On March 26, 2024, Hyatt is doing a rehaul of its points pricing for over 180 of its properties worldwide. While this seems totally disastrous at first, at a closer glance, some properties are actually becoming cheaper than before (but a large majority are becoming more expensive).
Summary Of The Devaluation
Bookings made prior to March 26 will still be honored at the prior rate. This means that you can book for stays at properties that are being devalued with no consequence in pricing. However, any adjustments to your booking after March 26 will be subjected to the new pricing.
- 137 properties will be increasing in price
- 46 will become cheaper
- Net loss of six Category 1 hotels
- Net loss of 14 Category 4 hotels (meaning they can no longer be booked using Cat 1-4 free night awards)
How Hyatt Prices Their Properties
Hyatt properties follow a standardized award chart that can provide significant value for your points. When properties shift from one Category to another, their pricing follows suit, which is why this devaluation is so significant.
BRAND
Category
Off-Peak
Standard
Peak
Cat 1
3,500
5,000
6,500
Cat 2
6,500
8,000
9,500
Cat 3
9,000
12,000
15,000
Cat 4
12,000
15,000
18,000
Cat 5
17,000
20,000
23,000
Cat 6
21,000
25,000
29,000
Cat 7
25,000
30,000
35,000
Cat 8
35,000
40,000
45,000
Notable Property Changes
Of the 183 properties changing categories, some are more interesting than others. I generally think the changes are reflective of general demand trends for these properties.
BRAND
Properties Increasing In Price
Properties Decreasing In Price
- Hyatt Regency Washington (Cat 4 to 5)
- Grand Hyatt Washington (Cat 4 to 5)
- Hyatt Regency Boston / Cambridge (Cat 4 to Cat 5)
- Hyatt Centric Park City (Cat 7 to 8)
- Vail Residences at Cascade Village (Cat 7 to Cat 8)
- Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach (Cat 4 to Cat 5)
- Grand Hyatt Kuwait (Cat 5 to Cat 6)
- Grand Hyatt Istanbul (Cat 3 to Cat 4)
- Grand Hyatt Tokyo (Cat 6 to Cat 7)
- Andaz Singapore (Cat 5 to Cat 6)
- Hyatt Centric Milan Centrale (Cat 4 to Cat 5)
- Thompson Madrid (Cat 5 to Cat 6)
- Hyatt Centric Gran Via Madrid (Cat 5 to Cat 6)
- Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta (Cat C to Cat D)
- Hyatt Centric Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco (Cat 5 to Cat 4)
- Hyatt Place Santa Cruz (Cat 5 to Cat 4)
- Hyatt Regency Cape Town (Cat 2 to Cat 1)
- Grand Hyatt Taipei (Cat 4 to Cat 3)
- Hyatt Place New Taipei City Xinzhuang (Cat 2 to Cat 1)
- Dreams Calvia Mallorca (Cat B to Cat A)
I think it's particularly notable that many of the all-inclusive resort options are set to become extremely expensive with points. There is a strong argument to using your points elsewhere for these properties. Notably, many of the Hyatts in D.C. and Chicago are set to leave Category 4, meaning the popular Cat 1-4 certificates will no longer be usable.
There are some surprising properties that were not affected by the change (whew). Examples include the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, the Park Hyatt Tokyo, and the Hyatt Regency Phuket. Hopefully, this remains that way :D
Conclusion
While this news overall sucks, we should be thankful that Hyatt has yet to implement dynamic pricing into its system. This devaluation may be unfortunate news to many, but there are still many properties that are completely unaffected by this and we should be thankful that Hyatt still has many high value properties.
In summary: book these properties before they get devalued!
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