Link: Apply now for the World of Hyatt Credit Card
The World of Hyatt Credit Card (review) is Hyatt’s personal credit card, and it’s lucrative. If you stay at Hyatt properties with any frequency, then it absolutely makes sense to have this card, as the perks more than justify the $95 annual fee. It’s a card that I’ve had for years, and one that I spend quite a bit on annually.
For those who are on the fence about this card, in this post, I want to share seven reasons you should consider applying, in no particular order.
In this post:
World of Hyatt Card welcome bonus
The World of Hyatt Credit Card is offering a two-part welcome bonus (marketed as “up to 60,000 bonus points”) and is broken down as such:
- Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
- Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
If you meet both requirements, the incremental bonus here is 45,000 points (30,000 + 15,000). Personally, I value World of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each, so I’d value the 45,000 points at $675.
When it comes to eligibility for the card’s bonus, what matters is that you don’t currently have this exact card, and haven’t received a new cardmember bonus on this exact card in the past 24 months. Eligibility is unrelated to whether you have the World of Hyatt Business Card (review).
A Category 1-4 anniversary free night award
The World of Hyatt Credit Card offers an anniversary free night award annually, just for being a cardmember, with no spending required. This free night award can be redeemed at any Category 1-4 World of Hyatt property, and those hotels can retail for up to 18,000 points per night.
To me, this perk alone more than justifies the annual fee, and I’ve consistently been able to use this at hotels costing well over $200 per night.
A second Category 1-4 free night award with spending
Not only does the World of Hyatt Credit Card offer an anniversary free night award, but the card also offers a second Category 1-4 free night award when you spend $15,000 in a calendar year.
This is why I consider spending $15,000 on the card to be a sweet spot, since there’s lots of value to getting that second free night award. It’s even more valuable when you consider the incremental elite nights you can earn for that spending (more on that below). This ties in beautifully with the welcome offer, which you can maximize by spending $15,000.
Five elite nights toward status annually
If you’re going for elite status with World of Hyatt, the World of Hyatt Credit Card offers five elite nights toward status annually just for being a cardmember, with no spending required. If you’re going for World of Hyatt Explorist status or World of Hyatt Globalist status, this can be valuable.
The elite nights earned on this card also count toward the Milestone Rewards program, earning you perks like suite upgrade awards, Guest of Honor awards, and more.
Two elite nights for every $5,000 spent
If you’re going for World of Hyatt elite status, the World of Hyatt Credit Card not only offers five elite nights annually with no spending requirement, but also offers two elite nights for every $5,000 spent, with no caps. This is a great way to be able to supplement your hotel stays to earn Explorist or Globalist status.
Discoverist status as long as you have card
The World of Hyatt Credit Card offers Discoverist status for as long as you have the card. While this is only entry-level status, it still offers some valuable benefits that will enhance your Hyatt stays. The perks of World of Hyatt Discoverist status include the following:
- Upgrade to a preferred room, when available
- 2PM check-out
- Premium internet
- Daily bottled water
- 10% bonus points
4x World of Hyatt points on Hyatt stays
If you’re looking to maximize World of Hyatt points, the World of Hyatt Credit Card offers 4x points for your spending at Hyatt properties. That makes this one of the best cards for your Hyatt spending. If you spend a decent amount at Hyatt hotels every year, then this will nicely contribute to your points earning ability.
That’s only a part of the card’s elevated rewards structure, as it also offers 2x points on at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from airlines, on fitness clubs and gym memberships, and on local transit and commuting.
Bottom line
The World of Hyatt Credit Card is one of the easiest to justify hotel credit cards. The card has a reasonable $95 annual fee, and on the most basic level, offers an anniversary free night award plus five elite nights toward status annually.
That’s only part of the card’s value proposition, though. It can also be worth spending money on the card, so that you can earn a second annual free night award, and so you can earn more elite nights toward status. This is a card that I’ve had for years, and one that I spend at least $15,000 on annually.
What’s your take on the World of Hyatt Credit Card?
I have had this card for years too. But I agree with ND. Any hotel you might want to vacation at in the 4 category quickly gets moved up. The Hyatt Regency Monterey Bay was considered a top pick for category 4 and quickly went up a category. Same with Hyatt Place Portland Maine. Soon it will only be boring suburban locations with no travel destination value.
While yes I always get more value...
I have had this card for years too. But I agree with ND. Any hotel you might want to vacation at in the 4 category quickly gets moved up. The Hyatt Regency Monterey Bay was considered a top pick for category 4 and quickly went up a category. Same with Hyatt Place Portland Maine. Soon it will only be boring suburban locations with no travel destination value.
While yes I always get more value in room over the $95 AF, the certificate is becoming too weak. I don't know how much longer I will keep the card. Maybe if they allow topping up like Bonvoy does now. Or increase the the category to 1-5 or 6.
Have they improved a their hotel count in Europe? That's where I usually travel and there often aren't any. Most US towns I go to just have Hyatt place or Hyatt house which aren't many points. I like to upgrade to suites though and probably can't with the certificate. So not sure of Hyatt value for me.
I have farted in the bed pictured for this article.
The opportunity to get 2 Category 4 Free Night Awards with $15K USD spend appears nice on paper, however eligible special properties are harder to find than in the past. When Chase originated a co-brand credit card for Hyatt more than 10 years ago, there were far more nice Category 4 hotels. Unless the card offers Cat 5 or higher free night awards, the Hyatt credit card card has lost significant value.