Hyatt Revamps Gold Passport Loyalty Program with World of Hyatt from 01 March 2017
World of Hyatt - Hyatt's new global loyalty program has been unveiled today and it will come into effect from 01 March 2017. The current Gold Passport program will cease from 28 February 2017 and the current 3-tier elite membership program will be reorganised into a 4-tier one to reward bigger spenders and travellers who spend more nights in hotels each year. Read on to find out about the changes and how it will affect you.
How Many Levels of Status in World of Hyatt?
If you look past the rather ugly logo (which I do hope is temporary), the World of Hyatt program now introduces four new tier names for the program - Discoverist, Explorist and Globalist (being the highest tier). Gone are the days of simple Platinum of Diamond tier names and we are now stuck with a rather cringe-worthy name.
Earning Elite Status with World of Hyatt Loyalty Program
| World of Hyatt Membership Levels | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Membership Level | Required Nights | Required Base Points | Equivalent Spend |
| Member | - | - | - |
| Discoverist | 10 | 25,000 | USD 5,000.00 |
| Explorist | 30 | 50,000 | USD 10,000.00 |
| Globalist | 60 | 100,000 | USD 20,000.00 |
You are no longer allowed to acquire your status based on stays - under the current Gold Passport program, you only need 25 stays or 50 nights (whichever comes first) to hit the top-tier status. Under the new World of Hyatt program, you now require 60 qualifying nights to hit the highest tier - Globalist. There is now an option to hit the top tier based on base spend (US$20,000) so if you are the kind that enjoys staying in expensive suites then you might get there a lot sooner than 60 nights. Retaining Globalist status on nights however is slightly easier as you only need 55 instead of 60 (this applies to current Diamond members too!).
World of Hyatt Logo | Photo Credit: Hyatt
What are Base Points?
Base Points are basically what you earn from eligible room (and suite!) spend, F&B as well as spa expenditure - 5 Points per US$1. While you do get point bonuses (ranging from 10% to 30%) with elite status, these bonuses do not count towards attaining or retaining status each year.
Are There Changes to Suite Upgrades?
One of the things that Diamond members of the current Gold Passport program look forward to are the guaranteed suite upgrades that you get as part of your status benefits. Top-tier Globalist members will now have access to entry-level suite upgrades on regular stays (even when they do not use a confirmed suite upgrade certificate) where available - this is quite similar to Diamond Status in the Hilton HHonors program but obviously the probability of a 'free' suite upgrade will depend from property to property. In addition to that, Globalists will be able to use their guaranteed suite upgrade certificates on award stays too (something that is not possible at the moment).
While you only need 60 nights to qualify for the top-tier Globalist status, every ten nights on top of that will earn you an additional guaranteed suite upgrade (each one can be used for up to six consecutive nights), up to four in total - you do not get any additional benefits once you hit 100 qualifying nights in a year.
Get Free Night Certificates - Stay More
One of the newest perks that you will get with the World of Hyatt program are free night certificates. Stay 30 nights and get a free night certificate that you can use in hotels (Category 1 to Category 4 only). Stay 60 nights and you will be rewarded with a free night certificate that you can use at any category hotel around the world. Obviously, if you are looking to maximise your value with these certificates, redeeming them at Category 4 (e.g. Grand Hyatt Melbourne) and Category 7 (e.g. Park Hyatt Sydney) properties will generally allow you to get more bang for your buck.
Hyatt's Portfolio of Brands | Photo Credit: Hyatt
Get Free Night Certificates - Try More Brands
If you enjoy checking out different brands, all members (regardless of what your status level is) will receive a free night certificate (Category 1 to Category 4 only) after staying at five brands. If you stay at all ten brands (see above for Hyatt's portfolio of brands), you will be rewarded with another certificate.
Are the Changes Positive for Existing Members?
Honestly, it depends. Like I have mentioned earlier on, if you are the kind that enjoys staying in expensive suites all the time (don't we all though?!), the World of Hyatt program roll-out will definitely benefit you as it is not difficult to hit US$20,000 worth of qualifying base spend each year. However, if you used to qualify for Diamond Status on 25 stays each year, these upcoming changes are terrible news - especially if you live in a country like Singapore where the Hyatt properties are generally quite expensive and there are not many to choose from (well, we are getting Andaz Singapore soon though!).
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