The 10 Best Category 1 Hyatt Hotels In The U.S.

Best Category 1 Hyatt Hotels In The U.S.

Category 1 Hyatt properties are my favorite. At only 5,000 points per night, they are always a fantastic use of points. I haven’t found a Category 1 Hyatt hotel where I didn’t get at least 2 cents per point in value, sometimes over 3 cents per point. Getting a taste of that sort of redemption value means I’ve spent a number of hours looking for the best Category 1 Hyatt Hotels in the U.S.

I’ve previously looked at the cheapest hotels for completing the Hyatt Brand Explorer perk. Some of those cheapest brand options make this list as well. What’s especially cool is that the best Category 1 Hyatt Hotels are going to get even better, as Hyatt is moving to a new peak/off-peak pricing model. Category 1 properties will now cost as little as 3,500 points!

This was really the impetus to scour the country again for some amazing award options. As 3,500 points represents just $700 in spend on an Chase Ink Cash card, this is extremely good value. Here are the top 10 best domestic Category 1 Hyatt hotels I can find:

Hyatt Regency Fairfax

It wasn’t until after staying here on a work trip that I realized that the Hyatt Regency Fairfax is a Category 1 property. Cash rates were really good, which is one of the reasons I booked it. The Hyatt Regency is typically not the class of hotel I book for my line of work.

While it’s a rather unimpressive Hyatt Regency as far as the brand goes, the fact that you’re just a little ways outside Washington D.C. and staying at a reasonably nice 4-star hotel for just 5,000 points per night is quite impressive.

Hyatt House Colorado Springs

I remember our brief visit to Colorado Springs fondly. The only surprising part was the snow…on May 1! But that is Colorado for you, unpredictable to a T. We stayed at The Mining Exchange during that trips, as my wife and I were both flush with Wyndham points.

I’m not sure if the Hyatt House was open yet or not. If it was, we missed a deal. We had a very enjoyable few days in Colorado Springs, and being able to stay at a Hyatt House for 5,000 with a full kitchenette would have been an excellent choice.

Hyatt Place St. George Convention Center

If you don’t mind being an hour from the gateway into Zion National Park, the Hyatt Place St. George in an excellent option. Hotels in Springdale are very expensive in the summer, so saving some cash (or points) could be nice. You just need to brave the drive each day. Plus, St. George is a fine town. Not to mention you’re a little over an hour from Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, driving the other direction.

Hyatt Regency Albuquerque

I waited and waited for this hotel to open up last year for a trip with my daughter to New Mexico, but it never did. I’d eyed it as the best option for us for a night or two in Albuquerque, as it is right in the middle of the city. You’re just minutes from Old Town, and there are more things to do in Albuquerque than you might expect in New Mexico’s largest city. It was actually the favorite part of our trip.

For the record, we ended up staying at the Hyatt Place in uptown instead. Same number of points.

Hyatt Place Melbourne-Palm Bay

Looking for a value Florida beach city stay but without the need to stay right on the beach? The Hyatt Place Melbourne-Palm Bay might be just what you want. The hotel will be brand new when it opens mid-2020. While I generally shy away from brand new hotels, visiting a month or two in gives them time to smooth the wrinkles out. The Grand Hyatt at SFO is an excellent example of a great stay at a new property.

Hyatt Regency Wichita

While I don’t personally have Kansas at the top of my destination list, Shawn was apparently quite impressed by the Hyatt Regency Wichita. It has an excellent location right in the middle of the city right along the river, and rates often top $200 per night. There are a few kid-friendly activities in the city, so maybe we’ll need to make a weekend trip.

Hyatt Place Richmond Airport

I tried to stay away from airport hotels, but bear with me on this one. Richmond, Virginia has been recommended to me as a destination on more than one occasion, most notably by a coworker who is a self-described foodie. The city was named an up-and-coming destination in 2018, with a cutting edge culinary scene.

While you wont be in the middle of the city, the airport Hyatt Place represents good value much of the year. You’ll easily get over 2 cents per Hyatt point, if not over 3 cents. And you’re only a few minutes from all the action.

Hyatt House/Place/Regency Naperville

This Chicago suburb has a few Category 1 Hyatt hotels, so you can take your pick. With the Naper Settlement, a children’s museum, the arboretum, and other area attractions, there’s actually quite a bit for a traveling family to do without heading into Chicago itself.

I’ve not stayed at any of these hotels, but they all offer good award travel value.

Hyatt Place Roanoke

I’ll throw in this personal favorite, as I’ve stayed here several times. Aside from the Fairfeld Inn in Salem, it is my favorite hotel in the Roanoke area. I’ve fallen in love with western Virginia and eastern West Virginia these past two years as work has taken me there on many occasions. There are lots of hiking opportunities, the best of which may be McAfee Knob, which may be the most photographed place along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

Beyond the hiking, you have the Blue Ridge parkway to drive and Natural Bridge State Park to visit. Two of my other favorite towns in the areas are Blacksburg and Staunton.

Hyatt Place Salt Lake City Airport

As a final mention, I’ll throw in the Salt Lake City Airport Hyatt Place. Why? Well, it’s being downgraded from a Category 2 to a Category 1, so it may offer even better value than you previously thought. Airports hotels are generally about utility, but given the proximity to both the airport and downtown Salt Lake, it’s not a bad option. And it’s not a bad Hyatt Place either.

If you don’t need to be right in SLC, there are other Hyatt options. I have friends who I put up at the Hyatt Place in Farmington, north of Salt Lake City, on a cross country move. They loved it. Then again, they’d never stayed at a Hyatt anything, and it was solidly the nicest hotel they’d ever been to. Perspective, right?

Other Best Category 1 Hyatts in the U.S.?

I’ve highlighted the best options I can find with a couple Regency brand properties included. In all honesty, though, there is rarely a Category 1 Hyatt property in the U.S. that won’t be a good value on points! Most ask over $100 per night after taxes, which is fantastic value.

Which are your favorite domestic Category 1 Hyatt hotels?

Disclosure: Miles to Memories has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Miles to Memories and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

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