Review: World of Hyatt Credit Card
I love Hyatt hotels. While there aren’t quite as many properties around the world as Marriott or Hilton, Hyatt has by far the best elite status of every major hotel chain out there.
Hotel credit cards are often overlooked. Most offer great benefits with low annual fees. The World of Hyatt credit card is one I’ve had for a number of years and never see myself getting rid of. Whether you just want to pick it up for the perks and nice sign up bonus, or if you intend to put some spending on it (it can make sense to), this is a great card to have.
Park Hyatt St. Kitts
Quick Facts
Sign Up Bonus: Up to 60,000 World of Hyatt Points
30,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
Earn an additional 2 point per dollar on the first $15,000 in 6 months. So if you spend a total of $15,000, you’ll earn a total of 60,000 bonus points in addition to the normal points earning.
Annual Fee: $95
Points Earned: World of Hyatt points which I value at 1.5 cents per point
Earning Structure
4x points at all Hyatt properties
2x Points on restaurants
2x Points on airfare
2x Points on fitness clubs and gyms
2x Points on local transit, commuting, and rideshares
1x Points on everything else
Foreign Transaction Fees: none
Earning 4x Points at Hyatt Properties
Normally, I recommend either the Citi Strata Premier or the Chase Sapphire Reserve for your hotel spending as those earn 3x points on hotel purchases. I value both Citi and Chase points at 1.7 cents each which gives you an effective return of 5.1%.
Whenever I stay at a Hyatt hotel, I always use my World of Hyatt card as I get 4x points on those stays. I value Hyatt points at 1.5 cents per point which gives me a return of 6% which beats out both offerings from Citi and Chase.
World of Hyatt Credit Card Benefits
The following benefits are why I keep this card in my wallet and even strategically use it for other purchases that I could receive a better return.
Annual Free Night Certificate
Just after your account anniversary you will earn a free night certificate valid for any category 1-4 property and is valid for 12 months. I’ve always been able to use this free night certificate for properties way more expensive than the $95 annual fee. This alone makes the card a keeper long term.
Discoverist Status
Just for being a cardmember, you will receive complimentary Hyatt Discoverist status. This is Hyatt’s entry level status which normally requires 10 qualifying nights per year. You’ll get the following:
Upgrade to preferred rooms at check in based on availability (not suites)
2pm checkout when available
Premium internet
Complimentary bottles of water each day
5 Elite Nights Towards Status
Each year you will also receive 5 Elite Nights towards your status. This is a nice way to jumpstart the year, especially if you are going for Hyatt’s amazing top tier Globalist status. With this card you’ll only need to stay 55 nights to qualify for Globalist which normally requires 60 nights. You’ll receive these shortly after being approved for the card as well as shortly after January 1st each year.
Second Night Free After Spending $15,000
After spending $15,000 on the card each year you will receive another free night certificate to use at any category 1-4 property. I always try to hit the $15,000 spend on this card each year for the free night. This is a huge benefit as you can use this free night along with the other free night you get just for having the card on the same reservation.
Category 4 properties range anywhere from 12,000 points per night for off-peak, 15,000 for standard, and 18,000 for peak dates. At 1.5 cents per point value, that’s anywhere from $180 to $270 worth of points.
Spending $15,000 to earn a free night worth on average 15,000 points plus a minimum of 15,000 for the spending is a pretty great deal in my book. You’re essentially earning 2x points on all purchases if you spend exactly $15,000.
Use a Category 1-4 Free Night Award at the Hyatt House Charleston
Earn Two Elite Nights for Each $5,000 Spent
For every $5,000 spent on the card, you’ll receive 2 elite qualifying nights in addition to the 5 you normally receive. Between the 5 elite nights that come with the card and spending $15,000 each year, I earn 11 elite qualifying nights per year, meaning I only need to stay 49 nights to reach Globalist. Theoretically, you could spend your way to Globalist status but that probably isn’t the smartest idea. You’d be forgoing better returns on other cards just to get status with Hyatt.
You would need to spend $140,000 a year on this card to get Globalist status without ever staying a night at a Hyatt property. But, its possible!
Access to Chase Offers
Similar to Amex Offers, Chase has certain deals you can enroll in at various places to get cash back. While not as many or as exciting as Amex Offers, there are still some additional savings to be had.
Chase Offers
Wrapping Up
If you stay at Hyatt properties with any regularity, this card is a no brainer. Between the free night certificate valid at any category 1-4 property plus earning 4x points at Hyatts, you can’t go wrong.
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