In 2018 we saw Hyatt and Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) launch a partnership, allowing World of Hyatt members to earn and redeem points for stays at SLH properties. In this post I wanted to take an updated look at how this awesome partnership works.
In this post:
What is the Hyatt & SLH partnership?
Historically one of Hyatt’s biggest weaknesses compared to competitors (Hilton, IHG, Marriott, etc.) has been its smaller footprint. Fortunately this is an area where Hyatt has been improving significantly in recent years.
For one, Hyatt now directly manages roughly 1,000 hotels across 20 brands, ranging from Alila to Andaz to Park Hyatt. Hyatt’s own portfolio has grown significantly in recent years, thanks to its 2018 acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality, and 2021 acquisition of Apple Leisure Group.
Beyond that, Hyatt has developed a marketing partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World, which gives World of Hyatt members access to hundreds of additional hotels. World of Hyatt members can earn and redeem points, and receive exclusive privileges, when booking these properties through Hyatt.
SLH is a group of roughly 520 boutique hotels. What makes SLH different than the other major hotel groups is that SLH as such doesn’t manage these properties. Rather SLH is essentially a community of independent hotels that don’t have any desire to directly join the major hotel groups.
In other words, SLH has a marketing agreement with these hotels, and now Hyatt has a marketing partnership with SLH. We win as consumers, since we have access to lots more hotels with our points. Note that while SLH has its own INVITED loyalty program, the Hyatt collaboration is arguably much more lucrative, for properties that choose to participate.
Which SLH properties participate in the Hyatt partnership?
While Small Luxury Hotels of the World has roughly 520 properties, roughly 370 of them participate in the World of Hyatt collaboration. SLH properties partnering with World of Hyatt span six continents, and geographically break down as follows:
- 236 properties in Europe
- 64 properties in Asia
- 36 properties in the Caribbean & Latin America
- 16 properties in the United States & Canada
- 14 properties in Africa & the Middle East
- Four properties in Australia & the Pacific
Over time we’ve slowly seen more hotels be added, and for that matter we’ve also seen some hotels removed.
Earning World of Hyatt points at SLH properties
The ability to earn World of Hyatt points at Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties is quite robust:
- World of Hyatt members earn five base points per USD spent on eligible room revenue with SLH (incidental spending at SLH properties isn’t eligible for points accrual), and those base points count towards lifetime World of Hyatt status
- World of Hyatt members receive their standard elite tier bonuses at SLH properties (10% for Discoverist, 20% for Explorist, and 30% for Globalist)
- World of Hyatt members receive standard elite nights for SLH stays
- World of Hyatt members paying with the World of Hyatt Credit Card (review) and World of Hyatt Business Credit Card (review) receive 4x World of Hyatt points per dollar spent for SLH stays, just as they usually would when staying at a Hyatt
- Stays at SLH properties are eligible for World of Hyatt’s global promotions
The most important restriction to be aware of is that you can only earn World of Hyatt points at SLH properties if you reserve through Hyatt booking channels, including the Hyatt website, app, call center, etc. If you book through SLH, directly through the hotel, or through an online travel agency, you won’t be eligible to accrue World of Hyatt points.
Redeeming Hyatt points at SLH properties
World of Hyatt points can be redeemed at virtually all participating Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties (the only exception is Kontiki Expeditions, where you can just earn points). Here’s World of Hyatt’s award pricing for SLH stays (this follows the standard award chart, including peak and off-peak pricing):
World of Hyatt 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 |
A few more things to note:
- Hyatt free night awards (whether Category 1-4 or Category 1-7) can also be redeemed at SLH properties
- While Hyatt-managed properties all fall into Category 1-7, SLH properties also in some cases fall into Category 8 (presumably Hyatt’s cost to reimburse hotels for award stays is higher with SLH than with properties managed directly)
- There are capacity controls on award redemptions at SLH properties, unlike at properties managed directly by Hyatt
Admittedly up to 45,000 points per night for a redemption is steep, but there are still plenty of properties where this could represent a phenomenal deal, based on my valuation of 1.5 cents per World of Hyatt point. For example, you could redeem 40,000 points per night at Calala Island, where a cash rate would be $2,550+. Talk about a steal!
World of Hyatt benefits at SLH properties
Small Luxury Hotels of the World hotels provide the following on-property benefits for all World of Hyatt members who book through Hyatt channels:
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Daily complimentary continental breakfast
- Room upgrade (one category at check-in, if available)
- Early check-in (noon, based upon availability)
- Late check-out (2:00PM, based upon availability)
Note that:
- There are no special World of Hyatt elite benefits at SLH properties, so don’t expect full Globalist member benefits
- World of Hyatt suite upgrade awards can’t be redeemed at SLH properties
Great use of Chase Ultimate Rewards points
The Hyatt & SLH partnership is of course exciting for those with World of Hyatt points, including those earning points with the World of Hyatt Credit Card and World of Hyatt Business Credit Card. However, this is also useful for those with Chase Ultimate Rewards points, since this is a great way to redeem those points for luxury hotel stays.
- Earn 4x Points at Hyatt Properties
- Free Night Every Year
- Complimentary Discoverist Status
- $95
- Earn 4x Points at Hyatt Properties
- Complimentary Discoverist Status
- Gift Discoverist Status up to 5 Employees
- $199
- 5x total points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- 3x points on dining
- 2x points on travel purchases
- $95
- 3x points on Travel after the $300 Annual Travel Credit
- 3x points on Dining
- $300 Travel Credit
- $550
- Earn 3x points on travel
- Earn 3x points on shipping purchases
- Cell Phone Protection
- $95
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases
- Car Rental Coverage
- Extended Warranty Protection
- $0
- Earn 5% Cash Back at office supply stores
- Earn 5% Cash Back on internet, cable TV, mobile phones, and landlines
- Car Rental Coverage
- $0
- Earn 3% Cash Back on Dining
- Earn 3% Cash Back at Drugstores
- Earn 1.5% Cash Back On All Other Purchases
- $0
World of Hyatt also often sells points at a discount, which could represent a good deal for SLH redemptions.
Bottom line
Personally I’ve found the World of Hyatt & Small Luxury Hotels of the World collaboration to be extremely useful. This is an incredible opportunity to earn and redeem points at some gorgeous boutique properties that otherwise wouldn’t be accessible through loyalty programs.
This partnership has expanded significantly since first being introduced in 2018, and is now up to roughly 370 hotels. I find the SLH partnership is particularly useful in Europe, where there are so many charming hotels that are accessible through this.
My favorite SLH stays have been at Calala Island in Nicaragua and Canaves Oia Epitome in Greece, though I’ve had other good stays as well.
If you’ve taken advantage of the Hyatt & SLH partnership, what was your experience like?
Does Hyatt still offer all these benefits for Small Luxury Hotels? We stayed at 2 in Scotland and it has been more than a week and I have not received any nights towards elite status or points… I did fill out a Requst for Missing Credit form. Looking at Hyatt’s website, I do not see Small Luxury Hotels in their fine print of what hotels offer points. Thanks for your help. I am a big fan Lucky…!
Just FYI, Hyatt now has hotels in Category 8 (this post predates that change). Just sharing since I found this via a Google search and others might not realize that change ...
My boyfriend and I loved staying at the Topping Rose House in the Hamptons last summer. With rooms at $2000+ a night in the summer on the weekends, redeeming points here was a GREAT value. We even got a full breakfast daily at the Jean-Georges restaurant on-property. They've even got a car service that can take you to the beach or the Wolffer Estates vineyard.
We're going back. Even with paying peak points on two...
My boyfriend and I loved staying at the Topping Rose House in the Hamptons last summer. With rooms at $2000+ a night in the summer on the weekends, redeeming points here was a GREAT value. We even got a full breakfast daily at the Jean-Georges restaurant on-property. They've even got a car service that can take you to the beach or the Wolffer Estates vineyard.
We're going back. Even with paying peak points on two of our nights this summer, it's still going to be a great value.
Big thumbs up for the Vista Palazzo Lago di Como (aka Lake Como). 40K points/night for a $1,200 room peak season. Amazing service in a great location. Room upgrade, full breakfast...kinda like Hyatt Globalist in essence. Alberto is a truly amazing concierge there without any peer!
I will mirror Steve's comment about award availability being sometimes paltry if not nonexistent for the SLH hotels, which sort of makes the whole claim of Hyatt massively expanding their footprint come with a big stipulation/asterisk.
With the two I stayed at (Grand Hotel Parkers in Naples, Italy and Babuino 181 in Rome, Italy), the feel of both was "independent hotel." It seems that they just took existing hotels, signed them up for the SLH...
I will mirror Steve's comment about award availability being sometimes paltry if not nonexistent for the SLH hotels, which sort of makes the whole claim of Hyatt massively expanding their footprint come with a big stipulation/asterisk.
With the two I stayed at (Grand Hotel Parkers in Naples, Italy and Babuino 181 in Rome, Italy), the feel of both was "independent hotel." It seems that they just took existing hotels, signed them up for the SLH family, integrated them into Hyatt's website/booking system, and that's it. No changes to the hotel interior or exterior itself to make them feel integrated into the Hyatt family (Babuino 181 felt more like an apartment complex that had been converted into a hotel; the door to my room felt like a piece of sheet of plywood from the hardware store). Service was excellent at both locations however but no mention of "thank you for being a World of Hyatt member, here are the benefits you get for booking through Hyatt, you have been upgraded to..."
I will say that for the Grand Hotel Parkers, the room was VERY dated. Pictures on website very misleading and it looked like a luxury hotel which had its heyday in the late 1970s/early 1980s (I even got a physical key rather than a keycard) so worn carpet and fixtures. The air conditioner also could barely keep the room cool even with it cranked up to its highest setting (this was in October mind you), and all of the furniture was pushed to the sides so there was an enormous open space in the middle of the room. There was no business center either so I had to print something off using the front desk computer. They are doing renovations to the front lobby so things are a bit disorganized but wait until the rooms are renovated before you even think about staying here.
Would I stay at an SLH hotel again? I would but I wouldn't actively seek them out. There were some plus points and there were some minus points to the two I stayed at versus properties that have had more done to integrate them into the Hyatt brand portfolio.
SLH aren't a part of the Hyatt family. They are independent hotels that can be booked through the Hyatt/SLH partnership which is why they don't look like Hyatt's. As for as the thank you for being a Hyatt member they can see your Hyatt status when the bookings come in. Both properties I recently stayed at I got great upgrades and the food for breakfast and dinner options were incredible. Plus 9x points and 30%...
SLH aren't a part of the Hyatt family. They are independent hotels that can be booked through the Hyatt/SLH partnership which is why they don't look like Hyatt's. As for as the thank you for being a Hyatt member they can see your Hyatt status when the bookings come in. Both properties I recently stayed at I got great upgrades and the food for breakfast and dinner options were incredible. Plus 9x points and 30% Globalist bonus on places I already wanted to stay is a complete bonus.
Cannot*
My wife and I got married in Italy in early November and we stayed in two different SLH properties on that trip. They were by far the best hotel experiences I have had in Europe. They were in unique areas that we would never thought about looking at and the service and attention to detail at each property was great. We even got to do a great wine tasting and White Truffle Hunt. We paid...
My wife and I got married in Italy in early November and we stayed in two different SLH properties on that trip. They were by far the best hotel experiences I have had in Europe. They were in unique areas that we would never thought about looking at and the service and attention to detail at each property was great. We even got to do a great wine tasting and White Truffle Hunt. We paid for them with The Hyatt card and got a total of 9x on each stay including food, activities and spa on these stays. We are going to be booking a lot more stays in the SLH hotels for now on.
@Ben - I’m curious to know what happens to benefits and points earnings made at a hotel that later leaves the partnership? This is the main reason that I’m always skittish booking these hotels via Hyatt. Any information on whether Hyatt would still award those points?
Ben - Great article as usual. I'm curious why I've never seen a "Best Uses for Hyatt points" or "My Favorite Hyatt Award Stays" article (that might incorporate your Calala Island and Canaves redemptions along with several others) from you. I'm also new to Hyatt with a ton of points through Chase and would love to read an article of yours like that (same with Hilton, less so IHG and Marriott). Thanks for all you do!
I've noticed rates when booking through Hyatt are usually a fair amount (5-10%) higher than rates direct or even through OTAs. Those rates also seemed to include breakfast. I've also found it fairly difficult to actually find points availability as well.
Surely YMMV but the partnership hasn't really paid off for us.
I'm a new convert to Hyatt after one too many Bonvoy experiences, and the SLH partnership was one of the reasons I made the switch. (The other big one was the MGM partnership.) I like that I don't feel penalized for staying "outside" the brand and can pick cool boutique hotels. I just finished my first before Christmas at Hotel Sant Francesc in Palma de Mallorca and it was perfect!
@ Brian-EWA -- Happy to hear you've had a good experience so far, and welcome to the Hyatt club. ;)
Brian,
Also a new-ish convert, which began right before the pandemic at The Pillars (SLH) in Ft. Lauderdale. We were the youngest there by 25+ years, but it was tranquil, quiet, exclusive, and walkable to the beach with complimentary breakfast and we could dine on the Intercoastal without leaving the hotel. Honestly perfect.