Hyatt released its upcoming round of changes to award pricing at hundreds of hotels on Tuesday and while it's not nearly as brutal as last year, many popular properties are still taking a hit.
In all, 183 hotels are changing award categories: 137 properties are moving up to a higher category and therefore will require more World of Hyatt points (or transferrable Chase points) to book a free night while just 46 properties are moving down – requiring fewer points to book a free night stay.
Award chart changes are an annual ritual for Hyatt, although less than half the number of properties are moving categories this year compared to last. Still, Hyatt's ever-expanding profile of all-inclusive resorts is getting hit hard again, and award rates at several popular high-end resorts and top Park Hyatt properties worldwide are set to increase soon, too.
These category changes don’t take effect until March 26, so you have just under a month to lock in a future stay at some of these properties before the points price increases. On the flip side, Hyatt will automatically refund World of Hyatt program members who book at any 46 properties going down a category for bookings made before the points pricing decreases.
We’ve rounded up a list of some great Hyatt properties on the move that you might want to book before March 26. Hyatt generally allows you to book as far out as April 2025, while some all-inclusive resorts are even bookable as far out as summer 2025.
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 Hyatt's peak and off-peak award pricing, 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.
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.
The standard Category 1 through Category 8 award chart you'll find for Hyatt's regular hotels doesn’t apply here. Instead, Hyatt uses 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 many as 50,000 points per night standard night stay.
Here's a look at Hyatt's all-inclusive award chart:
In all, 46 Hyatt properties will drop a category, thus costing 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 26.
Hyatt All-Inclusive Resorts Hit the Hardest, Again
Nothing is getting hit harder than Hyatt's Inclusive collection, Hyatt's 100-plus properties scattered throughout Mexico and the Caribbean. In total, 13 of these properties will be getting more expensive to book using World of Hyatt points. Ouch.
Over the past few years, Hyatt has 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.
Booking these all-inclusive resorts used to be one of the best ways to use World of Hyatt points – it's tough to beat eating, drinking, and staying at a nice resort without paying a dime. But it's getting harder and harder to squeeze value out of your points at many of these properties.
Notably, many Hyatt Ziva and Zilara properties are on the move again – costing as many as 50,000 points per night for a one-night stay. Just two years ago, it was possible to book these top-tier all-inclusive resorts for just 25,000 points per night. After an increase last year, and another round this year, properties like the Hyatt Ziva Cancún and the Hyatt Ziva and Zilara Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic now cost twice as many points for a stay… ouch!
Even the brand-new Secrets Tulum Resort and Beach Club, which just opened in October, didn't escape the latest round of award rate hikes. Right now, you can book a stay at this property for just 20,000 points per night. Come March 26, it'll cost you 30,000 points – or more.
These are all the Hyatt all-inclusive resorts on the move. While a few lesser-known properties are going down a category, most of these changes are negative.
| 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 |
Other Notable Hyatt Properties Getting More Expensive
While the all-inclusive resorts got hit hardest in Hyatt's latest award chart reshuffle, several other notable properties will also cost more points per night come March 26. Again, if you have a planned stay at any of these properties, you'll want to book before prices increase.
| Property Name | Current Category | Current Points Per Night | New Category | New Points Per Night |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi | 2 | 8,000 | 3 | 12,000 |
| Alila Ubud | 2 | 8,000 | 3 | 12,000 |
| Andaz Pattaya Jomtien Beach | 3 | 12,000 | 4 | 15,000 |
| Park Hyatt Mendoza | 3 | 12,000 | 4 | 15,000 |
| Hyatt Centric Venice Murano | 3 | 12,000 | 4 | 15,000 |
| Thompson Chicago | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Andaz Bali | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Park Hyatt Zanzibar | 5 | 20,000 | 6 | 25,000 |
| Park Hyatt Istanbul | 5 | 20,000 | 6 | 25,000 |
| Park Hyatt Auckland | 5 | 20,000 | 6 | 25,000 |
| Thompson Madrid | 5 | 20,000 | 6 | 25,000 |
| Andaz Singapore | 5 | 20,000 | 6 | 25,000 |
| Alila Jabal Akhdar (Oman) | 6 | 25,000 | 7 | 30,000 |
| Grand Hyatt Tokyo | 6 | 25,000 | 7 | 30,000 |
| Andaz Costa Rica Penninsula Papagayo | 6 | 25,000 | 7 | 30,000 |
Properties Where You Can No Longer Use a Free Night Certificate
These category changes are particularly disappointing for anyone with the World of Hyatt Credit Card, as one of the card's key selling points is the annual free night award that you get each year upon renewal. With this perk, you can book a night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort each year for free … more than making up for the card's $95 annual fee. An additional free night award can be earned by spending $15,000 or more each year on your World of Hyatt Card as well as through Hyatt's Brand Explorer program.
With the latest round of category changes, 19 hotels went from Category 4 to Category 5, putting them out of reach for anyone hoping to use their card's annual free night award. This includes a handful of popular properties like the Hyatt Centric Waikiki, Andaz Bali, and the Thompson Chicago.
Here is the full list of changes.
| Property Name | Current Category | Current Points Per Night | New Category | New Points Per Night |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Hyatt Regency Washington | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Grand Hyatt Washington | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Hyatt House Washington DC / The Wharf | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Hyatt Place Panama City Beach / Beachfront | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Hyatt House Augusta Downtown | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Hyatt Place Athens Downtown | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Thompson Chicago | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Hyatt Regency Boston / Cambridge | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Hyatt Centric The Woodlands | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Hyatt Regency Changbaishan | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Hyatt Regency Dharamshala Resort | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Alila Fort Bishangarh | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Andaz Bali | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Hyatt Regency Dusseldorf | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| The Wellem Dusseldorf | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| Hyatt Centric Milan Centrale | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
| The Tribune, part of JdV by Hyatt | 4 | 15,000 | 5 | 20,000 |
Only five properties went down from Category 5 to Category 4, meaning this is a net loss of 14 hotels for anyone with a free night award.
Here is the full list of properties that are newly available to use a Hyatt free night certificate at, starting on March 26.
| Property Name | Current Category | Current Points Per Night | New Category | New Points Per Night |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kissel Uptown Oakland, In The Unbound Collection By Hyatt | 5 | 20,000 | 4 | 15,000 |
| Hyatt Centric Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco | 5 | 20,000 | 4 | 15,000 |
| Hyatt Place Santa Cruz | 5 | 20,000 | 4 | 15,000 |
| Alila Wuzhen (China) | 5 | 20,000 | 4 | 15,000 |
| Firstname Bordeaux | 5 | 20,000 | 4 | 15,000 |
Bottom Line
Award chart changes are an annual ritual for Hyatt and this year is no exception. While the changes are nowhere near as brutal as last year, it's still mostly bad news for travelers with Hyatt points.
Nothing is getting hit harder than Hyatt's Inclusive collection, Hyatt's 100+ properties scattered throughout Mexico and the Caribbean. In total, 13 of these properties will be getting more expensive when using World of Hyatt points, and some of them have doubled in price in just two years.
You'll want to book your stay with Hyatt points before March 26 at any of these properties that are negatively impacted.
Credit Cards & Award Travel Editor Jackson Newman contributed to this story
Is there a full list by location where the certificates can be used?
Here is the full list from Hyatt’s website:
https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/explore-hotels?regionGroup=0-All&categories=4