While World of Hyatt is my all-around favorite hotel loyalty program, I consider it to truly get valuable with top-tier Globalist status. I’ve reviewed World of Hyatt’s mid-tier Explorist status, and in this post wanted to take a look at entry-level Discoverist status. Does this tier offer any real perks? Let’s cover how you can earn it, and then what the benefits are.
In this post:
How to earn World of Hyatt Discoverist status
You can earn World of Hyatt Discoverist status through hotel stays, or just based on having a co-branded World of Hyatt credit card. Let’s take a look at what’s required.
Earning Hyatt Discoverist status with hotel stays
World of Hyatt Discoverist status can be earned with hotel stays in one of the following ways:
- By earning 10 elite qualifying nights in a calendar year; revenue and award stays count toward this
- By earning 25,000 elite qualifying points in a calendar year; you ordinarily earn 5x base points per eligible dollar spent at a Hyatt, so this requires the equivalent of $5,000 of Hyatt spending
The elite requirements for Discoverist are significantly lower than for other elite tiers — Explorist requires 30 elite nights or 50,000 elite points, while Globalist requires 60 elite nights or 100,000 elite points.
Earning Hyatt Discoverist status with credit cards
The good news is that if you have one of Hyatt’s co-branded credit cards, you automatically get Discoverist status:
- The World of Hyatt Credit Card (review) offers Discoverist status for the primary cardmember for as long as you’re a cardmember
- The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card (review) offers Discoverist status for the primary cardmember plus five designated employees for as long as you’re a cardmember
These cards can help you further earn elite nights toward Explorist or Globalist status, but there’s no spending required for Discoverist status.
World of Hyatt Discoverist status perks & benefits
With the requirements to earn status out of the way, what are the benefits of World of Hyatt Discoverist status? Below are the perks, roughly in the order that I value them.
Guaranteed 2PM check-out
World of Hyatt Discoverist members receive guaranteed 2PM check-out. Note that this is subject to availability at resorts. I’d say it’s pretty nice when entry-level hotel elite status offers guaranteed late check-out, so I’d consider that to be a strong perk. This is the same late check-out offered to Explorist members, while Globalist members get 4PM check-out.
10% World of Hyatt bonus points
World of Hyatt members ordinarily earn 5x points per eligible dollar spent at Hyatt properties, including for room rates and incidentals. World of Hyatt Discoverist members receive a 10% points bonus, which is an extra 0.5x points per dollar spent. As a point of comparison, Explorist members receive 20% bonus points, while Globalist members receive 30% bonus points.
Preferred rooms
World of Hyatt Discoverist members receive preferred rooms within the category that they booked. This is a pretty limited promise on Hyatt’s part, ultimately, though you may find that some hotels go above and beyond. As a point of comparison, Explorist members get upgrades to the best available non-suite, while Globalist members get upgrades to the best available standard suite.
Premium in-room internet & bottled water
All World of Hyatt elite members receive premium Wi-Fi, plus bottled water in the room. This probably isn’t anything to get too excited about, but it’s better than nothing.
Elite check-in counter
All World of Hyatt elite members receive access to the dedicated elite check-in counter, for the hotels that offer that. Unfortunately availability and enforcement of the line isn’t consistent, but if there is a line for elite members, you can use it.
Access to the American AAdvantage partnership
American AAdvantage and World of Hyatt have a partnership, offering reciprocal points earning opportunities. World of Hyatt elite members (including Discoverist members) can earn one World of Hyatt point for every eligible dollar spent on American.
Since I value World of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each, think of this as an incremental 1.5% return on your American spending. For some people this will be worth almost nothing, while for those who are frequent American flyers, the value of this could really add up. It’s certainly an incentive to have at least Discoverist status.
World of Hyatt Milestone Rewards program
The Milestone Rewards program is an awesome aspect of World of Hyatt, as it offers rewards for every 10 elite nights you rack up in a calendar year, up to 150 elite nights. This program offers all kinds of valuable perks, ranging from club access awards, to suite upgrade awards, to free night awards, to Guest of Honor awards.
However, the program only really starts to get valuable with 20 elite nights (double the requirements for Discoverist status), so for most Discoverist members this won’t get you anything. Nonetheless it’s worth being aware of the program.
For example, if you do make it to 20 elite nights, you can select two club access awards, each of which can be used to secure lounge access for a stay of up to seven nights. That potentially has significant value.
Is World of Hyatt Discoverist status worth it?
World of Hyatt Discoverist status is better than nothing, and gets you guaranteed late check-out, some bonus points, and potential room upgrades. I guess there are two ways to view the overall value of the status — how does it compare to other entry-level elite status, and how does it compare to other elite status you’d get with a mid-range credit card?
Compared to other low-tier elite status levels (Hilton Honors Silver, Marriott Bonvoy Silver, etc.), I’d say it actually compares quite favorably. Admittedly that’s not necessarily saying a whole lot, but the status is easy enough to earn.
While I wouldn’t go out of my way to stay 10 nights annually at a Hyatt just to earn Discoverist status, you can get this status simply by having the World of Hyatt Credit Card or World of Hyatt Business Credit Card. There are many great benefits to these cards, so in that context I do think the status is worth it.
However, purely in terms of value of elite status, I do think there are mid-range credit cards that offer better options. For example, Hilton Honors Gold status is offered with several credit cards, and that offers more robust perks, including complimentary breakfast or a food & beverage credit.
Bottom line
Discoverist is World of Hyatt’s entry-level elite tier, offering perks like preferred rooms, 2PM late check-out, 10% bonus points, elite check-in, premium internet, and more. Having this status is better than nothing if you plan on staying with Hyatts, though the status probably won’t be life-changing.
While I have a strong general preference for staying at Hyatts over most other brands, I’d say in terms of elite perks, World of Hyatt really shines with Globalist status.
If you’re a Hyatt Discoverist member, what has your experience been like?
I just wanted to share a recent experience on a 5-week trip to Japan and Korea.
I have Discoverist status on Hyatt through my credit card. I booked a hotel in Tokyo using points. When I arrived, I was told that as a Discoverist member, I would receive a complimentary breakfast and access to the lounge. That was a total surprise, and I thanked them profusely.
At my next Hyatt Hotel (Osaka), I mentioned...
I just wanted to share a recent experience on a 5-week trip to Japan and Korea.
I have Discoverist status on Hyatt through my credit card. I booked a hotel in Tokyo using points. When I arrived, I was told that as a Discoverist member, I would receive a complimentary breakfast and access to the lounge. That was a total surprise, and I thanked them profusely.
At my next Hyatt Hotel (Osaka), I mentioned to the woman checking me in that I had received complimentary breakfast and access to the lounge at the Hyatt Regency Tokyo. She called the on-duty manager over, and I politely explained what I had experienced. He said he would get back to me, and in less than an hour, he contacted me and said I would enjoy the same benefits at his hotel. I'm assuming that he actually checked to see if my statement was true.
This scenario continued to happen at all the Hyatts I visited over the 5 weeks - all booked on points. It seems like no manager wanted to be outdone by another Hyatt manager. And while not all lounges or breakfasts were equally good, I thoroughly enjoyed the surprise perks. I'm wondering if anyone else has ever experienced these unexpected upgrades.