World of Hyatt Category Changes Announced
Update 3/21/22: These changes go into effect tomorrow so do any last minute speculative bookings for these properties now.
World of Hyatt announced today the annual changes to its Award Chart. A total of 146 hotels that will be shifting to different award categories in late-March.
Hyatt says the changes were made after close evaluation during the annual review of these properties and their market conditions. The adjustments that will go into effect in late-March will place these hotels in more suitable award categories. And it is bad news for numerous popular hotels, especially nine of them that are moving to the highest category.
Effective as of Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. CDT, World of Hyatt members will see updates made to the number of points required for a free night at 146 hotels. 70 hotels will shift to a higher award category, and 76 will shift to a lower award category. As I mentioned above, nine Hyatt properties will move into Category 8, which has historically included Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) hotels and Destination by Hyatt residences.
The list of hotels and award changes outlines all the affected hotels and their new award category. No new categories have been added and the points required for each category remain the same, with affected hotels shifting by only one category up or down (excluding Hyatt Place Moab, which will shift up two categories).
Keep in mind that:
- All free night award and Points + Cash redemptions booked before 8:00 am CDT on Tuesday, March 22 will follow the current Award Chart regardless of stay dates, even if the hotel is shifting to a higher award category.
- Any free night award and Points + Cash redemptions booked on or after 8:00 am CDT on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, will follow the new Award Chart.
- Members who have existing award bookings as of 8:00 am CDT on Tuesday, March 22 for a night on or after Tuesday, March 22 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 Thursday, March 23.
- Once changes go into effect on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. CDT, any adjustments made to existing reservations will follow the terms of the new Award Chart.
Conclusion
This latest round of category changes seems awful. There are many popular properties that are moving up a category and Hyatt Place Moab moving up two categories.
Then there’s also that magic line for using free night certificates for Category 1-4. There are now more properties that you can book with FNCs, but some like Gild Hall in NYC are no longer bookable.
Let us know if these changes affect some of your favorite hotels!
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A few years ago, we stayed a couple weeks at Maui Andaz on points (We save points for years to use them at resorts with the disgusting resort fees). We loved it, especially since it didn’t have the loud screaming kids like the others. But it did not feel like category 7, maybe 6. Category 8 is ridiculous and will end any future stay.
Recently we stayed a couple weeks at the Regency Grand Cypress Orlando, a category 3, which IMHO deserved to be higher and now going to be category 4.
The categories often make no sense, like Seattle Hyatt Place and Hyatt House category 4, same as the Regency. It seems to be about pushing people towards or away from a hotel.
Regardless, with this year reaching Hyatt Globalist and Hilton Diamond, the benefits from Hilton were laughable compared to Hyatt. The changes won’t affect my loyalty, just which Hyatts with choose.
I’m disappointed that the Gild Hall is no longer bookable with a 1-4 FRC. The Confident in Miami is no longer bookable with a 1-4 FRC. Many hotels in the rest of the world have gone down which is good news. Anyway, I never ask why, I just say “ This is the Business we’ve chosen, and I let it go”
Wondering if Category 1-7 certificates for Globalists will be increased to 1-8 after these changes…
By and large most US destinations were increases while a lot of foreign destinations were decreases…
A few Hyatt’s that I’ve either stayed at recently or have booked for the next 6 months will be going up a category. This one is gonna sting for future bookings, I’m sure
Wow – this really sucks. Thanks Hyatt, now I can reconsider my loyalty…what’s the point of staying loyal if you’re going to put your top hotels out of reach. Everyone has a category 1-5 equivalent and a much bigger footprint, so there’s really not much reason to consider Hyatt for those lower level stays and build up award certificates or points. Could you even book a suite with points at category 8 (would probably be 100K points per night anyway with barely any availability)? Here I was thinking Hyatt would stay a class above Hilton and Marriott. Now I’d rather just stick to the brand with the bigger footprint since all their loyalty programs are turning (or have turned) to crap. I was about the get the Hyatt business card too, spend is better on MR and UR now.
Sorry – didn’t see there is suite pricing at cat 8.
The decline of tourism to Southeast Asia is evident in the decreased cost of awards at many hotels.