When Will Hyatt Lounges Open Again?
World of Hyatt Globalist status is widely touted as the most rewarding status out there. It is tops for hotel status in many people’s mind and maybe even one of the best statuses out there including airlines etc. I can admit that Globalist status is pretty amazing, even if I don’t think it is a great fit for me. One of the more (most?) valuable perks of Globalist status is the free breakfast. This sometimes comes in the form of over $100 in credit at the hotel’s restaurant or a nice spread set up in the club lounge. That is if the lounge is open at least. Covid saw a lot of lounges shuttered, across all hotel brands, and we have yet to see many of them open still to this day. This is epecially true domestically.
This leads everyone to wondering, when will Hyatt lounges open again? Are the rumblings of them never opening again from hotel staff true? What about those lounge access awards? Can they be used elsewhere because they are worthless right now? I reached out and got answers to all of these questions.
Club Access Awards Have Seen Their Value Greatly Diminished
In my post about giving World of Hyatt Globalist status the boot after just one year I said that Explorist status has always been good enough for me in the past. A lot of that is because I often stay at Hyatt Place and Hyatt House properties where breakfast is free for all. That, and the fact all of the rooms are already mini suites means status isn’t very valuable during these stays.
I also said that the times where breakfast comes in handy I have my club access award certs to gain lounge access. That used to be true at least. Last week I started thinking about just how useless those access awards are right now. Most domestic lounges are still closed and free breakfast is coming at the hotel’s restaurant or via a grab and go set up. This may be preferred by Hyatt Globalists, breakfast in the restaurant instead of the lounge, but for anyone relying on Club Access Awards that doesn’t offer them anything. I think Hyatt recognized this and that is why they were giving points for expiring awards late last year.
Could Club Access Awards Become More Valuable?
We have had numerous reports of employees telling people they didn’t think the Hyatt club lounges were ever going to open again. That would make sense for the hotels, you could defer that cost and have the people with status just eat in the restaurant. Killing two birds with one stone essentially. I believe the hotels are handsomely rewarded for the breakfast by World of Hyatt too. That could be a major reason for the delay in reopening the lounges in my opinion. Well, that, plus the staffing issues everyone is having.
This all had me wondering if maybe Hyatt was considering allowing the Club Access Awards to be used as a free breakfast pass instead. This would give Explorist members their value back, and allow hotels to continue the system they are already running. I reached out to our World of Hyatt contact and after a few days of digging I was told that was not in the plans at this time.
So, When Will Hyatt Lounges Open Again?
Here was my question on Hyatt lounges reopening and the club access awards:
I wanted to reach out with a question about the Milestone Rewards and the Lounge Access Certs. I know that these are the big perk that mid tier Hyatt Elites (Discoverist – Explorist) earn along the way but with so many lounges still closed they are much less valuable and more difficult to use than before. We are also hearing rumblings from many of the properties that some of the lounges may never open again.
I was wondering if there were any plans to adjust these certificates? Could they be used for free breakfast during your stay instead (like the Globalist perk)? Any info we could pass along to our readers that have this sitting in their accounts would be much appreciated.
Here is the response on the matter:
…We understand that members are eager to use their Club Lounge Access Awards and we are partnering with teams to get our Clubs open safely in the coming months to ensure that members can continue to get the most out of their rewards.
Currently, Club Lounge Access Awards can only be used for Club Lounges. Club Lounges will remain a signature experience of Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency with the majority of club levels at Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency hotels available in the Europe Middle East, Southwest Asia, and Asia-Pacific regions. In the Americas, club operations currently have limited availability at many hotels but are en route to reopening shortly.
Hyatt Lounge Access: Final Thoughts
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Hyatt Regency Orlando Club Lounge chair was totally slammed the 37 nights I was there ending January 2, 2023. Many comments from loungers are they specifically seek out hotels with Club Lounges and are more than happy to pay for it. I personally picked Hyatt Orlando for the Club Lounge. I saw a long time friend who used to stay at the Cypress down the street and he chose the hotel because of the Club Lounge. Club Lounge equals $$$. If Hyatts don’t understand that, then they need a lesson in economics.
I stayed this week at the Hyatt Regency Seattle. I asked the staff if they knew when the lounge would resume full service – they’d just had a meeting about it and management said it would not happen in 2022.
Hyatt’s response to clubs reopening – “we are partnering with teams to get our Clubs open safely” – safely?!? LOL – An absolute farce. In the last few months I’ve stayed at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, where the Grand Club is closed for “safety.” Meantime, the lobby level bar is like a mosh pit with every seat taken and patrons 3 people deep lining up for drinks.
I am staying at Grand Hyatt Kauai and the Grand Lounge is open; serving breakfast, midday snacks, evening food/drinks and dessert.
Glad to hear it – thanks triggo
Having been a Globalist for nearly 1.5 years I have never gotten a suite upgrade and have never gotten to experience a Club Lounge. I am also Marriott Lifetime Titanium and in the same period only had one lounge open in the US and no suite upgrades. But I do get free breakfast, but mostly as a buffet unlike ordering from a menu at Hyatt. However, during this past year I have gotten lounge access and suite upgrades with Hilton and the allowance for breakfast nearly covers the cost.
I would never have thought Hilton would have been better to me than either Marriott or Hyatt.
I have had better luck with upgrades but I imagine it depends on the hotels and if you are going during high times.
Yes it’s horrible Hyatt still keeping these lounges closed they would never close there money making restaurants lol bad business I’m looking into the ritz and Hilton as well
Let me preface by saying that I totally understand why those with status less than Globalist would want the lounges open sooner rather than later. But as a Globalist of a few years now, I like the breakfast provided by the restaurants far better than anything most lounges offer.
For those not being able to use their lounge access pass, I totally understand the frustration. However in my situation, they can continue to take as long as they want to reopen them as the restaurant selection and quality is just…better.
100 pct. For Globalists the lounge closures have been great. Getting far more value from restaurant breakfasts and sometimes bar credits with the lounges closed.
For non-Globalists I totally understand the frustration
I agree – I think most Globalists are happier with getting restaurant breakfast instead for sure.
I agree 100% agree with this, those who are Globalists are better off enjoying a full comped breakfast in the restaurant instead of the more limited and generic breakfast offerings in a Club lounge.
I like Mark’s idea of being able to use club lounge access awards for free breakfast in the restaurant. Unlike Globalists who automatically get breakfast on every stay, Explorists only get four awards to use, so it’s not like Hyatt properties would have an open-ended liability for this.
As a Globalist, I absolutely disagree. It is so annoying to not have club access. I’m not sure which Hyatts people are staying at, but almost all offer a choice for globalists to go to either the lounge or the restaurant when the lounge is operating.
Worse is the narrative that this is related to safety, as another poster mentioned, the bars are jam-packed the way the lounges never are. It is a short-term money saving thing, but it is going to hurt them long-term b/c people like myself have started going to other chains b/c of this situation. Just don’t lie to your loyal customers – it is insulting.
The numbers reflect that travel is back — airlines and hotels. That many airport lounges and hotel lounges are STILL closed cannot be because of insufficient patron headcount. Yet, it continues. At CDG, only ONE One World lounge and ONE Start Alliance lounge are open . . . and they close at 3pm. What the (heck)? At LHR, other than T5, we see the same. At LAX, AA refuses to reopen Flagship First Dining. Combined with your story about Hyatt, it all smells like they’re using COVID sympathy to extend cost cuts.
I think the individual hotels may be using it to get a better pay out from Hyatt. That and they are probably still short handed so doubling up in the restaurant makes it easier. My guess at least.
I agree that many, many businesses are experiencing staffing issues. One way to attract workers — strangely enough — is to offer adequate pay. As that concept is alien to property owners — ha — I’d say the issue will persist.
When I spoke with an agent earlier this year, and asked the same question, she said that she wasn’t sure they’d ever open back up. I was devastated, and totally agree with the lack of value of the club access awards. Funny, I just reached 20 nights, and 2 new ones popped up in my account. I have 4 sitting there from last year, and with my Globalist status, won’t use them at all. Hoping they give points like they did at the end of February this year. Club lounges are clutch, and I’m hoping they never truly go away!
I have 4 sitting in there that I am hoping I get points for before my Globalist status drops.