Take my current stay for example. I emailed ahead of my visit requesting a high floor bay view room (which is a stunning and worthwhile view in San Francisco), and I got it (I actually order this lower tier upgrade to the suites at this hotel). I actually receive a full free breakfast, and it's of decent quality. I was able to check in early without a single eye roll. And late check out was given to me without even asking. And I don't have to pay the rediculous ammenity fee (a fee that is also charged by every comparable Hilton and Mariotte option in the area)
This is one hotel- one that most globalists claim is "the worst" in the area... And I'm getting better delivery of perks than I have at ANY (US) Mariotte or Hilton in the past 5 years.
Is Hyatt slowly slipping to the level of the competitors? Probably.
But at this point in time, Globalist definitely delivers a better elite "experience" than the competition.