We knew this development was coming, and we now have an official timeline…
In this post:
Hyatt & SLH are ending their collaboration
Since 2018, World of Hyatt and Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) have had a loyalty collaboration. With this, World of Hyatt members have been able to earn and redeem points at SLH properties when booking through Hyatt channels.
This is an opportunity that many members have appreciated. SLH has hundreds of affiliated luxury properties, so this was a way to leverage a big hotel loyalty program for stays at some special properties not otherwise participating in such a program.
Unfortunately as of May 15, 2024, Hyatt and SLH will be terminating their relationship, in what they describe as a mutual decision. As far as the winding down of this partnership goes:
- Members with upcoming stays with a check-in date on or before May 15, 2024, will still enjoy the benefits associated with this partnership, such as earning points and elite nights, and having access to select perks
- Stays with check-in dates after May 15, 2024, will still be honored, but World of Hyatt benefits won’t apply, so you won’t be able to earn points or elite nights, and won’t receive any additional perks
- Through August 31, 2024, those with the World of Hyatt Credit Card (review) and World of Hyatt Business Credit Card (review) will continue to earn 4x points or every eligible dollar spent at SLH properties
The reason we knew this partnership was ending is because recently Hilton Honors and SLH announced an exclusive partnership. We still don’t know what the details of that will look like, but presumably that’s launching shortly after the Hyatt partnership ends.
Hyatt is instead focusing on Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Unfortunately this is the third major World of Hyatt partnership to end in the past several months, as we also saw Hyatt cut ties with MGM Rewards and Lindblad Expeditions. In this case, I suspect the partnership ending is a bit more deliberate on Hyatt’s part.
In 2023, Hyatt acquired Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which is a luxury hotel booking platform, affiliated with 1,500+ hotels. Mr. & Mrs. Smith is almost like a specially branded version of Virtuoso, offering extra perks (like free breakfast, room upgrades, etc.) for stays at select luxury hotels.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith doesn’t manage any properties, but rather just gets a commission on bookings, and is really good at marketing itself. Clearly Hyatt wanted in on the action.
In the near future, Hyatt should reveal details of how Mr. & Mrs. Smith will be integrated into World of Hyatt. Presumably these properties will be bookable through Hyatt’s website, and it will be possible to earn and redeem World of Hyatt points for stays at all of these properties.
It’s anyone’s guess what the execution and value proposition will be like. You’ll certainly get some extra perks when booking through Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Hopefully points can be earned at the standard rates, just like at Hyatt properties. However, I suspect points redemptions will be at a fixed value for each point, since Hyatt is having to pay out of pocket for these hotel stays.
Bottom line
World of Hyatt and Small Luxury Hotels of the World are terminating their partnership as of May 15, 2024. That’s only part of what’s happening, though — Hilton will be launching a partnership with SLH, while Hyatt will be integrating Mr. & Mrs. Smith into its own booking platform.
What do you make of Hyatt & SLH cutting ties?
I've have a non refundable booking with a hotel in Barcelona in August. Now, Will not earn qualifying nights or points or perks. Clearly the Hotel won't cancel. But annoyingly you can book same room direct with hotel for less than Hyatt has charged me through WOH back in Feb. The current rates all booked direct with Hotel are flexible allowing cancellation. Hyatt washing their hands of the booking..So I've cancelled 8 upcoming bookings with...
I've have a non refundable booking with a hotel in Barcelona in August. Now, Will not earn qualifying nights or points or perks. Clearly the Hotel won't cancel. But annoyingly you can book same room direct with hotel for less than Hyatt has charged me through WOH back in Feb. The current rates all booked direct with Hotel are flexible allowing cancellation. Hyatt washing their hands of the booking..So I've cancelled 8 upcoming bookings with Hyatt and rebooked with another group. Good riddance
I have a Cat 1-4 award stay booked at an SLH Hotel a week after the split. I got an email from Hyatt yesterday saying my stay would be honored minus perks. But then this morning I got an email from the hotel complaining they "still" haven't received my deposit (there was no deposit when I made the res, just the usual credit card guarantee) followed immediately by a second email saying my stay would...
I have a Cat 1-4 award stay booked at an SLH Hotel a week after the split. I got an email from Hyatt yesterday saying my stay would be honored minus perks. But then this morning I got an email from the hotel complaining they "still" haven't received my deposit (there was no deposit when I made the res, just the usual credit card guarantee) followed immediately by a second email saying my stay would cost 225 Euros and demanding a 68 Euro deposit. I immediately responded but got no answer.
If the hotel insists I pay for the stay, do I have any recourse with Hyatt? Do they owe me a free stay at another of their hotels in the region (all the other hotels there are Cat 6 and up so I would not be able to just switch my reward to them)? I counted on this stay being free for my planning and budgeting for this vacation and now I feel left in the lurch.
This is another black eye for Hyatt. How can I remain a globalist when they don’t offer good hotels where I want to travel? The US seems to have a focus on the less than desirable Hyatt House and Hyatt Place. I am questioning the value of maintaining globalist status when the only hotels available are these low level hotels with no benefits for loyalty.
I guess those hotels of will suffer as a result because they probably got many Hyatt members to use them and many of which will probably not use them when they are no longer part of the Hyatt group
The most useless and pointless hotel partnership ever.
I just varified on my reservation in Aug. at SLH property . Booked with points no breakfast but will earn elite night credit.
I love that you used a pic of Fogo Island Inn... I've also been scoping how/if that particular property will be bookable post integration :)
Good riddance. Between the:
-markups on Hyatt’s site
-award availability restricted to one room on property
-award availability restricted to a single occupancy room on property
-very very low chance of booking anything close in
-lack of air conditioning in Europe
This partnership was a big fat nothing.
wait.... Fogo Island is about to be able to be booked on points....
How does the Mr&Mrs Smith work differently from SLH such that points redemption would be an issue? Doesn't SLH work the same way, as it they don't manage the properties just market them. For SLH, Hyatt managed to get a deal to allow for points redemption. Why won't it be the same with Mr&Mrs Smith properties?
I am not sure of the relationship exactly but I believe that small hotel brands and independents can join SLH with an approval process. They become a light franchise within the spectrum of their booking site and advertising and pay a fee for that. I don't know if SLH recieves a commission for bookings but I imagine there are annual fees involved for marketing etc. Relais and C works the similar way.
Mr. and...
I am not sure of the relationship exactly but I believe that small hotel brands and independents can join SLH with an approval process. They become a light franchise within the spectrum of their booking site and advertising and pay a fee for that. I don't know if SLH recieves a commission for bookings but I imagine there are annual fees involved for marketing etc. Relais and C works the similar way.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith is just a disguised third party booking site focusing on higher end properties and that relies on preferred partner bookings that get commissions. They may vet and choose which hotels they represent but they are not at all getting fees or anything else. They rely solely on commissions.
That's how I see it. I may very well be wrong though.
What about points redemptions on SLH made for later in the year?
This. I have one booked for late May. Still appearing in the app at the moment.
I have an award booking at the Maalot Roma for early July and received an email from Hyatt yesterday saying the reservation would be honored. I made the reservation in Aug 2023 and it hasn't shown up on the app or online for a few months now. I reached out to the hotel itself a couple months ago and they said the reservation would be honored, too. The Hyatt email yesterday said I could contact customer service if I needed to make any changes or cancel.
I highly doubt redemptions and points will happen at Mr. and Mrs. Smith properties. Maybe some. Probably not many - if at all. Why?
The properties they book (and basically serve as an agent to) are often very top line brands like Aman, etc. I hardly see Aman or the similar being subjected to redemptions. Other properties can be small independent hotels with a limited number of rooms that also do not want in this...
I highly doubt redemptions and points will happen at Mr. and Mrs. Smith properties. Maybe some. Probably not many - if at all. Why?
The properties they book (and basically serve as an agent to) are often very top line brands like Aman, etc. I hardly see Aman or the similar being subjected to redemptions. Other properties can be small independent hotels with a limited number of rooms that also do not want in this fray. It makes no sense. though one can dream!
My feeling is that the properties will appear on Hyatt booking channels with disclaimers that no points or perks will be valid. Much like Bulgari Hotels with Bonvoy. What does Hyatt get in return? Commisions on those bookings. The perks offered might be similar to any agent booking via Prive etc (amenity, credit, upgrade when available) but nothing additional for status.
In essence I am betting that this is a strategy to eliminate small booking agents and corner that market on commissions at a wide net of properties. As much as hotels cozy up to travel planners now I am sure they would love a path to take away some of that business and get in on it themselves.
An example, instead of calling a travel planner (which I never do anyway - but hypothetically) to book an Aman I can now just book online myself via Hyatt and Mr. and Mrs. Smith with full control of the reservation and process and get the same amenities that a preferred partner offers.
Hyatt is losing access to 362 SLH properties, I will bet you anything they will replace at least that amount with Mr. and Mrs. Smith and likely a lot more with the ability to book same way as you did the SLH properties
One can hope. But Mr. and Mrs. Smith is just a booking platform of what are their preferred properties. It's no different than what travel planners do but in a bigger more branded way. It's a complete hodgepodge of Indie and top end luxury hotels and is all about getting commission rather than providing an LHW or SLH approach to a unified brand label. Believe me, I would love it, but I am not keeping my hopes too high.
I just can't imagine that Hyatt is willing to lose 362 properties without replacing them. Even a third of 1,500 of MMS properties that will be bookable exactly same way as SLH properties and a similar geographic options will make Hyatt come out ahead. Also, apparently there are plenty of overlapping properties between SLH and MMS
Bookable ok. But bookable with points and redemptions? That's where I see a problem. These hotels are not at all branded in the same way as SLH in being almost a franchise lite. Again, I keep saying it, but I do hope I'm wrong. If I am wrong, Hyatt becomes the most coveted program in the world. If I'm right, they are still the best- but without SLH (which was ho hum anyway imho).
One other thought is that perhaps Hyatt is looking to turn Mr. and MR's Smith away from a third party preferred booking site (thus commission based) and turning it into an SLH style company with franchise lite membership targeting small independent luxury properties. The brand and relationship is there with hotels to some extent and if you add in the Hyatt reach it could be attractive for some and might be competitive with SLH and...
One other thought is that perhaps Hyatt is looking to turn Mr. and MR's Smith away from a third party preferred booking site (thus commission based) and turning it into an SLH style company with franchise lite membership targeting small independent luxury properties. The brand and relationship is there with hotels to some extent and if you add in the Hyatt reach it could be attractive for some and might be competitive with SLH and R&C. But I still don't imagine hotels like Aman or Anantara (which is tied to GHA) jumping on board. But in this case you would be correct, if this is Hyatt's plan they still might be able to scrape together a couple of hundred properties to join them, also possibly poaching some from SLH. But none would be big names I imagine. More small indie properties.
I have a reservation for late May. Doesn’t feel like the reservation is truly being honored if it doesn’t come with the benefits that I was told I’d be given when I booked the rate. If I try to rebook through SLH, it’s now an additional $150 more a night and I don’t get the $50 property credit that was included with my rate (then again…..do I even still get it now??).
I’ve had this...
I have a reservation for late May. Doesn’t feel like the reservation is truly being honored if it doesn’t come with the benefits that I was told I’d be given when I booked the rate. If I try to rebook through SLH, it’s now an additional $150 more a night and I don’t get the $50 property credit that was included with my rate (then again…..do I even still get it now??).
I’ve had this booked for months and feels like a slap in the face to no longer include the breakfast, upgrade, early check in, etc.
Completely agree. Hyatt should have made this clear when booking. When I booked, I was promised certain benefits.
everyone should check their reservations. I had a SLS reservation in Geneva for May 19-21 and the reservation is nowhere to be found. Not on the Hyatt app, tried looking under reservation number, on hyatt website, nothing. Never got an email about cancellation either.
I meant SLH*.. Eastwest Hotel to be specific
Same thing happened to me for a stay coming up this weekend. I called hyatt and the hotel and they are still showing the reservation on their end so i assume its just a glitch.
Mine for end of July has also gone missing
Same here. Called Hyatt and gave them the reservation number, they were able to find it; then I told them to cancel. Not worth the trouble.