World of Hyatt has announced upcoming category changes, which are set to kick in on March 26, 2024. This time, 183 hotels and resorts will change categories, with 137 moving up and 46 moving down.
With just under a month until the category changes take effect, make sure to consult the upcoming changes, and then lock in some bookings with points or Free Night Awards before any higher prices take effect.
World of Hyatt Award Chart + Peak & Off-Peak Pricing
First off, it’s important to note that World of Hyatt isn’t making any changes to its award chart this year. Even after the changes take effect, there will still be eight categories of properties, with off-peak, standard, and peak pricing.
As a reminder, World of Hyatt’s award chart for Standard Room redemptions is as follows:
Bookings made prior to March 26, 2024 at 8am Central Time will follow the existing hotel categories, even if the price is higher after the changes kick in.
If the price is lower after the category changes take effect on March 26, members will receive a one-time refund of the points difference, although any subsequent changes to the reservation will be subject to the new pricing.
World of Hyatt remains the only major hotel loyalty program that still offers an award chart with fixed pricing for redemptions, as most others have moved to dynamic pricing.
Luxury Hotels Changing Categories
In 2023, Hyatt had a total of 372 hotels and resorts with category changes, with 214 moving up and 158 moving down. While the total number of properties changing categories is less this year, a greater proportion of properties are moving up rather than down.
As is usually the case, the hotels that are dropping down aren’t very meaningful, while the ones that rise are some of the more aspirational properties that many Hyatt members look to redeem points for.
On the luxury end of the spectrum, five properties are rising from Category 7 to the highest Category 8 this year:
- Alila Villas Uluwatu
- Hotel Du Palais Biarritz
- Hyatt Centric Park City
- The Everline Resort and Spa
- Vail Residences at Cascade Village
At these properties, the cost will rise from 30,000 to 40,000 points at the standard rate, with the price possibly increasing to 45,000 points on peak dates. Furthermore, all of these properties will soon be out of reach for a Category 1–7 Free Night Award earned as…
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