In late 2013 I wrote about Hyatt emailing me after I stayed at 50 unique Hyatt properties around the world. It’s part of their “surprise and delight” campaign, so while it’s not a published benefit, many members have received bonuses for reaching certain stay milestones.
Well, I woke up this morning to an email from Hyatt, with the subject line “Do You Remember Your First Hyatt Hotel?”
The email read as follows:
Hi Ben,
With your recent travels, you’ve done it again – you’ve reached another Hyatt Milestone. It’s even more rare and special than the last, and your travel trail is longer than ever.
From your first Hyatt hotel stay at Andaz Wall Street to your recent stay at Park Hyatt Maldives, Hadahaa, you’ve now visited 75 unique Hyatt hotels! We can’t thank you enough for your ongoing loyalty.
To celebrate your achievement, we’ve added your new hotels to your travel map and have a surprise gift waiting for you.
Here’s to a long and memorable trail,
Caroline
Hyatt Milestones Curator
Hyatt Gold Passport
First of all, what an awesome job title. How cool would it be to have “Hyatt Milestone Curator” as your job title on your business card?
I opened the link in the email, which included a map of all the Hyatt properties I’ve been to, and indicated I’d receive one free night for my “stellar achievement.”
Not only is the free night awesome, but I do love the map display — it’s a nice reminder of all the places I’ve stayed at Hyatts.
Then I received a pop-up asking me if I wanted to win another “special bonus,” which of course I participated in. It gave me five Hyatt properties I’ve stayed at, and asked me to sort them in the order I visited them.
Once I successfully did that, I was brought to a page indicating I’d receive 500 bonus points!
Bottom line
What an awesome way for Hyatt to engage members. Not only is the reward awesome, but it’s a really nice way to remember the “journey” I’ve been through with Hyatt. And hey, the Park Hyatt Maldives is a tough place to beat for my 75th Hyatt stay!
Now while I’m totally happy with Hyatt Gold Passport overall, I wish they’d add some incremental benefits for those staying more than 25 stays/50 nights per year, rather than just random “surprise and delight” rewards.
Has anyone else received a similar milestone email lately, and if so, what did you get?
I just got the email for staying at 50 unique Hyatts. Only got 10K points like Mark and I am Diamond too. I was hoping for the free night like you got at 50, but 10K points is better than nothing...hopefully when I reach 75 they'll still be doing free nights and not just 10K points by then...
Hey Ben! I just hit the 50 mark and unfortunately, I didn't get in early enough since now they are only awarding 10,000 pts (plus 500 more if you get the map thing right). Was REALLY excited to get the free hotel night and now I'm not so surprised or delighted at only getting 10,000 pts. I'm a Diamond and was hoping they'd still be giving out the free night stay. Now, apparently, I have...
Hey Ben! I just hit the 50 mark and unfortunately, I didn't get in early enough since now they are only awarding 10,000 pts (plus 500 more if you get the map thing right). Was REALLY excited to get the free hotel night and now I'm not so surprised or delighted at only getting 10,000 pts. I'm a Diamond and was hoping they'd still be giving out the free night stay. Now, apparently, I have to go stay at another 25 Hyatt properties before I can get my free night! #toughlife
hi ben, does this take into account hyatt places and hyatt houses?
also, do you know if hilton has a program like this?? i have stayed at over 100 hilton branded properties worldwode, i.e. hampton, hilton garden inn, embassy, hilton, waldorf, et.c...
thank you,
john.
@ john -- It includes all Hyatt properties, including Hyatt Place and Hyatt House. Hilton doesn't have a similar program, as far as I know.
And Ben, with all due respect, you did notice that Caroline chimed in on this thread, right? She certainly is well aware of you or else how would she know you posted about this?
Hmmm, I wonder why I would say that? I recall Mommypoints being targeted for a great promotion awhile back too, but that was merely a coincidence, I bet. And why would Gold Passport target you, anyway? Makes no sense for them to do so, right?
The issue is: if you are targeted and write about it lovingly and most of us are not targeted, but have the same profile as you, it is hard to stomach.
I don't see why you don't get that.
But Ben,
This is one of those "the blogger gets recognized" but the hoi polloi with as many unique stays as you at just as many aspirational properties, gets bupkis.
Which, I'm sure you can understand, is frustrating.
@ Michael -- What makes you think this has anything to do with being a blogger? There are dozens of reports from non-bloggers getting these threshold bonuses. No reason to assume it has anything to do with being a blogger.
Just went through and counted my Hyatt stays - total of 86 properties (including 11 on awards only and maybe 10 that didn't generate stay credit (old stay certs - Priceline)) - so way over 50 in any case (even if you count only revenue stays). Never got the email.
I wasn't targetted either :(
Hey Ben,
It was so nice to read your post. I am the Milestones Curator for Hyatt and it's been such a wonderful position. After speaking with Hyatt Gold Passport members about their travels, I really wanted to create something that recognized a person's lifetime with Hyatt - and celebrated their travel journey. I'm so happy that you enjoyed your personal map! Best ~Caroline
@ Caroline -- Thanks for the comment, you're awesome!
Ben,
Please update this post to say you were "targeted for this promotion." Hyatt informed me that I wasn't targeted, so it doesn't matter how many unique properties I stay at -- I won't receive anything.
@ Michael -- Think I clarified that in the post: "It’s part of their “surprise and delight” campaign, so while it’s not a published benefit, many members have received bonuses for reaching certain stay milestones."
@Lucky - I'm glad you found your free night in a basic room rewarding, but based on your stay history you've earned plenty free nights at Hyatt properties around the world (either through points or promotion). That's my point, this reward isn't really any different from the rewards typically earned and therefore is neither unique nor special.
If the out of the ordinary achievement is meant to feel special, it needs an out of...
@Lucky - I'm glad you found your free night in a basic room rewarding, but based on your stay history you've earned plenty free nights at Hyatt properties around the world (either through points or promotion). That's my point, this reward isn't really any different from the rewards typically earned and therefore is neither unique nor special.
If the out of the ordinary achievement is meant to feel special, it needs an out of the ordinary reward - not a typical reward. I see the current arrangement as undermining the message Hyatt want to send, rather than a criticism of a free night itself (it's a marketing mismatch).
It's like inaugural flights, if you only got extra frequent flyer points for being on said flight, not a gift bag and certificate and other unusual extras, would they feel a bit ordinary to you? Sometimes, to make something feel less than ordinary, you need to do different things (not just same old, same old). Surprise and delight!
Great post, but slight typo FYI: "How could would it be to have “Hyatt Milestone Curator”", I'm assuming "cool"? :)
@ Poppy -- Fixed, thanks!
Why don't you stick to SPG? Over 75 nights you would get 4 points per dollar and over a 100 you'd qualify to the Ambassador level. I think they'd treat you better.
Not to sound ungrateful, yet that seems a rather small reward for such huge loyalty. My partner and I stayed in a top London 5 star hotel for 50 nights over 18 months and they gave us an upgrade to a £6k/n room, some hand made shoes, a Jo Malone candle, some bath robes with our initials on, free spa massage for both of us and management all coming to thank us. My curious nature...
Not to sound ungrateful, yet that seems a rather small reward for such huge loyalty. My partner and I stayed in a top London 5 star hotel for 50 nights over 18 months and they gave us an upgrade to a £6k/n room, some hand made shoes, a Jo Malone candle, some bath robes with our initials on, free spa massage for both of us and management all coming to thank us. My curious nature kicked in, so I went looking up the prices and the shoes themselves cost £400, so my stay for the night was already actually costing the hotel.
Thanks for publishing this! It prompted me to search my email, and one had come in in March while I was traveling -- and I have reached 100 unique properties! If I hadn't clicked through the email I would have missed out on a free night. (Which, contrary to an earlier poster, I find to be a delightful gift!)
It's a positive to have your "milestones" remembered, what's not a positive is the cheap "reward". One free night in a basic room for practically cross-crossing the globe ticking off Hyatt properties (given the smaller footprint Hyatt has, reaching 75 unique properties is a real achievement), not to mention living almost most of the year in Hyatt branded hotels, is pretty cheap and ruins the moment.
Really, if that's that's the best the can do,...
It's a positive to have your "milestones" remembered, what's not a positive is the cheap "reward". One free night in a basic room for practically cross-crossing the globe ticking off Hyatt properties (given the smaller footprint Hyatt has, reaching 75 unique properties is a real achievement), not to mention living almost most of the year in Hyatt branded hotels, is pretty cheap and ruins the moment.
Really, if that's that's the best the can do, they need to try harder. I'd rather a special gift like a little high quality trophy or other some other permanent memento of craftsmanship than just a free night coupon (which you could get from any ordinary promotion).
If they want to make the moment feel special, don't ruin it by offering run of the mill. Good idea, bad execution.
@ Kieran -- Personally I think a free night at any hotel in the world is a pretty darn awesome perk. But I guess it means different things to different people.
Must run in batches. I also got my email this morning. 25th Hyatt (in a little over a year since joining). I set my stay pattern so that number 25 would be the Park Hyatt Tokyo. :)
Between that and Maldives, those are probably the two flagship properties. Although it was the PH Siem Reap that has been best for me so far.
Hmm, this makes me want to go count the number of different Hyatt's I've stayed at...
What a cool idea! Well done, Hyatt!
And congrats on the 75 hotels. When should I expect my e-mail for 10 hotels visited? :)
Funny -- I got this e-mail today too!
It seems Courtesy Card is back (for individuals that don't influence corporate travel budgets, at least) to mostly being nominated by GMs. What's the most times (not days) you've stayed at a single Hyatt in the past year?
@ Steven L. -- I've done a bunch of stays at the Grand Hyatt Tampa, though it's a cheap enough hotel that I doubt it'd get me Courtesy Card!
What a life. Do you ever stay in one place long enough to enjoy a play or a concert or mingle with locals on their own turf?
Forty+ years ago I worked for a fellow whose mission was to evaluate services within a specific hotel brand. The sorry SOB's mission also included 'Regional Assistants' to his liking, and of course, the engagement was *extremely* brief. I hope that your standards are much higher.
-CG
50 unique hotels, like you, and last week lifetime Diamond status.
My bad - Australia is on the map twice...
Why doesn't the Park Hyatt Sydney have a star?
"I wish they’d add some incremental benefits for those staying more than 25 stays/50 nights per year, rather than just random “surprise and delight” rewards."
Isn't that called "Courtesy Card"?
@ Tokyo Hyatt Fan -- Sure, but there are no published benefits. Did almost 150 nights with Hyatt last year and didn't get it.