World of Hyatt is a fan favorite thanks to its high-value redemptions, fixed award charts, and some of the best elite benefits in the game.
While Hyatt doesn’t have as big of a footprint as Marriott, Hilton, or IHG, it’s growing fast. With over 1,500 hotels across 30+ brands, you’ll find everything from budget stays for just 3,500 points per night (yes, really!) to luxury properties that rival the best in the world.
Let’s dive into how the World of Hyatt program works, how to earn and redeem points, and how to get the most out of your next stay.
What is World of Hyatt?
World of Hyatt is a free loyalty program where you can earn points on stays, credit card spending, and more. In doing so, you’ll unlock increasing elite status tiers that come with various perks and benefits along the way.
Hyatt has over 30 brands in its portfolio:
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You’ll earn 5 base points per dollar on purchases at most Hyatt hotels (think hotel rates, room service, etc.), excluding taxes and fees. The only exception is with Hyatt Studios, which drops to 2.5 points per dollar spent.
You’ll earn even more points if you hold a Hyatt co-branded credit card:
Hyatt points are typically worth 1.5 cents each when redeemed for hotel stays, so 25,000 points could easily save you around $375.
📣 Don’t Miss: Check out our Cents-Per-Point Calculator to see if you’re getting good value for your points.
World of Hyatt Elite Status: Tiers and Perks
World of Hyatt has four membership levels, each with more perks as you climb:
World of Hyatt Member (free to join)
Discoverist (10 nights/year or 25,000 points)
Expolorist (30 nights/year or 50,000 points
Globalist (60 nights/year or 100,000 points)
💡 Pro Tip: You can become a Lifetime Globalist if you reach 1,000,000 base points.
World of Hyatt Member (Free to Join)
You’ll become a World of Hyatt member just by signing up for Hyatt’s loyalty program. This base level comes with a few benefits:
Access to member rates and promos
Ability to earn points towards free award nights
Waived resort fees for award redemptions
World of Hyatt Discoverist
You’ll need 10 qualifying nights or 25,000 base points to reach Discoverist status. You’ll also automatically receive this status by holding The World of Hyatt Credit Card or the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card.
On top of the perks available to baseline Members, Discoverists also get:
10% bonus points on top of the 5x base points earned
Elite check-in
Space-available upgrades
Premium Wi-Fi
2:00 p.m. late checkout
World of Hyatt Explorist
To earn Explorist status, you’ll need 30 qualifying nights or 50,000 base points. Here’s what’s on offer:
20% bonus points on top of the 5x base points earned
Elite check-in
Room upgrades to upgraded room types
Guaranteed room availability when booking at least 72 hours in advance
Premium Wi-Fi
2:00 p.m. late checkout
American Airlines AAdvantage redemption options
World of Hyatt Globalist
Hyatt’s highest elite tier is Globalist, which requires 60 qualifying nights or 100,000 base points. If you reach this level, here’s what you’ll receive:
30% bonus points on top of the 5x base points earned
Space-available room upgrades, including to standard suites
Hella late 4:00 p.m. checkout
Club lounge access or complimentary breakfast (full, hot breakfast, not just continental!) at properties without lounges
Waived resort fees on eligible paid stays
Ability to share elite perks on award stays (via Guest of Honor awards)
Free parking on award stays
🤓 Did You Know: World of Hyatt has a partnership with American Airlines that offers reciprocal benefits for members.
How to Earn Hyatt Points
You’ve heard about World of Hyatt base points, but how do you actually earn them?
💳 Credit Cards
World of Hyatt offers two co-branded cards that come with various benefits and welcome offers featuring thousands of points. These cards can also help accelerate the amount of points you earn — from Hyatt-specific purchases to everyday spending.
Credit Cards | Welcome Offer | Annual Fees | Points Earned: Hyatt | Free Night Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Earn 60,000 Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. | $95 | Up to 9 points per $1 | ✅* | |
Earn 2 Free Nights after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, earn 25,000 Bonus Points after you spend $12,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening. | $199 | Up to 9 points per $1 | ❌ |
*Earn one Free Night Reward at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort at cardmember anniversary. Earn one additional Free Night Reward when you spend $15,000 in a calendar year.
💡 Pro Tip: With World of Hyatt’s Brand Explorer Award, you’re able to earn a Category 1 to 4 Free Night Award for every five Hyatt brands you stay at. This expires 12 months after it’s issued.
🤝 Transfer Partners
We don’t often recommend transferring bank points to hotels, but World of Hyatt is definitely an exception.
Enter: Chase 😎
You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio for great value. I’d personally recommend either the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
🛏️ Hotel Stays
Photo by World of Hyatt
You can earn points by booking directly with Hyatt. As we mentioned earlier, Hyatt awards 5x base points per dollar spent on qualifying Hyatt hotel stays, with the only exception being Hyatt Studios that earn just 2.5 base points per dollar.
And remember, you’re also entitled to bonus points based on your elite status tier:
Discoverist: 10% bonus = .5 extra points per dollar
Explorist: 20% bonus = 1 extra point per dollar
Globalist: 30% bonus = 1.5 extra points per dollar
💸 Buy Points
Occasionally, Hyatt offers sales where you can purchase points at a discounted rate. It’s not always the best value, but if you’re in need of some points for an upcoming redemption, it can be a nice strategy.
🎉 Promotions
World of Hyatt frequently runs promotions for its members, and some of these can actually be really valuable ways to boost points.
For example, you might receive a notification stating that you can earn 4,000 bonus points for every two qualifying nights stayed during a promotional period. Always check your account to see if a promotion is available to use on an upcoming stay.
How to Redeem Hyatt Points
Award Nights
Perhaps the most important thing to know is that Hyatt uses a fixed award chart, meaning prices won’t bounce around like other hotel programs. 🎉
Hyatt divides its properties into different categories, with more budget-friendly brands classified as Category 1 and top-tier luxury properties designated as Category 8. Hyatt also has a similar categorized system for its all-inclusive properties, ranked from A to F.
These are the off-peak, standard, and peak rates for a standard room at a Hyatt property:
Hotel Category | Off-Peak | Standard | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3,500 | 5,000 | 6,500 |
2 | 6,500 | 8,000 | 9,500 |
3 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 15,000 |
4 | 12,000 | 15,000 | 18,000 |
5 | 17,000 | 20,000 | 23,000 |
6 | 21,000 | 25,000 | 29,000 |
7 | 25,000 | 30,000 | 35,000 |
8 | 35,000 | 40,000 | 45,000 |
And these are the off-peak, standard, and peak rates for a standard room at its all-inclusive properties:
Hotel Category | Off-Peak | Standard | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
A | 12,000 | 15,000 | 18,000 |
B | 17,000 | 20,000 | 23,000 |
C | 21,000 | 25,000 | 29,000 |
D | 25,000 | 30,000 | 35,000 |
E | 35,000 | 40,000 | 45,000 |
F | 42,000 | 50,000 | 58,000 |
Each property’s page has a points calendar that shows you which nights are considered off-peak, standard, or peak. As of recently, the calendar also shows which nights actually have award availability, though we recommend searching through Daily Drop Pro. 😉
Use Points for Upgrades
You can use your Hyatt points to upgrade a paid stay at pretty reasonable rates. Typically, you’ll need to call to initiate this upgrade process.
Screenshot from world.hyatt.com
💡 Pro Tip: World of Hyatt now offers an award availability calendar that makes finding available award nights a breeze.
Milestone Rewards
Hyatt’s Milestone Rewards are totally separate from elite status. They are completely inclusive, meaning they’re available for everyone and are simply based on the number of nights you stay at a Hyatt property in a calendar year.
Rewards start after 20 qualifying nights and continue in 10-night increments (up to 100 nights). You’ll find that these Milestone Rewards include things such as lounge access, free night awards, bonus points, suite upgrades, and more!
Bottom Line
World of Hyatt is one of the best hotel loyalty programs out there. With award nights starting at just 3,500 points, valuable elite benefits, and amazing value through Chase point transfers, Hyatt is a go-to for points travelers.
It may not have the largest global footprint, but if you're heading to major cities, popular vacation spots, or all-inclusive resorts, World of Hyatt can definitely deliver.
