A favorite among points, miles and hotel enthusiasts, World of Hyatt stands out in a crowded hospitality landscape with a travel-friendly loyalty program through valuable points, reasonable redemptions and standout elite perks.
World of Hyatt members can earn points for hotel stays in various ways, including through eligible room rates, dining at hotel restaurants, and spa services. Additionally, members can earn points by transferring credit card points into their World of Hyatt account.
Today, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about World of Hyatt.
Launched in 2017 as a rebranding of the previous Hyatt Gold Passport program, World of Hyatt is free to join and allows members to earn points on stays at Hyatt hotels and various other outlets. Members can also earn points through the loyalty program’s two cobranded credit cards.
Members can redeem points for various rewards, including free hotel nights, room upgrades and experiences through the FIND program for activity excursions. The program features a tiered elite status system (Discoverist, Explorist, Globalist) based on qualifying nights or base points earned. Benefits of World of Hyatt elite status include room upgrades, late checkout and access to club lounges.
World of Hyatt uses a fixed award pricing model, with the points required for free nights determined by a hotel’s category rather than fluctuating with demand for most of its properties. The program often features competitive redemption rates and valuable promotions, which is no wonder it’s a favorite among savvy travelers.
I’ve been a Globalist with World of Hyatt since 2020. I’ve earned and redeemed over 1,000,000 World of Hyatt points and have discovered how to maximize rewards by timing bookings strategically and leveraging elite status perks.
Despite having a smaller footprint than Marriott, Hilton and IHG, Hyatt has expanded significantly in the last few years. The company now has around 1,400 hotels and 31 different brands. Here are the Hyatt brands:
You can earn World of Hyatt elite status through qualifying nights, base points or meetings/events. The program offers three elite status tiers beyond the basic membership level:
Here are a few key features of the World of Hyatt elite status program:
Here’s a closer look at what you can expect at each tier:
Discoverist:
Explorist (additional benefits):
Globalist (additional benefits):
The World of Hyatt Credit Card offers automatic Discoverist status and 5 qualifying night credits annually.
You can earn lifetime Globalist status by accruing 1,000,000 lifetime base points.
World of Hyatt offers several ways to earn points both through hotel stays and non-hotel activities. Here are the primary methods to earn:
The most straightforward way to earn points is by staying at Hyatt properties. You’ll earn points based on your spending and World of Hyatt status level:
You can earn points on eligible room rates and incidental charges like dining and spa services.
Hyatt’s cobranded credit cards help you earn points faster. While it offers fewer cards than other hotel brands, there’s a personal and a business card.
World of Hyatt partners with Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards, allowing you to transfer points at a 1:1 ratio. This means you can transfer rewards from cards like the Bilt Mastercard, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® to World of Hyatt.
Here are some Chase cards with their current sign-up bonuses that you can transfer to World of Hyatt:
You can earn 10 base points per $1 on FIND experiences, which include unique activities and excursions at Hyatt destinations.
For example, you can book a Downtown Boston & Freedom Trail Walking Tour for $31 per person.
You can earn 1 point per dollar on qualifying meetings and events at Hyatt properties, up to 50,000 bonus points per event.
You can earn points by booking with Hyatt’s car rental partners like Avis (500 points per qualifying rental).
Additionally, you can purchase World of Hyatt points, though this is typically not the most cost-effective option unless there’s a promotional bonus offer.
As for American Airlines flyers, there’s bad news when it comes to earning World of Hyatt points. As of January 1, 2025, World of Hyatt members no longer earn bonus Hyatt points on eligible American Airlines flights, which marks the end of the reciprocal points-earning benefit between the two programs. Previously, Hyatt elite members could earn 1 point for every dollar spent on American flights, but this perk will be removed. While this change might be disappointing for frequent travelers, new benefits will be introduced, such as the ability to use Hyatt points to enjoy AAdvantage status for a day, including Gold, Platinum and Platinum Pro statuses. This can provide perks like complimentary upgrades and free checked bags.
World of Hyatt offers various redemption options, but award nights typically provide the best value. Here are the main ways to use your World of Hyatt points:
As mentioned, in almost all cases, the most valuable way to redeem World of Hyatt points is for award nights at Hyatt properties. World of Hyatt uses a fixed award chart for most properties except Mr. and Mrs. Smith. This makes it easier to plan and maximize your redemptions as long as standard room award space is available.
You can book one-night and multi-night award stays online through the World of Hyatt website or mobile app.
You’ll need to pay any resort fees or destination charges for your stay. However, Globalist members have these fees waived on award stays.
Pro tip: Use the “Points Calendar” feature when searching for award space to easily compare rates across dates and find the best deals. The award calendar shows only the published rate, not the live inventory. You’ll need to search for availability to see if rooms can be booked with points at that price.
At all-inclusive resorts, there’s a separate award chart that ranges between 12,000 and 58,000 points per night.
World of Hyatt is unique among major hotel loyalty programs in allowing effective point redemptions for suites. Standard suite awards typically cost 50-60% more than standard room awards, which can represent excellent value in many cases.
For example, the standard Andaz Suite at the Andaz Mexico City Condesa is just 9,000 points per night more expensive than the entry room.
Meanwhile, on cash, the suite is $190 more expensive. Using 9,000 points for the upgrade can be a great use of Hyatt points in this instance.
You can use Hyatt points to upgrade eligible paid stays. Upgrades range from 3,000 points for club-level rooms to 9,000 points for premium suites. Upgrading to a club-level room is especially valuable if you’re traveling with a companion, as it often includes access to a club lounge breakfast.
Upgrade costs:
Elite members can also use upgrade certificates (earned through Milestone Rewards) for standard suite upgrades. To use points or certificates for upgrades, you’ll need to call Hyatt, and some properties like the Park Hyatt Sydney and Hôtel du Louvre are not eligible for suite upgrades.
As you accumulate elite qualifying nights or base points, you can earn Milestone Rewards. These include perks like suite upgrade awards, which can be used to confirm a suite at the time of booking on eligible paid stays.
Starting at just 20 nights or 35,000 base points, you can select from various rewards, including free night awards, suite upgrades and bonus points. As you reach higher milestones — such as 30, 40 and up to 150 nights — you unlock even more perks, including Guest of Honor awards and access to My Hyatt Concierge.
Globalist members can book award stays for others using the Guest of Honor benefit. This allows the guest to enjoy Globalist benefits during their stay. This can effectively increase the value of your points.
World of Hyatt allows members to redeem points for unique experiences through the FIND platform. While these may not always provide the best cent-per-point value, they can be a way to use points for unique experiences beyond traditional hotel stays.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith doesn’t follow the standard award chart and instead uses dynamic pricing. This makes it more difficult to get good value when redeeming points. In general, you’ll only get around 1 point per dollar by using your Hyatt points this way.
You can transfer World of Hyatt points to several airline partners, typically at a rate of 5,000 points to 2,000 miles. However, this usually provides less value than using points for hotel stays.
Remember to compare the cash price to the points required for your stay. Aim for redemptions that provide at least 1.7 cents per point in value, which is a standard valuation for World of Hyatt points according to many points and miles experts. In some cases, however, you can get much more from your Hyatt points, though.
For example, a given three-night stay at the Hyatt Regency London Stratford costs $1,217.73.
Alternatively, as a Category 3 property that prices between off-peak and standard rates, you can book this same stay for 33,000 points.
By using points in this instance, you’d get around 3.8 cents per point, which is a fantastic use of Hyatt points.
But of course, just remember that the best redemption is one that aligns with your travel goals and preferences.
Yes, World of Hyatt points expire after 24 months of inactivity.
To keep your points from expiring, engage in activities like staying at Hyatt properties, using a World of Hyatt Credit Card, purchasing points or transferring points from programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Bilt Rewards. Gifting or combining points with another member also resets the expiration clock.
World of Hyatt delivers exceptional value for travelers with flexible earning and redemption options and great elite perks that enhance every stay. Whether you’re earning points through stays, credit card use or partner activities, or redeeming them for award nights, upgrades or unique experiences, this loyalty program is a favorite for good reason.
With its competitive award rates, valuable points and ways to get around pesky resort fees, World of Hyatt is a must-consider program for savvy travelers.
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