There is a Hyatt sale going on right now (actually, they had been trying to get it going since last week on the website but today is the first day it is working) and you can buy Hyatt points for 1.8 cents each.
Point Sale: Buy Hyatt Points For 1.8 Cents Each
Buying Hyatt Points – a good deal?
The details of the sale are:
- Receive a 30% bonus on purchased points when buying 5,000 or more points
- Sale runs until March 7, 2016
- Points are sold by points.com (so no bonus points if you use a hotel card)
- Price per points (over 5,000 points) is 1.8 cents each
Most people would likely put the redemption value of Hyatt points between 1.6 cents and 1.9 cents each. That means this sale is likely at the same price point as the redemption value you would likely get out of them. In other words, it could potentially be a break even situation.
Good Deal?
So, is it a good deal to buy these points during this sale? If you regularly use Points+Cash, you are essentially purchasing points anyway. For Category 2 – 6 properties, you are basically buying the points at a rate of 1.2 cents to 1.375 cents each. That is because you are paying the Cash to diminish the amount of points you would need for an outright award.
Hyatt’s Points+Cash is a good, cheap way to “buy” points
In fact, this math gets even a little better in favor of “buying” points with the Points+Cash as this rate counts as a point earning/elite earning rate. So you will earn bonus points on the Cash component you spend at the property plus this redemption will earn night credits and allow you to redeem a Diamond Suite Upgrade (which you cannot do with an outright award stay).
How does this work out with the sale? This sale would make sense if you need to top off your account for an upcoming award. It is a cheap way to get what you need. But, there are other alternatives. You could also transfer Ultimate Reward points to your Hyatt account or you could transfer points from a different account (like a family or friend’s account) for free – a good option if you will be traveling with that person anyway. 🙂
Summary
If you need to top off your Hyatt account for an upcoming award, this sale would make great sense. But, a cheaper alternative would be to actually redeem a Points+Cash transaction for the stay you are planning (if it is available). It is nice to see a sale but make sure you consider all the options before purchasing the points.
Absolutely makes sense for some high value redemption options (Park Hyatt NY when rates are above $800)
That is certainly true. The same goes for someplace like the Park Hyatt Sydney as well.
Makes sense for Hyatt Aruba when using points +cash in the winter time.