While most airline and hotel loyalty programs reward individuals, there are also some incentive programs designed for businesses (like the American Airlines Business program). The idea is that many travel decisions are made on a company level, and any incentive a company is given to be loyal to a particular travel brand can go a long way.
In this post I wanted to take a look at Hyatt Leverage, which is a program by Hyatt for small businesses. In particular, having the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card (review) gives you easy access to the program. Of course there are lots of reasons to pick up that card, including a great welcome offer, up to $100 in annual Hyatt credits, and more.
In this post:
What are the benefits of Hyatt Leverage?
Hyatt Leverage is a free program by Hyatt that’s intended for small and mid-sized businesses. This is a global business travel program that offers special benefits at Hyatt hotels worldwide. The Hyatt Leverage program offers the following perks:
- 5-15% off standard rates at participating Hyatt hotels globally, bookable directly through Hyatt’s website or call center
- The administrator earns two additional elite nights toward status for every $5,000 in eligible room rate booked through the program each year; you can earn up to 60 qualifying nights this way per year, which you’d unlock after $150,000 in eligible room rate
- A dashboard that allows administrators to view traveler information, reservations and room expenses, as well as track total bookings and room spending
- Email templates that allow administrators to easily share information with travelers
- Stays booked through Hyatt Leverage are still eligible for points accrual and elite credits in the World of Hyatt program
As you can see, the biggest benefit here is 5-15% savings off the standard rate at Hyatt properties. Some may also value the ability to earn two elite nights for every $5,000 in eligible room rate, though that obviously takes some effort to maximize. The program is primarily about saving money and the ease of booking travel arrangements, though.
How do you register for Hyatt Leverage?
Joining the Hyatt Leverage program is fast and free. The Hyatt Leverage program terms suggest that the program is intended for companies where employees collectively spend a minimum of 50 nights per year at Hyatts. However:
- Just because you don’t reach that threshold doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be kicked out; rather your membership is “subject to immediate termination by Hyatt in Hyatt’s sole discretion”
- If you have the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card, you don’t need to meet the 50 night threshold
- If you’re a World of Hyatt Globalist member, odds are that you stay 50 nights per year with Hyatt anyway
Anyway, to register for Hyatt Leverage you need to be a World of Hyatt member, so assuming you’re a member, you’ll just have to log-in with your World of Hyatt credentials.
From there, the registration process is short. You just need to enter some very basic details about your company, including the name, address, phone number, etc. There’s no requirement to add a tax ID, share how many years you’ve been in business, etc.
As soon as you’ve registered, the confirmation page will give you your corporate discount code, which you can use for the 5-15% savings on Hyatt stays worldwide.
How do you use the Hyatt Leverage discount code?
Once you’re registered for Hyatt Leverage you’ll be given a corporate code, which you can immediately start using. To use it, go to hyatt.com and make a booking as you usually would. You’ll see a “Corporate or Group Code” field, and that’s where you’d enter the six digit code you’ve been provided.
Then when you do a search for a hotel, you’ll see that one of the rate options shows as being your company name. To be clear, the 5-15% discount would generally be in comparison to the standard rate, rather than in comparison to other discounted rates. Generally the Hyatt Leverage rate provides the same flexibility as the standard rate, so it’s usually not pre-paid.
In some cases you’ll find that the Hyatt Leverage rate is in fact the lowest rate, including in comparison to members-only rates, AAA rates, etc.
For example, picking a random night at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, the Hyatt Leverage rate is $203, the AAA rate is $223, the member rate is $225, and the standard rate is $233. There are some marginally cheaper advance purchase rates, but obviously they don’t provide the same level of flexibility.
As mentioned above, Hyatt Leverage rates are eligible to earn World of Hyatt points and elite credits. However, note that you can’t book Hyatt Privé rates with Hyatt Leverage, since that program is based on booking the standard rate.
Is Hyatt Leverage worth it?
The Hyatt Leverage program is unlikely to be a game-changer, as the primary benefit is modest savings on Hyatt hotel stays. Generally speaking, 5-15% savings compared to the standard rate won’t be the same as 5-15% savings compared to the best available rate.
In some cases the Hyatt Leverage rate will be the lowest rate at a hotel, while in other cases a members-only or AAA rate may be cheaper.
If you do have a fair bit of travel you can book through the program, then the two bonus elite nights for every $5,000 in hotel spending can add up as well.
Regardless, there’s no downside to joining Hyatt Leverage, so I’d highly recommend doing so if eligible. The program is free, so why not have access to a rate code that could save you some money on Hyatt stays?
Bottom line
Hyatt Leverage is a free program intended for businesses. This offers 5-15% discounts on Hyatt stays, two elite nights for every $5,000 in eligible hotel spending, and in theory is supposed to make managing hotel stays easier. If you have the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card, you can even be enrolled in the Hyatt Leverage program without any minimum stay requirement.
If you’ve used the Hyatt Leverage program, what has your experience been?
Anyone know do you have to use the hyatt business card to pay for the room if all you want is the room rate or is using the code enough?
My company uses Hyatt Leverage -- we're a mid-sized nonprofit arts organization and the 15% savings really do make a difference for our budget. As with so much in life, the soft treatment is important too, and Hyatt Leverage customer support is fantastic. The Hyatt Leverage online admin portal leaves a bit to be desired, though.
The leverage rates can be cancelled (for free)with a couple days notice. In high demand areas, cancellaion could be 1 to 2 weeks prior.
Nice write up! One additional benefit to add is that whoever is setup as the Hyatt Leverage administrator on the account earns 2 elite nights for every $5,000 USD in spend.
@ Chris -- That's a great point, thanks! Let me update the post to add that.
Is this really the case? At least for us in Europe, the Leverage account does not include such a benefit?
@ Christoph -- It was added fairly recently, and it's right there on the Hyatt Leverage page:
https://www.hyatt.com/leverage
Are you not seeing it there, listed under "World of Hyatt Benefits?"
And this is why a comment section is so valuable. Half the story is usually in the comments! and this is why i stopped going to TPG.