Hyatt Category 4 Free Night (Hotels List) [2022]

One of my favorite credit card perks that I’ve used over and over again is the Hyatt free night certificate. It’s pretty easy to get your hands on free night certificates for Hyatt properties with the World of Hyatt Card and all of the other free night promotions offered by Hyatt.

But what are the best ways to use these free night awards?

This comprehensive article will show you all of the possibilities for using your free night awards for Hyatt category 4 hotels. I’ll also highlight the value and some of the strong points that make some of these properties worth visiting.

World of Hyatt Card

The World of Hyatt Card is one of the best hotel credit cards available since it comes with a great sign-up bonus, strong bonus category earning, and the opportunity for free nights. It’s also one of the best hotel cards for climbing your way up the elite status tiers for Hyatt. You can read our full detailed review here. 

  • Welcome Bonus
    • 30,000 Bonus Points after $3,000 in purchases within 3 months of account opening
    • Plus, 2 points total per $1 spent on purchases that earn 1 point, up to $15,000 in spend in the first 6 months of account opening
  • Bonus earning: 
    • 4X spent with your card at Hyatt hotels, including participating restaurants and spas
    • 2X on local transit and commuting, including taxis, mass transit, tolls and ride-share services
    • 2X at restaurants, cafes and coffee shops
    • 2X on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline
    • 2X spent on fitness club and gym memberships
  • Free nights: 
    • Receive one free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after your cardmember anniversary
    • Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort if you spend $15,000 during your cardmember anniversary year
  • Elite status:
    • Comes with Hyatt Discoverist status
    • Receive 5 qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every year
    • Earn 2 additional qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
  • $95 Annual Fee 

As you can see, you will be granted one free night each year automatically and have the opportunity to earn an additional free night when you spend $15,000.

The free night awards are for categories 1 through 4, so this article is going to look at different ways that you can use your free night award at category 4 hotels since many people will want to maximize the free night at the top category.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Free night awards

You can also earn free night awards just by staying at Hyatt properties. Here are the different ways that you can earn free nights. 

Actions NeededRewards
Stay at 5 different Hyatt brands and pay an eligible rate starting March 1, 2017Free night award in a Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort (valid for one year from issuance)
Stay 30 qualifying nights or earn 50,000 Base Points in a calendar yearFree night award in a Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort 
Stay 60 qualifying nights or earn 100,000 Base Points in a calendar yearFree night award in a Category 1-7 Hyatt hotel or resort 
Stay 70, 80, 90 and 100 qualifying nights in a calendar yearChoose to receive 10,000 Bonus Points or a suite upgrade award

Note that all of the free nights are for free nights in the category 1-4 range except for the free night earned after staying 60 qualifying nights. That free anniversary night allows redemptions for properties up to a category seven. If you would like to see the best category seven Hyatt properties, then be sure to check out our article here. 

Hyatt award chart

Below is the Hyatt award chart, which shows the price for awards at each of the different categories. The free night certificates are used to claim standard rooms, though you can always get upgraded if you have status with Hyatt.

Here is a look at the Hyatt award chart:

Hotel categoryStandard room points per nightRegency/Grand Club points per nightStandard suite points per nightPremium suite points per night
15,0007,0008,00010,000
28,00012,00013,00016,000
312,00017,00020,00024,000
415,00021,00024,00030,000
520,00027,00032,00040,000
625,00033,00040,00050,000
730,00039,00048,00060,000
840,00050,00061,00080,000

When to use your Hyatt free nights

Since you can use your free night awards for properties in categories one through four, you obviously want to stay at category 4 properties as much as possible. It won’t always be possible to do, but if you can go with a category 4 hotel, that’s often where you’re going to maximize your value.

Once you are focused on category 4 properties, then you want to look at the price of a one night stay to see which hotels offer you the best value.

We know that category 4 hotels require 15,000 Hyatt points so if you value Hyatt points at 1.5 cents per point, then you’d want to shoot for around $225 in value per night to maximize your rewards.

That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use your free night reward for nights that cost less than $225. Once you factor in things like property reviews, location, special features, etc., you might feel it’s worth it to use your free night on a property that doesn’t offer the maximum value and that’s fine.

But I do suggest that you try to get a baseline value for your free night so you at least know the value potential of that perk.

Below is a list of 176 category 4 Hyatt properties — note that this list is always subject to change and may not be 100% updated at all times. You can also search for properties here. 

Canada

British Columbia

United States

Arizona

California

Colorado

D.C.

The Grand Hyatt Washington is a great property for touring the DC area with a great location within mere blocks of many of the major DC attractions.

Florida

Georgia

The Andaz Savannah isn’t a crazy expensive hotel, but with room rates usually over $200, you couldn’t go wrong if you end up in Savannah using your free night award and want to stay at the highly-rated Andaz.

Guam

Hawaii

Illinois

If you’re ever visiting Chicago consider the Thompson Chicago. Room rates are close to $300 and the boutique hotel feel really makes it a great hotel to stay at compared to other properties. 

Indiana

Kentucky

Louisiana

The Hyatt Centric French Quarter New Orleans offers great value along with a great location in the French Quarter.

Maryland

Massachusetts

With rooms going over $300, the Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor is a great place to redeem your points with a great location in the heart of Boston.

Minnesota

Missouri

Nevada

The Las Vegas hotels don’t offer the best value as they offer some very low prices throughout the year.

New Jersey

New York

Pennsylvania

Puerto Rico

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

They Hyatt Regency Austin is a great place to cash in on value with your free night award. Rooms can go for over $400 per night, so this is often a great deal.

Utah

Virginia

Washington

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

Caribbean & Latin America

Colombia

Guatemala

Honduras

Mexico

Europe

Austria

Belgium

France

Rooms for the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile go for over $200 so this is another hotel that offers some decent value. It is about a 10 to 15 minute walk from the famous Arc de Triomphe and located by the Neuilly Porte Maillot station.

Germany

Greece

Ireland

Italy

The Hyatt Centric Milan Centrale Is located just outside of the main train station in Milan. It is about 15 minutes away from the Duomo via a taxi ride but this could be a great location if you will be coming in or leaving via the train station. Rooms can go for around $220 per night so this offers pretty good value. 

Latvia

Netherlands

Norway

Portugal

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Ukraine

United Kingdom

Africa

Kenya

South Africa

Tanzania

Middle East

Kuwait

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Rooms at the Grand Hyatt Dubai can go for around $300 per night so this hotel offer some really great value. The hotel is located near the airport and is about 15 minutes outside of the downtown Dubai area.

Asia

Mainland China

Hong Kong SAR

Macau SAR

India

Indonesia

Japan

Malaysia

Singapore

South Korea

Taiwan

The Grand Hyatt Taipei Is a great use of your free night since the property can go for around $250 per night. It also has a fantastic location, located right next to the famous Taipei 101 Tower. 

Thailand

Vietnam

Australia & Pacific

Australia

Melbourne is such a unique city and staying at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne is a terrific way to experience the city since you’re right in the heart of the city.

New Zealand

Hyatt Category 4 Free Night FAQ

How can I get a Hyatt category 4 free night?

The World of Hyatt Card offers one free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after your cardmember anniversary.

How many points are needed for a category 4 free night?

15,000 points are needed for a standard room per night.

How much is a Hyatt category 4 free night worth?

With a 1.5 cent per point valuation, your free night should be worth around $225. However, the value you get on your specific redemption could be lower or higher depending on the property.

Final word 

As you can see, there are a lot of options for using your Hyatt free night awards for category 4 properties. I recommend coming up with a baseline number for the value of your free night certificates but try not to get to stuck on that figure since other factors also come into play when using free night awards.

This article was originally published by Steve Smith.

Hyatt Credit Card Tier-Qualifying Night Credits Guide [2021]

The World of Hyatt Credit Card is one of the most lucrative travel rewards credit cards. One reason that it stands out is that it offers you the ability to climb up the elite status latter beginning with Hyatt Discoverist status.

There are a couple of different perks that will help you do this and in this article I will break down each of those.

I’ll first go into detail about the 5 World of Hyatt Tier-Qualifying Night Credits and then I will talk about the Tier-Qualifying Night Credits for every $5,000 in spend.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

World of Hyatt Card

The World of Hyatt Card is one of the best hotel credit cards available since it comes with a great sign-up bonus, strong bonus category earning, and the opportunity for free nights. It’s also one of the best hotel cards for climbing your way up the elite status tiers for Hyatt. You can read our full detailed review here. 

  • Welcome Bonus
    • 30,000 Bonus Points after $3,000 in purchases within 3 months of account opening
    • Plus, 2 points total per $1 spent on purchases that earn 1 point, up to $15,000 in spend in the first 6 months of account opening
  • Bonus earning: 
    • 4X spent with your card at Hyatt hotels, including participating restaurants and spas
    • 2X on local transit and commuting, including taxis, mass transit, tolls and ride-share services
    • 2X at restaurants, cafes and coffee shops
    • 2X on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline
    • 2X spent on fitness club and gym memberships
  • Free nights: 
    • Receive one free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after your cardmember anniversary
    • Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort if you spend $15,000 during your cardmember anniversary year
  • Elite status:
    • Comes with Hyatt Discoverist status
    • Receive 5 qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every year
    • Earn 2 additional qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
  • $95 Annual Fee 

5 World of Hyatt Tier-Qualifying Night Credits

If you hold the World of Hyatt Credit Card, every calendar year you will be issued 5 World of Hyatt Tier-Qualifying Night Credits.

If you just opened up the credit card, you will receive these credits shortly after your account open date.

After the first year, the terms and conditions state that you will receive these within eight weeks of January 1 but in reality these often hit much quicker.

You might even see them arrive in your Hyatt account a few days after the new year. This past year in 2021, my five qualifying night credits hit my account on January 12.

You can easily check to see if and when the elite night credits are hitting your account by logging into your Hyatt account. Go to “My Account” and then click on “Past Activity.”

If your credits have hit, you will see an entry for “Chase Credit Card Night Credits.”

How the elite night credits will appear in your account.

These credits will be valid from the date that they arrive in your account until December 31 of the same calendar year. So if you received them in January 2021, they will count toward your elite status earned during the year of 2021.

These five elite night credits do not stack with your automatic Hyatt Discoverist status that you get with the World of Hyatt Credit Card.

For example, typically you would need 10 qualifying nights to get to Discoverist.

So you might think that these five elite night credits would start you off with 15 qualifying nights but that is not the case. Instead, you will simply have five qualifying nights but with all of the benefits of having Discoverist.

The good news is these five elite night credits are applied to milestones benefits.

These are special awards that you can earn as you complete more nights and the benefits include things like bonus points, suite upgrades, a free night award, a gift card, and club lounge access awards.

Tier-Qualifying Night Credits For Every $5,000 in spend

One of the most attractive perks of this credit card is the ability to earn two Tier-Qualifying Night credits for every $5,000 in spend.

The spend tracker does not reset at the end of the year and tracks from the original account open date. But you will receive the elite night credits in the calendar year in which the spend occurred.

For purposes of your elite status with Hyatt, the night credits are tied to the posting date of the transaction that triggered the credit.

So if you had purchases made and posted in December 2021, those purchases would count towards the elite status earned in 2021 even if the statement containing those purchases closed in January 2022.

One of the coolest things about this perk is that you can earn an unlimited amount of elite night credits.

Here is a look at the elite levels for Hyatt and how to qualify.

  • Discoverist (10 qualifying nights, 25,000 Base Points, or holding 3 qualifying meetings/events per year.)
  • Explorist (30 qualifying nights, 50,000 Base Points, or holding 10 qualifying meetings/events per year.)
  • Globalist (60 qualifying nights, 100,000 Base Points, or holding 20 qualifying meetings/events per year.)
  • Lifetime Globalist status (Earn 1,000,000 Base Points over the course of your program membership)

If you have the World of Hyatt Card, you can basically subtract five qualifying nights from the initial requirements.

  • Explorist (25 qualifying nights)
  • Globalist (55 qualifying nights)

You could then spend your way to these with these levels of spend:

  • Explorist ($65,000 in spend)
  • Globalist ($140,000 in spend)

So you can see why this perk is so valuable to high spenders. It grants them an annual shortcut to top level elite status.

Just like the five elite night credits above, these credits will also apply to milestones benefits.

Chase says that you should allow up to eight weeks from the last day of the calendar month when you qualify for the credits to be added to your Hyatt account.

So if you were to spend $5,000 on June 15, then you should allow up to eight weeks from the end of June for the credits to arrive. However, there are many reports of these credits appearing much quicker than eight weeks.

In many cases, you might receive the credits within a couple of days after the statement closes that contains the required spend. Just remember what I said above, for calculating your elite status the credits apply to the year that the spend was made and not the year that the statement containing the spend closes.

There are some excluded purchases that will not trigger this benefit in these include:

  • Balance transfers
  • Cash advances
  • Travelers checks
  • Foreign currency
  • Money orders
  • Wire transfers or similar cash-like transactions
  • Lottery tickets
  • Casino gaming chips,
  • Race track wagers or similar betting transactions
  • Any checks that access your account
  • Interest
  • Unauthorized or fraudulent charges
  • Fees of any kind, including an annual fee

And finally, to receive the credits your account must be open and not in default.

FAQ

When do I receive the five elite night credits?

You will receive the elite night credits shortly after you open up your World of Hyatt Credit Card and then usually every January after your first year.

Can I get the five elite night credits if I close my card?

In order to qualify for the five elite night credits each January, your World of Hyatt Credit Card account must be open and not in default.

Do authorized users get the five elite night credits?

No, authorized users do not get the credits.

Do authorized user purchases count towards the two Tier-Qualifying Night credits for every $5,000 in spend?

Yes, the purchases made by authorized users will count towards this spend requirement. However, the credits will only be issued to the primary cardholder.

Is there a limit to the number of elite night credits you can earn for every $5,000 in spend?

No, you can earn an unlimited amount of elite night credits.

Does the annual fee count towards the $5,000 spend for the elite night credits?

No, the annual fee does not qualify as spend for that benefit.

Final word

As you can tell, these perks are great ways to climb higher when earning elite status with Hyatt. It’s great that they start you off with five elite night credits and the two elite night credit you get with spend our extremely valuable, especially for high spenders.

What Are the Benefits of Hyatt Explorist Status? [2020]

Hyatt Explorist status is the mid-tier status of the World of Hyatt Program. Unlike the lower tier status, Discoverist, you won’t be granted this level of status with the World of Hyatt Credit Card and will have to do a little bit of work to earn it.

Here’s a look at the benefits of Hyatt Explorist status and whether all that work might be worth it.

What is Hyatt Explorist status?

Hyatt Explorist is the mid-level elite status in the World of Hyatt program.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

World of Hyatt Card

The World of Hyatt Card is one of the best hotel credit cards available since it comes with a great sign-up bonus, strong bonus category earning, and the opportunity for free nights. It’s also one of the best hotel cards for climbing your way up the elite status tiers for Hyatt. You can read our full detailed review here. 

  • Welcome Bonus
    • 30,000 Bonus Points after $3,000 in purchases within 3 months of account opening
    • Plus, 2 points total per $1 spent on purchases that earn 1 point, up to $15,000 in spend in the first 6 months of account opening
  • Bonus earning: 
    • 4X spent with your card at Hyatt hotels, including participating restaurants and spas
    • 2X on local transit and commuting, including taxis, mass transit, tolls and ride-share services
    • 2X at restaurants, cafes and coffee shops
    • 2X on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline
    • 2X spent on fitness club and gym memberships
  • Free nights: 
    • Receive one free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after your cardmember anniversary
    • Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort if you spend $15,000 during your cardmember anniversary year
  • Elite status:
    • Comes with Hyatt Discoverist status
    • Receive 5 qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every year
    • Earn 2 additional qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
  • $95 Annual Fee 

How do you earn Hyatt Explorist status?

You can earn Explorist status by:

  • Staying at Hyatt properties
  • Using credit card elite credits
  • Status challenges

Staying at Hyatt properties

You can earn Hyatt Explorist status by getting a minimum of:

  • 30 Tier-Qualifying Nights
  • 50,000 Base Points
  • 10 Meetings/events

Note that Hyatt goes by nights and not stays for elite qualification.

Here’s how Explorist stacks up to the other Hyatt tiers.

StatusNightsBase PointsMeetings/events
Discoverist 1025,0003
Explorist3050,00010
Globalist 60100,00020
Lifetime GlobalistN/A100,000N/A
World of Hyatt elite levels

Credit cards

Hyatt offers one of the best hotel credit cards with the World of Hyatt Credit Card.

As far as elite status goes, you will get:

  • Automatic Discoverist status
  • 5 qualifying night credits towards elite status
  • 2 qualifying night credits every time you spend $5,000

So you could spend your way to Explorist with $65,000 in spend. More realistically for some people, they might meet somewhere in the middle.

So your journey to earn Explorist status could go something like this:

  • Five qualifying nights automatically from the World of Hyatt Credit Card
  • 15 notes stayed in a hotel
  • 10 nights from $25,000 worth of spend on the World of Hyatt Credit Card

That would be 30 nights and you would have your status met without a super high amount of spend on your credit card needed.

Related: What’s The Best Top Hotel Elite Status?

Status challenge

You can also try to jump on a status challenge when they are available.

For example in late 2017, Hyatt allowed Discoverist members to earn Explorist status by staying 10 nights and could have even earned top-tier Globalist status with 20 nights within the span of 4 months.

This opportunity was only open to Hyatt credit card holders, however, so if you intend on climbing the Hyatt ranks it might be a good idea to get that card.

There have also been some random and unexpected status challenge/upgrades that have gone out as well. So stay on your toes!

Hyatt Ziva Butler Suite Rose Hall Jamaica.

What are the Hyatt Explorist status benefits?

Here are the main Explorist benefits:

  • 20% bonus on base points
  • Upgrades
  • Late check-out
  • Guaranteed Availability
  • M life Rewards Status Tier Match
  • Special reservations line

Here are some of the additional perks that other elite levels get:

  • Exhale benefits
  • Resort fees waived on awards stays
  • Small Luxury Hotels of the World Benefits
  • Premium Internet
  • Bottled Water
  • Elite check-in
  • American Airlines AAdvantage Bonus

Bonus points

Explorists will receive a 20% point bonus on the base points.

Members earn 5X at Hyatt properties so an additional 20% bonus means that you’ll be earning 6X.

If you value Hyatt points at 1.57 cents per point (which is the WalletFlo valuation) that’s a return of 9.4% back, which is not bad at all for a mid-level elite status.

If you add on the 4X at Hyatt hotels with the World of Hyatt Credit Card, that’s 10X per dollar spent or 15.7% back, which is very nice.

Upgrades to best room available

Explorists will be offered “the best room available” at the time of check-in at Hyatt hotels and resorts

It’s worth noting that this excludes suites and Club lounge-access rooms, though upgrades to suites can happen as an Explorist.

What exactly is the best room?

Well, that’s up to the hotel or resort and may vary from stay to stay. It will often be a room type/category higher than the one you booked.

One important thing to know is that upgrades for Explorists are not limited to rooms within the same type of category.

Note that these upgrades are not valid at Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Destination Residences, or Hyatt Residence Club hotels and resorts.

Hyatt Ziva Butler Suite Rose Hall Jamaica.

Late check-out

Upon request, Explorists will receive a 2pm late checkout at Hyatt hotels.

Late checkout is subject to availability at hotels with a casino and Hyatt resorts and late checkout is not offered at Hyatt Residence Club resorts or M life Resorts.

Along with preferred room upgrades, late check out is a pretty solid perk. Being able to relax in your room the final morning of your stay feels great and it’s pretty normal to see restrictions for it at resorts.

Still, other programs like Marriott offer late check out to 4pm for mid-tier status which is more convenient.

For tips on how to maximize the late check out perk, click here.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

72-Hour Room Availability

Hyatt Explorist offers a guaranteed 72-hour room availability but subject to many restrictions, however.

Paid reservations

  • Explorists will be guaranteed a room at Hyatt hotels (subject to the exclusions detailed below) for their own personal use when making a paid reservation directly with Hyatt at least seventy-two (72) hours prior to arrival (local time for the applicable hotel) that is guaranteed with a valid credit card. All reservations are subject to hotel policies.

Standard rate rooms

  • This guarantee is only applicable when the hotel is otherwise entirely sold out (including all suites), is valid for one (1) standard guest room, and is subject to the applicable hotel’s reservation requirements (e.g., minimum length of stay, special packages, and meal plans).
  • Rooms secured under this provision are only available at the Standard Rate. Negotiated rates or other group, promotional, or discounted rates do not apply and Free Night Awards may not be redeemed for a room secured pursuant to this benefit.

Not valid during “extraordinary” demand

  • This guarantee is not valid during any period of extraordinary room demand and is subject to blackout periods set out by each hotel. Contracted last-room-available rates do not apply to rooms secured under this provision.

Not valid at certain properties

  • Guaranteed availability for Explorists is not valid at Destination Residences or Hyatt Residence Club resorts, any Hyatt hotel with a casino, or any Hyatt resort.

M life Rewards Status Tier Match

Explorists will receive Gold status with M life Rewards, the loyalty program of MGM Resorts International.

Special Reservation Phone Line

Explorists have access to a Hyatt reservation telephone line exclusively for use by Explorists. You can find the phone number for this phone line by logging into your account.

Hyatt Regency Dallas

Additional Explorist Benefits

Explorists also receive the same dedicated check-in area, complimentary premium in-room internet access, and daily bottled water benefits afforded to Discoverists below.

  • Exhale benefits
  • Resort fees waived on awards stays
  • Small Luxury Hotels of the World Benefits
  • Premium Internet
  • Bottled Water
  • Elite check-in
  • American Airlines AAdvantage Bonus

You can read more about these benefits here.

Milestone Rewards

Hyatt offers special Milestone Rewards that reward you for your stays as you pile up the nights and base points.

Here are the relevant rewards for obtaining Explorist.

  • 20 nights or 35K base points: 2 Club Lounge Access Awards
  • 30 nights or 50K base points: 1 Category 1-4 Free Night Award and 2 Club Lounge Access Awards

This means that if you obtain Explorist status by nights or base points, by the time you get the status you will have earned four club lounge access awards and a free night at a category 1 through 4 hotel.

Since you don’t get free breakfast as a Hyatt Explorist, these four club lounge access awards could be your ticket to getting one.

Hyatt Explorist FAQ

Can you get Explorist status with a credit card?

You can’t get Explorist status instantly with a credit card but you can use the credits that come with the World of Hyatt Credit Card to earn it faster.

You’ll get five qualifying elite night credits every year and for every $5,000 you spend on the card you will receive two additional qualifying nights.

Do Explorist members get free breakfast?

No, Explorist members do not get free breakfast. However, you can use club lounge access awards to receive a free breakfast at some properties.

Do Explorist members get club lounge access?

No, Explorist members do not get club lounge access.

However, you can use the club lounge access awards that you will receive along the way for club lounge access on certain stays.

How late is the late check out benefit?

You will get late check out until 2pm. However, be aware that the late check out is not guaranteed at all properties.

Does Explorist match to M Life?

Yes, Explorists will receive Gold status with M life Rewards.

How long will my status be good for?

Your status will be good through February of the second calendar year following qualification. So if you finish 30 stays in May of 2021 you will retain Explorist status through February of 2023 (the second calendar year).

Final word

I personally prefer Hilton mid-tier status to Hyatt because I can get lounge access and free breakfasts on a more consistent basis and it’s not restricted to 4 times a year.

Other benefits like late check out are also more convenient with other programs since they are later. And finally, there’s no quick short cut via a premium credit card to Explorist status like there is to Hilton mid-tier status, so for me Hyatt Explorist status leaves some to be desired.

World of Hyatt Card Review (Benefits) [2020]

I love hotel credit cards that have perks like annual free nights that easily offset the annual fee. But I really love hotel cards that also offer great upfront value in the form of a strong welcome bonus and that give you solid elite status benefits.

The World of Hyatt Card is definitely one of the great travel cards that offers value in several different forms. In this article, I will walk you through everything you need to know about this card if you are considering getting it. I will cover things like the welcome bonuses, benefits, and also free nights.

World of Hyatt Card intro

The World of Hyatt Card is great for people looking for an easy way to get free hotel stays. It is also a fantastic option for Hyatt loyalists who want to climb up the elite status ladder and earn a lot of points on Hyatt stays. Keep reading below for more details on this card.

Related: The full list of the best hotel credit cards!

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Welcome Bonus

Typically, the World of Hyatt Card will offer a welcome bonus ranging from 50,000 to 60,000 points. The welcome bonus is usually structured in a way that offers you a bonus for a lower spend amount and then requires you to spend more money within a six-month period to get the full bonus.

For example, check out two welcome bonuses that we have seen on this card below:

60,000 point offer

  • Earn 40,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
  • Plus, earn an additional 20,000 Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 total on purchases within the first 6 months of account opening

50,000 point offer

  • Earn 25,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
  • Plus, earn an additional 25,000 Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 total on purchases within the first 6 months of account opening.

As you can tell, you can sometimes earn a bonus for $3,000 worth of spend but will need to spend an additional $3,000 to get the full amount. This is a common trend we’ve seen for credit cards over the past couple of years and we will likely only see more of it in the future.

While I would prefer to get the 60,000 Hyatt point offer (whenever it is available), I think that “settling” for the 50,000 point offer can also make a lot of sense. This is because 50,000 Hyatt points can still cover some great hotels. Here is a look at the Hyatt award chart:

Hotel categoryStandard room points per nightRegency/Grand Club points per nightStandard suite points per nightPremium suite points per night
15,0007,0008,00010,000
28,00012,00013,00016,000
312,00017,00020,00024,000
415,00021,00024,00030,000
520,00027,00032,00040,000
625,00033,00040,00050,000
730,00039,00048,00060,000
840,000N/AN/AN/A

As you can tell, you could cover two nights at a category five property and still have 10,000 Hyatt points leftover.

Category five properties can be very nice like the all-inclusive Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos I just stayed at where rooms go for 20,000 points or $300 per night. This means that your welcome bonus could be worth well over $700 in many cases.

That’s a lot of value for a welcome bonus and why I think that the 50,000 bonus is actually quite strong. 

The only drawback with Hyatt is that there are fewer properties compared to brands like Marriott and Hilton, so finding a Hyatt property in your desired location is sometimes a little bit of a challenge.

Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos.

Eligibility

This card is subject to the Chase 5/24 Rule and also the Chase 2/30 Rule and 24 month rule. Basically if you have opened up five or more accounts in the past 24 months or two Chase cards in the last 30 days you will not be eligible for this card.

Also if you have received a welcome bonus for any Hyatt card in the last 24 months or currently hold any Hyatt card (like the old Hyatt credit card) you are not be eligible.  Here’s exactly what the rule states:

The product is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of any Hyatt Credit Card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of any Hyatt Credit Card who received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months

If you are not familiar with these rules or find them confusing you are not alone and it is one of the reasons why I am creating WalletFlo, so you don’t have to worry about these rules anymore.

Bonus categories

  • 4X spent with your card at Hyatt hotels, including participating restaurants and spas
  • 2X on local transit and commuting, including taxis, mass transit, tolls and ride-share services
  • 2X at restaurants, cafes and coffee shops
  • 2X on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline
  • 2X spent on fitness club and gym memberships

A quick reminder

When it comes to earning points with your Hyatt card you always have to remember that Hyatt is a 1:1 transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards. 

This means that you could use a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and earn 3X points on those travel and dining categories and then transfer your Chase points to Hyatt if you would like.

Even if you had a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred and you only earned 2X on those categories, you could still transfer your points to various travel partners making those points more valuable.

So always consider that you could be earning better bonus earnings with various Chase cards.

With that in mind, I will breakdown the bonus categories.

4X at Hyatt

I really like that you can earn 4X the points on Hyatt purchases with the World of Hyatt Card. (This card used to only offer 3X points on Hyatt purchases.) If you value Hyatt points at 1.5 cents per point, that’s like getting 6% back which is great!

This is by far the best bonus category for this card and it is even better than cards like Chase Sapphire Reserve, which only earn 3X on Hyatt (hotel) purchases. 

If you consider the additional points you will earn with Hyatt Discoverist status you will be earning 9.5 points per dollar spent which comes out to about 14.9% back which is pretty solid!

2X on local transit

Getting 2X on local transit and commuting, including taxis, mass transit, tolls and ride-share services is okay but not the best you can do. For example, you could use a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and earn 3X points on these or use some co-branded cards that offer up to 5X.

2X at select dining

Getting 2X at restaurants, cafes and coffee shops is another average category. Once again, it is not difficult to find a card that earns 3X+ on dining. Personally, I stick to using the American Express Gold Card for all of my dining purchases since it earns a whopping 4X! 

2X on airline tickets

Getting 2X on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline is unfortunately yet another mediocre category. You can do much better than to ask by putting airfare on cards like the American Express Platinum Card that earns 5X on airfare.

2X on gyms

Earning 2X on gym memberships is cool because not many (if any) other cards offer that as a bonus category (though most people probably don’t spend that much money each month on gym memberships).

1X on everyday spend

You will earn 1X on every other non-bonused category. Because of this, you likely will want to use a better every day card also known as a “daily driver.”

A great option for this would be to go for the Chase Freedom Unlimited. That card earns 1.5X on all purchases and also has no annual fee. If you have a premium card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you can transfer your points over to Hyatt.

Tip: When thinking about everyday spend, you also have to consider the free night you can get with $15,000 worth spend and elite night credits. But more on that stuff below.

Earning bonus points on gym memberships is unique.

Free anniversary nights

  • Receive one free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after your cardmember anniversary
  • Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort if you spend $15,000 during your cardmember anniversary year

Free anniversary night

The World of Hyatt Card is one of those hotel credit cards that you probably want to keep for the free anniversary night.

Each year, you will get a free night at a category one through four Hyatt property. (You will only get the free night after you have had your card for one year.) You will have 12 months to use this free night so always keep in mind that it will expire. 

There are some solid properties that you can use your free night at and you can find a list of some of the best properties to use your free night at here.

In the past, I have received close to $200 or more in value from this benefit so that easily offsets the $95 annual fee. But you could find properties where you could receive $300+ in value for the free night if you looked hard enough.

Annual free night with spend

Something interesting about this card is that it also offers you a free anniversary night after only $15,000 in spend. Spending $15,000 in a year is not very difficult for a lot of people so this is a very easy way to get two free nights each year.

This is what I was referring to above. In some cases you may not want to optimize every day spend on a card like the Freedom Unlimited and instead choose to put spend on this card to pursue that free night.

It is also nice that you will also get elite night credits for your spend as I discuss below.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Elite status

  • Hyatt Discoverist status
  • Receive 5 qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every year
  • Earn 2 additional qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card

Automatic elite status

The World of Hyatt Card will grant you automatic Hyatt Discoverist status.

This is the bottom level of elite status for Hyatt and honestly it really does not offer much. It has allowed me to get some upgrades and things like premium internet and late check out (even 4pm) in the past so it is not worthless but just don’t go expecting too much from it. You can read more about this elite status here.

5 Elite night credits

The World of Hyatt Card also offers you qualifying night credits towards the status. You will automatically receive five qualifying night credits each year just for having the card.

Your five elite night credits should hit shortly after you open the card and then at the beginning of a calendar year in subsequent years.

Elite night credits via spend

You can also earn two additional night credits each time you spend $5,000 on your card.

The spend credits are huge because it means that this is one of the few hotel credit cards that you can climb your way up in elite status with spend. Yes, it would require a lot of spend to get up to the top elite levels but for a high spender that is actually achievable.

Here is a look at the elite levels for Hyatt and how to qualify.

  • Discoverist (10 qualifying nights, 25,000 Base Points, or holding 3 qualifying meetings/events per year.)
  • Explorist (30 qualifying nights, 50,000 Base Points, or holding 10 qualifying meetings/events per year.)
  • Globalist (60 qualifying nights, 100,000 Base Points, or holding 20 qualifying meetings/events per year.)
  • Lifetime Globalist status (Earn 1,000,000 Base Points over the course of your program membership)

If you have the World of Hyatt Card, you can basically subtract five qualifying nights from the initial requirements.

  • Explorist (25 qualifying nights)
  • Globalist (55 qualifying nights)

You could then spend your way to these with these levels of spend:

  • Explorist ($65,000 in spend)
  • Globalist ($140,000 in spend)

A more manageable plan would probably be to offset something like half of the qualifying night requirements for the level of status you are gunning for but it all depends on your spending preferences. If you did happen to make it to the top elite status level here are the benefits to be looking at:

  • 30% Bonus Points 
  • Premium internet
  • Late check-out 
  • Upgrade to best room, up to standard suites
  • Club Lounge Access 
  • Priority access to available rooms when checking in early
  • Complimentary parking
  • 48 hours guarantee 
  • Status with M life Rewards
  • Guest of Honor
Park Hyatt Bangkok.

Travel and purchase protections

The World of Hyatt Card offers some decent travel and purchase protections but there are much better options out there. Below I will highlight some of the key protections you can get with this card.

Purchase protection

This card will cover your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account. Personally, I like to use cards that offer up to $10,000 per claim in purchase protection like the Chase Sapphire eserve. 

Baggage delay insurance

You can get reimbursed for essential purchases for delays six hours or longer. Your coverage will be $100 per day for up to five days.

This is a pretty solid perk because it kicks in after only six hours and allows coverage for up to five days versus some other cards that limit you to three days or have longer periods that you have to wait.

Lost luggage

You can get reimbursed for a lost luggage up to $3,000.

Trip cancellation and interruption

You can get reimbursed up to $5,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses, including passenger fares, tours, and hotels. It is possible to get coverage for up to $10,000 per trip with premium cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve so consider that.

Annual fee

The annual fee for this card is $95. As mentioned above, it is pretty easy to offset this annual fee with the free night certificate.

For that reason, I believe that this is a keeper credit card, meaning that this is a card that you usually don’t have a reason to cancel related to paying the annual fee.

Also, this card has no foreign transaction fees.

Final word

Overall, I am a huge fan of the World of Hyatt Card. For people interested in staying loyal to Hyatt this is just a fantastic card. It starts you off with the good welcome bonus, offers solid bonus earnings at Hyatt properties, and has a lot of good perks to help you climb your way up the elite status ladder. And then there are the free nights which allow you to easily offset your annual fee.

 

World of Hyatt Card vs IHG Rewards Club Premier Card [2020]

The World of Hyatt credit card and the IHG Rewards Club Premier Card are two of the most popular co-branded hotel credit cards. Both of these credit cards are issued by Chase and while do they offer some common perks they also come with some with unique benefits. In this article, I’ll take a detailed look at each of the benefits offered by these cards and give you some insight into which card might be the better fit for your travel plans. 

Welcome bonus

The World of Hyatt Card

We’ve seen recent offers go out allowing you to earn 50,000 to 60,000 points with up to $6,000 worth of spend in the first 6 months from the time of account opening. 60,000 Hyatt points could cover two nights at a top tier Hyatt property like the Park Hyatt and 50,000 points could still cover two nights at a fantastic property as well. So with these bonuses you’re looking at potentially several hundred dollars of value here (or even more).

Here’s a look at the Hyatt award chart.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Card

We’ve seen  IHG Rewards Club Premier Card bonuses ranging around 80,000 to 140,000 IHG points but IHG points are not as valuable as Hyatt points. In fact, with the recent IHG award price changes, those points are not going to take you as far.

For example, it’s going to be impossible to cover two nights at top properties even if you were able to find the 100,000 point offer since the most expensive properties go for 70,000 points per night.

Here are some examples of redemption rates as of 2019:

  • InterContinental Sydney: 65,000
  • InterContinental Tokyo Bay: 55,000
  • InterContinental Tokyo Bay: 65,000

So when it comes to covering award stays at top properties, I’d take the welcome bonus from Hyatt any day over the IHG Card since it’s often possible to get two nights covered at a time.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Bonus categories

Both of these cards are transfer partners of Chase Ultimate Rewards at a 1:1 ratio.

This means that if you have a Chase card that earns bonus points on these same categories, you may want to use your Chase card instead of the co-branded card. For example, you’ll get 3X with the Chase Sapphire Reserve on dining and travel versus the 2X you’d get with both of these cards.

However, when it comes to spending money at these respective brands, you’ll usually want to go with the co-branded cards since you’ll get better value. 

The World of Hyatt Card

  • 4X spent with your card at Hyatt hotels, including participating restaurants and spas
  • 2X on local transit and commuting, including taxis, mass transit, tolls and ride-share services
  • 2X at restaurants, cafes and coffee shops
  • 2X on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline
  • 2X spent on fitness club and gym memberships

If you value Hyatt points at 1.5 cents per point, 4X is like getting 6% back on Hyatt purchases, which is great.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Card

  • 10X for spend at IHG
  • 2X at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants

The bonus spending rate for the IHG card is also strong with 10X at IHG properties. If you value IHG points at .7 cent per point, that’s like getting 7% back which is great.

So both of these cards offer strong earning opportunities with their respective brands. However, since the IHG card comes with more rewarding elite status, the spend on IHG properties is even better (as shown below). 

Free nights

The World of Hyatt Card

The World of Hyatt Card offers you the chance for multiple free nights.

  • Receive one free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after your cardmember anniversary
  • Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort if you spend $15,000 during your cardmember anniversary year

You can find a breakdown of category 4 Hyatt properties here.

It’s relatively easy to use your free night certificate at a Hyatt hotel that offers more value than what the annual fee costs so it is not too difficult to offset the annual fee of the Hyatt card with this perk alone.

However, Hyatt does have one of the smallest footprints so it will not be that easy for everybody to use.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Card

The annual free night with the old IHG credit card allowed you to book a free night at any IHG property, including top level InterContinentals. For that reason it was one of my top choices for earning a free hotel night stay. However, the new free night is capped at point redemption level of 40,000 points or less.

This was a huge loss to the IHG card. While it was a major loss, it really just put the IHG card on the same level as other co-branded hotel credit cards like the Marriott and Hyatt card which both offer free nights in the mid-tier range.

The IHG card doesn’t give you a free night for annual spend but it does offer 10,000 points after you spend $20,000 and make one additional purchase each cardmember year. I would take the Hyatt free night for $15K worth of spend over that offer, though.

Elite status

The World of Hyatt Card

The World of Hyatt Card comes with Hyatt Discoverist status.

That is the bottom tier status that doesn’t offer you a whole lot but it can get you a ten percent point bonus on the base points, upgrades, premium in-room internet access, late check-out, and discounts on purchases.

The bonus earning comes out to 5.5 points which on top of the 4X with the Hyatt card adds up tp 9.5 Hyatt points per dollar. At a valuation of 1.5 cents per point, that’s 14.25% back which isn’t bad but not on par with the IHG card.

The real elite perks of this card come in two forms:

  • Receive 5 qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every year
  • Earn 2 additional qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card

So with the Hyatt card you can more easily qualify for elite status with five qualifying night credits. Explorist requires 30 qualifying nights while Globalist requires 60 qualifying nights.

And what’s even sweeter is that you can continue to climb the elite status ladder with your spend. For every $5,000 you spend, you’ll get two elite credits which is fantastic for big-spenders. If you’re a high spender and Hyatt loyalist then the new Hyatt card is very tempting.

The ability to climb the elite status ladder with this card is a major unique perk. If you truly value Hyatt elite status and you think that you will be a loyal Hyatt member then you might want to seriously consider the potential value that you can get from this card over the Sapphire Preferred.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Card

The IHG card comes with IHG Platinum status which is a mid-tier status and here are some of the key benefits.

  • 50% bonus earnings
  • Complimentary Room Upgrades
  • Extended Check-Out
  • Priority Check-In
  • Guaranteed Room Availability
  • $30 In-Room Spa Credit

With the 50% bonus you’ll earn 15 IHG points per dollar spent on your hotel stay as a Platinum member. So if you value IHG points at .7 cent per point, that’s 10.5% back. That is very good compared to other major hotel loyalty programs and makes IHG one of the most rewarding hotel programs available. 

When you factor in the additional 10X the points you’d earn with the IHG credit card, you can earn 25 points per dollar spent, which amounts to 17.5% back on your IHG stays which is very solid.

Special IHG Card perks:

20% discount on IHG points

IHG has been offering some great promos on purchased points recently and has even lowered the price of their points. Combining these point promos with the 20% discount offered by this card has opened up some great opportunities, allowing members to save tons of cash on their stays by simply booking with purchases points instead of paying cash.

4th night free

With this card, you’ll be given the 4th night free on award stays. Some other hotel programs offer 5th night free but getting the 4th night free is a major perk because it’s much easier to use.

This perk can also increase the value of point purchases with the 20% discount. If you think you would normally make a 4 night stay at an IHG property with points, then this perk alone could make it worth getting this credit card.

Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit

Global Entry is a program that will grant you expedited entry through customs and immigration and TSA Pre-Check will get you through priority security.I highly recommend enrolling in Global Entry since it comes with automatic TSA Pre-Check status.

Annual fee

The IHG card comes with an $89 annual fee while the Hyatt card comes with a slightly higher $95 annual fee.

Final word

Both of these cards to a great job of offering unique perks to those who are loyal to their programs. I think that the average traveler will get more from the World of Hyatt card due to the higher sign-up bonus and because you won’t lose as much value when you transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards to Hyatt.

And while the Hyatt card offers an exciting way to earn elite status quicker, it’s hard to deny the value of the stronger earning potential with the IHG card and the ability to get the 4th night free on award stays. Overall, I’d probably go with the World of Hyatt card but it’s very hard to pick one over the other and I think they are both extremely valuable cards for their respective loyalists.

The New World of Hyatt Card is Here (And It’s Amazing)

Chase just revamped the Hyatt Visa Card and released the new World of Hyatt Card. It’s a new card that’s loaded with many more valuable perks and that is definitely one of the top hotel credit cards on the market now. If you value Hyatt points and have an interest in staying at Hyatt properties, then you absolutely want to check out this new card.

Update: Some offers are no longer available — click here for the latest deals!

The World of Hyatt Card

  • Sign-up Bonus: 
    • Earn 40,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
    • Plus, earn an additional 20,000 Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 total on purchases within the first 6 months of account opening.
  • Bonus earning: 
    • 4X spent with your card at Hyatt hotels, including participating restaurants and spas
    • 2X on local transit and commuting, including taxis, mass transit, tolls and ride-share services
    • 2X at restaurants, cafes and coffee shops
    • 2X on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline
    • 2X spent on fitness club and gym memberships
  • Free nights: 
    • Receive one free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after your cardmember anniversary
    • Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort if you spend $15,000 during your cardmember anniversary year
  • Elite status:
    • Receive 5 qualifying night creditstoward your next tier status every yea
    • Earn 2 additional qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
  • $95 Annual Fee ($20 higher now)

5/24 Rule

Reports are coming out that this card will eventually be subject to the Chase 5/24 Rule. You can read more about that rule (and others) here.

This means that if you’re interested in this card then you need to act pronto if you’ve over 5/24. 

Current cardmembers

If you already hold the Hyatt Visa card you can hold on to that card or you can upgrade (which I’ll be doing very soon).

Note: If you currently hold the Hyatt Visa you cannot get the new card and if you’ve received a Hyatt bonus in the past 24 months, you won’t be eligible either.

The official terms and conditions state:

The product is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of any Hyatt Credit Card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of any Hyatt Credit Card who received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months.

Sign-up bonus

  • Earn 40,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
  • Plus, earn an additional 20,000 Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 total on purchases within the first 6 months of account opening

This card takes the 40,000 point sign-up bonus of the previous Hyatt card and adds 20,000 bonus points to it after you spend a total of $6,000 in the first 6 months.

$6,000 is not a huge minimum spend requirement when you have 6 months to complete so this should be very doable for a lot of people.

60,000 Hyatt points can get you pretty far.

If you go for the lower properties, that can get you 6 to 12 free nights.

However, if you want to stay at the highest Hyatt properties that require 30,000 points per night, you can still get two free nights covered, much like the old sign-up bonus.

The difference is that you have points you can use which are more flexible and don’t expire as quickly, so this is a much-improved sign-up bonus.

Bonus earning

  • 4X spent with your card at Hyatt hotels, including participating restaurants and spas
  • 2X on local transit and commuting, including taxis, mass transit, tolls and ride-share services
  • 2X at restaurants, cafes and coffee shops
  • 2X on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline
  • 2X spent on fitness club and gym memberships

This card really stepped up the bonus earning.

You used to earn 3X on Hyatt purchases but now you earn 4X. This means that you’re better off using this card than the Sapphire Reserve now for Hyatt purchases.

At a valuation of 1.5 cents per point, that’s 6% back on Hyatt purchases, which is great. This will be in addition to the 5X you’ll earn as a Discoverist elite member. That’s a total of 14.25% back on hotel stays/purchases which makes this card one of the best earning for hotel points out of any hotel credit card. 

It also means you’ll be earning 2X or 3% back on all sorts of travel and dining purchases but if you have a card a like the Sapphire Reserve, you’d want to stick to that card since you’d be getting 3X back which transfers out to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio.

But the 2X on gym memberships is cool because not many other cards off that as a bonus category.

Earning 4X on Hyatt stays like the Park Hyatt Bangkok is great.

Free nights

  • Receive one free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after your cardmember anniversary
  • Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort if you spend $15,000 during your cardmember anniversary year

Hyatt adds on to the previously offered annual free night certificate with an additional free night when you spend $15,000, which again is another pretty obtainable goal, especially if you’re already hitting the $6,000 minimum spend requirement.

You can find some decent Hyatt properties in the category 1 to 4 range but I often struggle to find a property I really want to stay at given how small the Hyatt footprint is.

It’s worth noting that the free nights are not available at resorts and properties like Miraval, Hyatt Zilara or Hyatt Ziva resorts or Oasis homes.

You can’t use free nights at resorts like the Hyatt Ziva in Jamaica.

Elite status perks

  • Receive 5 qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every year
  • Earn 2 additional qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card

This card comes with the same Discoverist status as the old card. There’s not much to this status although I’ve been given nice upgrades because of that status at top-tier properties like the Park Hyatt Milan or the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme (not my favorite).

But these perks are very valuable to those who value status with Hyatt.

Free nights count toward elite status now, so you’ll have a head start toward hitting your elite status by utilizing your free nights plus 5 qualifying nights from this card.

And for big spenders, this perk is absolutely huge.

You can work your way up to top-tier status simply be spending a lot on your credit card as you’ll earn 2 nights every time you spend $5,000.

By spending between $65,000 and $140,000, you could obtain Explorist or Globalist status depending on if you’re qualifying for the first time or re-qualifying.

That’s a lot of spend but this is still going to attract a lot of people to spend money on this card.

The Park Hyatt Paris.

Final word

This new Hyatt card is one of the best hotel credit cards now that it’s beefed up with so many more benefits. The higher sign-up bonus can cover a weekend at the most expensive Park Hyatts and the card now earns better points at Hyatt purchases and on the gym membership category which is rare. The card also makes obtaining elite status much easier with its credits.

Since this card will soon be subject to Chase’s 5/24 Rule, I really many people should jump on it sooner than later just to be on the safe side. If you want to compare this card to the new Marriott credit click here.