Questions and Answers

Helping a friend get into the points hobby. He and his family (wife and two kids) have a trip in mind to the Park Hyatt Aviara for later this August. What card/cards would you all recommend to best cover the cost? Club privileges would be helpful. I was thinking Sapphire reserve. Will he take a big hit on credit if he gets 2 cards in a short time frame?

Thanks in advance!

The PH Aviara is a category 5 hotel, meaning 20k points a night in a standard room or 32k points for a suite. Points and cash is 10k+$125 a night. For late August, paid rates for a standard room are about $300. Their base suite is $429.

If both your friend and his wife open the Hyatt card, they each get 2 free nights, plus 5000 Hyatt points if they add each other as an authorized user.

Chase UR points transfer to Hyatt 1:1 so those cards are an option as well. Not the greatest use of Chase UR points but can make sense for your friend and his family.

Club access is harder – You have to be staying in a club room or a suite or be one of their Explorist (4 club passes annually) or Globalist members.

Opening a couple of cards shouldnt impact his credit too much for too long.

And I believe that the 2 free nights with the credit card are only for a standard room, not a suite, though they are valid for any Hyatt in the world.

Thanks for the responses! Is it possible to use the difference (12K points) to upgrade the 2 free nights (from Hyatt card) to suites?

Suites have club access too, or just club rooms?

Yes, suites get club access.

I dont think you can use the points to upgrade the 2 free nights. On Hyatt’s website, it says only paid stays can be upgraded with points.

Did the Park Hyatt Aviara add a club lounge and I missed it?

Ah. I was being general, not specific to the PH Aviara. Sorry!