In early 2014, Hyatt Gold Passport added a new hotel category for redemptions. Specifically, they added Category 7 hotels, which go for 30,000 points per night. Fortunately Hyatt hasn’t moved too many hotels up to this category, but rather has kept it for what are truly their most expensive hotels, like the Park Hyatt Sydney.
That’s why it’s interesting that Hyatt seems to have quietly added a new hotel to their portfolio, and I’m shocked to see what category it’s in.
Hotel Levent Istanbul is now a Hyatt affiliate
Hotel Levent Istanbul is now a “Hyatt affiliate hotel.” This seems to be the former EDITION Istanbul, which is a Marriott brand. I’m not sure why the hotel chose to leave Marriott, but perhaps it has to do with their takeover of Starwood, and the number of properties that Marriott now has in the city.
Unfortunately I suspect the hotel’s lack of success (which I assume prompted the change) has more to do with being in Istanbul than which hotel group it belongs to.
I do find it a bit odd that this isn’t a fully integrated Hyatt hotel, but rather an affiliate property. Perhaps there are some changes required to make this hotel fully Hyatt-compliant, and the hotel doesn’t want to spend the money at the moment.
This seems to be a luxury hotel, though paid rates are pretty reasonable, as you’d expect. Most nights the rate is 128EUR per night.
A new hotel in Istanbul is a Category 7 hotel?!?
This is the part I can’t wrap my head around. The Levent Hotel Istanbul is a Hyatt Category 7 hotel, meaning that a free night redemption costs 30,000 points per night.
That has to be the most puzzling category decision I’ve ever seen Hyatt make, especially since the hotel has just been added to the Hyatt portfolio in the past few weeks. Even during the peak of Istanbul tourism it would have been completely out of place, but to add it as a Category 7 hotel now? Hmmm….
Meanwhile the Park Hyatt Maldives, which frequently goes for over $1,000 per night, is a Category 6 property.
This is a mystery to me…
(Tip of the hat to Running With Miles)
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