Hyatt has a partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World, allowing World of Hyatt members to earn and redeem points at hundreds of boutique properties.
While there are lots of great hotels belonging to this partnership, I’d argue there are some that offer special experiences that are worth calling out. For example, I’ve written about how it’s possible to redeem Hyatt points at Calala Island, which is an all-inclusive private island in Nicaragua with just four rooms.
Calala Island, one of my favorite uses of Hyatt points ever
Well, here’s another cool opportunity for redeeming Hyatt points at an all-inclusive property, this time in the US.
In this post:
Rawah Ranch, an all-inclusive Colorado dude ranch
Rawah Ranch is a member of Small Luxury of the World, and it participates in the World of Hyatt collaboration. The property is open annually from June 1 through September 30, and it’s in Glendevey, Colorado (this is right near the border with Wyoming, so the closest airport is Laramie).
Rawah Ranch has just nine western ranch cabins, and rates here include the following:
- Lodging and hospitality
- Meals, cocktail hour, and two house beverages with dinner
- Daily horseback riding
- One half-day of professional guided fly fishing and all gear
- Trap shooting & archery range
- Paddle boating & stand up paddle boarding
- Guided hiking
- Mountain biking
- Ranch special events and evening activities, including bonfires, line dancing, trivia night, live music, casino night, and more
The only things not included are additional days of guided fly fishing, and massages.
Here’s a video about the experience:
And here are some pictures of Rawah Ranch and the surrounding areas:
Rawah Ranch entrance
Rawah Ranch area
Rawah Ranch horses
Rawah Ranch lodge
Rawah Ranch dining area
Redeeming World of Hyatt points at Rawah Ranch
Rawah Ranch allows stays of anywhere from three to six nights. Arrivals are allowed on either Thursdays and Sundays.
Paid rates here are $650 per person, so with double occupancy you can expect to spend $1,300 per night here.
Alternatively, this is a Category 8 World of Hyatt property, and you can book a stay here for 40,000 World of Hyatt points per night. I value World of Hyatt points at ~1.5 cents each, so to me that’s like paying $600 per night here, which is more than half off.
Note that only one room type here — the Cowboy Cabin — is bookable with points. So if you do want to redeem points, make sure there’s availability for this room.
Rawah Ranch Cowboy Cabin
The hotel does appear to have a strict cancelation policy — you can cancel for free within 24 hours of booking, and then if you cancel more than 60 days out you’ll pay 10%, and if you cancel within 60 days you’ll be on the hook for the entire cost of the stay.
I’m not sure how exactly the 10% fee works with points, and for that matter the hotel may actually be more generous than the published policy. But this is at least worth being aware of before making a speculative booking.
Even if you don’t have World of Hyatt points, keep in mind the program is transfer partners with Chase Ultimate Rewards, so there are lots of ways to earn these points.
Bottom line
Rawah Ranch is part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and it also participates in the World of Hyatt partnership. There aren’t all that many opportunities to redeem hotel points for an all-inclusive dude ranch, so I do think it’s worth highlighting this opportunity.
This experience most definitely isn’t for everyone, but for those who are into this kind of stuff, this seems like a great redemption and a lot of fun.
Does anyone plan on redeeming Hyatt points at Rawah Ranch?
(Tip of the hat to @mattpressberg)
@MP You're welcome!
@RobPHX The farmer's market was running as of 4th of July, which was the last time I was there. They canceled the fireworks this year, but overall it was as "normal" as could be for 2020.
@MattR Thanks so much! That advice is extremely helpful, and I will definitely not miss a breakfast recommendation like that!
@RobPHX Thank you!
From the Sheraton you are close to a nice golf course and also you are steps away from the public bus to the city center if you want some other food choices. Small compact downtown with a small farmer's mkt on Saturday mornings, although not sure if its running with covid. We were there in Aug 2019.
@MP The Sheraton is where we usually end up, as the location is excellent for families. You're steps away from the gondola and hiking trails, there's a small stream directly behind the hotel where kids can play or you can pull up a chair and relax, there's a mountain coaster and mini-golf course and several restaurants within easy walking distance. While there's plenty to do, it never feels overcrowded or overly commercial, in my opinion,...
@MP The Sheraton is where we usually end up, as the location is excellent for families. You're steps away from the gondola and hiking trails, there's a small stream directly behind the hotel where kids can play or you can pull up a chair and relax, there's a mountain coaster and mini-golf course and several restaurants within easy walking distance. While there's plenty to do, it never feels overcrowded or overly commercial, in my opinion, as you always have that beautiful mountain backdrop. Beyond that, there are your Fairfields, Hamptons, etc., and I'm sure all are fine properties, but the location can't match the Sheraton. Finally, Rabbit Ears Motel is a very basic option in a good downtown location (Sheraton is up in the Ski Village area) but it was clean the last time I was there, which has now been several years. There are some B&B options as well but I have no personal experience with them.
As for restaurants, make sure to have breakfast at Winona's downtown. Their cinnamon rolls are fantastic (and huge!) and I've never had a bad meal there. Be sure to get there early, or be prepared to wait. It's always very busy. There are any number of good lunch or dinner spots, depending on what you're in the mood for.
Enjoy Steamboat! It truly is an absolute gem!
Appreciate the h/t Ben!
The deposit language is confusing with regard to points, but there has been no charge on my card since booking this yesterday.
@MattR: My wife and I were planning on Steamboat Springs to stay a night before/after the ranch. Any hotel/restaurant suggestions? I know there's a Sheraton I can always book.
Looks very interesting!
This is a beautiful area, but there was a lot of fire activity this year, as recently as last month. Clearly the ranch survived, but at the very least, be prepared to travel through a significant burn scar for a couple of years.
On a more positive note, for those looking to incorporate a stay into a larger trip to Colorado, you're within a couple of hours of Steamboat Springs, which is a fantastic year-round mountain town.
Looks like a fun city-cat-come-cowboy opportunity for those so inclined. Put some George Strait and Garth Brooks music on your MP3 player and saddle up!
Nice video of the place https://youtu.be/iZN-3ExNDJc
This looks like a great use of points and surely would be great fun. Thanks for sharing Ben.
Does the redemption rate cover 2 guests?