Hyatt's 2024 Devaluation
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)
The World of Hyatt Credit Card
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.
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.
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.
Properties Increasing In Price | Properties Decreasing In Price |
|
|
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!
World of Hyatt Business Credit Card
60,000 Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
