• Introduction to World of Hyatt

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Effective March 1, 2017, Hyatt Gold Passport has been replaced with the new World of Hyatt loyalty program. Apart from the name, the new program has a few significant changes :

• A shift from 2 status to 3 elite status levels (Discoverist, Explorist & Globalist)
• A change in elite status where qualification is now based on number of nights and bonus points earned. (Stays will no longer count)
• Unlimited suite upgrades for top-tier, Globalist members

I have already shared the qualifying details and compared the changes in the old and the new program benefits. In this post, I’m going to do some analysis and put a value to each the new elite status of the World of Hyatt. My calculations represent one way to understand how much each status under the World of Hyatt is worth. Each one of us will find some benefits to be more valuable than others. I have allocated a value based on my usage of Hyatt stays and benefits usage over the last two years.

Also, given Hyatt’s limited footprint globally and in India, I have averaged the final dollar amounts based on 5 hotels in 5 different countries. I’ve also averaged the dollar amounts across 5 different Hyatt brands.

• The Park Hyatt Bangkok, Thailand (240 USD / INR 15,700 per night)
• Andaz London Liverpool Street (380 USD / INR 24,800 per night)
• Grand Hyatt, Goa (160 USD / INR 10,400 per night)
• Hyatt Regency, Sydney (160 USD / INR 10,400 per night)
• Hyatt Place, Austin Airport (120 USD / INR 7,800 per night)

So, here are a few assumptions that I’ve made while working out the value.

1. You spend an average of USD 180 / INR 11,700 per night.
2. You stay for an average of 2 nights.
3. You are completing the minimum number of nights required for each elite level.
4. You distribute your stays across at least 5 Hyatt brands

Another point to bear in mind is that I’m basing my calculation on  a valuation of 1.5 US cents / INR 1 to a Reward Point. To keep the numbers simpler, I will round off the value to the nearest whole number.

Hyatt Discoverist (370$ / INR 24,200)

This is the lowest elite tier in the new World of Hyatt program. A Discoverist status can be earned after completing 10 nights or earning 25,000 base points in a year. Every eligible dollar spend gets you 5 points in the program.

Bonus Points (14$ / INR 900) : Discoverist members earn a 10% bonus on all eligible spends when staying at Hyatt hotels. Taking into account my assumptions that I have mentioned above you’ll be spending a total of USD 1800/INR 117,800 (10 nights * USD 180). A 10% bonus will earn you 900 extra points that will be worth USD 13.50/INR 900.

Room Upgrades (108$ / INR 7,100) : As a Discoverist you have the benefit of a complimentary room upgrade within the same category of rooms. This depends on availability. Averaging the upgrade room price across the above 5 hotels gives me an average value of USD 27 / INR 1,800 per night. Now let’s assume you that you manage to get upgraded 2 out of 5 times during your stay, the monetary value of this benefit will be USD 108/INR 7,100 for 4 nights.

Daily Complimentary Bottle of water (1$ / INR 65): Since every single Hyatt hotel I have ever stayed at serves complimentary water bottle, I will allocate only 20 cents per stay to this benefit that is more of an essential.

Access to Premium Internet (1$ / INR 65) : Another benefit for all elite members is upgrade to premium internet from the basic version. Personally, I’ve never seen any massive difference between the two, so I’ll again value it conservatively at 20 cents per stay.

2 pm Check Out (1$ / INR 65 ): Another benefit that Discoverist members get is a 2 pm check out depending on room availability. Now, there isn’t much of a difference between noon and a 2 pm check out and I would rather kill tie in the hotel lobby or wander around the airport than pay a premium for occupying the room for 2 extra hours. Hence, I will value this benefit again very conservatively at USD 1 / INR 65.

Exclusive Reservation Line (5$ / INR 330) : In today’s era on the internet, I’m not sure if anyone will ever book their stays through an exclusive reservation line. Though it may come handy as a contingency tool when may be trying to secure a last minute reservation on the go with no web access. Hence for the risk coverage, I am going to allocate this USD 1 per stay.

Status Matching with M Life Rewards (40$ / INR 2,600) :  As a part of status match benefit between Hyatt and MGM resorts, Discoverists get to earn a Pearl Status with the M Life Rewards Program. If you are visiting Las Vegas and staying at an MGM property, this could give you a number of benefits including M life member exclusive discount room rates , room upgrades and buffet line passes. Accounting for just a room upgrade on a 2-nights stay would easily get a return value of USD 20 / INR 1,300 per night.

Free Reward Night Certificate (200$ / INR 13,100) : Now additionally if you complete your stays at 5 different Hyatt Brands, you’ll get a free reward night in Category 1-4 Hyatt Hotels. So assuming you decide to use it in peak season at the Park Hyatt in Goa , you would get an additional value of USD 200 / INR 13,100 for the reward night.

Hyatt Explorist (1160$ / INR 76,00)

This is the mid-tier in the World of Hyatt program. The Explorist status comes after completing 30 nights or earning 50,0000 base points ; i.e. making an eligible  spend of USD 10,000 in a year. For doing the calculations I will assume that you complete 30 nights across 15 stays of 2 nights each. Also that you complete your stays across a minimum of 5 Hyatt brands.

Bonus Points (82$ / INR 5,400): Explorists earn a 20% bonus. Hence every dollar spent earns you one extra point making it a total of 6 points earned per dollar. To complete 15, 2 night stays at an average price of USD 180 / INR 11,700 per night, you’ll be spending USD 5400 / INR 3,53,700 and earn an extra of 5400 points. Again using valuation of 1.5 US cents / INR 1  to a Reward Point, the total value of your bonus points will be USD 82/INR 5,400.

Room Upgrades (324$ / INR 21,200) : Explorist members are eligible for a complimentary upgrade to the best room available. This does not include suites. Assuming you get upgraded on 40% of your total stays, that is 6 stays of 2 nights each, you’ll get a monetary value of USD 324/ INR 21,200 in a year.

Club Lounge Access (280$ / INR 18,300) : An upgrade from the Discoverist to the Explorist status receives 4 Club Lounge Access Awards. These passes can be used on reward nights as well. I consider this as a very valuable benefit as all these lounges serve breakfast and evening hors d’oeuvres. Depending upon how long you stay at a hotel and which property you choose to redeem these lounge passes at really upgrade the value you gain from this benefit.

For example, the breakfast buffet at the Grand Hyatt Goa is priced at USD 17 /INR 1,100 and having stayed at this hotel I can confirm that the evening spread  is huge. Similarly, at the Park Hyatt in Bangkok, the lounge is open from 6 am up to midnight and serves breakfast , high tea in the afternoon and drinks with canapes in the evening. Another thing to note is that lounge facility at Hyatt hotels is available at full service brands like the Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency where dining is at a premium price.

I will assume each Club lounge pass get you a monetary benefit of USD 35 / INR 2,300 per night. Hence, using all 4 passes across 4 stays of 2 nights each will get you a minimum return value of USD 280/ INR 18,300 in a year.

Guaranteed Room Availability (10$ / INR 650) : This is another benefit that Discoverist members do not have. Explorist travelers get a guarantee room availability on paid reservations up to 72 hours in advance. A key point here is that this benefit is only valid at participating Hyatt hotels and blackout dates apply. Also, last minute paid prices are usually very high. So considering the restrictions this perk comes with I’m going to value at USD 10/ INR 650.

Daily Complimentary Bottle of water (3$ / INR 200) : Same benefit as a Discoverist, though the frequency of utilization will increase for Explorists.

Access to Premium Internet (3$ / INR 200) : Same benefit as a Discoverist though the frequency of utilization will increase for Explorists.

2 pm Check Out (3$ / INR 200) : Same benefit as a Discoverist member though the frequency of utilization will increase for Explorists.

Exclusive Reservation Line (15$ / INR 1,000 ) : Same benefit as a Discoverist member though the frequency of utilization will increase for Explorists.

Status Matching with M Life Rewards (40$ / INR 2,600) –  Explorist travelers get to match with a Gold Status with the M Life Rewards Program. If you are visiting Las Vegas and staying at an MGM property, this could give you a number of benefits including M life member exclusive discount room rates , room upgrades and buffet line passes. Accounting for just a room upgrade on a 2 nights stay would easily get a return value of USD 20 / INR 1,300 per night.

2 Free Award Night Certificates (400$ / INR 26,200) – As an Explorist member you will have the chance to earn 2 free nights in category 1-4 hotels. The first one when you complete stays across 5 different Hyatt brands. The second one comes when you complete the 30 nights and qualify for an Explorist status.

Again I’ll assume that you decide to redeem a weekend stay at the Park Hyatt Resort &  Spa, Goa that would straight away double the USD200/ INR 13,000 per night value.

Hyatt Globalist ( USD 10,088/ INR 6,59,000)

This is the new top tier status in the World of Hyatt program. You can typically get a Globalist status by completing either 60 nights or earning 100,000 base points, i.e. an eligible spend of 20,000 USD. Taking into account that you are a road warrior and will complete 60 nights spread evenly among 30 stays across a minimum of 5 Hyatt brands.

Bonus Points ( 243$ / INR 16,000) : Globalist members earn 30% bonus points. Given that you stay 60 nights at an average price of USD 180 / INR 11,800 per night, your annual spend will be USD 10,800 earning you 54,000 base points. A 30% bonus on this will get you an extra 16,200 points. Calculating the value on 1.5 cents to a point makes it a total value of USD 243/ INR 16,000

Complimentary Suite Upgrades (5,520$ / INR 3,60,000) : Unlike Discoverist and the Explorist members who can only get room upgrades, the Globalist have access to unlimited suite upgrades on their stays. The eligibility is based on availability and applies to standard suites.

For reference, here is the price difference between a room & a standard suite at the Park Hyatt Bangkok.

After averaging the price difference among the 3 of the 5 full service hotels mentioned above we get a return value of USD 230 per night for a suite upgrade. Considering you got upgraded to  standard suite on 40% of your stays, your monetary value for this benefit will be a whooping USD 5,520/ INR 3,60,000 in a year.

Confirmed Suite Upgrades (I,840$ / INR 1,20,000) : Instead of hoping for a complimentary suite upgrade at check-in, Globalist members get 4 confirmed suite upgrades every year. This benefit is very lucrative for 2 reasons 1.) The suite upgrade can be applied on a single stay up to a maximum of 7 nights. 2.) Now these can be applied on reward redemptions as well.

Allocating the same value of USD 230 / INR 15,000 per night, this benefit alone on 4 stays of 8 nights can earn you a value of USD 1,840/ INR 1,20,000.

Club Lounge Access (1,050$ / INR 68,800) : Globalist members also get free access to Club lounges at all Hyatt hotels with a club lounge.  Not only this there is free breakfast available for 2 adults and 2 children during stays. This is a benefit Ajay and I love and as Diamond member’s last year, we’ve made some really good use of this perk. Hotels like the Park Hyatt Sydney, don’t restrict this benefit to the buffet but as a top tier member you can also order items off the a-la-carte menu.

So assuming that you use the Club access and benefits on half your stays, you’ll easily get a return value of USD 1050/ INR 68,800.

Guaranteed Room Availability (10$ / INR 650) : As a Globalist you can get a room confirmed up to 48 hours, however the same restrictions apply as for the Explorists. Hence, I will allocate this benefit the same monetary value.

Early Check-in (10$ / INR 650) : Another benefit that Globalist members get is early check-in facility if rooms are available. Now Ajay and I used this always when going to Goa.  Apart from that depending on our flight arrival, we’ve also requested early check ins at other Hyatt hotels worldwide and have rarely ever been refused. I’ll give this one again USD10/ INR 650.

Daily Complimentary Bottle of water (6$ / INR 400) : Same benefit as a Discoverist & Explorists, though the frequency of utilization will increase for Globalist.

Access to Premium Internet (6$ / INR 400) : Same benefit as a Discoverist & Explorists, though the frequency of utilization will increase for Globalist.

4 pm Check Out (15$ / INR 1,000) : Globalist members also have the opportunity to check out as late as 4pm I have almost always used this benefit as we mostly book ourselves late evening departures. I’m going to allocate this USD 1 per stay.

Exclusive Reservation Line (30$ / INR 2,000) : Same benefit as the other 2 tiers, hence I am going to allocate USD1 per stay value for the continuity plan.

No Resort Fees (60$ / INR 4,000)– As a Globalist member you are exempt from paying resort fee on paid stays as well as award nights. This resort fee is usually levied at high end resorts in locations like the Caribbean, Hawaii and Las Vegas.

Let’s assume that you visit any one destination where this fee is applicable, say Vegas where the resort fee for most MGM hotels starts at USD 30/ INR 2,000 a night. Hence that’s a value gain of USD 60/INR 4,000 on a single stay of 2 nights.

Complimentary Parking (40$ / INR 2,600) : Parking fees can be quite high at some hotels outside India. When driving in Australia, we came across this at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne where hotel parking cost is AUD 55/ USD 42. As a Globalist now you have complimentary access to parking on redemption stays. Assuming you use this even once through the year, the value gain can be USD 40 / INR 2,600.

Access to My Hyatt Concierge (30$ / INR 2,000)  – In addition to an exclusive reservation line, Globalists also have access to a dedicated concierge. If you are a frequent traveler, it proves helpful to communicate with one set of people to look into all your requests. Hence, I am going to allocate this a value of USD 30/ INR 2,000.

Status Matching with M Life Rewards (40$ / INR 2,600) –   Just like Explorists, Globalists also get to match with a Gold Status with the M Life Rewards Program.

Guest of Honor (70$ / INR 4,500) –  Guest of Honor is an exclusive benefit where Globalist members can transfer their points to a friend or family member. In return the person who you choose to gift this benefit will receive Globalist benefits during their redemption stay.

I don’t see myself gifting my points to anyone, however this is a great benefit if you want to make a loved one’s stay special. Taking into account just the one benefit of Club Lounge access on a 2 night’s stay, I am going to allocate it a value of USD 70/ INR 4,500.

United Club Passes (118$ / 7,800) : Globalist members also get 2 complimentary United Club passes every year. United Club operates airport lounges across 45 locations. While these passes cannot be used in India, they do give access to lounges in almost all big airports in the US and some interesting airports like Hong Kong, Japan. The price for a one time United Club pass is USD 59/ INR 3900.

Free Award Night Certificate in Cat 1 -4 hotels (200$ / INR 13,000) : This is the same as other elite status so I will allocate the same monetary value of USD 200/ INR 13000.

Free Award Night Certificate in Cat 1 -7 hotels (800$ / INR 52,000) : Hyatt has some of the best luxury hotels around the world that are categorized as 7. We’ve redeemed award nights at the Park Hyatt Sydney and the Park Hyatt Maldives both of which at the time when we are staying were selling rooms for an average of USD 1,000/ INR 65,000 per night.

This certificate is an opportunity to stay at some of the most luxurious hotels and easily derive a value of USD 800/ INR 52,000 a night.

Bottomline:

Clearly just like the Diamond benefits in the old Hyatt Gold Passport, there is massive value for Globalist travelers in the new World of Hyatt program, where on an average by spending USD 20,000 you can easily get a value of USD 10,000 if not more.

And now that you are convinced that it’s really worth having the Globalist status, here’s your chance to win a Globalist status not for one but two years.

In case you are new to the World of Hyatt you’ll have to show some commitment and complete at least 10 nights to start enjoying any benefits with the program.  Of course a few factors to keep in mind when showing loyalty are your travel patterns and the brand’s footprint.

Has your status been affected in March this year? Tell us which benefits in your opinion set Hyatt elites apart from other loyalty programs.