Big Unbelievable World Of Hyatt Changes: Everything You Need To Know
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When the new year arrives so will a revamped Hyatt loyalty program, World of Hyatt 2.0. World of Hyatt changes include reduced elite night requirements for a milestone reward, the ability to earn a Category 1 to 8 free night certificate, and huge changes to the Guest of Honor program. Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly World of Hyatt changes and everything you need to know.
These changes start on January 1, 2024.
The crux of the program isn’t changing. There aren’t any category changes or elite requirement changes.
If you struggle every year to earn Globalist, these changes give you some Globalist perks that don’t require you to stay 60 nights a year.
Why is World of Hyatt Changing
The changes are to enhance the best hotel loyalty program which has “quadrupled” according to Mark Vondraske, chief commerical officer, Hyatt.
Some changes dilute Globalist benefits while others enhance the program for Explorist members. Fraud within the GOH program is also reduced.
With additional perks for members with over 100 nights, the changes help foster loyalty.
Milestone Rewards
The biggest changes occur within the Milestone Rewards which will include perks for up to 150 nights. The current World of Hyatt program offers eight Milestone Rewards levels.
Under World of Hyatt 2.0, there are 14 levels. Not only are there additional levels you also have more award choices. You can choose the award that works best for you.
Milestone rewards are earned yearly based on nights or base points.
You can earn tier qualifying nights from hotel stays (paid cash rates, redeeming points for award nights, or free night certificates) or through spending from The World of Hyatt Credit Card and card_name.
With all Milestone Choice awards, you have 90 days to make your selection. Once you decide, you can’t change your mind. Some awards expire after 180 days.
Pro-tip: You can gift a Milestone Reward. This is a great option for your spouse, partner (P2), or other family member to enjoy these awards.
20 Night Milestone Reward
The first Milestone Reward begins when you’ve earned 20 nights or earned 35,000 base points. There’s no guaranteed perk but you can choose a 2,000 point bonus on your next stay (2K Next Stay), 2 Club Access Awards (CAAs), or a $25 FIND experience credit. Currently, you don’t have a choice and get the CAAs.
Having options is a nice improvement. You have 90 days after earning the Milestone Reward to make your selection.
For most, especially if you have World of Hyatt Globalist elite status, at first glance the 2K bonus seems like the best value. However, it’s not a blanket bonus.
You only get the 2K Next Stay bonus after your next stay at a Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Caption by Hyatt, or UrCove Hotel. If you don’t stay at any of those brands, it’s a wasted choice. The 2K Next Stay bonus expires after 180 days.
I’d rather have a generic 2K Next Stay bonus where you’d get 2,000 points after a stay at any World of Hyatt. That would almost cover one night at an off peak Category 1 hotel.
If you don’t stay at Hyatt often and want free breakfast, for a future stay where you’d have to pay for breakfast, the 2 Club Access Awards could be a better choice.
The $25 FIND experience credit is valid for the entire year it’s earned plus an additional 14 months. Experiences are prepaid and nonrefundable unless specified. I’ll write a more comprehensive post later this week about FIND.
30 Night Milestone Reward
After earning 30 nights or 50,000 base points you’ll receive a Category 1 to 4 Free Night Award (FNA) and a choice of a 2,000 point bonus on your next stay, 2 Club Access Awards, or a $25 FIND experience credit. Currently, at 30 nights you get the Category 1 to 4 certificate and 2 Club Access Awards. The Category 1 to 4 FNA is valid for 180 days.
For this award, as with the 20 night award, the 2,000 point bonus is the best value. You can’t stack this with the 20 night 2K Next Stay Award on a booking of two or more nights. You have to use each 2K Next Stay Award on separate reservations.
If you regularly book multiple rooms, the Club Access Awards would be a better option.
The $25 FIND credit could be a decent pick IF there’s a FIND experience near you or at a hotel where you have a future stay.
40 Night Milestone Reward
There is a significant change to the 40 Night Milestone Reward under World of Hyatt 2.0. Some good, some bad.
When you’ve earned 40 nights or 65,000 base points you’ll get the ability to book a Guest of Honor reservation via a Guest of Honor Award (GHA) and a choice of 5,000 bonus points, a Suite Upgrade Award, or a $150 FIND experience credit.
Starting January 2024, as an Explorist with 40 nights you can make a Guest of Honor (GOH) reservation for yourself or someone else and enjoy Globalist perks. You can also book a GOH on a cash rate, not just on a points stay as is the current GOH policy.
But you are limited to one GOH booking until you earn the ability to make another. Additionally, the Guest of Honor booking is valid for an up to 7 night reservation. GHAs are valid for the entire year earned and an additional 14 months. Read this post about the new changes to Guest of Honor bookings and what it means to you.
Unfortunately, you no longer have an option of the $100 Hyatt gift card. This was a great choice for US based members but some hotels had redemption troubles.
You can choose a Suite Upgrade Award (SUA). This allows 40 night Explorist to enjoy the suite life vs just getting upgraded to a higher category of room.
Previously, the obvious choice at 40 nights was the 5,000 point bonus. But now that a Suite Upgrade Award is an option, it might tip the scales. Points never expire. A guaranteed suite for a 7 day stay where you need the extra room is also a solid choice. But a SUA expires in a year.
You have to do the math and consider your future Hyatt stays to decide which is the best choice for you.
Pro-tip: You’ll earn one elite qualifying night when you make a GOH for another member. But you will not earn one for making the booking for yourself.
Instead, make it for your partner so you can double dip: enjoy Globalist perks and earn an elite night credit.
50 Night Milestone Reward
Another casualty of the World of Hyatt changes is the 50 night Milestone Reward. Gone are the guaranteed two Suite Upgrade Awards. Unlike the 30, 40, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 night rewards, there is no guaranteed perk. It’s almost as if someone made a mistake and the perk was accidentally deleted.
Upon reaching 50 nights or 80,000 base points, you can choose from 5,000 points, 2 Suite Upgrade Awards, or a $150 FIND experience credit.
The best choice for you depends on your future travel. The SUAs are a good choice if you stay at hotels that offer suites and can use them before they expire.
Choosing the $150 FIND experience credit offsets the cost of your “tour” or experience. If you used points for your stay and miles for your flight, your trip could almost be free.
60 Night Milestone Reward
There is no change to the 60 Night Milestone Reward. This award is reached at 60 nights or 100,000 base points.
You receive a Category 1 to 7 Free Night Award (FNA), 2 Suite Upgrade Awards, and are assigned to a My Hyatt Concierge (MHC).
Additionally, you get the ability to book 2 Guest of Honor bookings. Great news for folks who book a lot of GOH for friends and family. Or when you booked two rooms for your family and to ensure Globalist benefits, you book one as a Guest of Honor.
Pro-tip: You earn one tier qualifying night for booking a GOH for someone else regardless of the length of the GOH reservation.
The Category 1 to 7 Free Night Award is valuable but with so many aspirational hotels now a Category 8, it’s not as lucrative. This award expires in six months.
Another attractive and valuable perk of earning 60 nights or 100K points is the two Suite Upgrade Awards. Now that you can earn a SUA at 40 nights and Explorists can book a GOH, this could increase competition for hotels with a limited number of suites. SUAs expire after a year.
It’s hard to quantify the value of a My Hyatt Concierge (MHC). There are some occasions when their assistance is invaluable. I’ve had good experiences with both of my MHCs as well as those who helped me when calling the Globalist line.
Globalists and Lifetime Globalists as of December 31, 2023, will receive 5 GOH awards in January 2024. These awards will expire on February 28, 2025.
Pro-tip: If your Globalist status expires February 28, 2025 and February 28, 2026 and you use all five of your Guest of Honors Awards, you can use the Legacy Guest of Honor benefits through the end of your status. This means a GOH booked on points only, not cash.
70, 80, 90 Night Milestone Rewards
The 70, 80, and 90 Night Milestone Rewards on paper appear improved. In reality, depending on how you look at it, perhaps not so much.
The guaranteed perk at 70, 80, and 90 nights is the ability to make one Guest of Honor reservation. At that many nights, there shouldn’t be a limit to how many GOH reservations you can make. It would be nice if this were two GOH awards.
You can choose from 10,000 bonus points, a Suite Upgrade Award (SUA), or a $300 FIND experience credit.
If most of your stays are single nights and you usually checkin late afternoon, the $300 FIND credit isn’t a good choice. But if you stay multiple nights and have time during the day to explore or experience the location, you could get value from the FIND credit.
Under the current Milestone Rewards chart, most people choose the 10,000 points. That’s because we get 2 SUAs at 50 nights and 2 SUAs at 60 nights. But now with having to choose between a Suite Upgrade Award and another award, the math has changed.
You should select points if you stay at higher Category hotels or travel during peak season where it costs more points. Or if you’ve already picked or don’t have much use for a SUA.
100 Night Milestone Reward
You earn a Category 1 to 7 Free Night Award (FNA) as part of the 100 Night Milestone Reward. This FNA expires in 180 days. You also get a choice of 10,000 bonus points, a Suite Upgrade Award (SUA), or a Miraval Extra Night Award (MENA).
The Miraval Extra Night Award gives you a free night when you stay one night. This is a good value if you stay at Miraval and don’t travel with children. But if you travel with family, this wouldn’t be the best choice.
You can stack your BOGO MENAs but each is only valid for one night. The Miraval Extra Night Award is valid for 180 days.
Similar to other Milestone Rewards where you have to choose between points or a Suite Upgrade Award, you have to take into your travel plans and needs to determine which is the best option.
110, 120, 130, 140 Night Milestone Rewards
New for 2024, you earn milestone rewards for 110, 120, 130, and 140 nights. This is a great perk if you stay more than 100 nights a year at Hyatt hotels. Or if you spend heavily on your card_name for additional elite nights.
It’s a smart move by WOH to incentivize their top customers to stay loyal instead of switching to another hotel program after earning Globalist.
At 110, 120, 130, and 140 nights, you can make one Guest of Honor reservation and get to select from 10,000 bonus points, a Suite Upgrade Award (SUA), or a Miraval Extra Night.
The Miraval Extra Night is valuable if you stay at Miraval.
If you stay for several days at the same hotel and can use the Suite Upgrade Award before it expires, you should choose the SUA.
But if most of your stays are single nights, it could make more sense to select the 10,000 points.
150 Night Milestone Reward
Upon reaching 150 nights in a calendar year, you earn an Ultimate Free Night Award (UFNA) and a choice of 10,000 bonus points, a Suite Upgrade Award (SUA), or a Miraval Extra Night.
You can use the Ultimate Free Night Award (UFNA) at any participating Category 1 to 8 hotel, at a Category A to F all inclusive resort, or at a participating Miraval resort. The only exclusion is Homes & Hideaways by World of Hyatt.
This is a tremendous value of up to 42,000 points because you can use it at any World of Hyatt hotel. As you could with a Category 1 to 7 Free Night Award before the introduction of Category 8 and the A to F all-inclusive chart. The UFNA is valid for 180 days.
At 150 nights, you’d know best which choice award gives you the most value.
Conclusion
On January 1, 2024, the World of Hyatt Milestone Rewards and the Guest of Honor program will change.
You’ll now be able to earn additional awards after 100 and up to 150 nights. And you can earn an Ultimate Free Night Award that you can redeem at almost any World of Hyatt hotel worldwide.
I like most of the additional Milestone Rewards options, but don’t like the removal of the two guaranteed Suite Upgrade Awards at 50 nights, limited GOH bookings, and the timing restriction. Although as a current Globalist, the timing restriction doesn’t affect me.
I made 2 GOH reservations last year, both for my husband. Having a time frame restriction may impact your ability to make a reservation for your P2 when needed.
Are you happy about the upcoming changes?
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