Hyatt Category Changes 2023
One of the constants in this game we play is change. Just when you fall in love with a deal or find something that is “too good to be true”, the universe corrects. One of the ways that happens is through award category changes on the hotel side. Most hotel companies adjust their award charts each year based on market conditions, property demand and other factors. Now it’s Hyatt’s turn and we have the Hyatt category changes for 2023 to dig into.
Hyatt Category Changes 2023 – What You Need to Know
Hyatt has announced a number of category changes for their hotels effective as of March 28, 2023 at 8am CDT. These changes will affect 372 hotels including SLH partner and all-inclusive properties. It’s important to note that Hyatt isn’t adding any additional categories nor are they changing the costs associated with the various categories. Some properties are moving up while others are moving down.
How the 2023 Category Changes Work
It’s important to lock-in your bookings before any category change, so here is how the changeover will work.
- All free night award and Points + Cash redemptions booked before 8:00 am CDT on Tuesday, March 28 will follow the current Award Chart regardless of stay dates, even if the hotel is shifting to a higher award category.
- However, members who have existing award or Points + Cash bookings as of 8:00 am CDT on Tuesday, March 28 for a night on or after Tuesday, March 28 at a Hyatt hotel that moved down to a lower category, will receive an automatic one-time refund on the point difference. Points will be returned to members’ accounts starting Tuesday, March 28.
- Any free night award and Points + Cash redemptions booked on or after 8:00 am CDT on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, will follow the new Award Chart.
- Once changes go into effect on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. CDT, any adjustments made to existing reservations will follow the terms of the new Award Chart.
These rules are fairly straightforward and it’s nice that Hyatt always seems to refund the difference proactively for properties that drop. As you might expect though a lot more properties are increasing in price compared to decreasing.
Category 7 Hyatt Hotels Moving to Category 8
One of the biggest changes to World of Hyatt these past few years has been the addition of a category 8. This was notable for two reasons. First, category 8 properties cost 40K per night (the previous max was 30K for category 7) and second category 1-7 free night certificates do not work at these properties. Unfortunately, several current category 7 properties are moving up to category 8. Here is a list:
- Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas
- Carmel Valley Ranch
- Hyatt Carmel Highlands
- Park Hyatt Beaver Creek
- Hyatt Centric Key West
- Wentworth Mansion
- The Lodge at Spruce Creek
- Ksar Char-Bagh
- Viceroy Bali
- Hotel Gajoen Tokyo
- Keemala
- Hotel Excelsior Dubrovnik
- Hotel Martinez
- Le Narcisse Blanc Hotel & Spa
- Boheme Hotel
- Mykonos Riviera Hotel & Spa
- 7Pines Resort Sardinia
- Ca’Sagredo Hotel
- Grand Hotel Cocumella
- La Villa del Re
- Margutta 19
- Villa Spalletti Trivelli
- Boutique Hotel Villa Geba
- El Lodge Ski and Spa
- Nobu Hotel Marbella
- Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola
- Pary Hyatt Zurich
- Villa Orselina
- Full list of properties changing
Admittedly when I went to type out that list I wasn’t expecting it to be as long as it is. That is a lot of properties moving up, but then again most of them are SLH properties with only a handful of notable true Hyatt properties on the list. Still, Park Hyatt Zurich, Hyatt Centric Key West, Carmel Highlands, Park Hyatt Beaver Creek and Alila Marea are notable.
Other Notable Hyatt Category Changes for 2023
While it’s interesting to look at the most expensive of properties, there are tons of other hotels moving up and down categories as well. I’ve looked at the list and will highlight some of the more notable category changes below. You can find a full list of World of Hyatt 2023 category changes here.
World of Hyatt 2023 Category Changes – Notable Properties Increasing in Cost
- Andaz San Diego – 4 to 5
- Andaz West Hollywood – 5 to 6
- Hyatt Centric The Pike Long Beach – 3 to 4
- Hyatt Regency Long Beach – 3 to 4
- Hyatt Regency Orange County – 3 to 4
- Park Hyatt Aviara – 6 to 7
- Grand Hyatt Vail – 6 to 7
- Hyatt Regency Orlando – 3 to 4
- Hyatt Regency Atlanta – 2 to 3
- Grand Hyatt Kauai – 6 to 7
- Hyatt Regency Maui – 6 to 7
- Chicago Athletic Association – 4 to 5
- The Eliza Jane – 4 to 5
- Andaz 5th Avenue – 6 to 7
- Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico – 4 to 5
- Grand Hyatt Nashville 6 to 7
- The Driskill – 5 to 6
- Tommie Austion – 3 to 4
- Hyatt Regency Dubai – 1 to 2
- Park Hyatt Dubai – 5 to 6
- Grand Hyatt Bali – 1 to 2
- Hyatt Regency Bali – 1 to 2
- Grand Hyatt Jeju – 4 to 5
- Grand Hyatt Seoul – 4 to 5
- Grand Hyatt Erewan Bangkok – 2 to 3
- Park Hyatt Bangkok – 5 to 6
- Park Hyatt Saigon – 4 to 5
- Hyatt Regency Aruba – 6 to 7
- The Cape, a Thompson Hotel – 6 to 7
- Grand Hyatt Baha Mar – 6 to 7
- Park Hyatt Vienna – 6 to 7
- Hyatt Paris Madeliene – 6 to 7
- Hyatt Centric Dublin – 3 to 4
- Hyatt Regency Amsterdam – 4 to 5
- Thompson Madrid – 4 to 5
- Andaz London Liverpool – 5 to 6
- Full list of properties changing
I want to emphasize this isn’t the entire list or even close to it. These are just the properties I saw that I felt were notable. I didn’t include any all-inclusives as to not confuse categories since they use another award chart, however a SIGNIFICANT amount of all-inclusives are increasing in cost as well.
World of Hyatt 2023 Category Changes – Notable Properties Decreasing in Cost
- El Capitan Hotel – 3 to 2
- Stonebridge Inn – 7 to 5
- Thompson Denver – 6 to 5
- Thompson Washington DC – 5 to 4
- Hyatt Centric Downtown Minneapolis – 4 to 3
- Hyatt Regency Rochester – 2 to 1
- Hyatt Centric Beale Street Memphis – 4 to 3
- Hyatt Regency Guam – 4 to 3
- Hyatt Place Kyoto – 4 to 3
- Hyatt Regency Kyoto – 6 to 5
- Hyatt Centric Las Condes Santiago – 3 to 2
- Hyatt Centric San Salvador – 2 to 1
- Hyatt Regency Cologne – 5 to 4
- Full list of properties changing
World of Hyatt 2023 Category Changes – Analysis
As you might expect far more properties are moving up than down this year. I have highlighted only the most notable ones above as there are a ton of SLH properties and limited service properties that I didn’t include. It seems like a lot of the better value lower category redemptions are increasing. We also see tons of increases in Southern California which is an interesting development as well.
One other surprising thing for me was the massive changes to the all-inclusives. So many of those properties are being adjusted. I left them off of this list due to the separate chart, but if you love Hyatt all-inclusives the chances are your favorite property will now cost more. This is as bad a shift as we have seen from Hyatt in a long time, however it isn’t really unexpected with hotel rates being where they are.
Hyatt Category Changes 2023 – Bottom Line
Hyatt has announced significant category changes for 2023 including tons of properties that are moving up in price. A significant number of properties are moving up to category 8 while a lot of all-inclusive and lower-tiered properties are moving up as well. While there are a handful of nice surprises with hotels going down in category, that doesn’t change the fact that this seems quite brutal compared to past years.
What do you think?
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Fact basically all the all-inclusives went up a cat seems like a bait-and-switch considering these just entered the program in the last year or two.
Sad
for past two months I’ve been staying in Bali at the Grand Hyatt &
Park Hyatt – both category one hotels. It’s been amazing but too good to be true _ not surprised to see them move up
Lots of places in California going up. Labor is expensive there – taxes too.
As for me, Asia and Europe are seeing more category reductions then increases.
Lots of places I will never go to (or go back to) are going up. Overall, for me, based in US but with other places in Spain and NE Asia, a brief glance shows that this is a net positive.
Unless you’re going to Kyoto or Rochester it’s tough to see this in any positive fashion for the loyal guest.
The Cat 7 FNCs are about to be a lot tougher for me to redeem, esp with only 180 days. At least I have the Wentworth already on the books…