From top-notch properties to outstanding elite benefits, there's a lot to love about the World of Hyatt program. And best of all, Hyatt still uses an award chart to determine the cost of a free night – allowing travelers to get outsized value from their points when cash prices are high.
Over the years, there's been no greater example of this than using points to book one of Hyatt's all-inclusive resorts … or at least that used to be the case.
Using points for a free night stay at one of Hyatt's all-inclusive resorts doesn't just mean you're off the hook for the cost of lodging – but it also means your drinks, dining, activities, and even the minibar are covered. Lounging on a beach in paradise is all the sweeter when you're not getting hit with a huge bill at the end of your stay.
Just two short years ago, most of the best all-inclusive resorts in Hyatt's portfolio (including many of our favorite Hyatt Ziva and Zilaras) were bookable for just 20,000 or 25,000 points per night. With the introduction of peak and off-peak pricing, a massive award chart devaluation to its all-inclusive portfolio last year, and another devaluation set to take place later this month, many of Hyatt's best resorts now cost twice as many points as they did in 2022.
So it's left us wondering: Is there any value left when using Hyatt points to book all-inclusive resorts?
Hyatt's Award Chart for All-Inclusive Resorts
Over the past few years, Hyatt expanded its portfolio of all-inclusive resorts from a handful of Ziva and Zilara properties to more than 100 locations, mostly in Mexico and the Caribbean. As its portfolio grew, Hyatt introduced a whole new award chart for booking these resorts using points.
The standard Category 1 through Category 8 award chart for Hyatt hotels no longer applies here. Instead, Hyatt uses Category A through Category F to price these free nights at all-inclusive locations. Generally speaking, the higher the further down the alphabet you get, the nicer the property will be.
Award rates range from 15,000 points to as many as 50,000 points per night standard night stay.
Here's a look at Hyatt's all-inclusive award chart:
At first, this designated all-inclusive award chart wasn't a huge blow to Hyatt's all-inclusive portfolio as most properties were in the A to C categories, pricing out at just 15,000 to 25,000 points per night. In that range, there was still plenty of value to be found when using points.
But over the last two years, there's been a shift. Many of the best properties, particularly those in Mexico and the Caribbean, have moved further and further down the chart – in some cases doubling in price over that time. Having to use twice as many points for an award stay certainly makes these all-inclusive resorts feel a whole lot less “free.”
And soon, another 15 properties will be on the move. While a few lesser-known properties are going down a category and actually getting cheaper to book with points, most will cost more than before.
| Property Name | Current Category | Current Points Per Night | New Category | New Points Per Night |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dreams Calvia Mallorca | B | 20,000 | A | 15,000 |
| AluaSoul Ibiza | A | 15,000 | B | 20,000 |
| Alua Soul Menorca | A | 15,000 | B | 20,000 |
| AluaSoul Mallorca Resort | A | 15,000 | B | 20,000 |
| Secrets St. Martin Resort & Spa | D | 30,000 | C | 25,000 |
| Secrets Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort | C | 25,000 | D | 30,000 |
| Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta | C | 25,000 | D | 30,000 |
| Secrets Tulum Resort and Beach Club | B | 20,000 | D | 30,000 |
| Secrets Mallorca Villamil Resort | C | 25,000 | D | 30,000 |
| Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall | D | 30,000 | E | 40,000 |
| Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall | D | 30,000 | E | 40,000 |
| Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos | D | 30,000 | E | 40,000 |
| Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana | E | 40,000 | F | 50,000 |
| Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana | E | 40,000 | F | 50,000 |
| Hyatt Ziva Cancun | E | 40,000 | F | 50,000 |
After the latest category changes go into effect on March 26, over half of Hyatt's all-inclusive portfolio will fall into Category C or higher – meaning a standard free night will start at 25,000 points. With Hyatt's introduction of peak and off-peak pricing, you might see slightly lower (or higher) rates depending on when you go.
Of the properties that are bucketed in Category A or B, more than half are located in Europe (mostly in Spain) and most price out quite low when using cash – making award stays a poor value proposition, no matter the category.
Critically for North American travelers, 68% of Hyatt's all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean – the properties most Hyatt members want to book – are in Category C or higher. And many of the most sought-after are in Category E or F, meaning a standard night starts at 40,000 points. Ouch.
When Should You Use Points?
The fact that Hyatt still uses an award chart is great for several reasons. It gives travelers a number to shoot for when earning points and planning a vacation. With other hotel chains that use dynamic award pricing, there's no telling what a free night will cost – making it tough to plan a trip. The other big benefit to Hyatt's award chart is that it allows you to stretch your budget by using points for a hotel you wouldn't normally pay cash for.
One of the best ways to earn Hyatt points is through a Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning credit card. If you've got a card like the *chase sapphire preferred* or its small business sibling, the *chase ink preferred*, you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards directly to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio. If you're earning points on rent through Bilt Rewards, you also can transfer those points to Hyatt at the same 1:1 ratio or simply earn Hyatt points with a World of Hyatt co-branded credit card.
Alternatively, you could use your points to book Hyatt's all-inclusives directly through the Chase Travel portal at a rate of 1.25 cents per point. Because of this, that should be your benchmark for using Hyatt points on one of these all-inclusive resorts. If you've got the more premium *chase sapphire reserve*, your points are worth 1.5 cents through the portal so you'll want to adjust your baseline accordingly.
Another thing to consider when determining whether to book with points or cash: Hyatt doesn't charge resort fees on award bookings. So if the property you're looking at has a $40 resort fee on top of the nightly rate, you'll want to add that into your calculations when deciding how to book.
Hyatt All-Inclusive Resorts With Good Value
Generally speaking, you'll find the best value for your points in the middle of Hyatt's all-inclusive award chart. Properties costing 20,000 to 30,000 points per night that would otherwise cost upwards of $500 a night when paying cash will be a good place to look – especially when you can catch one of these properties at off-peak rates.
For example, the Hyatt Zilara Riviera Maya is a Category C resort with rooms costing 25,000 points for a standard night. But during the off-peak season, you can book a room for as few as 21,000 points per night – meaning a five-night stay here in November would cost you just 105,000 Hyatt Points.
If you instead booked with cash, you'd be looking at a rate of $458 per night or nearly $2,300 for the same five-night stay.
This means you're getting way more value from your points than the 1.25 cents or 1.5 cents you'd get for using Ultimate Rewards points through the Chase travel portal – making booking with Hyatt points a no-brainer.
You'll also find good value for your points on the higher end of the award chart. Looking at one of Hyatt's priciest all-inclusive resorts like Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets, off-peak award nights can be had for 42,000 points per night.
That's an eye-popping number no doubt, but it looks like a downright bargain compared to the cash price. This same room would cost over $1,000 per night if paying cash.
New properties seem to be another sweet spot within Hyatt's all-inclusive portfolio. Here's how it works: Hyatt opens a new resort and sets the point price really low to drum up interest. Then, as soon as the next round of award chart changes comes around, it jumps a category (or two) and is no longer the bargain it once was. Rinse and repeat.
Take the Secrets Tulum Resort & Beach Club for example. This property just opened last fall and is currently a Category B all-inclusive, meaning a standard night costs just 20,000 points. After Hyatt's category changes kick in on March 26, this property will jump all the way up to Category D. That's a 10,000-point per night hike from the current price.
For anyone who booked right when this property opened or gets in before the price increase later this month, that makes using points on a property that otherwise costs upwards of $500 per night a smoking hot deal.
Just two years ago it was possible to book most of Hyatt's all-inclusive resorts for 25,000 points per night, or less. Now, that seems to be the minimum amount you'll need – but that doesn't mean that all is lost. This is just a sampling of what's out there but hopefully, it gives a sense of where there's still value within Hyatt's all-inclusive portfolio … even if it is getting harder to find.
Bottom Line
Hyatt's portfolio of all-inclusive properties has long been a sweet spot for using World of Hyatt points. But after a series of award chart changes, the value is getting harder and harder to find.
For travelers hoping to cash in their points on an all-inclusive free night in the Caribbean or Mexico, looking for new properties and catching off-peak award availability is the key to getting outsized value.
Your analysis of getting more than the 1.25 to 1.5 value of Chase ur is wrong whe looking at Hyatt value, or any point and mile booking.
You should be looking at how much it costs you to get the points and that is at least 2 cents. Because you can easily get 2% cashback in straight cash for most purchases. I never use pints for under 2 cents and most of the time my value is about 4 cents per point.
And yes all the all inclusive are overpriced and getting worse.