Hyatt’s Special Cancelation Policy For Globalists & Explorists

I had a last minute change of plans for a Hyatt hotel stay I was supposed to make tomorrow night. Since the hotel has a 48-hour cancelation policy, I figured I’d have to forfeit my stay, and would be on the hook for a penalty. But then I remembered a perk that Hyatt has for select elite members, which I think is worth recapping. I had forgotten about this, so I assume I’m not the only one. 😉

Hyatt’s 24-hour cancelation policy for elites

Hyatt has a special cancelation policy for World of Hyatt Globalist and Explorist members. While Hyatt’s standard cancelation policy requires canceling a reservation at least 48 hours before check-in time, eligible elite members can cancel a stay up to 24 hours before the check-in time. As you’d expect, there are some terms to be aware of:

• The 24-hour cancellation policy only applies at hotels and resorts that have a 48-hour cancelation policy or less; it does not apply to properties with stricter cancelation policies
• You must cancel 24 hours before the check-in time, rather than just by 11:59PM the night before check-in
• This policy doesn’t apply to Hyatt Vacation Club or Miraval properties
• This policy only applies to Explorist members and above, so it doesn’t apply to World of Hyatt Discoverist members

In the interest of being thorough, here are the relevant World of Hyatt terms & conditions:

Explorists can cancel reservations up to 24 hours before the hotel or resort check-in time when the hotel’s or resort’s cancellation period is not more than 48 hours. This cancellation benefit does not apply: (i) to reservations at Hyatt Vacation Club or Miraval resorts; (ii) where the rate is pre-paid and/or non-refundable; (iii) when the hotel’s or resort’s cancellation period is more than 48 hours; or (iv) for reservations booked at corporate negotiated or group contract rates. Eligibility for this benefit is based on tier status at the time of cancellation. The cancellation windows are based on the hotel’s time zone. Hotel or resort check-in time and standard cancellation period is disclosed at the time of booking.

This policy has been in place since the beginning of 2018. At the time, Hyatt introduced a stricter cancelation policy — up until that point you could cancel until 24 hours before arrival at most properties, while the timeline was increased to 48 hours. However, elite members have been exempt from this policy ever since.

Do you need to cancel by phone to use this?

So, how can you actually take advantage of this improved cancelation policy, assuming you have eligible status? When you go to manage a reservation on Hyatt’s website or mobile app, you’ll see the standard cancelation policy listed, even if you have status that makes you eligible for a more generous policy.

I think it’s typically a best practice to reach out to World of Hyatt customer service to cancel a reservation when you’re using the 24-hour policy, to make sure the cancelation is processed correctly. It’s possible it also works if you cancel online, but I wouldn’t count on it, as there are more likely to be issues.

Bottom line

World of Hyatt Globalist and Explorist members are eligible for a special cancelation policy. For hotels that require you to cancel 48 hours before check-in time, eligible elite members can instead cancel up to 24 hours before check-in time.

Hyatt doesn’t market this policy much, but it’s worth being aware of, as there are situations where this could really come in handy.

Have you ever used Hyatt’s elite cancelation policy?