Hyatt sent travelers with plans to book their hotels scrambling earlier this month by unveiling some looming award rate hikes at more than 200 hotels. Now the time has come: With those changes set to take effect tomorrow, March 28, this is officially your last chance to book many top Hyatt properties before they cost you more points.
These award chart changes are an annual ritual for Hyatt, but this year's edition is particularly brutal. Aside from a few nice U.S. hotels going down, it's almost universally bad news for travelers with a stash of Hyatt points or transferable Chase points. Award rates at many of the best all-inclusive resorts, several high-end resorts, and many top Park Hyatt properties worldwide are set to increase on Tuesday.
But, there's a silver lining. Hyatt generally allows you to book a stay as far out as March 2024. So as long as you book your stay soon – even for a trip into early next year – you'll save a ton of points by doing so ASAP.
While there are more than 200 properties you might want to book before award rates increase, we've narrowed it down to a list of some of the most valuable properties that you should book now. Take a look.
The Basics of Hyatt's Award Chart Changes
Hyatt sets the number of points you need to book a free night based on an award chart, divided up into eight different categories. That’s a good thing – at least most of the time.
If you want to book a standard room at a Hyatt category 5 hotel, it will cost you 20,000 World of Hyatt points per night. With the introduction of peak and off-peak pricing rolled out in 2021, the timing of your stay could change that rate … by as much as 5,000 additional points for a stay during peak travel times (or 5,000 points fewer for an off-peak reservation).
Here’s a look at Hyatt’s award chart.
With 372 properties on the move, there’s a lot to unpack. In all, 158 Hyatt properties will drop a category and thus cost fewer points per night. But there's no need to worry about that: Hyatt will refund the difference in points if you book a hotel that costs fewer points after March 28.
Hyatt handles the award chart for its all-inclusive properties a bit differently. As its portfolio of resorts has grown, Hyatt has introduced a whole new award chart for booking these resorts using your points, using Category A through Category F to price these free nights at all-inclusive locations. The further down the alphabet you get, the more points it will cost.
Award rates range from 15,000 points to as much as 50,000 points per night standard night stay. Here's a look at Hyatt's all-inclusive award chart:
Hyatt's All-Inclusive Resorts on the Move
Nothing in Hyatt's entire portfolio is getting hit harder than Hyatt’s Inclusive collection, the 100-plus properties scattered throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, and even Europe. In all, 46 of these properties will be getting more expensive to book using World of Hyatt points. Ouch.
We recently put together a list of 10 Hyatt all-inclusive resorts where your Hyatt points will go the furthest. Almost every property on that list will get more expensive come March 28. You’ll want to book your stay at these resorts before then!
The Most Notable All-Inclusive Changes
Secrets Impression Moxché
No all-inclusive property is getting hit harder than the brand-new Secrets Impression Moxché. If you don't book before March 28, you'll need double the points.
The property just opened late last year in Playa del Carmen in the Riviera Maya, not far south of Cancún (CUN). Think of it as a high-end hotel within a hotel: It’s located within the broader Secrets Moxché Resort.
This high-end, adults-only property has less than 200 rooms, each with a bigger footprint than what you’ll find at the Secrets Moxché, and an outdoor hot tub. There are private pools and beaches, upgraded amenities, amazing restaurants, and top-shelf liquor. Early reviews suggest it lives up to the hype.
The Secrets Moxché is currently a category C all-inclusive resort which means it can currently be booked for just 25,000 Hyatt points per night. Paying cash will typically cost you $1,500 or more, so it's an incredible value.
But the property soon shift to Category F, which means it will cost 50,000 points per night for a room starting on March 28.
We knew this deal was too good to last, so this property reshuffle doesn’t come as a huge surprise. If you’re interested in a stay, book before March 28 to beat the price increase. Unfortunately, some excellent award availability to book this property we discovered earlier this month has disappeared – you won't find more than a few random dates now.
The regular Secrets Moxché resort is also on the move: It's set to jump from category C to category E, meaning a standard award night will go from 25,000 points per night to 40,000 points a night.
Hyatt Ziva and Zilara Properties
Hyatt’s longstanding Ziva and Zilara all-inclusive resorts will also be taking a huge hit for award bookings made after March 28, too.
We’ve been big fans of the Ziva (family-friendly) and Zilara (adults-only) resorts. Not only will 20,000 to 25,000 points a night cover your room rate for two, but it also covers all your food, drinks, and most entertainment at the resort. And in our experience, it's all a big step above your typical all-inclusive resort.
Eight Ziva and Zilara resorts are about to take a big hit. Here's a look at a list of the most notable upcoming Hyatt all-inclusive changes, with those seeing the biggest increases on top.
Property Name | Current Category | Current Points Per Night | New Category | New Points Per Night |
---|---|---|---|---|
Secrets Impression Moxché | C | 25,000 | F | 50,000 |
Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana | C | 25,000 | E | 40,000 |
Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana | C | 25,000 | E | 40,000 |
Zoëtry Agua Punta Cana | C | 25,000 | E | 40,000 |
Hyatt Zilara Cancún | C | 25,000 | E | 40,000 |
Hyatt Ziva Cancún | C | 25,000 | E | 40,000 |
Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen | C | 25,000 | E | 40,000 |
Zoëtry Casa del Mar Los Cabos | C | 25,000 | E | 40,000 |
Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos | B | 20,000 | D | 30,000 |
Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica | C | 25,000 | D | 30,000 |
Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall | C | 25,000 | D | 30,000 |
Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall | C | 25,000 | D | 30,000 |
Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta | B | 20,000 | C | 25,000 |
Hotels Moving From a Category 4 to Category 5
Each and every year that Hyatt does their property category reshuffle, there's a select group of properties that are always worth a closer look: Hotels that you soon won't be able to book using a Hyatt free night certificate.
Travelers with the World of Hyatt Credit Card get a free night certificate each year (starting with the second year holding the card), but it's only eligible for properties in Hyatt categories 1-4. Properties that shift into Hyatt category 5 or higher are a double whammy: Not only will they cost more points, but it means they'll no longer be bookable with a free night certificate.
If you have a Hyatt free night certificate to burn, booking these properties should be on the top of your to-do list before award prices increase on March 28.
Property Name | Current Category | Current Points Per Night | New Category | New Points Per Night |
---|---|---|---|---|
Andaz San Diego | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
Hyatt House Naples / 5th Ave. | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
Lahaina Shores Beach Resort | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
Chicago Athletic Association | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
The Eliza Jane | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
Hyatt Place Moab | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
Grand Hyatt Sanya Haitang Bay | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
Grand Hyatt Jeju | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
Grand Hyatt Seoul | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
Park Hyatt Saigon | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
SLH Downtown (Mexico City) | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
Park Hotel ai Cappuccini | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
Hyatt Regency Amsterdam | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
Thompson Madrid | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
Park Hyatts & Other Luxury Properties
Some of the best properties in Hyatt's portfolio always take a beating this time of year.
The changes on tap are especially brutal for some of the hotel chain's Park Hyatt properties as well as a few other standout luxury properties. So here's another list of some great properties that you might want to book for a stay as far out as early next year.
Property Name | Current Category | Current Points Per Night | New Category | New Points Per Night |
---|---|---|---|---|
Park Hyatt Beaver Creek | 7 | 30,000 | 8 | 40,000 |
Viceroy Bali | 7 | 30,000 | 8 | 40,000 |
Hotel Gajoen Tokyo | 7 | 30,000 | 8 | 40,000 |
Park Hyatt Zurich | 7 | 30,000 | 8 | 40,000 |
Park Hyatt Vienna | 6 | 25,000 | 7 | 30,000 |
Andaz 5th Avenue | 6 | 25,000 | 7 | 30,000 |
Hôtel du Louvre | 6 | 25,000 | 7 | 30,000 |
Park Hyatt Aviara Resort | 6 | 25,000 | 7 | 30,000 |
Grand Hyatt Kauai | 6 | 25,000 | 7 | 30,000 |
Grand Hyatt Vail | 6 | 25,000 | 7 | 30,000 |
The Cape, a Thompson Hotel | 6 | 25,000 | 7 | 30,000 |
Andaz London Liverpool Street | 5 | 20,000 | 6 | 25,000 |
Cape Fahn Hotel | 5 | 20,000 | 6 | 25,000 |
Park Hyatt Bangkok | 5 | 20,000 | 6 | 25,000 |
Park Hyatt Dubai | 5 | 20,000 | 6 | 25,000 |
Bottom Line
There's no doubt about it: This looming change from Hyatt is brutal. More than 200 properties worldwide will soon cost you more World of Hyatt points to book a free night.
But there's still a narrow window to book all these properties at the current price before the change takes effect on Tuesday, March 28. If you ask us, these properties are easily worth looking into to lock in a stay … for as far out as March 2024.
All photos courtesy of Hyatt