Questions and Answers

Hi all,
I am currently a platinum member at SPG, Marriott, and Hilton. For the next few months I will be traveling a lot and could get platinum status for Hyatt and maybe other chains.

My questions is should I try to rack up points with one hotel chain such as SPG or should i try to get to platinum/highest level with as many as possible doing status challenges(or at least hyatt)?

Please let me know. Thank you!

You can get platinum status (or whatever they call it now) with Hyatt just by owning their credit card so if you intend to try with them, I’d start with their credit card and build to a higher status from there.

Hilton has Gold and Diamond levels so I’m assuming you’re Gold? Ben has indicated that he thinks Hilton’s Gold Status is actually the best of the mid-level statuses and that Diamond is not really worth it unless you travel enough to make it worth your while. And owning the Hilton Surpass will give you Gold status (it does have foreign transaction fees, however).

With SPG/Marriott, if you spend $30K/year on your SPG Amex you’ll achieve Gold status for those programs (assuming you’ve linked them) as well.

So personally I’d make sure you have the Hyatt, Hilton and SPG cards and then as you book your travel try to build to max status with each brand where it makes sense. Hyatt has the smallest footprint so it may be that you want to book with Hyatt where you can and with the others where there is no Hyatt. Otherwise I’d book what’s convenient to where you need to be within each city.

[USER=184]@MidSouth Skier[/USER]

You are thinking about the wonderfull status know as Discoverist, the new mid level is Explorist and Diamond has become Globalist.
[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2016/10/27/world-of-hyatt-program-changes/[/URL]

Hyatt is great chain to stay in if you are a Globalist, but prices often seem to be higher than competitors probably to cover all the benefits Globalist’s gets.

The membership tiers in World of Hyatt below Globalist is not worth much. There is no reason for seeking out Hyatt’s if you are not going to stay enough to earn Globalist status, unless you earn/get status with a credit card and just stay a few night here and there when the price is right.

It must have been much easier to just say you were a Diamond guest rather than the new confusing names 😉
[MEDIA=youtube]WCqm4H3m3Ew[/MEDIA]

The comments on that video is interesting, lots of bitter hotel employees.

Hi all,
Thanks for the responses.
I don’t think I was being clear with my question.
Basically, I am platinum status at SPG and Marriott and Diamond at Hilton. I will be traveling alot for the next three months, enough for me to get to Hyatt Globalist status (via their status challenge).
So I am wondering if it is worth while for me to obtain that status, or am I better off staying at one of the chains(spg, marriott, hilton) where I already have the highest status to rack up the points and additional benefits?

Since you’re already top-tier status with those programs I wouldn’t bother with Hyatt. Those programs have many more hotels so you’ll have plenty of choices most anywhere you go.

Ok thank you! I was wondering because I heard that hyatt’s globalist status is very useful.