World of Hyatt has just announced some positive program updates for 2021, including reducing elite requirements by up to 50%, and potentially even more. With the right strategy you’ll be able to earn Globalist status with just 10-15 actual hotel nights. Let’s take a look at the details.
In this post:
World of Hyatt makes 2021 status easier to earn
In 2020 World of Hyatt extended elite status by a year, and in 2021 World of Hyatt will be lowering elite requirements by 50%, whether qualifying based on elite nights or base points. To be clear, this is for status earned in 2021, which would be valid through early 2023.
With this, elite thresholds in 2021 will be as follows:
- Discoverist will require five elite nights or 12,500 base points
- Explorist will require 15 elite nights or 25,000 base points
- Globalist will require 30 elite nights or 50,000 base points
This should make it more attainable for many to earn status in 2021, especially when you consider that World of Hyatt elite nights earned during the current promotion count towards next year’s status as well, and that promotion has just been extended through February 28, 2021 (more on that below).
A couple more things to note:
- Elite nights earned through the World of Hyatt Credit Card (review) count towards the reduced elite requirements; if you apply for the card by December 31, 2020, you’ll even earn 10 elite nights for both 2020 and 2021
- While elite requirements are being lowered by 50%, Milestone Rewards thresholds are remaining unchanged for now; in other words, if you want to earn any Globalist Suite Upgrade Awards, you’ll still need to earn at least 50 elite nights
This is a pretty great opportunity all around, if you ask me. This means that if you were to apply for the World of Hyatt Credit Card you’d get 10 elite nights for next year, so you’d need only 20 more elite nights to qualify for Globalist status (which is my favorite top tier hotel status).
As you can see, this puts Globalist status within reach for many, though there are still incremental benefits to earning more than 30 elite nights, thanks to the Milestone Rewards program. With this, you can earn Hyatt gift cards, free night certificates, suite upgrade awards, points, and more.
Globalist status will require 30 elite nights in 2021
World of Hyatt extends other promotions
Not only is World of Hyatt lowering elite thresholds for 2021, but it’s also extending some of the phenomenal promotions being offered right now. The following promotions are being extended through February 28, 2021:
- Hyatt’s Bonus Journeys promotion (offering up to 4x points on stays and more)
- Hyatt’s rebate on award nights (15% for all members, 25% for those with a Hyatt credit card)
- Hyatt’s free parking offer (free parking on award stays for all members, and free parking on all stays for Globalist members)
This is awesome news, as these are the all around best promotions available in the hotel industry right now, in my opinion.
Earn quadruple points on resort stays with Hyatt’s current promotion
Earn Globalist status by staying 10-15 nights
As mentioned above, Globalist status will only require 30 elite nights in 2021. On top of that, stays between January 1 and February 28 will earn double elite nights under the current promotion, which has been extended. Then you can add in elite nights earned with the World of Hyatt Credit Card, as well as elite nights that rolled over from 2020.
Just to give a few scenarios of ways you could earn 30+ elite nights:
- If you applied for the World of Hyatt Card by December 31 and stayed a total of 10 nights in January and February, you’d receive 30 elite nights
- If you already have the World of Hyatt Card you’ll start off the year with five elite nights, so you’d only need to stay a total of 13 nights in January and February, and you’d be at 31 elite nights
- If you don’t have the World of Hyatt Card you could just stay 15 nights in January and February, and you’d receive Globalist status
- If you don’t have the World of Hyatt Card and stayed 30 nights in January and February you’d earn 60 elite nights, which would earn you most Milestone Rewards, including a Category 1-7 free night certificate, four Globalist Suite Upgrade Awards, and more
Not bad, eh?
Earn Globalist Suite Upgrade Awards faster than usual
Bottom line
World of Hyatt has just announced a reduction in 2021 elite requirements, and an extension of its current promotions, which are valuable whether paying cash for stays or redeeming points.
Globalist status will require only 30 elite nights in 2021, and elite nights earned in January and February will count double, so you could earn Globalist status with just 15 nights. Then add in credit card nights and any rollover nights, and status gets even easier to earn.
Hyatt has done a phenomenal job with loyalty during the pandemic, in my opinion, and I think this offer from Hyatt is generous.
What do you make of Hyatt lowering elite requirements and extending its current promotion? Will you be able to take advantage of these opportunities?
i will have the 30 nights to be globalist by the end of January but can’t image getting to 60. will i lose access to my gloabilist concierge at the end of 2021
First Ben thanks so much for your help. I thought I was good at this but my head is spinning. Wanted to double check my assumptions:
- I will have stayed 15 nights from Oct 1-Dec 31 in 2020. That should be 15 carryover to 2021 with the promo.
- I'm an old time credit card holder, so that should be 5 for 2021.
- I have a six night stay from Dec...
First Ben thanks so much for your help. I thought I was good at this but my head is spinning. Wanted to double check my assumptions:
- I will have stayed 15 nights from Oct 1-Dec 31 in 2020. That should be 15 carryover to 2021 with the promo.
- I'm an old time credit card holder, so that should be 5 for 2021.
- I have a six night stay from Dec 29-Jan 4. Since that ends after January 1, six nights would be doubled to 12 for 2021 with the Jan/Feb promo.
So after Jan 4, I should have 32 nights (15+5+12)?
Ridiculous - another way to downgrade their loyalty program.
I am not planning to stay at hotel during JAN, or FEB next year. But I do have Hyatt Credit card. Just having the card, i get 5 nights, and all i need is 25 nights by end of 2021. Can I spend 65k on the card to receive 26 nights ? is this make sense?
This is more like Globalist Lite. I checked with my Concierge and she confirmed that there will be a unique difference between those who achieve 30 nights and those who get 60. One example, those with 30 nights will not be given concierge services, which is, in my opinion, one of the most valuable parts of the tier.
Check in dec 27. Check out on Jan 1 would get me 10 elite nights for 2021, correct?
@ Nick -- Correct.
Thanks @Ben
Will nights booked at MGM brand hotels qualify for the double nights?
They have some pretty low rates for Dec/Jan.
I wonder if we can do even better than ten nights for Globalist.
The new World of Hyatt card offer notes that you get 2 additional qualifying nights for every $5,000 spend. Does this mean that if I apply before December 31st (to get the 10 elite nights) and spend the $6000 for the 50k bonus within a few months, I'd only need to stay 9 nights in a Hyatt by February 28th (double elite...
I wonder if we can do even better than ten nights for Globalist.
The new World of Hyatt card offer notes that you get 2 additional qualifying nights for every $5,000 spend. Does this mean that if I apply before December 31st (to get the 10 elite nights) and spend the $6000 for the 50k bonus within a few months, I'd only need to stay 9 nights in a Hyatt by February 28th (double elite nights = 18) to reach Globalist?
Come to think of it, if you were planning to spend $15k on the card for the extra free night anyway, wouldn't that be 6 extra elite nights, so you'd only need to stay 7 nights by February 28th for the Globalist prize?
Will this be Globalist Lite or full globalist? Will you get the free night in any category hotel or use of concierge? One year I qualified for Globalist in a late year promotion and lost my concierge and didn’t get the free night. I already have 66 nights for 2020 through stays and cc spend, so I know I have full status for 2021. 2022 should be easy to qualify for. Great promo and I will definitely focus my hotel nights on Hyatt at expense of Marriott.
@ Janet -- The Milestone Rewards are awarded as usual, so you won't receive all the benefits you'd receive if completing 60 nights. You can read about Milestone Rewards here:
https://onemileatatime.com/world-of-hyatt-milestone-rewards/
What about those who are having their Hyatt card converted to World of Hyatt on January 11th? The 5 elite night credits the WoH card offers should post around then? Therefore just need to hit 25 elite nights to get globalist (30-5=25)?
@ Josh -- Correct, the card should convert in January, so you'd receive five elite nights shortly after that.
this is a great news!!
Unfortunately I still have old Hyatt card which doesn't give 5 elite nights.
If I upgrade my old hyatt card to new hyatt card would I still get free 10 nights in 2020 and 2021? or is this for fresh new applicant?
@ Thomas Park -- You'd get five elite nights per year. The 10 elite nights per year for 2020 and 2021 only applies to new cardmembers.
@ben than you ! Also one more question. If globalist status was earned by feb 28 2021 when would it expire ?
@ Zim -- If it's earned in the 2021 calendar year it would be valid through early 2023.
I am confused about this.
"Bonus Tier-Qualifying Night credits do not qualify for fast-track, quick qualify, or other elite tier qualification offers"
Can it mean that, say, if I stayed 15 nights in January, 30 nights would count for Milestone Rewards, but only 15 would count for elite qualification, since it's actually a fast track? Or shall we interpret the "fast track" in the T&C as any kind of individual targeted offer only?
@ cariverga -- Fast track refers to a targeted offer or some sort of status fast track promotion. IN the above situation all 30 nights would count towards Milestone Rewards and elite status.
Do nights count from check in or checkout ? If I started a stay on dec 31st 2020 and checked out Jan 5th 2021 would I have 10 nights for 2021?
@ Zim -- They count based on the check-out date, so that would get you 10 nights for 2021.
Thanks Ben! I looked at the T&C again and it's clear here too since it's tied to the Promotion Period.
Bonus Nights: Tier-Qualifying Nights on stays completed during the Promotion Period will also count as bonus Tier-Qualifying Night credits for 2021. Bonus Tier-Qualifying Night credits do not qualify for fast-track, quick qualify, or other elite tier qualification offers. The bonus nights will be posted to accounts after the promotion ends. For the purpose of...
Thanks Ben! I looked at the T&C again and it's clear here too since it's tied to the Promotion Period.
Bonus Nights: Tier-Qualifying Nights on stays completed during the Promotion Period will also count as bonus Tier-Qualifying Night credits for 2021. Bonus Tier-Qualifying Night credits do not qualify for fast-track, quick qualify, or other elite tier qualification offers. The bonus nights will be posted to accounts after the promotion ends. For the purpose of this promotion, an “Eligible Night” is defined as any night where a member is paying an Eligible Rate or redeems a free night award for at least one night of their stay.
In this post, it's stating that the double nights is not being extended: https://travelingformiles.com/extended-now-earn-3x-or-4x-hyatt-points-and-get-25-back-on-award-bookings-through-february-2021/?utm_source=BoardingArea&utm_medium=BoardingArea
Can you help clarify this? I'm trying to plan a mattress run, but since I live in Hawaii, I don't have any cheap options.
@ Austin -- I'm positive about my interpretation here, since I specifically asked World of Hyatt for clarification on this.
This is great, I think that keeping the milestone awards where they are strikes a great balance of encouraging travel, while keeping rewards for the members staying the most often. Most of the globalist benefits (free parking, waived resort fees, breakfast, etc) apply to everyone, the only competition is for room upgrades, which will probably get a bit more difficult.
Ben -
Is Hyatt really doing nothing for people who stayed with them in 2020? My wife had 46 nights in 2020, when they really needed customers, and no easier status? Pretty frustrating.
Hey Ben (or anyone else who might know), further to @khatl's question - would award night bookings also count double towards 2021/22 status?
Wow, globalist for everyone! This will make it incredibly easy to qualify next year. Not terrible as 60 would have been slightly difficult (made much easier with the current promotions) but 25 is an absolute cakewalk (given the 5 from the card) plus the promotions. Loving Hyatt just hope the experience doesn't get diluted.
Thanks @Ben! I guess by free parking for Globalists on an "Elegible Rate" they mean most paid stays booked directly... it's always a mystery to determine what elegible means ;)
@ Angelo -- Hah, yes, then you'd have to go back to the World of Hyatt T&Cs to look at that definition. Eligible rates are any that earn elite nights, so that would include all award stays and paid stays booked directly with Hyatt.
So I don't have the Hyatt CC at the moment, when do you think it'd be best for me to apply to maximize all this? Planning on doing stays in January to get my nights in.
@ LOA -- You're best off getting it ASAP. You'll get 10 elite nights this year (which won't be of much benefit to you right now), but then you'll also get 10 elite nights for 2021. The reason you want to apply soon is because you only get 10 elite nights for 2021 if you apply by December 31.
I found no mention anywhere in the press releases that free parking on paid stays is being extended for globalists - Are we sure about this?
"The following promotions are being extended through February 28, 2021: Hyatt’s free parking offer (free parking on award stays for all members, and free parking on all stays for Globalist members)" - that was unclear from the previous extension, and it's unclear now.
@ Angelo -- It's listed on the promotion page here:
https://world.hyatt.com/content/gp/en/offers/redemption-offer.html
"Globalist members will also receive free parking for nights on an Eligible Rate during the Promotion Period."
"If you applied for the World of Hyatt Card by December 31 and stayed a total of 10 nights in January and February, you’d receive 30 elite nights".
Do you mean 20 nights, right? Or 10 QN from World of Hyatt card will be also rollover for next year too?
@ shilph -- You'd receive 10 elite nights from the credit card (since new applicants by December 31 get 10 elite nights in 2020 and 10 elite nights in 2021), and then the 10 nights you stayed in early 2021 would be doubled to 20 nights. That represents a total of 30 elite nights.
If you book a room for 15 nights, beginning in mid-December and ending first week of January 2021, under the Bonus Journeys promotion you would earn 30 elite nights total, giving you Globalist status until 2023?
@ Paul-Jacob -- That's my understanding, assuming your stay checks out in 2021 (and not in 2020).
Any discussion on upping the limits on bonus puts earned from the 4x promos? It would seem you max out at $20,000 in spend and I may just get there due to a house I rented over Thanksgiving!
@ DP81 -- Haven't heard anything in that regard, unfortunately.
Ben/Tiffany/Anyone so for those of us that have the Hyatt CC [original] and are being rolled over into the WOH CC we will just receive the [5] elite night credit right, not the 10...Sorry if this has already been asked and answered...
@ SEM -- Correct, you'd receive the five elite nights per year, and not the 10 that are being offered in 2020 and 2021 to new card members.
I am a normal member with no Hyatt credit card. Can I stay 15 nights in December 2020 and be Globalist till 2023 or do I need to wait till Jan 2021 before doing my nights.
@ Dg -- You would need to wait until January. If you stayed 15 nights in December 2020 then you'd receive 15 elite nights for 2020 and 15 elite nights for 2021.
@JM
No you don’t automatically get those milestone rewards
Could be even more lucrative if AA brings back their status match offers with Hyatt in 2021. Given they have been coming up with many ways to give out status already in 2020 that could certainly happen.
This seems way better to earn Globalist than doing a mattress run with the Bonus Journeys promo. In becoming a Globalist, don't you automatically get the cat 1-4 and up to cat 7 certificates + 4 suite upgrades per year? So 'm not seeing the incremental value / milestone rewards and having to do 30 more nights.
@ JM -- Nope, that's all related to Milestone Rewards, which are staying at the previous thresholds.
I have done my 30 nights during the last quarter of 2020, and these nights will carry over to 2021 qualification, so does this mean I am actually done for 2021? Based on my 30+ night stay during Q4 of 2020, I am Globalist until Feb 2023.
This is too good to be true if my understanding of the promotion is correct.
Remind me: Award nights also count towards status if I recall from a prior post? So that would mean award nights also count double towards 2021 status thru end of Feb?
@Ben, thank you very much. Really. The logic has at last penetrated my thick shell. As ever, you receive my vote for smartest guy in the room.
Going to be over half way to Globalist on January 1st already between credit card and stays during current promotion.
How about the nights earned from WoH card spending?
will that still be 2 nights per $5000 or doubled to 4?
@ Jay -- Still two per $5,000.
Sincerely appreciate the help. So theoretically If I have 5 nights roll into 2021, and 5 nights from the credit card, and stay 8 nights between January-February, I would have a total of 26 nights, and can hit the next 4 nights via Hyatt Credit Card Spending (10k), and would have the entirety of 2021 to get there?
@ Lou -- That's exactly right! :)
Saints preserve us! I'm as confused as a eunuch in a whorehouse, as my dear, departed father used to say. So I'm going to end 2020 with 41 nights (five from the WOH card), 25 of which were earned during the 4th quarter promo. Will I enter 2021 with 71 nights (36 BIS nights + 5 2020 WOH card nights + 25 promo nights + 5 2021 WOH nights)?
@ Tortuga -- You'd enter 2021 with 30 elite nights. You'd get the five elite nights from the WOH Card for 2021, and you'd get the 25 rollover nights from the promotion. The WOH Card elite nights don't roll over, and neither do any 2020 elite nights that weren't earned during the fourth quarter promotion.
Awesome! Thanks Ben!
Kinda sucks for me. Im gunna end this year with 40 nights. Why cant i get Globalist for 2020 this is the year that is the most affected.
Thank you as always Ben for your timely publication. To clarify, the 25% off room rates booked through points expires at the end of February? Also, is there any update on the miraval promotion, or is that officially over Jan 4? Thanks again!
@ Zac -- Correct, the up to 25% off award promo is valid through February 28 now. There have been no updates on the Miraval promotion yet.
Also - if you have the Hyatt credit card, you would only need about 13 nights!
Just to confirm this is for 2020 qualification for 2021 status?
So if currently I'm showing 30+ nights in 2020, I will have Globalist from Feb 2021 until Feb 2022?
@ YY -- No, this is 2021 qualification, for status that would be valid through early 2023. Status for 2020 has already been extended by 12 months.
Huh. This is odd. I am taking advantage of the last quarter promotion and I'll have 25 nights that automatically post to 2021 as a result. After the WoH nights hit from the card, I guess I'll be done?
@ Andrew -- Yep! Any additional nights earned next year would qualify towards Milestone Rewards above the 30 night tier.
Thanks for posting, I'm so incredibly confused. If someone could help me figure my 2021 plan out I would greatly appreciate it.
I am currently showing as having 15 nights for the 2020 year, and have a Hyatt Credit Card. To hit globalist for 2021 would I need to stay less additional nights in 2020 than 2021?
@ Lou -- You'll need a total of 30 elite nights in 2021 to earn Globalist. If you have the World of Hyatt Card (and didn't apply during the current promo) that would get you five elite nights towards status in 2021. Then for any elite nights earned between October 1 and December 31, 2020, you'd also get one elite night towards 2021 status. In other words, if you earned 10 elite nights in the...
@ Lou -- You'll need a total of 30 elite nights in 2021 to earn Globalist. If you have the World of Hyatt Card (and didn't apply during the current promo) that would get you five elite nights towards status in 2021. Then for any elite nights earned between October 1 and December 31, 2020, you'd also get one elite night towards 2021 status. In other words, if you earned 10 elite nights in the last quarter of 2020 (and register for the promotion) then you'd receive 10 elite nights towards 2021 status, in addition to your five elite nights from the credit card, which would get you 15 of the 30 nights needed.