I’ve been a loyal Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond member for years, and it looks like Hyatt is making some major changes to the program. Major changes. Starting next year Hyatt Gold Passport will cease to exist, and World of Hyatt will be Hyatt’s new loyalty program.
To sum it up, these changes are great news if you’re someone who spends 55+ nights per year at Hyatt properties, while they’re bad news if you’re a Diamond member who barely squeezes by on 25 stays per year.
I should also mention that these changes are insignificant if you’re a casual Hyatt guest. There are no changes to the number of points you earn for stays, or the number of points needed to redeem for a free night. That’s why below we’ll focus mostly on changes to elite status, since that’s what’s changing most.
Matthew leaked the details of this new program earlier today, though they’re now official, and I just had the chance to hop on the phone with Jeff Zidell (president of Hyatt Gold Passport) to discuss them.
The old Hyatt Gold Passport program
Before I talk too much about the new program, let’s recap the current Gold Passport program benefits:
Membership | Platinum | Diamond | |
|---|---|---|---|
Qualification | Upon enrollment | 5 eligible stays or 15 eligible nights each calendar year | 25 eligible stays or 50 eligible nights each calendar year |
Points earned for every eligible U.S. dollar spent | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Point bonus when choosing points | N/A | 15% | 30% |
Premium Internet access where available | Standard | Premium | Premium |
Better room upon arrival, based on availability | N/A | Higher floor, larger room | Best room, excluding suites |
Guaranteed room availability | N/A | 72-hour guarantee | 48-hour guarantee |
Late check out request | N/A | 2:00PM | 4:00PM |
Regency Club® or Grand Club® lounge access, including breakfast | N/A | N/A | Enjoy daily complimentary full breakfast in hotels without a club lounge |
Suite upgrade awards on eligible paid nights | N/A | N/A | 4 annually |
Welcome amenity at check-in | N/A | N/A | Receive a special point bonus or food and beverage amenity during each stay |
I want to briefly mention a few of the key points, which will be significant in relation to Hyatt’s new loyalty program:
- There are only two elite tiers; Platinum status has very limited benefits, so really there’s only one worthwhile tier
- You can qualify for top tier Diamond status on either 25 stays or 50 nights
- Diamond members receive four confirmed suite upgrades per year, each of which can be used to confirm an upgrade to a suite for up to six nights at the time of booking
- When not using a confirmed suite upgrade, Diamond members receive upgrades to the best available rooms, excluding suites
With that out of the way, let’s talk about Hyatt’s new loyalty program.
The new World of Hyatt program
As of March 1, 2017, Hyatt Gold Passport will be renamed World of Hyatt, and we’ll see a lot of changes. Not to overwhelm you guys, but here’s a chart with what the new program will look like (below that I’ll talk more about what this means in practice):
Member | Discoverist | Explorist | Globalist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Points earned for every eligible U.S. dollar spent | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Point bonus when choosing points | N/A | 10% | 20% | 30% |
Free night at Category 1-4 award | • After staying at 5 unique brands (Keep in mind there are currently only 11 brands, so this is capped at two awards) | • After staying at 5 different brands (Keep in mind there are currently only 11 brands, so this is capped at two awards) | • After staying at 5 different brands • After completing 30 eligible nights (must be consumed within 120 days) | • After staying at 5 different brands • After completing 60 eligible nights (up to Category 7, but must be consumed within 120 days) |
Complimentary Internet access where available | Standard | Premium | Premium | Premium |
Better room upon arrival, based on availability | N/A | Preferred room within the room type booked | Best room, excluding club level & suites | Best room, including standard suites |
Regency Club® or Grand Club® lounge access, including breakfast | N/A | N/A | 4 Club Lounge Access Awards, can be used on award nights or eligible paid stays | Enjoy daily complimentary full breakfast in hotels without a club lounge for up to two adults and two children |
Waived resort fees | On all free night awards | On all free night awards | On all free night awards | On all free night awards and eligible paid stays |
Complimentary bottle of water | One bottle daily | One bottle daily | One bottle daily | One bottle daily |
Guaranteed room availability | N/A | N/A | 72-hour guarantee | 48-hour guarantee |
Late check out request | N/A | 2:00PM | 2:00PM | 4:00PM |
Three elite tiers, rather than two
Hyatt has long had just Diamond and Platinum status, with the latter not being especially valuable. Now there are three elite tiers — Discoverist, Explorist, and Globalist.
Explorist members can now upgrade to the club lounge at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong
Now you can qualify on spend, not stays
Hyatt Gold Passport lets you qualify for status based on the number of nights you stay or the number of stays you make. A stay is defined as one check-in and check-out, so a 10 night stay at one hotel would earn you 10 elite qualifying nights and one elite qualifying stay.
Diamond status takes 25 stays or 50 nights. Under the new program, you can no longer qualify for status based on stays, but rather you’ll have to qualify based on either the number of nights you stay, or the amount you spend on your stays. There’s no change to what counts as an “eligible stay,” which is to say that free night awards still won’t count towards status.
In practice here’s how you can qualify for the three new elite tiers:
Discoverist | Explorist | Globalist | |
|---|---|---|---|
Qualification | 10 eligible nights | 30 eligible nights | 60 eligible nights |
Option base points | 25,000 ($5,000) | 50,000 ($10,000) | 100,000 ($20,000) |
On one hand this is a much more rational method of qualification. It’s sort of ridiculous that someone spending $1,000 per night at a top Park Hyatt needs to stay the same number of nights to qualify for status as someone spending $80 per night at a Hyatt Place.
On the other hand, this means that for those qualifying on 25 stays and 25 nights per year, qualification requirements for status are more than doubling.
All members can earn free nights for trying different brands
Unrelated to qualifying for status, Hyatt is giving all members an incentive to try their different brands. Beginning March 1, 2017, members can earn free night certificates for trying different Hyatt brands:
- Earn one free Category 1-4 night after trying five different Hyatt brands
- Earn another free Category 1-4 night after trying another five different Hyatt brands
This isn’t retroactive, so your counter starts as of March 1, 2017. Furthermore, only eligible stays count towards this total, which would include paid status and Points + Cash stays. This is also a one time thing, so you can’t earn this annually.
Redeem your Category 1-4 free night at the Grand Hyatt Santiago
All top tier members get a free night at any hotel
Hyatt is excited about the changes to the program, so on March 1, 2017, they’ll be giving all of their top tier Globalist members a free night valid at any Category 1-7 hotel. That includes all Hyatt properties. Awesome!
Redeem your Category 1-7 free night at the Park Hyatt Maldives
Looking more closely at Hyatt’s top tier status
I’m guessing those most impacted by these changes will be Hyatt top tier members, so let’s look more closely at what exactly is changing there:
- Top tier members now receive unlimited suite upgrades on all stays, subject to availability at check-in (previously they only got upgraded to the best available room other than suites)
- You now receive a Category 1-4 free night when you qualify for Explorist status, and receive a Category 1-7 free night when you qualify for Globalist status; these can be earned year after year including when you requalify, though these certificates need to be used within 120 days of when they’re earned
- Globalist members won’t pay resort fees, regardless of whether they’re on a paid or award stay
- Globalist members continue to get lounge access, and if they don’t have a lounge, members get restaurant breakfast for two adults and two children; however, members will no longer get 2,500 bonus points in the event that a club lounge is closed, though they still get free restaurant breakfast
- Globalist members get four confirmed suite upgrades, which are now valid on all stays, including free night stays (previously they were valid only on cash and Points + Cash stays
- Globalist members get free parking on free night stays (not on cash stays or Points + Cash stays)
- You’ll now receive your four annual confirmed suite upgrades as soon as you requalify for status, and they’ll be valid for 12 months from when they’re issued
- Guest of Honor benefits will continue with World of Hyatt
- Globalist members will continue to receive two complimentary United Club passes annually
- After qualifying for Globalist status, you’ll get further benefits at 70 nights, 80 nights, 90 nights, and 100 nights; you’ll have the choice between 10,000 bonus points or a further confirmed suite upgrade at each tier
- Once you’ve already qualified for Globalist status, you’ll only need 55 nights to requalify
- Globalist members will no longer receive the 1,000 point welcome amenity
Redeem a confirmed suite upgrade on an award stay at the Park Hyatt Vienna
How will the transition work?
As stated above, Hyatt Gold Passport will turn into World of Hyatt as of March 1, 2017. At that point:
- Those who have requalified for Diamond status for 2017 will receive Globalist status
- Those who were Diamond this year but didn’t requalify for 2017 will receive Explorist status
- Those who requalified for Platinum status for 2017 will receive Discoverist status
- Hyatt will go back through everyone’s 2016 activity, and if you would have qualified under the new criteria in 2016, they’ll upgrade your status (in other words, those who met the revenue requirement but not the nights requirement will get the upgraded status)
Bottom line
WOW! Those are a lot of changes. For non-top tier members, not a lot is changing. You’ll continue to earn and redeem points at the same rates as before.
This is bad news for Diamond members who qualify on stays.
This is great news for high revenue Diamond members, as well as those who qualify on nights. You’ll need 55 nights per year to requalify (five more than before), but for that you’ll receive suite upgrades on all stays subject to availability, two free nights every year (one valid at a Category 1-4 property, and one at a Category 1-7 property), free parking on award stays, etc. On top of that, confirmed suite upgrades will be valid on free night stays. There’s also finally an incremental incentive to stay more nights than are required for top tier status.
What do you make of the new World of Hyatt status?
Sort of kills Hyatt for the travel hacker community. Can’t see many leisure travelers ever getting 60 nights a year. Well a lot of benefits count on free night stays.
After years of being a Platinum member (again achieved last year) now downgraded to "Discoverist"
Also card looks more like a Fastfood Kid's membership card.
End of my loyalty.
No Breakfast for the vouchets! They are several PH Hyatts with lounges.
@Lucky-
Since Explorists now get 4 Club Level upgrades- how does this work across all the properties that do not feature lounges? Will they allow us to use these upgrades towards breakfast instead (similar to the former Diamond benefit)?
Otherwise this benefit is somewhat worthless as all Park Hyatts, Andaz' and many Regency's and Grands don't offer lounges.
So, if I qualify for a diamond status by achieving 25 stays between Jan 1, 2017 and Feb 28, 2017(still Gold Passport program, not the World of Hyatt yet!), do I retain globalist status until the end of 2018 since it qualifies me for the next calendar year?
What happens to lifetime Diamond members? Do they now become lifetime Globalist?
Is there something to reference on the Hyatt website (or some other official Hyatt medium) regarding the courtesy Cat. 1-7 Free Night if we are a Globalist on 3/1/17? I called Hyatt Gold Passport to confirm and they didn't know to what I was referring. Thanks for the help!
I've been a Diamond member for over 10 years. Based on the changes I drop down in status and I have to have more stays or more nights and receive far fewer benefits. As a business travel limited access to regency club is a huge negative. Congratulations Hyatt you've lost me as a member. I've been going out of my way to stay at Hyatt properties as the choices are fewer in the cities I...
I've been a Diamond member for over 10 years. Based on the changes I drop down in status and I have to have more stays or more nights and receive far fewer benefits. As a business travel limited access to regency club is a huge negative. Congratulations Hyatt you've lost me as a member. I've been going out of my way to stay at Hyatt properties as the choices are fewer in the cities I frequent.
I see no reason not to make the switch to the competition. Did you really think this through?
Do any of these convoluted changes result in additional benefits to those of us who are Lifetime Diamond members, or is it detrimental in any way? I am curious as to why Hyatt did not reach out to its most valued clients in order obtain suggestions in this matter prior to releasing these changes.
@lucky I realize that you get a conceirge after 60 nights. If you're globalist in March, would you get a conceirge then? Or will nobody get a conceirge until they get 60 nights in 2017?
This is a very interesting discussion.
@Lucky - did you ask this Hyatt exec how/why they came up with the stupid name/logo for the program and the universally ridiculed names for the tiers?
A change is as good as a holiday. I'm also in the bracket of usually staying 50 nights per year and will only stay Hyatt if there is one where I am travelling. So it seems to me I will now loose my Diamond level and only qualify for Explorist. So to earn Globalist l need to stay 60 nights. My bonus points also drop from 30% to 20%..
Johnni not happy...
This is outstanding news.
I completely understand the negative opinions of the "hackers" and occasional customers of Hyatt. But the writing is on the wall with all these programs. They are simply being realigned with their most loyal customers. I get it.
I'm almost embarrassed at the amount of time I spend in Hyatt hotels. I'm at 79 nights in 2016 and expect to hit 90 by the end of the year. Pathetic I know...
This is outstanding news.
I completely understand the negative opinions of the "hackers" and occasional customers of Hyatt. But the writing is on the wall with all these programs. They are simply being realigned with their most loyal customers. I get it.
I'm almost embarrassed at the amount of time I spend in Hyatt hotels. I'm at 79 nights in 2016 and expect to hit 90 by the end of the year. Pathetic I know but that's what I do. I abandoned Hilton and Marriott years ago because I didn't see the value. True, Hyatt's footprint is smaller but it works for me.
I just can't complain. This will benefit the truly Hyatt warriors like me. Stoked.
@eponymous coward, robbie
What you, and maybe Lucky, fail to realize is that in getting ride of the 25 stay Hyatt Place/House customer base Hyatt is not only disenfranchising their base, but they are cutting off a profitable revenue stream i.e. they are shrinking company revenue. There is a difference between a high revenue customer and a profitable costumer. And not to mention it has been shown time and time again via Delta and United...
@eponymous coward, robbie
What you, and maybe Lucky, fail to realize is that in getting ride of the 25 stay Hyatt Place/House customer base Hyatt is not only disenfranchising their base, but they are cutting off a profitable revenue stream i.e. they are shrinking company revenue. There is a difference between a high revenue customer and a profitable costumer. And not to mention it has been shown time and time again via Delta and United that a revenue based system does not drive increased company revenue. But back to the 25 stay Hyatt Place/House customer. Lets consider all the revenue they have generated for Hyatt reaching those 25 stays. It's not uber high, but it is also not inconsequential. Now consider the cost i.e. expense associated with giving them Diamond status. Subtract that from the revenue they generated for Hyatt and I would argue Hyatt still comes out far ahead. Under the new system those individuals have no incentive to stay at Hyatt and thus that revenue stream goes from moderate yet consequential to zero. You also have to consider this 25 stay customer base will then look at the status they can achieve solely by opening a credit card with a competitor (Marriott, Hilton, etc.) and see that that status is far and way better than the new Explorist status they would have received by staying at Hyatt. Also, I'm frankly stunned Hyatt thinks it can implement a loyalty program on par with other hotel chains that are four times their size in terms of footprint and dwarf them in market share. If Hyatt wants to grow their business they need to work on incentivizing additional business and not just rewarding the small subset of their customer base that happen to be high revenue customers. If Hyatt wants to just focus on the high revenue customers then they need to focus on solely being a high end boutique hotel chain.
@Joe: It is the same standard terms with the CC just swap Diamond for Platinum. It was a later declared error but I had already applied and approved for the card in the 24 hr window it was out there. I did get confirmation from GP they would honor it and sent a Thank You and got reply from Jeff Zidell. I don't know how they keep track of it on my account since I...
@Joe: It is the same standard terms with the CC just swap Diamond for Platinum. It was a later declared error but I had already applied and approved for the card in the 24 hr window it was out there. I did get confirmation from GP they would honor it and sent a Thank You and got reply from Jeff Zidell. I don't know how they keep track of it on my account since I am an exception. It is good as long as I keep the card, so not technically lifetime. Reading into the new program, given I qualified for Diamond for 2017 (due to the card), I should get Globalist for 2017, but after that.... I don't know, there is no direct mapping. One could make a case Globalist is most equivalent to Diamond... will just see how it processes and go from there I guess. I just need to make sure I have status enough for breakfast for my upcoming stay at Park Hyatt Milan in March 2017, otherwise I need to go somewhere else.
I am 10 nights shy of requalifying for Diamond. As a teacher, the 25 stays were hard but I have friends all over the world. It was great to be stay in a good hotel for vacations. I understand the business model for Hyatt, but there is no way I could ever afford to do 55 nights. So, airbnb it is where for the same amount of money, I can stay in real cool places...
I am 10 nights shy of requalifying for Diamond. As a teacher, the 25 stays were hard but I have friends all over the world. It was great to be stay in a good hotel for vacations. I understand the business model for Hyatt, but there is no way I could ever afford to do 55 nights. So, airbnb it is where for the same amount of money, I can stay in real cool places for a week worldwide. I have the CC, but next year the $20,000 stays in my bank account as again there is no way I am spending that much to stay in a hotel. Of course, now that I live in Serviced Apartments in Shanghai, similar to hotel living, no need to stay in a hotel somewhere else. Airbnb places offer the neighborly touch!
DEVALUATION. Yes, I earned status on stays. By Dec 31, I'll have about 30 Stays and 40 nights, so I am disappointed. 2016 was my first year re-qualifying, and I'd definitely have kept spending there. As is, I'll use Hyatts moderately well in 2017, and hardly at all in 2018. C'est la vie.
DEVALUATION. Is nobody else upset about the "1 bottle of water"? 1 offends me, even if it's a bigger bottle. Give me two, so I don't have to fight with the lady.
@dmodemd: was the promotion to give you status for life? As long as you hold the CC? It seems crazy that they'd be giving you diamond for the rest of your life just because you have the CC. I get them granting it for a year or two... but beyond that, I wouldn't expect much of anything. I'd be really surprised if they grandfathered you into lifetime Globalist. I'd be less surprised if they completely revamped the program to get out of their "commitment" to you.
@Stacey. If you want top tier benefits, then pay for them and stop trying to get something or nothing by gaming the system. Good for Htatt to excl uh devthe gamers like you .
Do eligible stays still require my butt to be in the bed? I book 150 room nights for my golf club every couple of years. And no, I am not a travel agent.
I am one of the rare few who have Diamond status from the credit card due to a recalled promotion a couple years back. What level will I get? Will they use this as an opportunity to bump me back and get out of their commitment?
So as a Diamond through Feb '18, Ill get globalist through Feb '18?
So lets say you requalify in February '18 (via 55 nights) through February '20 does that mean youll get one Cat 1-4 and one Cat 1-7 in both 2018 and 2019? Might still be worthwhile for a mattress run. Currently do 25 single night stay MRs and 15-20 additional nights per year.
Finally i get rid of the 25 stay hyatt house/place customers..
I have a bunch of stays in January and February 2017 -- almost 20-ish stays. Will I qualify for "Diamond" or Globalist if I do get in 25 stays by the end of February 2017? Also, if I do qualify, would my status last for all of 2017 and 2018? Essentially ending in February 2019? Thanks Lucky!
Is there any carry over benefit toward qualification requirements for owners of Hyatt timeshare weeks now that Hyatt has spun off that program?
Cross-posting...
Even with the details confirmed, my initial take remains. Having bitten more than they could chew with their last botched status match and getting a terrible indigestion as a result, World of Hyatt (WOH!) appears to be designed to undo some of the damage, by dramatically thinning the rank of top elites. HGP Diamond had reached the point where anyone and their dog who wanted it got it, without even trying. With WOH!, they...
Cross-posting...
Even with the details confirmed, my initial take remains. Having bitten more than they could chew with their last botched status match and getting a terrible indigestion as a result, World of Hyatt (WOH!) appears to be designed to undo some of the damage, by dramatically thinning the rank of top elites. HGP Diamond had reached the point where anyone and their dog who wanted it got it, without even trying. With WOH!, they are trying to restore some shine to the top elite level — first thin it and then make it tougher to achieve. I bet we won’t be seeing status match offers to that level. The just-created second level will be for that.
The second thing that came to mind and seems confirmed was that WOH! is a hybrid system or model, likely on the way to transitioning to the more mature model used by HH and MR when WOH! -- yet another WIP -- proves to be cumbersome
Hey Lucky - just a quick thought re: the spend for status - wouldn't Citi Prestige 4th night free parlay well into this? This could be a big driver of value in requalifying now if folks are committed to a few 4+ night stays a year vs many shorter stays.
Mommy Points and View from the Wing are both reporting 2pm late checkout with the Discoverist tier which matches the current Platinum benefit. Your chart says no late checkout. Mommy Points is also mentioned Premium Internet for Discoverist, but your chart says Standard Internet. So who is right and who is wrong?
So, with this program not being unveiled until March, a potential "gaming" of the system would be to re-qualify Jan. 1 - Feb. 28th, huh? You'd still re-qualify under the old status requirements?
Do Lifetime Diamond Members automatically become Lifetime Globalist?? Agree that these are very clumsy names.
@ Bill Colwell -- It's my understanding that they do, though going forward qualification criteria for lifetime status will be different.
@Lucky - If neither you, nor your host Boarding Area, are currently making money from the Chase Hyatt card affiliate links, then I apologize for this misunderstanding.
But I don't understand how your statement, "The Hyatt Credit Card isn’t and hasn’t been part of my affiliate network. I don’t make a dime off the card," can be true given this post:
https://onemileatatime.com/hyatt-credit-card-review/
@ Stacey -- You're absolutely right, I stand corrected. It was for a very brief period in 2012. Hasn't been for over four years, though.
I'm assuming this will mean a downgrade in Mlife status match too. Hyatt Platinum gets Mlife Gold now but that will likely lower to Pearl (now they'll both be on a 4 tier system). That's a big downgrade in Vegas and yet another reason to get rid of Chase Hyatt card now.
@Ben, Will Hyatt offer a "soft landing" under the new scheme for those Diamonds this year who do not qualify for Diamond Status again for 2017?
@ BW -- Yes, they will get Explorist status.
hmm, great news for me. Quickly applied for Hyatt CC and think I would combine that with the C1-7 award on St Kitts...
BTW does it mean I can apply a DSU on that?
@Lucky, Stacey makes the most direct point (albeit a bit harshly) about this that you may not realize. The VAST majority of people are NOT qualifying for Diamond based on 55+ nights. I think the point is that yes, you are 'lucky' in that you will fare well in this mess, but put yourself in the average readers' shoes and you quickly realize just how terrible this devaluation is. Your travels, and perhaps mindset, are...
@Lucky, Stacey makes the most direct point (albeit a bit harshly) about this that you may not realize. The VAST majority of people are NOT qualifying for Diamond based on 55+ nights. I think the point is that yes, you are 'lucky' in that you will fare well in this mess, but put yourself in the average readers' shoes and you quickly realize just how terrible this devaluation is. Your travels, and perhaps mindset, are sometimes in a proverbial bubble that most of us won't/can't experience. That's why you're a blogger and we travel vicariously through you :-)
BTW, I earned my Diamond status for 2016 staying 52 nights. I will not be able to repeat that. Question is, if I can get 25 stays from Jan 1-Mar 1 next year I would be given 'Globalist' (such a stupid, stupid name) come March 1st?
For qualifying for Diamond (now Globalist) starting March 1, 2017, do we have until Dec 31, 2016 or Feb 28, 2017 to accumulate nights/stays?
@ Blake -- To qualify for 2018 Globalist status, nights earned January 1 through December 31 would qualify. Qualification is always based on a calendar year.
If nothing is changing with the card, does that mean we still get the annual cat 1-4 free night?
@ Ang -- Yes you do.
Please...for all the credit card complaints...as long as you still get the free cat 1-4 cert, the card is MORE than worthwhile. I have kept the card for years and it has had ZERO impact on me since I have had diamond status during that time. People want to spend $75 a year on a card, get a free night that is easily worth at LEAST $150, and can be worth up to 400+ if...
Please...for all the credit card complaints...as long as you still get the free cat 1-4 cert, the card is MORE than worthwhile. I have kept the card for years and it has had ZERO impact on me since I have had diamond status during that time. People want to spend $75 a year on a card, get a free night that is easily worth at LEAST $150, and can be worth up to 400+ if used right, PLUS a ton of free benefits for their "loyalty?" Sheesh. People need to seriously look in the mirror. I get being disappointed in losing the benefits...I don't fault anyone for that. Being all bent out of shape and acting like it is a major offensive against them for their loyalty and dedication? Give me a break.
Yeah from what I have read this boils down to the following:
People who hit diamond on 25 stays and barely any more nights: Big loss
People who hit diamond by nights (or don’t hit it but spend a lot)”: Big gain
Basically this will shave down the number of Diamonds and make them more rare, which seems like it will allow them to sweeten the benefits for them by cutting the costs from...
Yeah from what I have read this boils down to the following:
People who hit diamond on 25 stays and barely any more nights: Big loss
People who hit diamond by nights (or don’t hit it but spend a lot)”: Big gain
Basically this will shave down the number of Diamonds and make them more rare, which seems like it will allow them to sweeten the benefits for them by cutting the costs from the lower value “diamonds.” People are acting like these changes are terrible but frankly, they make perfect sense. This is NOT a UA, AA etc style gutting of the program for everyone with across the board cuts.
This is a genuine improvement of the benefits to LOYAL customers, which is the point of the program…loyalty. It pretty much only IMPROVES the benefits for top tier customers, and makes it so that it is harder to game the system with a few low value stays and then blast the chain for high value benefit redemption via points from credit cards or one good valuable stay every year. The difficulty in achieving and maintaining the top tier is negligible for all who are not squeaking in under the 25 stays (MANY of whom are apparently also qualifying ~25 nights), but gives back a ton of extra value. I mean, Hyatt wants those who qualify on nights to spend 5 more nights and they will give us a ton of extra value and benefits PLUS one free night in return? Spend 5 more after that and get ANOTHER even more valuable free night back? The 60th night perk could easily pay for the cost of the 5 paid nights from 55 to 60.
Bottom line here is that the only real losers are people who just are not that loyal or valuable to Hyatt. I am not saying it is not bad for them or they are not losing, but people who are acting like true high value customers who are really loyal are getting shafted are being ridiculous. Aside from some particular and unique circumstances, like Europeans who have stay patterns that make it harder to qualify on nights due to the smaller footprint in Europe (and that is a pretty small subset), there is no real substance to those arguments.
Really sad to see this happening. I really tried hard to get to 25 stays to be a Diamond. Already qualified for next year but I will we looking for a new hotel program...Nothing last forever...
--Third-tier members (aka the status given to credit card holders) are really getting screwed:
**no longer receive upgrades to a higher room type than they booked
**no guaranteed availability
**no late checkout
**10% points bonus instead of 15%
**No premium internet access
--Second-tier members are now specifically excluded from being upgraded to club-level floors.
--Top-tier breakfast benefit was cut from 4 adults to 2 adults.
Globalist has one or two free night?
@ gang -- Two upon requalifying -- one Category 1-4, and one Category 1-7. And then one Category 1-7 on March 1, 2017, just for giggles.
I'm currently qualifying at around 35 stays/40 nights relatively easily for Diamond. Overall, I have about 170 stays/200 nights per year - and Hyatt is my first choice, if available. Most of that is duty travel, so I have usually have no choice how long or short I stay and which are my destinations.
The new Hyatt loyalty program makes it very unrealistic for me to qualify, although I would say I am truly a "Globalist" :( Frustrated.
"@ Greg — Please explain that to me. This is great news for those who earn 55+ elite qualifying nights per year with Hyatt, no? As I stated in the post twice, this is bad news for those who qualify for Diamond status on stays. Otherwise it’s good news."
For what percentage of your readership do you honestly think this is good news? Are you kidding yourself that you have a lot of readers who...
"@ Greg — Please explain that to me. This is great news for those who earn 55+ elite qualifying nights per year with Hyatt, no? As I stated in the post twice, this is bad news for those who qualify for Diamond status on stays. Otherwise it’s good news."
For what percentage of your readership do you honestly think this is good news? Are you kidding yourself that you have a lot of readers who qualified for diamond on 55+ nights? What about all the people who received credit cards you hyped, because one of the perks was platinum status? This is a big old f-you to those people, too. And those are the people who contribute directly to your bottom line. Frankly, you deserve the hostility you're getting from your readers for trying to convince them they're not getting screwed. It's quite clear that you traded access for an exclusive with a HGP exec in exchange for sugarcoating this bitter pill.
@ Stacey -- Easy there!
1) The Hyatt Credit Card isn't and hasn't been part of my affiliate network. I don't make a dime off the card.
2) I didn't get any sort of embargoed news or exclusive access. Hyatt asked me if I wanted to hop on a call this morning, and I did. That's the extent of it.
3) Like I said, this change is very negative for those qualifying for...
@ Stacey -- Easy there!
1) The Hyatt Credit Card isn't and hasn't been part of my affiliate network. I don't make a dime off the card.
2) I didn't get any sort of embargoed news or exclusive access. Hyatt asked me if I wanted to hop on a call this morning, and I did. That's the extent of it.
3) Like I said, this change is very negative for those qualifying for status on stays. I think I made that clear. I suspect a majority of Diamond members also qualify on nights, though admittedly in our community a higher percentage probably qualify on stays. These changes suck for those people. I'm trying to present a balanced perspective here. Two thirds of the traffic I get is from Google, where people will read this post because they heard about the changes. I'm reporting my thoughts, and everyone can decide how they feel.
Of course I respect your opinion and you're welcome to feel how you'd like, but those are my two cents. Sorry if I offended.
I've stayed 73nights at Hyatt this year and I'm a diamond member until 2/2018. Am I able to be a globalist member on 3/2017? If so, When will I receive free night cat 1-7?
@ Kenny -- You sure will be, and on March 1 you'll get your free night certificate.
If only base points count towards status is it safe to assume that bonus points for certain # of stays (like the current promotion) will not count towards status?
@ Ron -- That's correct.
Horrible news for the leisure traveler who pays for their own stays. The base spend is a ridiculous amount and hardly attainable for those of us who pay out of our own pockets.Instead of attracting people to their hotels, I think they will lose potential guests.
Well, makes it easier though. After this year, no more 'loyalty' to Hyatt - sadly - because I do like their hotels - but a bottle of water just...
Horrible news for the leisure traveler who pays for their own stays. The base spend is a ridiculous amount and hardly attainable for those of us who pay out of our own pockets.Instead of attracting people to their hotels, I think they will lose potential guests.
Well, makes it easier though. After this year, no more 'loyalty' to Hyatt - sadly - because I do like their hotels - but a bottle of water just doesn't quite cut it for me. And the reduced value of having the credit card means that is one that I can probably drop out of my wallet.
Any information on how lifetime diamonds will be treated in this new scheme?
@ Tommy -- I'm following up to be sure, but I believe they get Globalist lifetime status.
does the welcome 1000 points still there for top members?
So do you know to get the 60 night free night cert, do I have to stay 60 night this year, or just being qualified for Diamond next year?
@ Steven -- You get a free certificate if you have Globalist status as of March 1, 2017. As far as the Explorist and Globalist free nights go, that only kicks in when you requalify next year.
I wonder if there is any chance of doing something for the foreigners. Hyatt's presence outside of North America (with exceptions to a few cities) is zero. There are 25 Best Westerns alone in Poland, where they just started their presence a few years ago. I don't think there are that many Hyatts in all of Europe.
BTW, I've never seen so many comments so quickly - zero to sixty in less than an hour!
The breakfast benefit seems watered-down too! Now we get breakfast for four as long as they are all registered guests, and soon it is limited to two adults and two children.
@Ben,
So if I status matched to Diamond in early 2016 and it is valid through Feb 2017, but I don't qualify for any status based on 2016 stays/nights, I'll still get Explorist for all of 2017? That seems like a pretty good gig, no?
@ Jane P -- That's my understanding, correct.
Also I wonder if the "free" upgrade to the mid-tier status for those who were Diamond this year but didn't requalify will apply to those who matched SPG Platinum to Diamond for this year and didn't requalify for Diamond.
(Indeed, given that I imagine many "real" Diamonds routinely requalify, perhaps that "if you didn't requalify" provision was intended specifically to keep matched SPG elites interested in Hyatt.)
@ Bgriff -- I don't believe they're making a distinction there.
Any news about "Lifetime Globalist"? Hopefully it is still 1M base points and 10 years of membership. I am super close...
@lucky: while I agree this is great news for people who spend 55+ nights a year you have to admit that those are probably the minority of Diamond members and likely not readers of your blog. I think most people qualify as Diamond based on the 25 stays therefore this is bad news for the majority of us (at least the ones like myself who read blogs to try to maximize miles, status, etc). In...
@lucky: while I agree this is great news for people who spend 55+ nights a year you have to admit that those are probably the minority of Diamond members and likely not readers of your blog. I think most people qualify as Diamond based on the 25 stays therefore this is bad news for the majority of us (at least the ones like myself who read blogs to try to maximize miles, status, etc). In any event, the question I have (and someone else also posted) is: if I have 25 stays between 1/1/2017 and 2/28/2017 would I re-qualify as Diamond until 2019?
Thanks!
@ Angel -- Yes, I believe you would. And I don't disagree one bit about qualifying on stays. That certainly represents a large part of our community, but globally I suspect that a substantial majority of members also qualify on nights.
The names chosen for the eliete levels are the most ridiculous I ever seen. You can become a Globalist by staying 60 nights at the Hyatt Place in Omaha, NE. Well, I guess you cannot be more “global” than that, right? Was this a contest among summer interns to come up with stupid names?
are the 4 Explorist lounge passes good for 4 stays OR 4 nights?
@ italdesign -- They're good for four stays.
Lucky,
Thanks. Please update us with any follow up. Those are really still my major sticking points, but this has the potential to be a huge improvement for those who qualify on spend or nights. I will say the 5 brands for a cat 4 cert would have been a real nice perk to have every year. I think that would have been pretty cool and not that expensive to the brand to give you...
Lucky,
Thanks. Please update us with any follow up. Those are really still my major sticking points, but this has the potential to be a huge improvement for those who qualify on spend or nights. I will say the 5 brands for a cat 4 cert would have been a real nice perk to have every year. I think that would have been pretty cool and not that expensive to the brand to give you a free cat 4 night every year you hit 5 different brands...like SPG did for several years. Sucks that if it is only going to be once per account that they are resetting the clock. I hit 7 of the 11 brands already and now would have to start over. Giving the chance to do it every year would definitely increase some people's stay patterns as getting that last brand might move stays to Hyatt to hit a certain brand they only get a limited chance to stay at to get a free night.
Just to make sure I understand -- I've qualified for Diamond through February 2018 based on 25 stays this year (only 38 nights, no more on the horizon this year). When the new program comes on March 1st, does that mean I'll get Globalist status? Will that come with a free night Cat 1-7?
For the record, I would understand this change from a chain with a march larger footprint. I stay more than...
Just to make sure I understand -- I've qualified for Diamond through February 2018 based on 25 stays this year (only 38 nights, no more on the horizon this year). When the new program comes on March 1st, does that mean I'll get Globalist status? Will that come with a free night Cat 1-7?
For the record, I would understand this change from a chain with a march larger footprint. I stay more than 100 nights per year in hotels on average....there just aren't enough Hyatts for me to direct the required nights to them even if I thought it was worth going after continued Globalist status. Unfortunately, they are chasing my business to Hilton. I can trip on a Hilton anywhere. Thirty stays a year there will require absolutely no effort, in great contrast to the effort I put into getting 25 Hyatt stays to achieve Diamond status. Upon further thought, maybe I should be thankful. I probably knew that the return in value for the DSUs and breakfast probably weren't worth the investment in effort to stay at Hyatts to get them -- but I was able to justify going a bit out of the way or paying a bit more to maintain those benefits. The new requirements make me listen to the rational argument that I probably should have put more stock in sooner. Oh well. C'est la vie. That said, I'm going to maximize whatever I can out of Globalist next year if my Diamond status is going to that, so I appreciate the ongoing news about developments.
So I will qualify by the end of December this year taking me from Platinum last year to Diamond status, so will I get the confirmed suite upgrades as soon as I Qualify and then get globalist status for 2017?
@ Applejax -- You'll get Globalist for 2017, and you'll get your four confirmed suite upgrades on March 1, 2017.
Lucky, do you know for sure if:
The 5 brand free night thing is annual? Get one every year you hit 5 brands or just once per account life?
How will Mlife stays work with resort fees? You can book those through Hyatt website, so will you still pay resort fees? I can imagine you will, but I did not see any mention of the resort fees there being exempted.
Is the 55 night a...
Lucky, do you know for sure if:
The 5 brand free night thing is annual? Get one every year you hit 5 brands or just once per account life?
How will Mlife stays work with resort fees? You can book those through Hyatt website, so will you still pay resort fees? I can imagine you will, but I did not see any mention of the resort fees there being exempted.
Is the 55 night a year requal annual? So, is it once you hit the top tier, you only need 55 nights a year as long as you keep it? Or is it just the next year if you have top tier status now, but then will go back to 60 a year after that?
What about the Diamond 1W amenity? This might be the biggest thing. Is that staying or going? If that has been removed, that is a MASSIVE devaluation of earning points. Depending on your stay pattern, this could EASILY erode most of or even MORE than the 30% bonus.
@ Antonio -- Nope, the five things brand is once in a lifetime. As far as resort fees go, I believe Mlife properties are an exception, though I'll follow up. The 55 night per year requalification is indeed annual. As far as the Diamond amenity goes, I forgot to ask about that. Let me ask as well. I'm guessing it's sticking around, but could be mistaken. Good questions!
What level does the Chase Hyatt CC give you? Is it the one with the 4 lounge visits?
@ Rusty -- The entry level status.
This will definitely make me use my Prestige card's 4th night free benefit more often.
Why these blogs are such AA and Hyatt apologists. I guess it's the access they get.
This is a devaluation as bad if not worse than the revenue based requirements put in place for the airline elite programs.
@ Greg -- Please explain that to me. This is great news for those who earn 55+ elite qualifying nights per year with Hyatt, no? As I stated in the post twice, this is bad news for those who qualify for Diamond status on stays. Otherwise it's good news.
Thanks Ben. It was wishful thinking after seeing new benefits on award stays. Would also be curious if the resort fee is waived on MGM stays in vegas.
Will you still be awarded 10 nights on the Hyatt credit card with $40k spend? I'm guessing this would still be the case?)
And I know this is wishful thinking, but it would be nice if Hyatt started counting award stays toward qualifying (and matching what Starwood/Marriott do).
@ James -- Should still be possible. And I agree, it would indeed be nice if Hyatt counted award stays towards status.
RCO,
Wish Hyatt was that dumb but unfortunately, no. :)
considering Hyatt's low footprint, how many diamonds manage 60 nights? i am sure they have run the number but might end up thinning herd too much. Oh well, will enjoy the globalist status next year! and then done!
Will there be a cap to how many Mlife nights can be credited to the program? As someone who lives close to Vegas, it was helpful to get to that upper tier.
@ DP81 -- I don't believe there will be.
@John, I think Ben meant Points + Cash and "PAID" night stays. Just a typo.
@ FreeTravelGuys -- Typo indeed, thanks for the correction.
Wait, I misread. I guess you have to spend $20K at Hyatt. Nevermind.
That's a fairly big downgrade in status for the credit cardholders. I guess if it still comes with a free night it's worthwhile.
Does "All members can earn free nights for trying different brands" work if you use points only for the stays?
Also Im guessing free nights will not count towards your total nights with Hyatt for status? Does it still have to be a paid stay.
Thanks!
@ John -- Only "eligible" stays count towards that, which would be Points + Cash and paid night stays. There's no change in how status qualification works in terms of free nights being eligible stays. Will update the post to reflect that.
So if I put $20,000 of income tax on my Hyatt card for a 1.87% fee I'll get:
1 free Cat 1-5 night
1 free Cat 1-7 night
20,000 points good for a free 1-5 night
All the top level perks like breakfast, club, parking, upgrades, waived resort fees and use of suite upgrades on award stays.
For $374. Not the worst deal if I don't have other minimum spends to meet.
@ Rico -- Only base points count towards the status, which is spend at Hyatt properties. Credit card spend doesn't qualify towards that.
Sort of kills Hyatt for the travel hacker community. Can't see many leisure travelers ever getting 60 nights a year. And the certs that expires in 120 days are ridiculous. A huge proportion will never be redeemed.
Any word if award stays count as qualifying nights in the new program?
@ Mike -- They don't.
Oh and D. These tier names are so stupid.
A. These tier names are so stupid.
B. So if you spend $20K you get top-tier status (these tier names are so stupid) regardless of the number of nights stayed?
C. New DSUs are going to be a mess. If you have a ton of nights/spend early in the year in 2017, you earn upgrades that are valid, say, April 2017-April 2018. Then if your stays/spend are spread out through the year in 2018,...
A. These tier names are so stupid.
B. So if you spend $20K you get top-tier status (these tier names are so stupid) regardless of the number of nights stayed?
C. New DSUs are going to be a mess. If you have a ton of nights/spend early in the year in 2017, you earn upgrades that are valid, say, April 2017-April 2018. Then if your stays/spend are spread out through the year in 2018, you might earn more valid August 2018-August 2019. It is super easy, even for year-in, year-out loyal customers to have random gaps of time when they have no available upgrades. And worse, if you know you have a big trip coming at a certain time the next year, you could actually be encouraged NOT to stay at Hyatts so as not to hit the requalification deadline until later in the year.
@ Bgriff -- That's correct, $20K of spend will get you Diamond status, regardless of how many nights you stay. And totally agree on your second point, and it's something I specifically mentioned to Jeff. DSUs should expire when elite status does, in my opinion.
My question is which tier will Hyatt credit card members receive?
I'm concerned they might use this resuffling as an excuse to dump cardholders down to "Discoverist" level, which is almost worthless, compared to the "Explorist" level that the existing benefits are most similar to (but slightly better than).
The free night from the card ultimately still makes the Hyatt card worth holding on to even in the absence of any status at all, but...
My question is which tier will Hyatt credit card members receive?
I'm concerned they might use this resuffling as an excuse to dump cardholders down to "Discoverist" level, which is almost worthless, compared to the "Explorist" level that the existing benefits are most similar to (but slightly better than).
The free night from the card ultimately still makes the Hyatt card worth holding on to even in the absence of any status at all, but still a reduction in benefits such as the loss of late checkout is rather disappointing if it happens. Late checkout (even just 2PM) is really valuable to me for my most common Hyatt stays in Japan.
@ Chris -- Those with the card will receive Discoverist status.
Award stays don't count for any of these benefits, correct? For instance, if I transfer Ultimate Rewards and stay at 5 different brands, I won't get another free night, right?
@ Mark -- Well a lot of benefits count on free night stays. However, the reward for staying at five brands is based on eligible nights, and free night awards don't count as "eligible."
Isn't "globalist" what those alt-right people accuse Hillary of being? Maybe she'll get free membership
They will lose a lot of business in Europe because of these changes. How to qualify for European if there are almost no Hyatt hotels?
I personally do not see any reason to continue with Hyatt after 2017..
I assume if nothing changes with the credit card you can spend $40k and bring that requirement down to 45 wouldn't you?
@ FreeTravelGuys -- Correct, that's my understanding.
Ben,
Do you think there will be some new form of the Diamond Challenge retained? I was somewhat relying on this for a trip earmarked to Japan for Sept 2017 (in an effort to spoil my partner and her mother).
Thanks,
Simon
Will award nights qualify as eligible nights like SPG?
Ignore my previous comment. I was using March 17, based upon earlier reports, however per your report, the new program begins March 1
I should also add - the five brands, free night cert is fantastic. I wish it were retroactive, but will be fun to try new things.
@ Ben -- FCQ and I will both requalify for Diamond this year, with combined nights of about 55. Next year, we will simply put all of these 55 nights under HRH's account. So, question for you -- can I use MY DSUs on stays credited to his account? If it matters, I would be present for those stays.
@ Gene -- You can only apply your DSUs to a reservation where you're the primary guest, so that wouldn't work unfortunately.
Since the new program doesn't begin until March 17, will 2016 Diamond Suite Upgrades be extended until then or will they still expire Feb 28?
@ Darren Shuster -- The program begins March 1, not March 17, as was initially reported with the "leak."
If program kicks in March 2017 I would assume you can also cram 25 stays before then and requalify for 2018. Not practical for most people, but it's a choice.
In many ways, this is a copy of IHG RA.
Whom ever doesn't their branding should have been fired long ago. Why it was called gold to begin with is idiot. Hyatt gold passport platinum??? These are even worse.
Reminds me of sprint and their stupid marketing.
As someone who matches from Marriott and would not have otherwise requalified for anything in any program (due to less travel in general), the 10 night level will give me something. Should be nice for true road warriors spending a week in different places, but a pain for one or two night business travelers.
As with most changes, some good, some bad, depending on who you are.
How about the Chase co-branded credit card?
@ Yang Zhao -- Nothing is changing with the card.
A total spin piece if I ever saw one... I think you're being far too generous to Hyatt in playing up the positives of this. The whole change is a complete gutting of their elite program! Everyone was up in arms over the UA, AA, DL elite changes, but this does not strike you as a bad thing? If Hyatt wanted to add a revenue-based qualifier fine, but to take away qualifying on stays at the same time is very poor.
@ Chase -- I'm sorry, but I don't follow. To clarify, would you say these changes are positive for those staying 55+ nights per year?
Like I said in the post, this isn't good for Diamond members who stay fewer than 55 nights per year. However, for everyone else it's either positive or neutral, no?
Does that mean I will be an explorist or discoverist if I'm diamond now but only re qualified for platinum?
@ Mike -- You would get Explorist status.
Ha, Jonathan beat me to it. Irrespective of the impact of all other changes, those tier names have to be the dumbest things I've ever heard of. Just wait until we find out there's a hidden invite only top tier, 'Elitist'. :)
Ben, May we assume that from March 2017 the Chase Hyatt Visa card will provide automatic "Discoverist" status?
@ Bourbon Miles -- Yes, indeed, it will continue to come with Discoverist status.
Does that mean that if we requalify for Diamond by staying 25 nights this year, that we'll get a year at the Globalist level? Or do we have to get the 55 nights in this year to make it?
@ Leigh -- Since you'll have qualified for Diamond through February 2018, you will indeed get Globalist status through February 2018.
This is very disappointing. Although I stay ~80 nights/year in hotels and work hard to be loyal to Hyatt, I barely make 25 stays because their portfolio is so small.
Can I "qualify" for (current) diamond status by 12/31/16 for next year Globalist with 25 stays before 12/31? Thanks -
@ Only Platinum... -- Sure can!
Horrible names for different member status: Explorist, Discoverist, Globalist? "I am an Explorist member" just sounds bad.