Like clockwork every year this time of year, Hyatt shifts hundreds of properties up or down an award category or two – making them cost fewer (or, more commonly, far more) points per night. It's almost always bad news, with some of the best and most popular Hyatt properties taking a hit.
With that terrible tradition right around the corner, a new (and, to be frank, completely unconfirmed) leak suggests the looming 2026 update could be the biggest in years … and the worst by far.
An anonymous user on the r/Hyatt subreddit claims Hyatt is planning far more than its usual category reshuffle: Adding two new top-tier categories with award rates of up to 60,000 points or more, introducing a “super peak” pricing mechanism for the busiest travel periods, expanding free night certificates, and even launching a $795 ultra-premium co-branded credit card.
While it's not a pivot to full-blown dynamic award pricing in the vein of Marriott or IHG, it would be a huge hit to what's undeniably the most valuable hotel loyalty program in the world. And while there's no doubt some good news buried in here, it's largely negative – especially for travelers who like to use their Hyatt points (or transferrable rewards from Chase or Bilt) for top-dollar luxury hotels and resorts.
To be crystal clear, Hyatt has not confirmed any of this, and Reddit is the home of both legitimate leaks and total fiction. But the timing lines up almost perfectly with when Hyatt typically announces its annual changes. Combined with the specificity of this so-called leak, it's hard to ignore this rumor.
Here’s what’s allegedly coming as early as next week.
2 New (& Pricier) Award Categories
Currently, Hyatt's award chart tops out at Category 8, which costs 40,000 World of Hyatt points per night at standard pricing. Thanks to peak and off-peak pricing, that can get as cheap as 35,000 points per night – or as much as 45,000 points per night.
According to the Reddit post, Hyatt plans to introduce not one but two, pricier new award categories:
- Category 9: 50,000 points per night (standard)
- Category 10: 60,000 points per night (standard)
That’s a massive jump at the top end of the award chart, and the rumor suggests many marquee Park Hyatt properties already sitting at Category 8 – like Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme and the Park Hyatt Tokyo – would move up to Category 9. Category 10 would reportedly be reserved for just a handful of ultra-high-demand properties, possibly launching with the Park Hyatt Kyoto.
If accurate – and that's a big if – these moves would create an ultra-luxury tier of top-dollar properties at significantly higher award rates, thereby eliminating some of the outsized value travelers love from their World of Hyatt points. And it would reinforce Hyatt’s apparent strategy of elevating Park Hyatt as its flagship brand, with the highest award bands largely reserved for those properties.
But more painful changes are apparently in the works.
“Super Peak” Pricing for Select-Service Hotels
Perhaps more concerning is the rumor of a new “super peak” pricing structure during the busiest periods – think concerts, sporting events, winter holidays, and more.
Since 2021, Hyatt has offered three different pricing tiers across its worldwide portfolio: off-peak, standard, and peak award rates. The hotel chain could add a fourth, even pricier tier with the introduction of “super peak” pricing.
Allegedly, this would only extend to a handful of Hyatt's lower-tier brands like Hyatt Places, Hyatt Houses, and Caption by Hyatt – go-to brands for a solid stay at times when cash rates are through the roof. This new, higher pricing tier would allow these properties to tie award rates more closely to the cash price during those busiest peak travel times – for 10 nights per year.
It would have a floor price of 1.5 cents per point and a cap of two award categories higher. So, for example, a Category 3 Hyatt Place selling for $450 a night could go for as much as 23,000 during a major event – not the usual 15,000 points for a Category 3 peak award night.
Again, that would limit the outsized value travelers can get from Hyatt points at times when cash rates are high. And if true, it would mark another significant shift away from the predictability and simplicity of Hyatt's award chart.
Better Free Night Certificates & “Top Off” Feature
Not all the rumored changes are bad.
The post claims Hyatt would expand the free night awards that travelers can get from co-branded Chase credit cards or top-tier status:
- Category 1–4 certificates would become Category 1–5
- Category 1–7 certificates would become Category 1–8
After years of award chart changes, the number and, more importantly, quantity of properties bookable with a free night certificate has steadily shrunken – especially on the lower-end certificates. This change alone would be a big win.
Better yet, the leak suggests Hyatt would finally take a page out of Marriott's book and allow Hyatt members to “top off” a certificate, throwing in points in order to book a property in a higher category. But there's a catch: Apparently, you'll need Hyatt status in order to be eligible … and even the lowest tier of status won't cut it.
- With Explorist (Hyatt's second tier of status), you could top off a 1–5 certificate up to Category 7
- Top-tier Globalists could top off 1–5 or 1–8 certificates at any property
How many points you'd need in order to top off that certificate would hinge on the difference between property categories. So if, for example, you were trying to use a lower certificate to book a Category 7 property for a standard award stay, you'd need to kick in 10,000 additional points.
If implemented cleanly, this could add some serious flexibility – especially for travelers who constantly find themselves just one category short of using a certificate where they actually want to stay.
A $795 Park Hyatt-Branded Premium Card?
The Reddit rumor also outlines a long-rumored ultra-premium World of Hyatt credit card. Here's what is potentially at stake:
- A huge, $795 annual fee
- 100,000-point welcome bonus – though there are no details about the spending requirement to earn that bonus
- Automatic Explorist status – Hyatt's second-highest tier of elite status
- 20 qualifying elite night credits deposited annually
- $200 Hyatt statement credit twice per year – this would likely be split into $100 twice a year
- Earn 10x points per dollar spent at Hyatt properties
- Chase Sapphire and Priority Pass lounge access
Cardholders could earn Globalist with an additional 20 qualifying elite nights, though milestone rewards (like confirmed suite upgrades) would reportedly still require 60 actual nights.
If the rumors are true, it would position the card squarely in the premium travel card segment and be the most expensive hotel co-branded card by far.
Bottom Line
Again, this is all unconfirmed. We can't stress that enough.
But change is clearly in the air for the World of Hyatt program. The hotel chain could make some major changes to its award program as soon as next week while retaining a significant edge over its competitors … and Hyatt probably knows that.
Honestly, it would be a surprise if each and every item on this list comes true when Hyatt unveils its latest round of changes sometime later this month. But it would be an even bigger surprise if at least some of these changes aren't made.
