Yesterday, I wrote about the new Hyatt award changes that are coming next month. This is pretty much an annual thing but this year is more significant than ever for two big reasons – the new off-peak/standard/peak-pricing will be valid and there are Hyatt hotels entering the big Category 8. But, there is another category that hurts as well.
The New Hyatt Award Changes That are Bad
While it is never great to see a hotel go up in award categories, we always get those that come down as well. This time, it’s almost split down the middle. There are 146 changes in total with 70 hotels going up in price and 76 hotels going down in price. You can see the full list right here (I will say this – Hyatt did a nice job of making it easy to see and find these hotels this year with a nice sortable list).
Hyatt Hotels Changing to Category 8
There are 9 Hyatt hotels that are going up in price to a Category 8. The Category 8 has historically been preserved for non-Hyatt hotels like Small Luxury Hotels and Destination by Hyatt properties. But, this is the first time a Hyatt hotel has cracked into that category which means others most certainly will follow in the future.
Here, again, is that list of 9 hotels:
- Park Hyatt New York – Category 7 to Category 8
- Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort – Category 7 to Category 8
- Alila Ventana Big Sur – Category 7 to Category 8
- Alila Napa Valley – Category 7 to Category 8
- Park Hyatt Sydney – Category 7 to Category 8
- Park Hyatt Milan – Category 7 to Category 8
- Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome – Category 7 to Category 8
- Hotel Lou Pinet – Category 7 to Category 8
- Park Hyatt Kyoto – Category 7 to Category 8
- Park Hyatt Niseko – Category 7 to Category 8
Hyatt Hotels That Will No Longer Be Bookable with Category 1-4 Free Night Certificates
The other change that is bad is hotels going from Category 4 to Category 5. The reason this is bad is because Hyatt Category 1 – 4 free night certificates are pretty easy to earn (see this post for ways to earn them). Even though it is just one category (and just 5,000 points more per night), a hotel moving up to Category 5 now will put it out of reach for these free night certificates.
| Name of Hotel | Location |
|---|---|
| Gild Hall (a Thompson Hotel) | New York City |
| Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa, and Marina | Maryland |
| Hyatt Place Portland - Old Port | Maine |
| The Confidante Miami Beach | Florida |
| Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course | California |
| Hyatt Place Santa Cruz | California |
| Hyatt Place Santa Barbara | California |
| Park Hyatt Zanzibar | Tanzania |
| Hyatt Regency Seragaki Island, Okinawa | Japan |
| Park Hyatt Hangzhou | China |
| Park Hyatt Istanbul - Macka Palas | Turkey |
There are 11 hotels in all that will be moving out of reach of the Category 1 – 4 free night certificate. One of the toughest ones is the Gild Hall. While the name may not be familiar, it was a sweet spot for many as it was a free night certificate stay in Manhattan, a place that often commands much higher rates.
There are many upset about the change for the Confidante in Miami Beach as well. Plus, three Park Hyatts will now be out of reach. This is a shame since Park Hyatt is the luxury brand for Hyatt and being able to use a Category 1-4 certificate to stay at one is always a thrill. Could this be one of the reasons these changes occur?
These changes go into effect on March 22, 2022 at 8AM CDT. If you use your certificate before then for any date in the future, it will be honored. But, if you make changes after that date, it goes by the new rate so you will not be able to use your certificate anymore.
I hate to just look at the bad so watch for another post shortly that covers some of the good news of these changes. 🙂
