World of Hyatt is the new version of Hyatt’s Gold Passport program, which came into being this year. With the new program, the focus of Hyatt moved from points & tiers to experiences, in the words of various Hyatt representatives. However who gets those experiences and how is still decided by their status in the Hyatt spectrum.

Hyatt’s focus was going to be on very high rollers, specifically those who could spend 60 nights in one of their hotels to achieve top-tier status. This, erm, meant, you had to spend 1/6th your year with them now, in spite of them having a footprint of only 700 hotels around the world in 56 countries, most of them in the USA. In my own country, Hyatt only has 29 hotels, including the two new ones which will open this year.

Now, predictably, this has led to a thinning of the ranks of Hyatt top-tier members. The minimum earlier was 25 nights (25 one night stays), and it went up more than double. Not taking away the fact that Hyatt really treats their top-tier elites very well, the game changed so much that Hyatt has perhaps lost more loyal members in the process than gained. I’ve only had 3 qualifying nights this year, and a total of 7 nights in all in a Hyatt bed this year.

To take care of this situation, first Hyatt launched a corporate challenge which allowed people in certain companies to benefit from a quicker way to Hyatt Globalist.

But seems that did not work out so well for them. So now, they are offering it to anyone in the US of A, who can get them to show their Hyatt co-branded credit card.

Hyatt Globalist Fast Track Challenge

As per this newly announced promotion, Hyatt card holders can get an expedited Globalist status when they register for the promotion and stay 20 nights in a Hyatt through the end of the year. If you stay 10 nights, you get Explorist status for the rest of the year and through February 2019.

• Hyatt Globalist at 20 nights (usually 60 nights)
• Hyatt Explorist at 10 nights (usually 30 nights)

In a nutshell, Hyatt is getting people to score the status in 1/3 of the year for 1/3 of the stay requirements. You need to register here by 30 September 2017 to be eligible.  Qualifying nights would include paid nights and cash+points nights.

Globalist members get 30% points bonus, suite upgrades where available, Lounge access & free breakfast, 4 pm late check-out amongst other stuff. They also get 4 confirmable Suite upgrades per annum.

This promotion will rub a lot many in the wrong way

Hyatt has made it slightly self serving to help themselves when they feel the need to, without feeling the need to see impact on other members who would be impacted. Take the case when they doled out Diamond status like candy over Twitter and it rubbed their long term Diamond members the wrong way since there was nothing in it for them.

The first clue this promotion gives me is that World of Hyatt is not giving the kind of results Hyatt expected at the start of the year. Even that they are far from it. Hence the generosity all over again.However, these new Globalists won’t get some of the other benefits promised such as the Category 1-7 free night, the ability to re-qualify for 55 nights or the Globalist Suite Upgrades.

For those who are already well on their way this year to qualify for Globalist, or have already, this will rub them the wrong way as well.

But my chief grief with this promotion is that it is only focussed on the Americas. Hey, it is the World of Hyatt, and if Hyatt wants to state that their World is still housed in the US of A, so be it. But if you are not an American resident or one who can get a Hyatt credit card, you are out of luck.

Bottomline

While I’m happy for those in the USofA who can now figure if Hyatt works for their hotel goals again, I continue to be perplexed for the rest of the world. Hyatt needs to give members globally a uniform experience or opportunity, and not just focus on one core market. Look at Marriott & Hilton. They do some stuff for the US of A as well, but most of their promotions are global and benefit people around the world equally. Because, Loyalty is a 2-way street.

What do you make of the new World of Hyatt Globalist fast track challenge?