The most award-friendly hotel program: Everything you need to know about World of Hyatt

With its recent addition of Mr & Mrs Smith properties and Under Canvas locations, plus the termination of its Small Luxury Hotels of the World partnership, World of Hyatt has certainly made headlines in 2024.

Despite its growing portfolio, Hyatt has fewer properties than Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors. Still, its reputation of having some of the most valuable hotel points, reasonable redemption rates and top-tier elite status perks have earned it a loyal following. It also provides more value to members thanks to partnerships with companies like American Airlines.

From earning and redeeming points to the different levels of elite status, here's everything you need to know about the World of Hyatt program.

Related: Here's how to quickly stock up on Hyatt points for your next vacation

World of Hyatt's current brands

Hyatt has over two dozen brands and more than 1,300 properties in 70-plus countries. Here's a look at Hyatt's current brands:

• Alila
• Alua Hotels & Resorts
• Andaz
• Atona
• Breathless Resorts & Spas
• Caption by Hyatt
• Destination by Hyatt (includes participating Destination by Hyatt Hotels and participating Destination by Hyatt Residences locations)
• Dream (U.S. locations only)
• Dreams Resorts & Spas
• Grand Hyatt
• Hyatt (includes participating legacy AMR Collection properties that don't operate under one of the other brands on this list)
• Hyatt Centric
• Hyatt House
• Hyatt Place
• Hyatt Regency
• Hyatt Vacation Club
• Hyatt Vivid Hotels & Resorts
• Hyatt Studios
• Hyatt Zilara
• Hyatt Ziva
• Impression by Secrets
• JdV by Hyatt
• Miraval
• Mr & Mrs Smith
• Park Hyatt
• Secrets Resorts & Spas
• Sunscape Resorts & Spas
• Thompson Hotels
• The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
• Under Canvas
• UrCove
• Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts

Related: How to earn up to 6 free nights with Hyatt Brand Explorer

World of Hyatt's partners

World of Hyatt has multiple partners with which you can earn and redeem points, including American Airlines AAdvantage and Avis Preferred. Previously, Hyatt partnered with Lindblad Expeditions and MGM Rewards, but these partnerships ended in 2023.

Here's a quick overview of the Hyatt-American Airlines partnership and the reciprocal benefits members receive:

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• World of Hyatt elite members: All World of Hyatt elite members earn 1 Hyatt point for every eligible dollar spent on qualifying American Airlines flights.
• American AAdvantage elite members: All AAdvantage elite members earn 1 AAdvantage mile for every eligible dollar spent on qualifying Hyatt stays and experiences.
• American AAdvantage Concierge Key members: All Concierge Key members are eligible for Hyatt Globalist status.

Related: How to leverage Hyatt partnerships for cruises, flights and more

World of Hyatt elite status

World of Hyatt has three elite status tiers aside from their basic membership: Discoverist, Explorist and Globalist. Here's a look at what you'll need to qualify for each level and the perks you can enjoy.

Discoverist

The lowest elite tier in the World of Hyatt program is Discoverist status, which you can earn after 10 nights or 25,000 base points. Since basic members earn five points per dollar spent on Hyatt stays, earning 25,000 points requires spending $5,000 on stays.

Meeting and event planners can currently earn Discoverist status by booking three qualifying meetings in a calendar year. However, at the end of 2024, this will change to a spend-based system. Meeting and event planners will earn two elite qualifying night credits (up to 60 total per calendar year) for every $5,000 spent, and those nights will go toward earning elite status. You can find more information on the new system here.

Here's what you'll get as a Discoverist member:

• A 10% points bonus on eligible Hyatt purchases
• Space-available upgrades to preferred rooms within the room type booked, including ones with a preferred view or location
• Elite check-in
• Late checkout at 2 p.m.
• Premium internet access
• Bottled water at check-in

Explorist

The next tier in the World of Hyatt program is Explorist status, which you'll achieve after 30 nights, 10 meetings and events or 50,000 base points ($10,000 in spending). In addition to all Discoverist benefits, you'll enjoy:

• A 20% points bonus on eligible purchases
• Space-available upgrades to upgraded room types, excluding suites and rooms with club lounge access
• Guaranteed room availability when you book at least 72 hours in advance

Globalist

Finally, the top elite tier in the World of Hyatt program is Globalist status, which requires 60 nights, 20 meetings and events or 100,000 base points ($20,000 in spending). While this is a lot of stays, meetings or spending, Globalists is considered by many TPG staffers as the best hotel status in the industry.

You'll have access to all the perks of the Explorist level, as well as:

• A 30% points bonus on eligible purchases
• Space-available room upgrade, including standard suites
• Late checkout at 4 p.m.
• Access to club lounges where available or complimentary full breakfast at hotels without lounges
• Guaranteed room availability when you book at least 48 hours in advance
• Waived resort fees on eligible paid rates (all other membership tiers receive waived resort fees on only award stays)
• Early check-in (when available)
• The ability to share elite perks on award stays via Guest of Honor awards
• Free parking on award stays
• A welcome amenity at Hyatt Studios

Keep in mind that these requirements may be lower if you have a cobranded Hyatt card. For instance, those with the World of Hyatt Credit Card automatically get five qualifying nights each year and earn two additional qualifying nights for every $5,000 spent on the card. Meanwhile, the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card earns five elite night credits for every $10,000 spent per calendar year. Both cards offer automatic Hyatt Discoverist status.

Related: How to get top-tier Hyatt Globalist status for life

How to earn Hyatt points

There are several ways to earn World of Hyatt points toward your next free stay, from staying at Hyatt's many hotels to spending on cobranded credit cards.

Hyatt hotel stays

You can earn points on all Hyatt hotel stays booked directly through Hyatt. (You generally don't earn Hyatt points, or any other hotel points, when booking through online travel agencies.)

Hyatt awards 5 points per dollar spent on hotel rates (excluding taxes and fees) and qualifying room charges (room service, bar tabs, spa services, etc.). This rate is consistent across all brands except at Hyatt Studios; stays at these properties only earn 2.5 points per dollar spent. You'll also earn 10 points for every eligible dollar spent on Hyatt's Find experiences.

Elite members receive a bonus on all points earned on eligible Hyatt purchases.

• Discoverist: 10% bonus (5.5 points per dollar spent)
• Explorist: 20% bonus (6 points per dollar spent)
• Globalist: 30% bonus (6.5 points per dollar spent)

So, if you're a World of Hyatt Globalist member staying three nights at a Grand Hyatt hotel at a base rate of $150 per night, you'd earn 2,925 points on your hotel stay. Since TPG values World of Hyatt points at 1.7 cents each as of August 2024, those points are worth nearly $50. Off-peak Category 1 redemptions start at 3,500 points per night.

Related: Which credit card should you use for Hyatt stays?

World of Hyatt promotions

World of Hyatt frequently runs promotions for its members to earn more. For instance, you may earn bonus points or elite night credits for staying at specific brands or locations during a certain time frame. We routinely update this page with the latest Hyatt promotions.

Related: Deal alert: The latest points and miles travel deals

Credit cards

As with elite status, you can earn points faster when you hold one of Hyatt's cobranded credit cards. Hyatt doesn't offer as many cards as some hotel brands, but it provides solid options for both personal and business cards.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card has a $95 annual fee and offers 30,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening. Plus, you can accrue up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2 bonus points total per dollar spent in the first six months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 bonus point, on up to $15,000 spent.

Here's what you'll get with the card:

• An annual Category 1-4 free night certificate
• A second Category 1-4 free night certificate when you spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year
• Automatic Discoverist status for as long as your account is open
• Five elite night credits every year, plus two elite night credits every time you spend $5,000 on the card

The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card, which has a $199 annual fee, offers a welcome bonus of 75,000 World of Hyatt bonus points: 60,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening, plus 15,000 points after spending $12,000 in the first six months from account opening. This offer ends Sept. 26.

Here are some of the benefits of the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card:

• $100 in Hyatt credits each anniversary year (spend $50 or more at any Hyatt property and earn $50 statement credits up to two times each anniversary year)
• Hyatt Leverage membership
• Discoverist status for the cardholder and up to five employees
• A 10% redemption bonus when you spend $50,000 per calendar year, on up to 200,000 points redeemed
• Earn five tier qualifying night credits for every $10,000 spent on the card in a calendar year

You can also transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio from cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.

Related: From international business class to domestic hops: 6 of the best Chase Ultimate Rewards sweet spots

How to redeem Hyatt points

World of Hyatt's award chart

Hyatt prices award nights at most properties using a published award chart (the new Mr & Mrs Smith collection is the only exception). This is a notable differentiator from other programs that have shifted to dynamic pricing, and it often allows travelers to get outsize value from their points by finding award chart sweet spots.

The higher the hotel category, the more points you'll need for a free night redemption. Generally speaking, the more upscale brands like Park Hyatt and Andaz and hotels in popular tourist destinations are in higher categories; chains like Hyatt House and Hyatt Place are in lower categories.

Earlier this year, Hyatt increased the award categories at over 200 properties, which devalued many sweet spots. Nevertheless, there's still a ton of value to be had.

Additionally, World of Hyatt has off-peak and peak pricing. When you book your next Hyatt reservation on points, you can tell if your dates are off-peak, standard or peak based on the number of points required. You can also view a hotel's Points Calendar to search for off-peak dates.

Here's what pricing looks like for a standard room. (Peak and off-peak pricing also applies to club rooms and suites; you can find all rates on Hyatt's redemption page.)

You can search for hotels in a given category by heading to this page on Hyatt's site. Alternatively, you can use the map functionality on Hyatt's "Explore hotels" page to search for your destination. Each hotel's category will show up in the list.

If you don't have enough points for an entire redemption, you might be able to book a Pay My Way award instead. This option allows you to combine cash, points and free night awards for a discounted stay. When available, these awards should appear during your award search. Hyatt also offers Points + Cash redemptions, where you'll pay half of the award night price and half of the paid rate for that night.

Redeeming points for all-inclusive resorts

After Hyatt acquired Apple Leisure Group in 2021, Apple's 100-plus all-inclusive properties were integrated into the World of Hyatt program, joining the existing Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara brands. Given their unique nature, these locations fall into a separate award chart.

Award rates are based on single or double occupancy, and there's an extra charge for additional room occupants. Here's what the all-inclusive award chart looks like for standard rooms.

Hyatt also has three all-inclusive wellness resorts under the Miraval umbrella — Miraval Berkshires, Miraval Austin and Miraval Arizona — which follow their own award chart. Points prices vary by room type (standard room, standard suite or premium suite), occupancy (single or double) and dates (off-peak, standard or peak).

Award nights at Miraval properties include accommodations, a $175 resort credit per person, food, nonalcoholic beverages and a range of complimentary activities. Rates start at 40,000 points for off-peak, single-occupancy reservations in standard rooms — but they climb to as high as 137,000 points per night for premium suites for two guests on peak dates. You can view the full price list for Miraval award stays at this link.

Related: The best Hyatt all-inclusive resorts in the world

Redeeming points for upgrades

You can also use Hyatt points to upgrade eligible paid stays. The rates range from 3,000 points per night for upgrades to club-level rooms to 9,000 points per night for premium suites. Upgrades to the club level can be especially valuable when traveling with a companion to a property that offers a generous club lounge breakfast.

You can also use Hyatt upgrade certificates, which some elite members earn as Milestone Awards, to upgrade to standard suites. Note that you must call Hyatt for point and certificate upgrades, and some properties are excluded.

Related: How to redeem Hyatt points for upgraded rooms and suites

Redeeming points for dynamically priced hotels

Unfortunately, not all Hyatt properties follow an award chart. Hyatt's newest Mr & Mrs Smith collection, which includes hundreds of boutique hotels and glamping properties, is dynamically priced — making it harder to redeem your points for a good value.

For instance, a classic sea view suite at Greece's Boheme Mykonos will set you back around $350 or 30,500 points per night in April, yielding around 1 cent per point in value. That's not an ideal value for Hyatt points. There may still be some sweet spots, but with no award chart, it will be harder to find them. Since you can earn up to 9 points per dollar spent at Mr & Mrs Smith hotels, you may be better off paying with cash and stocking up on points for a better redemption.

Other redemption options

Hyatt offers some other redemption routes, such as redeeming points for credit toward dining and spa services at participating locations. Options range from a $10 credit for 1,000 points to a $1,000 credit for 65,000 points, giving you a value of 1 to 1.5 cents per point. Or, if you're planning a meeting or event at a Hyatt property, you can redeem points toward meeting credits at a flat rate of 1.3 cents per point. These redemption options provide a far less valuable return than TPG's August 2024 valuation of 1.7 cents each, so we generally don't recommend them.

You can also transfer Hyatt points into miles at one of Hyatt's airline partners, typically at a rate of 5,000 points to 2,000 miles. Again, this won't give you the best value for your points, but it's a nice option if you're short a few miles for an award flight.

World of Hyatt sweet spots

You can often get maximum value from your Hyatt points by booking award chart sweet spots. Here are some of our favorites.

Category 1 Hyatt hotels

Category 1 hotels are a steal at just 3,500 points per night on off-peak dates. Some of our favorite Category 1 Hyatt properties include the Park Hyatt Chennai, the Hyatt Regency Dulles and the Alila Manggis in Bali.

Category 4 hotels with reward night certificates

Hyatt offers Category 1-4 free night certificates that are particularly valuable because you can use them for a free standard room at Category 4 hotels, where award rates can reach 18,000 points on peak dates. There are several ways to earn these certificates:

• On your cardmember anniversary for the World of Hyatt Credit Card
• When you spend $15,000 on your World of Hyatt Card in a calendar year
• By staying 30 nights or earning 50,000 base points at Hyatt properties in a calendar year
• Every time you stay at five unique Hyatt brands on eligible rates through Hyatt's Brand Explorer (up to five free night certificates)

These certificates are a great way to enjoy mid-tier hotels nationwide, including The Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, Thompson Chicago and the Hyatt Regency Seattle.

Related: These are the best Hyatt Category 4 hotels, according to Globalists

Top-tier Hyatt hotels

Hyatt's relatively reasonable award rates mean you can stay at Category 7 and 8 hotels for between 25,000 and 45,000 points per night. You'll find some of Hyatt's best properties in these categories, including the Category 8 Park Hyatt Sydney and the Category 7 Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour. Rooms at these hotels routinely sell for close to $1,000 but can climb even higher during peak season.

For example, TPG's Nick Ewen spent a weekend in New York City ahead of Christmas in 2022, and he used 90,000 points for two nights at the Park Hyatt New York. The cash rate for his stay would've been more than $2,300, giving him an excellent value of over 2.5 cents per point.

Bottom line

World of Hyatt is full of high-value redemptions, aspirational hotels and valuable rewards certificates.

Coupled with some sweet perks like bonuses for elite members on American Airlines flights and incredible top-tier Globalist elite status benefits, World of Hyatt remains the go-to program for many savvy travelers.