One of the most valuable perks on any hotel credit card is a free night certificate – and one of our favorite is the Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card and its annual free night certificate. You don't get it until your second full year of card membership, but it can get you far.
Each year on your cardmember anniversary, you get a certificate for a free night to use at any category 1-4 property in the Hyatt portfolio. You can even earn an additional Hyatt free night certificate after spending $15,000 on the card each year … or get another through Hyatt's novel Brand Explorer program.
These certificates make it fairly easy to get two, three, or four times more in value than the $95 annual fee you pay each year on the Hyatt credit card. But you need to pick the right property to get that far ahead. So I'll highlight some of our favorite Hyatt category 1-4 properties that offer fantastic value for your free Hyatt night certificate, and everything you need to know about using them up in 2023, and beyond.
- Andaz San Diego
- Hyatt Andaz Savannah
- Park Hyatt Mendoza
- MGM Grand Las Vegas
- Hyatt Place Park City
- Hyatt Place Keystone
- Grand Hyatt Washington, D.C.
- SLH Downtown Mexico City
- Hyatt Regency Sydney
- The Eliza Jane in New Orleans
- Hyatt Residence Club Sedona Piñon Pointe
- Andaz Bali
- Other Great Ways to Use your Hyatt Free Night Certificate
- Where to Find Your Hyatt Free Night Certificate
- How to Use Your Hyatt Free Night Certificate
- The World of Hyatt Credit Card Benefits
Click Here to learn more about the World of Hyatt Credit Card.
Andaz San Diego
The Andaz and Park Hyatt brands are typically the best of the Hyatt properties in their portfolio. The Hyatt Andaz San Diego is no exception.
Previously a Category 5, this property dropped down to a category 4 a few years back, making it a great candidate for your Hyatt free night certificate.
A paid night at the property can easily run between $100 and $300 a night depending on local events and the time of year. This allows you to get up to 3x the value you pay for the World of Hyatt card's annual fee each year.
Hyatt Andaz Savannah
Located in the city of Savannah, Georgia, the Andaz Savannah is another great use of the Hyatt free night certificate. Another category 4 property, the cash rates typically range from $200 to $400 per night. Located in the city market district of the city, it's a great location for your next visit.
Read more: Thrifty Traveler's Guide to Savannah, Georgia
Park Hyatt Mendoza
Tucked in the heart of Argentinian wine country, the Park Hyatt Mendoza is the only category 3 hotel on our list. But it's worth it – this is a Park Hyatt, after all.
The building is a beautifully restored 19th-century Spanish colonial facade and is located in the main business district center of the city. Cash rates for a night at the property are typically around $200 to $300.
I stayed here in the fall of 2018 and found it was beautiful, and a great use of our Hyatt free night certificate. It makes a great home base for exploring wine country and the city of Mendoza.
MGM Grand Las Vegas
Because of the partnership between MGM Resorts and Hyatt, you can earn and redeem points at many properties in Las Vegas. The MGM Grand is one of our favorite properties in Las Vegas and another smart way to use your Hyatt free night certificate.
Prices can be all over the map in Las Vegas depending on what is going on in town, so it won't always make sense to use your Hyatt free night certificate at the MGM Grand.
A night at the MGM Grand typically will run you between $150 and $400 a night. Keep in mind that you will still be on the hook for the resort fees charged from the property unless you have MGM Gold status or higher. Otherwise, these are unavoidable, and usually run between $20 and $40 per night.
You can also use your Hyatt free night certificate at the New York, New York, the Park MGM, the Luxor & Excalibur when visiting Sin City.
Hyatt Place Park City
Located just minutes from two world-class ski resorts as well as Utah Olympic Park and historic Main Street, the Hyatt Place Park City offers another great value for your free Hyatt night certificate. With nights running between $200 and $400 a night, this is a great way to save money on your next ski vacation.
Hyatt Place Keystone
Another great option to save money on your next ski vacation is the Hyatt Place Keystone. With nights running between $200 and $300 a night during the peak ski season it's a great way to save money if the slopes of Colorado are calling your name.
The resort offers incredible mountain views and two rooftop hot tubs to take the edge off after a long day on the slopes.
Grand Hyatt Washington, D.C.
I used my Hyatt free night certificate at the Grand Hyatt Washington, D.C. years ago and had a fantastic stay. The property is just a short walk away from all of the major D.C. attractions including the White House and the National Mall. If you are paying cash, rooms can easily run between $200 and $300 a night depending on the time of year and what's happening in the city.
SLH Downtown Mexico City
Hyatt has some very unique properties in the Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) collection. The SLH Downtown Mexico City, which is a category 4 property, is certainly one of them.
Located just two blocks from Mexico City's central square, El Zocalo, the building has 17 suites and was built in the 17th century as a palace.
Booking a stay at the property usually runs between $190 and $300 – making it a great use of a Hyatt-free night certificate.
Hyatt Regency Sydney
While it's not the iconic Park Hyatt Sydney, the Hyatt Regency Sydney is still in a great location and a great option for your category 1-4 free night certificate.
The property is located adjacent to Darling Harbour and it is actually the largest premium hotel in Sydney with 888 guest rooms. A night at the property can easily run $290 to $400 a night, depending on the time of year.
The Eliza Jane in New Orleans
Another great free night option is the Eliza Jane Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana. Part of Hyatt's Unbound Collection, the property is located just outside the French Quarter and was once used as a printing house and bitters factory.
A night at the property can easily run north of $300, so it can be a great use of your certificate if you have travel plans in New Orleans.
Hyatt Residence Club Sedona Piñon Pointe
The Hyatt Residence Club Sedona Piñon Pointe is a great base for exploring Sedona and the Grand Canyon.
It can be difficult to find available nights at the property during peak season, so if you plan to use your free night certificate here, you'll want to plan ahead. But with nights costing $250+ each night, it's a great use of a Hyatt free night certificate.
Andaz Bali
The Andaz Bali officially opened its doors in April 2021, and for the time being it is a category 4 property – making it eligible for your Hyatt free night certificate.
The property is described as a luxury beachfront resort that was built to resemble a modern Balinese village. It has three pools, a spa, and five dining venues on the property.
Other Great Ways to Use your Hyatt Free Night Certificate
- Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile
- Hyatt Regency Seattle
- Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country
- Hotel Kansas City
- Hyatt Place Moab
- Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile
- Park Hyatt Saigon
- Park Hyatt Istanbul
- Park Hotel ai Cappuccini
- Grand Hyatt Seoul
See the full list of category 1-4 properties in which you can use your Hyatt Free night at the World of Hyatt website.
Where to Find Your Hyatt Free Night Certificate
Once you are logged into your World of Hyatt online account, head to the “My Account” section.
From here, you can find any free night award certificates you have available under the “My Awards” tab.
As you can see from the screenshot above, I have a Category 1-4 free night award certificate that expires on October 24, 2022. Keep in mind: You have to book and stay by the expiration date. Just booking a future stay by the expiration date won't cut it.
How to Use Your Hyatt Free Night Certificate
Once you are ready to use your Hyatt free night certificate, click on the “Explore Hotels” button within the “My Awards” section of your account.
From here, you'll be able to search for the property you want to use your certificate at. For this example, I am looking at the Eliza Jane hotel in New Orleans.
Once you search your dates, make sure that you toggle the “View Points” option. You won't see the ability to book your free night award if you are looking at cash rates. So long as the date of your travel is before the expiration date of your certificate, you should see it as a booking option.
Unfortunately, there isn't a way to combine your free night award certificate reservation with additional nights. That's true whether you are booking with cash or points. In my experience, the easiest way to handle this is to book it as separate reservations, and when you arrive at the hotel for your stay, they can merge them into one booking.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card Benefits
In order to get one of these Hyatt free night certificates, you need a World of Hyatt Credit Card in your wallet. And while these free nights are easily the best perk, it offers a ton of other benefits and perks, too.
Welcome Bonus of 60,000 World of Hyatt Points
New! Earn 30,000 points after you spend $3,000 on the card in the first three months of card membership. You'll also earn 2x points on every dollar you spend on up to $15,000 in the first six months of card membership. That gives adds up to a total of 60,000 World of Hyatt points.
Annual Free Night Certificate
In my opinion, this is the best perk offered by the World of Hyatt Credit Card. It easily makes the $95 annual fee worth it.
Get One Additional Free Night
You'll earn an additional free night certificate at any category 1-4 Hyatt property if you spend $15,000 during your cardmember anniversary year.
Category Spending Bonuses
You'll earn 9x points total per dollar spent at Hyatt: 4 bonus points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt Hotels and 5 base points per $1 you can earn as a World of Hyatt member.
You will also earn 2x bonus points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting, and on fitness club and gym memberships.
You'll earn 1x point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Hyatt Discoverist Status
You will receive Hyatt's Discoverist status for as long as you have the card. Discoverist status gets you:
- A preferred room within the category booked
- A 10% points bonus
- Complimentary bottle of water
- Free Premium Internet
- Priority check-in
- 2 p.m. late check-out
See the World of Hyatt website for a full breakdown of Hyatt elite status tiers.
Transfer Partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards
The World of Hyatt program is a 1:1 transfer partner of the Chase Ultimate Rewards Program. This means you can transfer points earned on cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® to bolster your Hyatt points balance and extend your award stays.
We feel that booking Hyatt stays is the best way to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book hotels.
Read our master guide to earning and burning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points.
The Chase 5/24 Rule
As with all Chase credit cards, the World of Hyatt Credit Card is impacted by the Chase 5/24 rule so you may not be able to get this card depending on your credit history.
Here’s what it boils down to:
- If you have opened five or more credit cards in the past 24 months from any bank (not just Chase cards), you will not be approved for Chase credit cards, regardless of your credit score or history with Chase bank.
- The rule does not count credit inquiries, but rather card products you have applied and been approved for.
Learn more about the Chase 5/24 rule by watching our YouTube video.
Annual Fee
The World of Hyatt Credit Card has an annual fee of $95, and it is not waived for the first year.
But thanks to the free anniversary nights and other benefits, this is a small price to pay. You should have no issues getting more than $95 dollars in value out of this card each and every year you hold it.
Bottom Line
These are just a few of our favorite redemption options for the annual Hyatt free night certificate from the World of Hyatt Credit Card.
At the end of the day, the best use of your Hyatt free night certificate is any stay you might have otherwise paid cash for. With a ton of great Category 4 (and even Category 3) properties, there are plenty of options to use your certificate wisely for a free stay. And that should make it relatively easy to get much more out of it than the $95 annual fee you pay for the card.
All photos courtesy of Hyatt Hotels
Great information – thank you!
Just fyi you can’t use the free night award at Lahaina Shores Beach Resort. The hotel has a five night minimum for award bookings.
Thanks, Andrew. This has been removed from our list.