With some of the most valuable hotel points, one of the best top-tier elite status perks and generous milestone rewards, there’s lots of love about the World of Hyatt program.
Despite its growing footprint, Hyatt still has fewer properties than Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors. Still, given its reasonable rates and how easy it is to achieve even base elite status, Hyatt has a loyal following.
Hyatt has some amazing properties at reasonable redemption rates and valuable partnerships with companies like American Airlines, MGM Resorts International and Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
From earning and redeeming points to the different levels of elite status and more, here’s everything you need to know about the World of Hyatt program.
Overview
Hyatt has over two dozen brands and over 1,100 properties in over 70 countries. Here’s a look at Hyatt’s current brands:
- Alila
- Alua
- Andaz
- Breathless
- 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
- 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 Residence Club (includes any vacation ownership property, even those not branded as a Hyatt Residence Club)
- Hyatt Studios
- Hyatt Vivid
- Hyatt Zilara
- Hyatt Ziva
- Impression by Secrets
- JdV by Hyatt
- Miraval
- Park Hyatt
- Secrets
- Sunscape
- The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
- Thompson Hotels
- Zoëtry
Program partners
World of Hyatt has multiple partners you can earn and redeem points with. They include American Airlines and Lindblad Expeditions.
Here’s a quick overview of the Hyatt-American Airlines partnership and the reciprocal benefits members receive:
- 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 Airlines Concierge Key members: All Concierge Key members are eligible for Hyatt Globalist status.
World of Hyatt members also get the following benefits on Lindblad Expeditions when booking through the cobranded Hyatt site, a Hyatt Global Contact Center or Lindblad Expeditions’ contact center:
- 5 base points per eligible dollar spent, plus standard elite member bonuses.
- Nights count toward elite tier status.
- Redeem points for expeditions.
- Receive a $250 onboard credit per reservation.
Finally, there’s World of Hyatt’s partnership with MGM Rewards. Unfortunately, this relationship is ending as of Sept. 30, 2023. Until that date, you can earn 5 base points per eligible dollar spent plus elite qualifying nights at participating MGM Rewards properties. However, you must check out on (or before) Sept. 30 for these perks to apply.
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Through July 14, World of Hyatt elite members can still request a status match with MGM Rewards at the following levels:
- Hyatt Discoverist: MGM Rewards Pearl
- Explorist: MGM Rewards Gold
- Globalist: MGM Rewards Gold
MGM Rewards Gold status includes benefits like waived valet parking charges (at select MGM Rewards properties), waived resort fees when booking hotel rooms directly with MGM and access to a priority check-in line at MGM Resorts.
However, all matched statuses will only be valid through Jan. 31, 2024. After that date, you’ll no longer enjoy these perks.
Related: How to leverage Hyatt partnerships for cruises, flights and more
Elite status
World of Hyatt has three elite status tiers: Discoverist, Explorist and Globalist. Here’s a look at what you’ll need to qualify for Hyatt status every year:
- Hyatt Discoverist: 10 nights, three meetings and events or 25,000 base points ($5,000 in spending).
- Explorist: 30 nights, 10 meetings and events or 50,000 base points ($10,000 in spending).
- Globalist: 60 nights, 20 meetings and events or 100,000 base points ($20,000 in spending).
These requirements may be even lower if you have a cobranded Hyatt card. Those with the World of Hyatt Credit Card automatically get five qualifying nights annually. Additionally, cardholders earn two elite 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.
Here’s an overview of how to earn Hyatt’s elite status and the perks you can enjoy.
Discoverist
The entry tier in the World of Hyatt program is Discoverist status, which you can earn after 10 nights, three meetings and events or 25,000 base points. It’s also an automatic benefit on the World of Hyatt Credit Card.
Here’s what you’ll get as a Discoverist member:
- A 10% point bonus when staying at Hyatt properties
- Space-available upgrades to preferred rooms within the same category, including ones with a preferred view or location
- 2 p.m. late checkout
- Premium internet access
- Bottled water at check-in
Explorist
The next tier in the World of Hyatt program is Explorist status, which you earn after 30 nights, 10 meetings and events or 50,000 base points. Here’s what you’ll get:
- Earn 20% bonus points
- Upgraded rooms excluding suites and rooms with club lounge access
- Guaranteed room availability when booked 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. You have access to these benefits:
- 30% bonus on eligible purchases
- Space-available room upgrade, including standard suites
- 4 p.m. checkout
- Access to Club lounges where available and complimentary full breakfast at hotels without lounges
- Guaranteed room availability when booked at least 48 hours in advance
- Waived resort fees on eligible paid rates
- Early check-in (when available)
- Share elite perks on award stays through the Guest of Honor
- Free parking on award stays
Related: 5 easy ways to qualify for Hyatt Globalist status
How to earn Hyatt points
There are several ways to earn Hyatt points, from credit cards to staying at Hyatt’s many hotels.
Hyatt hotel stays
You can earn points on all Hyatt hotel stays booked directly through Hyatt.
Hyatt awards 5 points per dollar spent on hotel stays and qualifying room charges (room service, bar tabs, spa services, etc.). This number is consistent across the board, so you’ll earn the same points at a Hyatt Regency as you would at a Hyatt Centric. Hyatt also partners with Lindblad Expeditions, where you’ll earn 5 points per dollar spent.
Aside from hotels, you’ll earn 10 points for every eligible dollar spent on FIND experiences.
Travelers with World of Hyatt elite status earn bonus points on all hotel stays. Here’s how many extra points each tier earns:
- 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 at a Grand Hyatt hotel for three nights at $150 per night, you’d earn 2,925 points on your hotel stay. Those points are worth nearly $50, based on TPG’s valuations. Off-peak Category 1 stays start at 3,500 points per night.
Related: The best Category 1 Hyatt properties
World of Hyatt promotions
World of Hyatt frequently runs promotions for its members to earn bonus points. We routinely update this page with the latest Hyatt promotions.
Related: Promotions that will make your next hotel stay more rewarding
Credit cards
Hyatt offers a personal and business credit card, which is a great way to earn points.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card has a $95 annual fee and offers up to 60,000 bonus points. You’ll earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Plus, earn up to 30,000 more points by earning 2 bonus points total per $1 spent on purchases that normally earn 1 point (on up to $15,000) in the first six months of account opening. 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 by spending $15,000 on the card in a calendar year
- Automatic Discoverist status for as long as your account is open
- Five elite nights every year, plus two elite nights every time you spend $5,000 on the card
The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card ($199 annual fee) offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 in the first three months from account opening. 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
- Earn five tier qualifying night credits for every $10,000 spent on the card in a single 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, Chase Sapphire Reserve and 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
Award chart information
Hyatt prices its award nights by hotel category using a published award chart, a notable differentiator from other programs that have shifted to dynamic pricing. 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, as are most Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties. You’ll find lower redemptions at chains like Hyatt House and Hyatt Place.
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.
| Award category | Standard points per night | Standard Regency/Grand Club points per night | Standard suite points per night | Premium suite points per night |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 | 5,000 | 7,000 | 8,000 | 10,000 |
| Category 2 | 8,000 | 12,000 | 13,000 | 16,000 |
| Category 3 | 12,000 | 17,000 | 20,000 | 24,000 |
| Category 4 | 15,000 | 21,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 |
| Category 5 | 20,000 | 27,000 | 32,000 | 40,000 |
| Category 6 | 25,000 | 33,000 | 40,000 | 50,000 |
| Category 7 | 30,000 | 39,000 | 48,000 | 60,000 |
| Category 8 | 40,000 | 50,000 | 61,000 | 80,000 |
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.
| Award category | Off-peak (% change) | Standard | Peak (% change) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 | 3,500 (-30%) | 5,000 | 6,500 (+30%) |
| Category 2 | 6,500 (-18.75%) | 8,000 | 9,500 (+18.75%) |
| Category 3 | 9,000 (-25%) | 12,000 | 15,000 (+25%) |
| Category 4 | 12,000 (-20%) | 15,000 | 18,000 (+20%) |
| Category 5 | 17,000 (-15%) | 20,000 | 23,000 (+15%) |
| Category 6 | 21,000 (-16%) | 25,000 | 29,000 (+16%) |
| Category 7 | 25,000 (-16.67%) | 30,000 | 35,000 (+16.67%) |
| Category 8 | 35,000 (-12.5%) | 40,000 | 45,000 (+12.5%) |
Note that peak and off-peak pricing also applies to club rooms and suites. You find details of these rates on Hyatt’s redemption page.
You can see which hotels are in a category by looking at this page on Hyatt’s site. From here, you can select individual categories from the dropdown, and you can also filter by region.
Alternatively, you can use the map functionality on Hyatt’s “explore hotels” page.
If you don’t have enough points for an entire redemption, you might be able to book a Pay My Way award instead, which allows you to combine points and cash for a discounted stay. When available, these awards should appear during an award search. Alternatively, Hyatt still 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
Beyond the standard award redemptions, there are a number of all-inclusive properties that follow different redemption charts.
In late 2021, Hyatt completed its acquisition of Apple Leisure Group, and these 100+ properties were integrated into the World of Hyatt program in April 2022, joining the existing Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara brands. Given the unique nature of these locations, they fall into a separate award chart. The regular award rates are based on single or double occupancy, and there’s an additional charge for additional room occupants.
| All-inclusive category |
Points per night (off-peak / standard / peak) |
Additional points per person per night (off-peak / standard / peak) |
|---|---|---|
| Category A | 12,000 / 15,000 / 18,000 | 6,500 / 7,500 / 8,500 |
| Category B | 17,000 / 20,000 / 23,000 | 8,500 / 10,000 / 11,500 |
| Category C | 21,000 / 25,000 / 29,000 | 10,500 / 12,500 / 14,500 |
| Category D | 25,000 / 30,000 / 35,000 | 13,000 / 15,000 / 17,000 |
| Category E | 35,000 / 40,000 / 45,000 | 17,000 / 20,000 / 23,000 |
| Category F | 42,000 / 50,000 / 68,000 | 22,000 / 25,000 / 28,000 |
Beyond the all-inclusive properties, Hyatt also has three high-end wellness resorts under the Miraval umbrella:
Award nights at these properties include accommodations, a $175 resort credit per person, food, non-alcoholic 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 as high as 137,000 points per night for premium suites for two guests on peak dates.
You can view full prices for Miraval award stays at this link.
Read more: Most luxurious 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.
| Room upgrade award | Points per night |
|---|---|
| Regency Club/Grand Club upgrade | 3,000 |
| Standard suite upgrade | 6,000 |
| Premium suite upgrade | 9,000 |
You can also use Hyatt upgrade certificates, which some elite members earn as Milestone Awards, to confirm upgrades to standard suites.
Note that you will have to call Hyatt for point and certificate upgrades. Some properties are excluded.
Related: How to redeem Hyatt points for upgraded rooms
Other redemption options
You can also redeem Hyatt points towards dining, spa or meetings at Hyatt properties. This isn’t the best use of Hyatt points. Meeting credits start at 15,000 World of Hyatt points for a $200 credit, valued at about 1.3 cents per point. For dining and spa credits, 1,000 points will get you a $10 credit.
These redemption options provide a far less valuable return than TPG’s valuation of 1.7 cents each.
Related: How to redeem points with the World of Hyatt program
Sweet spots
Category 1 Hyatt hotels
For just 3,500 points per night, you can book off-peak Category 1 Hyatt stays. Some of our favorite Category 1 Hyatt properties include the Park Hyatt Chennai, Hyatt Regency Dulles and the Alila Manggis in Bali.
Hyatt reward night certificates
You can earn Category 1 to 4 free night certificates through the following methods:
- 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.
- Every time you stay at five unique Hyatt brands on eligible rates through Hyatt’s Brand Explorer (up to five free night certificates).
These free night 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 World of Hyatt hotels
Hyatt’s relatively reasonable redemption rates mean you can stay at Category 7 and 8 hotels for between 25,000 and 45,000 points per night, depending on peak and off-peak dates.
You’ll find some of Hyatt’s best hotels in these categories, including the Category 8 Park Hyatt Sydney, Calala Island and the Category 7 Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour. Cash rates at these hotels routinely sell for close to $1,000 but can climb even higher during peak season.
As an example, TPG’s director of content Nick Ewen spent a weekend in New York City ahead of Christmas last year, 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.
Related: 5 easy ways to maximize Hyatt award redemptions
Bottom line
World of Hyatt is full of high-value redemptions, aspiring 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 perks, World of Hyatt remains the go-to chain for many savvy travelers.
Additional reporting by Kyle Olsen and Benji Stawski.