Hyatt House vs. Hyatt Place: Which Is Right for Your Trip?

World of Hyatt members can earn and redeem points at more than 1,150 hotels across 26 different brands within the greater Hyatt portfolio. Two popular brands among the Hyatt portfolio are Hyatt Place and Hyatt House. These two brands sound similar — and in many ways, they are.

Both Hyatt Place and Hyatt House are mid-tier properties welcoming business and leisure travelers, and many of their amenities overlap. However, when comparing Hyatt House with Hyatt Place, there are some key differences.

The similarities between Hyatt Place and Hyatt House

Hyatt Place and Hyatt House have far more similarities than differences.

• Size. Room sizes at the two brands are fairly similar, with rooms ranging from 297 to 628 square feet at Hyatt Place and 299 to 709 square feet at Hyatt House. In general, interior settings are comfortable and somewhat contemporary, underscored by personality-driven lobbies with modern furnishings.

• Level of service. Both brands are limited-service hotels without valets, bellhops or room service.

• Room set-up. Both brands have rooms styled to create distinct living, sleeping and working spaces. This is most tangible in the standard Hyatt Place room, where a partition separates the sleeping area from the living-room-style “cozy corner,” adorned with a sofa or sleeper sofa.

• Amenities. Both brands offer complimentary Wi-FI, 24/7 fitness centers (typically with a handful of cardio machines, free weights and yoga mats), and swimming pools (at most locations).

• Free breakfast. Guests can expect a complimentary buffet-style breakfast at both brands. The difference between Hyatt House and Hyatt Place breakfast comes down to an omelet bar, which is available at most Hyatt House locations.

• On-site restaurant. Both brands have an on-site restaurant and/or bar serving cocktails, bar bites, sandwiches and sometimes larger hot dishes. In addition, each has a grab-and-go market open 24/7.

• Pet-friendliness. Both brands are pet-friendly at most locations. Fees may apply.

• Business services. Both brands have a 24/7 business center at all locations, with free shared computers that offer remote printing as well as meeting and event spaces.

When redeeming World of Hyatt points, Hyatt Place and Hyatt House properties are priced between Category 1 (from 3,500 points/night for off-peak) and Category 5 (from 17,000 points/night for off-peak) in the hotel's award chart.

Hyatt Place currently has more than 400 properties, with a handful more opening soon. The property count, including yet-to-open locations, breaks down as follows:

• Category 1 — 150 locations.

• Category 2 — 152 locations.

• Category 3 — 76 locations.

• Category 4 — 33 locations.

• Category 5 — 11 locations.

Hyatt House currently has 126 properties open, with more coming soon. The property count, including yet-to-open locations, breaks down as follows:

• Category 1 — 33 locations.

• Category 2 — 45 locations.

• Category 3 — 43 locations.

• Category 4 — 13 locations.

• Category 5 — 3 locations.

» Learn more: Your guide to the World of Hyatt award chart

The differences between Hyatt Place and Hyatt House

Hyatt Place and Hyatt House differ in that the latter is geared toward extended stays. In that vein, Hyatt House offers rooms of different sizes (as opposed to Hyatt Place’s more uniform room size). Hyatt House has studios and suites equipped with full kitchens. Both brands cater to families and business travelers, but two-bedroom suites at Hyatt House can accommodate larger families.

Here's a list of general differences between Hyatt Place and Hyatt House:

• Availability. At press time, there are 411 Hyatt Place hotels around the world, versus 133 Hyatt Houses.

• Room categories. Accommodations at Hyatt House may range from a smaller “den” room in some properties to multi-bedroom suites. There is less variation at Hyatt Place, where 96% of units are classified as “standard” rooms.

• Kitchen facilities. Studios and suites at Hyatt House include fully equipped kitchens with refrigerators, microwaves and stovetops. Rooms at Hyatt Place and dens at Hyatt House do not offer a full kitchen, but they do include a minifridge.

• Laundry. Hyatt House has self-directed laundry facilities on site, open 24/7. A few Hyatt Places may also have laundry facilities, but they're not a standard feature.

• Outdoor fire pits and grills. These alfresco amenities are standard at Hyatt House but aren’t found at most Hyatt Places.

• Size of recreational facilities. The fitness center and pool areas at Hyatt House tend to be significantly larger than those at Hyatt Place.

Best for availability and locations: Hyatt Place

Roughly one-third of Hyatt’s 1,000-plus destinations are Hyatt Place hotels. Travelers can choose from 411 Hyatt Place locations around the world. Though most are found in North America, Hyatt Place’s footprint extends to six different continents, with the largest international presence in Asia.

Meanwhile, Hyatt House also has a global presence, but is still very much a North American brand with about a quarter of the availability of Hyatt Place.

Best hotel for long-term stays: Hyatt House

With its studios and multi-bedroom suites, Hyatt House is best for extended stays, especially for large families.

At select properties, Hyatt House even offers a special program called Very Important Resident for those looking to stay for 21 nights or more. This program includes a special extended-stay rate, credits for dining and laundry, a welcome amenity and more.

Best hotel for business and leisure travel: Both

With similar perks like free breakfast, recreational facilities like pools and fitness centers, and on-site restaurants and bars, Hyatt Place and Hyatt House equally appeal to business and leisure travelers alike.

Benefits of staying as a World of Hyatt member

When booking a room at Hyatt Place or Hyatt House, you’ll get added benefits and perks as a member of World of Hyatt, the brand's hotel loyalty program. It’s free to join, and members earn 5 Base Points per eligible $1 spent at Hyatt properties. You can redeem points for stays at any hotel in the Hyatt portfolio; stays begin at 5,000 points per night.

If you don’t have enough points for an award stay, you can pay a combination of points and cash. World of Hyatt members can also receive a special members rate of up to 10% off just by booking on Hyatt’s website when logged in as a member.

Credit cards that earn World of Hyatt points

World of Hyatt currently offers a personal co-branded credit card through Chase: The World of Hyatt Credit Card. This card allows you to get more from your stays at Hyatt Place, Hyatt House and all other Hyatt hotels.

World of Hyatt Credit Card

• Annual Fee: $95

• Welcome bonus: Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card includes numerous benefits that make a difference when staying at a Hyatt Place or Hyatt House.

• Up to 4x bonus points per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels (in addition to the 5 points you earn for being a World of Hyatt member).

• One free night per year at any Hyatt category 1-4 hotel or resort.

• Automatic World of Hyatt Discoverist status, which includes expedited check-in, room upgrades and late checkout when available.

» Learn more: Is the World of Hyatt Credit Card right for me?

Chase Sapphire Cards

While these may not be Hyatt credit cards, that doesn’t mean they can’t be used to your advantage for your next stay at a Hyatt property.

Chase Ultimate Rewards® points earned through the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® card can be transferred to World of Hyatt on a 1:1 basis, meaning you can essentially use you Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to book your hotel.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

• Annual Fee: $95

• Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

If you prefer a premium travel credit card, consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. This card is similar to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, except it offers more perks. It currently offers the following welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. It also comes with a higher $550 annual fee.

» Learn more: The complete guide to earning Hyatt points

If you’re choosing between Hyatt Place and Hyatt House

If you're debating whether Hyatt Place or Hyatt House is right for your next hotel stay, you’re not alone. The brands have more similarities than differences. However, those small differences may sway you one way or the other for your next business trip or family vacation.

Overall, both limited-service brands are rooted in providing comfortable stays in modern, spacious settings and include plenty of perks along the way, like free breakfast, fitness centers and swimming pools.

Photo courtesy of Hyatt.