Major changes are coming to the World of Hyatt program effective January 1, 2024.
Sigh…. is it another devaluation?!
Well, thankfully, not really.
I know this past couple of years have been tough, witnessing one loyalty program devaluation after another.
However, in a pleasantly surprising turn, these impending changes to the World of Hyatt are genuinely positive and meticulously considered.
Yes, you read that right.
A loyalty program is undergoing a transformation, and it’s to the benefit of its members.
It’s almost disheartening how rare that is nowadays.
Before delving into the specifics of what’s changing, I’d like to mention that there are NO changes to:
- World of Hyatt Elite Tiers
- Earning/Redeeming Hyatt points.
With that peace of mind, let’s dive into the details.
Changes to World of Hyatt Guest of Honor
Guest of Honor stands out as one of my absolute favorite elite benefits.
This unique feature enables any World of Hyatt Globalist member to redeem their points to book Hyatt properties for friends and family, while granting them access to Globalist benefits.
This brilliant concept allowed me to spoil my loved ones numerous times.
Currently, there are no limits on how many Guest of Honor bookings you can make.
However, as of 2024, these bookings will be limited, and will be incorporated into the Milestone Rewards.
In other words, you will need to “earn” the ability to make Guest of Honor bookings through Milestone Rewards Program.
- You can earn one Guest of Honor booking at 40 elite nights or 65,000 base points
- You can earn two Guest of Honor bookings at 60 elite nights or 100,000 base points
- You can earn one Guest of Honor booking at each of 70, 80, and 90 elite nights
- You can earn one Guest of Honor booking at each of 110, 120, 130, and 140 elite nights (not sure why they’re skipping at 100 elite nights 🤔)
This means members can earn up to 10 Guest of Honor bookings per year. (Although I’m not sure what percentage of people can realistically stay 140 nights per year)
Guest of Honor awards will be automatically posted at these thresholds, and will have a validity of the year in which they’re earned plus an additional 14 months. (February of the following year)
I’d say this is quite a bad news for regular Globalist members who earns 60 elite night a year, as they would only earn 3 Guest of Honor bookings instead of having an unlimited allocation.
However, there are some positive updates to compensate for this.
Keep reading…
Cash stays will be eligible for Guest of Honor benefits
Currently, Guest of Honor benefits can only be applied to points bookings and free night award bookings.
However, as of 2024, they can also be applied to cash bookings.
I find this undoubtably amazing.
Because there are many situations where cash bookings may offer better value than redeeming points.
Additionally, when booking for a friend, determining a fair compensation for my sacrificed points can be quite ambiguous.
Therefore, I can confidently say that the ability to apply Guest of Honor benefits on cash booking is a positive update.
Elite night will also post on Globalist member’s account
Here’s another noteworthy improvement.
Under the existing Guest of Honor policy, the guest staying accrues elite nights for the stay, and this will continue.
However, starting in 2024, the member who gifts the Guest of Honor booking will also earn one bonus elite night for each qualifying Guest of Honor stay*.
* Note that it’s one elite night per stay, not one elite night per night
So there’s a small incentive to gift Guest of Honor perks.
Able to earn a Guest of Honor award before becoming Globalist
It might sound obvious, but since you can now earn a Guest of Honor award upon achieving 40 elite nights, you will be able to either gift yourself or others a Guest of Honor booking while only being an Explorist.
For those new to World of Hyatt, this would be a fantastic opportunity get a taste of what it’ like to be a globalist before committing to the full 60 elite nights requirement.
Guest of Honor will be bookable online
Currently, you can only make a Guest of Honor booking by calling World of Hyatt contact center.
Starting in 2024, you will be able to make Guest of Honor bookings directly on Hyatt’s website or through the app. (and I suppose you can make changes online as well)
This is awesome. (I really hate calling 🥵)
I find booking over the phone very tedious, as you have to hand over various information such as check-in/check-out date, guest name, and membership number etc.
Changes to World of Hyatt Milestone Rewards
World of Hyatt’s Milestone Rewards program will also undergo changes in 2024.
I can confidently say these changes are positive.
Below are the changes:
Milestone Rewards go up to 150 elite nights per year
Starting 2024, Milestone Rewards will be extended up to 150 elite nights per year. (Currently capped at 100 elite nights)
This is definitely rewarding to the members who stay more than 100 nights each year.
Milestone Rewards will have more options
Starting in 2024, there will be more options to choose from when it comes to Milestone Rewards.
- 2k Next Stay: Members can earn 2,000 bonus points on a member’s next stay at a Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Caption by Hyatt, or UrCove hotel
- FIND Experience Credit: Members can earn a $25–300 (USD) credit to use on any FIND experience around the world -> You can gift this to others
- Miraval Extra Night: Members can stay one night at a Miraval property and receive a complimentary second night; this is valid on both award and revenue stays for up to double occupancy in a standard room, and you can gift this award to others -> You can gift this to others
- Ultimate Free Night Award: Members can enjoy a free night at any participating Category 1–8 hotel or Category A–F all-inclusive resort or a participating Miraval resort (earned at 150 nights only)
As you’ve noticed, some of the rewards can be gifted to others.
Suite Upgrade Awards, Club Lounge Access Awards, Free Night Awards, FIND credits, and Miraval Extra Night Awards, you’ll be able to share them on your account dashboard, through the Hyatt app.
All you need is the name and World of Hyatt number of the member you wish to gift.
My Choices for Milestone Rewards
Assuming I’m starting from a basic member in 2024, below will be my choices for Milestone Rewards.
20 Nights: I’d choose 2 Club Access Awards just to be able to have an option to get a lounge access and complimentary breakfast for my next stay. (if you’re already a globalist, you get club access by default anyway so you’d be better off choosing 2K points)
30 Nights: I’d choose between 2,000 points vs 2 more Club Access Awards. If you’ve used the previous 2 awards and found them valuable, choose them again. Otherwise, you can go with the extra 2,000 points.
40 Nights: I’m a minimalist and usually fine with a standard king room as long as it’s clean. So I’d choose the extra 5,000 points here.
50 Nights: I’ll choose 2 Suite Upgrade Awards here however, for the flexibility to book two suite rooms, or gifting one to a friend/family who will be on the same trip. It feels more valuable than the 5,000 points to me.
60 Nights: Nothing to do here because you receive ALL of them !!
– 2 Guest of Honor Awards, 1 Category 1-7 Free Night Award, 2 Suite Upgrade Awards, and My Hyatt Concierge
70 Nights and beyond: from here onward, it’s personal taste. I’d probably keep choosing the 10,000 points.
Final Thoughts
Major Changes are on the horizon for Guest of Honor and Milestone Rewards starting in 2024.
Although a standard Globalist member with 60 nights/year may not be happy with this update (the number of Guest of Honor bookings they can make plummets from unlimited to 3 bookings), these changes are overall positive.
Guest of Honor is becoming considerably more flexible, and the Milestone Rewards program is introducing a variety of new redemption choices.
The leadership of World of Hyatt deserves commendation for implementing positive changes, a rarity in today’s landscape.
