The Hyatt Gold Passport program as we know it is about to change drastically to the new “World of Hyatt.” The chain will soon change the name of its loyalty program and completely overhaul its elite statuses and benefits.
The new World of Hyatt logo.
Full details about the program are still being confirmed at this point, so stay tuned and we'll post for updated information.
Before breaking down the differences of the future program, let’s take a look at the current Hyatt Gold Passport program:
| Member | Platinum | Diamond | |
| Base Points per Dollar Spent | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Point Bonus | 0 | 15% | 30% |
| Internet Access | Paid | Free Premium | Free Premium |
| Preferred Room Upon Arrival | No | Higher Floors or Preferred Views | Best Room Available |
| Complimentary Club Access | No | No | Yes |
| Complimentary Breakfast (If No Club) | No | No | Yes |
| Stays Required | 0 | 5 | 25 |
| Minimum Nights to Qualify | 0 | 15 | 50 |
| Welcome Gift | No | No | Amenity or 500-1,000 Points |
| Diamond Suite Upgrade | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Currently, the Hyatt Gold Passport program has just three levels — and there’s a pretty stark difference between the bottom two levels and the top level. In fact, we value Platinum status at $200 and Diamond status at $3,085. Diamond status is earned after 25 stays or 50 nights, and can be viewed as one of the most rewarding statuses in the hotel loyalty sphere.
With the new changes, however, everything we’ve known about the program will soon be different. Here’s an outline of the new World of Hyatt program, which will feature four tiers of membership:
| Member | Discoverist | Explorist | Globalist | |
| Base Points per Dollar Spent | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Point Bonus | 0 | 10% | 20% | 30% |
| Free Night at a Category 1-4 Award | After Staying at 5 Different Brands | After Staying at 5 Different Brands | After Staying at 5 Different BrandsAfter Completing 30 Eligible Nights (Must Be Consumed Within 120 Days) | After Staying at 5 Different BrandsAfter Completing 60 Eligible Nights (Up to Category 7, but Must Be Consumed Within 120 Days) |
| No Resort Fee | On Award Nights | On Award Nights | On Award Nights | On Award Nights & Eligible Paid Rates |
| Guaranteed Room Availability | No | No | 72-Hour Guarantee | 48-Hour Guarantee |
| Preferred Room Upon Arrival | No | Higher Floor, Larger Room | Best Room (No Club Rooms, No Suites) | Best Room Including Standard Suites |
| Free Daily Bottle of Water | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Late Checkout Request | No | 2:00pm | 2:00pm | 4:00pm |
| Complimentary Club Access | No | No | (4) Awards | Yes |
| Complimentary Parking on Award Nights | No | No | No | Yes |
| Access to My Hyatt Concierge | No | No | No | Yes |
| Priority Access to Available Rooms (Early Check-In) | No | No | No | Yes |
| Stay Credits Allowed | No | No | No | No |
| Minimum Nights to Qualify | 0 | 10 | 30 | 60 |
| Optional Base Point Qualification | 0 | 25,000 | 50,000 | 100,000 |
As you can see, there are some pretty big changes. Instead of qualifying by solely nights or stays, you will now be able to qualify by nights or points, which are earned by dollars spent (5 points per dollar plus a bonus for elites). For all four new tiers of membership, the stay qualification is going away and will be replaced by points. To qualify for the top tier (Globalist), you’ll have to stay a minimum of 60 nights or earn 100,000 points. Additionally current Diamond members will need to requalify with 60 nights or 100,000 points — a reduced earning of 55,000 points to requalify will apply in 2018.
The valuable Diamond Suite Upgrades will be improving with quantity. Globalist level members will get complimentary upgrades to suites based on availability, as well as four confirmed suite upgrades — they will be the usual seven-night upgrades and can be used on any stay. Globalists will earn a new upgrade added after every 10 nights that a Globalist stays beyond the required 60 nights (maximum of four). Being able to earn a maximum of 10 suite upgrades could be very valuable for Globalist members who are presumably traveling a lot. Another upgrade to the program would be that following 30 nights (or 50,000 points), World of Hyatt members will be given a Free Night certificate for Category 1-4 properties, and you’ll get a Category 1-7 Free Night certificate if you earn 60 nights (or 100,000 base points) in a calendar year. It’s not yet known how these two perks will be dealt with for existing Diamond members who are requalifying.
Since there’s a lot of info to digest, here’s a list highlighting some of the biggest changes, including both the ones addressed above and some additional updates:
- You’ll no longer be able to qualify for status based on stays; you can qualify through nights or through points
- Top-tier Globalist elites will now get complimentary, unlimited suite upgrades on stays in addition to four confirmed suite upgrades
- Hyatt’s rewarding members for trying different brands within its portfolio by giving them a free night at a Category 1-4 property after trying five different brands
- Explorist and Globalist members will also get a free night at a Category 1-4 property after completing 30/60 eligible nights, respectively (must be used within 120 days of being earned).
What Does This Mean for Current Members With Status?
As of March 1, 2017, Hyatt Gold Passport members who have status will translate into the following:
- If you requalified for Diamond status for 2017, you’ll get Globalist status
- If you were Diamond but didn’t requalify for 2017, you’ll get Explorist status
- If you requalified for Platinum status for 2017, you’ll get Discoverist status
- If you qualified for any Hyatt Gold Passport status in 2016 and would have requalified, your status will be upgraded (if you met the nights but not points requirement, you’ll still get the status)
All About Hyatt’s New Top Tier Status, Globalist
If you’ve been a Hyatt Diamond member and requalified, you’ll be getting the World of Hyatt’s highest level of status: Globalist. So, what does it mean for you? Well, generally speaking, there are some great perks:
- You won’t pay resort fees, regardless of the type of stay
- You’ll get unlimited suite upgrades on all stays (subject to availability)
- You’ll get free parking on Free Night stays (not cash or Points + Cash stays)
- You’ll still get two complimentary United Club passes annually
- World of Hyatt will still honor Guest of Honor benefits
- You’ll get a Free Night at a Category 1-7 property (a Free Night at a Category 1-4 property when you qualify got Explorist status)
- You’ll still get lounge access at properties where it’s available. When it’s not, you’ll get free breakfast but you won’t get the 2,500 bonus points if a lounge is closed
- You’ll get four confirmed suite upgrades, eligible on all stays
- You’ll get additional benefits when you reach 70, 80, 90 and 100 nights — 10,000 bonus points or an additional confirmed suite upgrade at each tier. You can earn 8 additional upgrades in a calendar year (up to 12 in 2017)
- You’ll have early check-in access to your room (when available)
- Once you qualify for Globalist, you only need 55 nights to requalify in 2018
- You’ll get a late checkout request time of as late as 4:00pm.
One noticeable difference between Diamond benefits and what’s offered with Globalist is the lack of welcome amenity. Whereas Diamond members used to get a welcome amenity upon arrival — either bonus points or a food and beverage — Globalists will no longer have that option. This is an unfortunate change with the new program.
In addition, Globalist members will also get access to the My Hyatt Concierge. The concierge is a dedicated agent who provides personalized and proactive customer service. They’ll help to coordinate the details of stays — scheduling spa and dining reservations, providing notice about promotions and hotel openings and more. This is a nice addition to the top tier status with Hyatt. Stay tuned for posts that further breakdown the new tiers of status with World of Hyatt.
What About the Hyatt Credit Card?
We’re not sure on the specifics of the card as far as the future of its sign-up bonus and earning structure (or if it’ll change at all), but we do know what it’ll mean for elite status with the World of Hyatt. As a Hyatt Credit Card holder, you’ll automatically get Discoverist status and benefits. If you become a cardholder prior to March 1, 2017, you’ll also get an additional 5% bonus points on eligible spend when earning base points at Hyatt or M life properties through February 28, 2018. If, at some point during that period you earn Explorist or Globalist status with World of Hyatt, the bonus will bump up to 20% and 30%, respectively.
In addition, Hyatt Credit Card holders who spend $50,000 each calendar year will get Explorist status through the following calendar year. Although it’d be nicer if this spend would get you Globalist status, it’s a great option to be able to achieve status through spend on a credit card.
How Will M life Reciprocal Status Work?
One of the nice benefits about having status with Hyatt is the recoprocal elite status you’ll get with M life Rewards, especially if you frequent Vegas often. Previously, Hyatt Platinum meant M life Gold, and Hyatt Diamond meant M life Platinum. Here’s how the reciprocal benefits will work with the new World of Hyatt program:
| World of Hyatt Status | Reciprocal M life Rewards Status |
| Membership | Sapphire |
| Discoverist | Pearl |
| Explorist | Gold |
| Globalist | Gold |
And here’s how the reciprocal benefits will work the other way:
| M life Rewards Status | Reciprocal World of Hyatt Status |
| Sapphire | Membership |
| Pearl | Discoverist |
| Gold | Explorist |
| Platinum | Explorist |
| NOIR | Explorist |
As you can see, you can no longer earn Gold status with M life Rewards for being a Hyatt Credit Card holder. Instead, you’ll M life Pearl status for being a cardholder, with the chance to earn Gold status if you spend more than $50,000 on the card.
Bottom Line
These changes by Hyatt bridge the gap between what we’re seeing in the airline loyalty industry by switching to a revenue-based system and the hotel loyalty industry. By doing away with the ability to earn status based on stays and instituting a new points qualification option, Hyatt’s new program is switching the balance in favor of those who spend more with the hotel brand. Diamond members who qualify based on stays will definitely lose out with this new program, but members who can spend their way to top-tier Globalist status will enjoy some generous perks.
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