The Complete Guide to World of Hyatt

The World of Hyatt hotel loyalty program is one of the best hotel elite status programs out there. In fact, it won first place in NerdWallet's annual ranking of best hotel loyalty programs. That's thanks to a best-in-class elite status program and high-value rewards program, which easily sets Hyatt apart from all the other hotel loyalty programs out there.

Based on our most recent analysis of hotel loyalty programs, World of Hyatt points hold the most value among hotel rewards programs and the most value for luxury travelers. When using points for free hotel nights, each World of Hyatt point is worth 2.2 cents. The program also allows members to earn additional free nights by earning status, or by holding the

» Learn more: Find the best hotel credit card for you

On the downside, although Hyatt has more than 1,150 properties in its portfolio, it's still one of the smaller hotel programs, especially compared to big players like the Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy programs. Finding a Hyatt hotel at your destination may be slightly more difficult than with other brands.

Is World of Hyatt the right loyalty program for you? Are some World of Hyatt redemptions better than others? We went through with a fine-toothed comb to find the best and worst redemption options of this hotel loyalty program.

The World of Hyatt loyalty program includes 19 global portfolio brands. The most popular Hyatt brands include:

• Hyatt Place: An upscale hotel positioned as the entry-level experience, Hyatt Place offers traditional amenities like workout facilities and cocktail bars. World of Hyatt members who book through the Hyatt website can also get free breakfast during their stay.

• Hyatt House: The upscale extended-stay brand of Hyatt features apartment-style suites with amenities like cooking areas and full-size refrigerators. Hyatt House locations are most commonly found in urban areas, around college campuses, or near airports.

• Hyatt Centric: Hyatt Centric hotels are comparable to boutique, upper-upscale hotels marketed as delivering a lifestyle experience that allows guests to live like a local.

• Hyatt Regency: This upper-upscale brand of Hyatt focuses on the needs of the business traveler. Guests can expect fully stocked business centers, an on-site restaurant, to-go markets and meeting spaces.

• Grand Hyatt: A step beyond boutique hotels, Grand Hyatt luxury hotels are found only at select destinations. Combining eye-catching architecture and design with full-service amenities, Grand Hyatt is one of the group's two luxury brands.

• Park Hyatt: The highest luxury brand in the Hyatt portfolio, Park Hyatt hotels offer smaller properties focused on residential-style accommodations with premium amenities, from on-site spa services to upscale dining and fitness centers.

The rest of the brands in the Hyatt portfolio include: Alila, Alua Hotels & Resorts, Andaz, Breathless Resorts & Spa, Caption, Destination Hotels, Dreams Resorts & Spas, Hyatt, Hyatt Residence Club, Hyatt Zilara, Hyatt Ziva, Joie de Vivre, Miraval Resorts, Secrets Resorts & Spas, Sunscape Resorts & Spas, The Unbound Collection, Thompson Hotels, UrCove, Visit Hotels & Resorts and Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts.

NerdWallet values World of Hyatt points at 2.2 cents apiece. To determine the value of reward points, we compared cash prices and reward redemptions for hotel stays across several destinations and dates. We divided the cost in cash by the cost in points to determine a “cent per point” value for each hotel night, then found the 75th percentile of this value across several searches.

To determine the value of your points for specific bookings, divide the cash value (minus any fees associated with the reward booking) by the number of points required. Use this Hyatt points to dollar calculator to see the value of your stash.

So if a hotel room would cost either $100, or 15,000 points + $10 in resort fees, the math would be as follows:

($100 – $10) / 15,000 = 0.006, or 0.6 cent per point.

The value of Hyatt points over time

Notably, Hyatt points have jumped nearly a full cent in value since our previous valuation.

You can reach Hyatt customer service at 800-544-9288.If you’re abroad, check and see if there is a local number for Hyatt support, since Hyatt has presence in many countries.

Hyatt can also be reached on Twitter at @hyatt and @hyattconcierge. If you have elite status, you have a dedicated support line, which you can find in your Hyatt app or online profile.

World of Hyatt offers four membership levels: Member, Discoverist, Explorist and Globalist. Member status is free for anyone to join. The other three are consider Hyatt elite status, and they require some effort to earn.

The most common way to earn Hyatt elite status is through staying frequently at Hyatt hotels. But you can also earn automatic elite status through holding a Hyatt credit card. Here's how to earn Hyatt elite status, and what you get for holding it:

Hyatt Member

How to earn Member status: All members start as World of Hyatt members. Simply sign up and hand over your email.

Points earned: Members earn 5 base points for every $1 spent on qualifying stays, dining and spa experiences charged at the hotel. Members earn 10 points for every $1 spent on FIND experiences.

Other benefits:

• Free standard internet access at participating hotels.

• Free breakfast at Hyatt Place for stays booked through Hyatt.com. may also qualify for free breakfast during their stay.

• Member Rate discounts at participating hotels and resorts for reservations made either online or through the dedicated reservations telephone number.

• Resort fees waived when points are used for an award night.

Hyatt Discoverist

How to earn Discoverist status: Stay 10 qualifying nights, earn 25,000 base points, host three qualifying meetings or events, or open the World of Hyatt Credit Card.

Points earned: Members earn 5 base points for every $1 spent on qualifying stays, dining and spa experiences charged at the hotel. Members earn 10 points for every $1 spent on FIND experiences. Plus, earn 10% bonus points when you choose points as your reward.

Other benefits:

All of the above member benefits included in the lower tiers, as well as:

• Premium internet.

• A dedicated check-in line.

• Late checkout (upon request, and when available) of 2 p.m. at participating locations.

• No upgrades, though you'll receive the preferred room within the room type booked upon arrival.

Hyatt Explorist

How to earn Explorist status: Stay 30 qualifying nights, earn 50,000 base points, or host 10 qualifying meetings or events.

Points earned: Members earn 5 base points for every $1 spent on qualifying stays, dining and spa experiences charged at the hotel. Members earn 10 points for every $1 spent on FIND experiences. Plus, earn 20% bonus points when you choose points as your reward.

Other benefits:

All of the above member benefits included in the lower tiers, as well as:

• An upgrade to the best room available at check-in (excluding suites), when available.

• Four Club lounge passes on eligible rates or when redeeming points for free night awards.

• Milestone award: Four Club lounge passes access awards and free night award at Category 1-4 properties.

• Ability to request room reservations as soon as 72 hours ahead of your stay, although blackout dates apply.

Hyatt Globalist

How to earn Hyatt Globalist status: Stay 60 qualifying nights, earn 100,000 base points, or host 20 qualifying meetings or events.

Points earned: Members earn 5 base points for every $1 spent on qualifying stays, dining and spa experiences charged at the hotel. Members earn 10 points for every $1 spent on FIND experiences. Plus, earn 30% bonus points when you choose points as your reward.

Other benefits:

All of the above member benefits included in the lower tiers, as well as:

• An upgrade to the best available room at check-in, including standard suites.

• Late checkout (upon request, and when available) of 4 p.m. at participating locations.

• Guaranteed availability 48 hours ahead of the stay.

• Access to the hotel club lounge with every stay.

• Complimentary parking at participating hotels and resorts.

• Priority access to available rooms when checking in early.

• Club access or breakfast.

• When booking an eligible award for someone else, those guests will receive some elite benefits through the hotel’s Guest of Honor program.

• Additional Milestone benefits: Four Suite upgrade awards, 5,000 points or a $100 Hyatt gift card or 10,000 points savings on a FIND experience, free night award at category 1-7 hotels and access to My Hyatt Concierge.

» Learn more: Should you pursue Hyatt elite status this year?

Hyatt Lifetime Globalist status

Hyatt Lifetime Globalist status is only available after earning 1 million base World of Hyatt points. This designation grants all the benefits of Globalist every year, including one free night award up to Category 7 and four suite upgrade awards every March.

In order to qualify for lifetime status, all points must be earned in the same account. Only base points earned from eligible room rates, eligible incidental charges and eligible non-stay charges count toward lifetime status. Points earned from elite status bonuses, points earned from a Hyatt-branded credit card, or points transferred from other programs don’t count.

And if a member’s account is canceled for any reason (including inactivity), any forfeited lifetime points can’t be applied to another account.

You can earn World of Hyatt points through staying at Hyatt hotels, spending money with Hyatt’s travel partners, or through spending on the World of Hyatt Credit Card or the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card.

Earning World of Hyatt points at hotels

All World of Hyatt members earn the same number of base points for their stay: 5 base points for every eligible $1 spent on qualifying stays, dining and spa experiences.

However, elite members of this program earn bonus points on top of base points. The bonus is based on status: Discoverists receive 10% bonus points, Explorists receive 20% bonus points and Globalists receive 30% bonus points.

On a qualifying stay of $100, here’s how many points members could expect to receive:

• World of Hyatt members: 500 base points.

• Discoverist elite: 500 base points and 50 bonus points.

• Explorist elite: 500 base points and 100 bonus points.

• Globalist elite: 500 base points and 150 bonus points.

While base points count toward elite and lifetime status, bonus points do not. In the example above, a Globalist member would earn 500 points toward elite and lifetime status, but the extra 150 bonus points apply only toward future awards.

Earning Hyatt points when booking hotels through third parties

To earn elite benefits, you need to book your Hyatt hotel through the Hyatt website or app. Hotel stays booked at online travel agencies (i.e. Priceline, Expedia) will not earn points or benefits.

What about American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts? Luckily, Hyatt stays booked through AmEx Fine Hotels and Resorts will earn elite benefits and points.

FIND Experiences can earn World of Hyatt Points

In addition to the traditional way of earning points through hotel stays, World of Hyatt members can also earn elite-qualifying points by booking FIND experiences directly on the World of Hyatt website. FIND is a collection of experiences offered through luxury partner IfOnly that are not necessarily available at the hotel or through an online travel agency.

When booked, these offerings can help travelers discover the unique aspects of their destination that are not necessarily found from a simple search. Some interesting experiences currently available include:

• Las Vegas: A private feeding and yoga session with baby goats at Goat Yoga.

• New York: A private bonsai class with artist Julian Velasco.

• Chicago: An Amalfi pasta making class and dinner experience with chef Aram Reed.

• Boston: Group rowing outing in Boston Harbor.

• Miami: Melt and pour soap-making and natural beauty workshop.

While these experiences are an easy way to earn World of Hyatt points quickly, they can be pricey. While some cost less than $100 per person, events like joining a quarterback camp with a former Super Bowl champion in San Francisco or having best-selling author Edward Vilga critique your work in New York can cost upwards of $500.

To book an event, every World of Hyatt member must create a separate account on the FIND website. Each experience will earn 10 base World of Hyatt points per eligible $1 spent, which apply toward elite and lifetime stays. But the rewards apply only to World of Hyatt points, and will not earn points in partner programs, airline programs or any other substitute in lieu of points.

There are two ways to get Hyatt points from credit cards: Get a Hyatt co-branded credit card, or get a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points and transfer those points to Hyatt.

Hyatt credit cards

Hyatt has two credit cards that earn points: the World of Hyatt Credit Card and the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card.

Credit cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points

If you have a credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which you can then transfer to Hyatt. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio and must be transferred in increments of 1,000 points.

» Learn more: Chase Ultimate Rewards: How the program works

Other ways to earn World of Hyatt points

In addition to the FIND experiences and the World of Hyatt Credit Card, there are plenty of different ways World of Hyatt members can earn points toward rewards. The methods range from renting cars with a partner, to staying at select Las Vegas resorts. Some current ways to earn additional World of Hyatt points:

• Earn 500 bonus points for Avis car rentals: World of Hyatt members not only get up to 25% off base rates for each qualifying car rental through participating Avis locations, but they can also earn 500 World of Hyatt points per rental. To receive the points for every car rental, book your Avis reservation with Avis Worldwide Discount number K817700 on Avis.com. Be sure to provide your World of Hyatt number during your reservation and at the time of rental — otherwise, you may not earn the points.

• Purchase Hyatt points: If you’re short on World of Hyatt points, it’s possible to purchase bonus points to get you closer to your next award or keep your account alive. You can purchase bonus points in 1,000-point increments for $24 each, up to 55,000 per transaction. While purchased bonus points don’t count toward status, they are a qualifying activity that will keep a dormant account alive. We generally don’t recommend purchasing points as a habit, and buying points at 2.4 cents each is above our estimated average value per point when using them for hotel nights.

» Learn more: The complete guide to earning Hyatt points

By far, the best way to redeem Hyatt points is to book award stays. However, there are other ways to put your Hyatt points to use. Generally, most of these methods result in poor use of points. Here are a few:

Best use of Hyatt points: free hotel nights

Award categories range from Category 1 to Category 8, with prices for a standard room award ranging from 5,000 points per night to 40,000 points per night. If you’re able to book an off-peak rate that’s even better.

Hyatt’s award chart also includes rates for club rooms, standard suites and premium suites. When using your points for hotel night awards, we estimate your points are worth 2.2 cents each, which is the highest overall return for any rewards program we surveyed. Using your points for hotel awards is one of the best returns you can get anywhere in the industry.

» Learn more: Amazing suites you can book at Hyatt hotels with points

Use Hyatt points for Hyatt Points + Cash awards

Those who are short on points can still redeem them for a Points + Cash award. The total cost of the award is based on the hotel category and whether the stay is considered peak, off-peak or standard:

In practice: If you are staying at a Category 4 hotel on a Points + Cash award and the standard rate for the room is $150, you would pay 7,500 World of Hyatt points and $75. To determine if a Points + Cash award is a good value for your stay, compare the standard room rate with the value of the points you would use. If your points and cash equivalent is less than the cost of the standard rate, then it is a good deal.

Use Hyatt points for room upgrades on paid nights

You can also use points to upgrade your hotel room experience — which can make for a swell use of points.

Upgrades to the Regency Club/Grand Club level cost just 3,000 points per night. That's less than $100 based on NerdWallet's valuations of a Hyatt point.

But considering hotels tend to charge much more than $100 to upgrade to a club level, this makes for one of the best uses of Hyatt points. For example, the Regency Club at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco charges guests $125 per night if they want to upgrade their experience to include Regency Club access. (For what it's worth, even $125 can be worth it for some travelers given the luxury experience and high-quality, complimentary food available inside.)

Note that upgrades to suites can cost much more, spanning between 6,000 and 9,000 points per night. If you have a long stay ahead of you, upgrading with points can cost the same as a standard room award. Unless it’s a special occasion, or you have no other use of your points, this might not be the best use of points.

Use Hyatt points toward spa and dining credits

Travelers who want to treat themselves to a spa treatment or a nice dinner can also use points to pay for their bill. Points can be used to pay for in-room movies, parking, transportation and other incidentals at the hotel, by exchanging them for account credits. The exchanges are as follows:

However, this is not an optimal use of your points. Because points exchange at a rate of 0.5 cent per point, you would lose significant value by using points at the hotel for a spa treatment, in-room movie or meal.

Use Hyatt points at all-inclusive hotels and Miraval Resorts

For those looking for a big getaway, World of Hyatt points are also good at select Hyatt resorts and Miraval resorts. In Spring 2022, Hyatt announced the addition of seven new all-inclusive brands to its roster, which is now comprised of: Hyatt Zilara, Hyatt Ziva, Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas, Dreams Resorts & Spas, Vivid Hotels & Resorts, Alua Hotels & Resorts and Sunscape Resorts & Spas. Different brands will be phased into the program at different times, with award nights being priced according to Hyatt's new all-inclusive award chart.

Hyatt all-inclusive award chart

Hyatt Miraval award chart

Points can also be used at Miraval resorts, for both award nights and Points + Cash awards. Awards at all Miraval resorts are:

Although they may be expensive, all-inclusive resort stays come with all the amenities one can imagine. Each award night at a Miraval resort includes a $175 resort credit per person, gourmet food, snacks, drinks, wellness activities, and much more. Before walking away from these high points prices, consider how much it would cost to go on vacation to one of these resorts.

Use World of Hyatt points to book travel with Hyatt transfer partners

While hotel rooms are the primary way World of Hyatt members use their points (and typically the best), there are ways to spend Hyatt points outside Hyatt. Hyatt transfer partners include FIND experiences, airlines and rental car companies. If you don't plan on staying at a Hyatt hotel anytime soon, you might find it more useful to convert those hotel points to airline miles with participating airlines, or exchanging points for Avis car rental certificates.

• FIND experiences: If you have a once-in-a-lifetime experience lined up but don’t want to pay cash for it, FIND experiences can be paid for with World of Hyatt points. The number of points you will need for an experience directly correlates with the price of the experience.

• Exchanging for airline miles: World of Hyatt points can be transferred to 30 airline frequent flyer programs, including American AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, Southwest Rapid Rewards and United MileagePlus. Points convert at a ratio of 2.5 World of Hyatt points for every one frequent flyer mile, and a minimum of 5,000 points is required for each conversion request. Over 5,000 points, points must be transferred to miles in increments of 1,000 points.

• Using points for car rentals: You can also exchange World of Hyatt points for Avis car rental certificates, to cut down on car rental fees. For 6,000 points, members can receive a certificate good for one day of an intermediate-size car rental with Avis.

With so many options to redeem World of Hyatt points, which make the most sense? Based on our 2.2 cents valuation of Hyatt points, here are the best uses of points we could find.

• Book at Hyatt hotels: It should go without saying that the most value for your points comes from redeeming them at hotels. When using your points at hotels around the world, we estimate your points are worth 2.2 cents each. At Category 5-7 hotels, the value you can get for your points can easily range from around 1 cent each to over 3 cents each. If you enjoy staying at upscale and luxury hotels, your best use of World of Hyatt points is toward free room nights.

• Book weekends at tourist destinations, and weeknights in business districts: Save your points to cash in on the most expensive night of your stay, as rates are the same no matter what night of the week you book. Room rates in Las Vegas tend to peak during weekend nights, so even if you’re booking five nights at the Bellagio, it might make more sense to book on points for Friday and Saturday and pay cash the other nights.

• Use points to book Points + Cash awards: When Hyatt changed its Points + Cash awards from a flat fee and points to 50% of the required points and 50% of the standard room rate, many people called it a devaluation of points. However, in some situations, 50% of the standard room rate is less than the flat fee. Points + Cash options remain a good deal, especially if it can get you a discount on a great place to stay.

• Stay at hotels with steep resort fees: No one, it seems, likes resort fees. While they typically range from $20-$30 a night, some get even steeper. Resort fees at Hyatt’s Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort will run you $48 plus tax per night. The good news: World of Hyatt members won’t pay resort fees on free night awards, which could amount to significant savings just by opting to pay in points vs. cash.

• Transferring to airlines: When forced to exchange 5,000 points for 2,000 frequent flyer miles, you are leaving a little bit of value on the table. We value 5,000 World of Hyatt points at around $100 of value toward hotels, which you may not be able to recover when using them to book an airline award. While this can be useful in an emergency to get the final miles needed for a flight, this isn’t the best way to use your World of Hyatt points.

• Using points toward Hyatt hotel credits: You can exchange points for purchases such as spa treatments, in-room movies and meals. But to do that, your points exchange rate is just 0.5 cents each — significantly less than the average value of 2.2 cents per point we found. You’re better off charging your splurges to your hotel room and earning 5 base World of Hyatt points for each qualifying $1 to get a little closer to a free night or elite status.

What's in the Hyatt pipeline? The company is constantly opening new hotels. That said, here are some highlights of the most anticipating openings to come this year:

• Andaz Doha (Opening late 2024) - Set in the heart of West Bay, Andaz Doha will stand out for its sea views.

• Andaz Miami Beach (Opening late 2024) - Andaz Miami Beach will be a complete transformation from The Confidante Miami Beach, debuting in the fourth quarter of 2024. Located on Collins Avenue, it's steps from the Miami Beach boardwalk. Expect a redesigned lobby, two reconceptualized pools and outdoor recreation experience, a spa and revamped restaurants via the hotel’s new culinary provider, José Andrés Group.

• Park Hyatt Marrakech (Full opening fall 2024) -Park Hyatt Marrakech will be the fourth Hyatt-branded hotel in Morocco. The 181-room hotel will feature a Moroccan garden-inspired 18-hole golf course, designed by award-winning golf course designer, Kyle Phillips.

• Park Hyatt London River Thames (Opening late 2024) - This opening will mark the Park Hyatt brand’s first in the UK. Located in the heart of London, the best rooms will have views of the River Thames.

• Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur (Opening late 2024) - This hotel is unique in that it occupies the top floors of Merdeka 118, the tallest skyscraper in Asia Pacific. With that, expect unrivaled views from the city’s highest point.

• Thompson Palm Springs (Opening late 2024) - Thompson Palm Springs will consist of 168 bungalow-inspired guest rooms and suites with private balconies. Expect a full-service spa and two rooftop pools.