Hyatt Expanding Again, In Mexico And The Caribbean
If you’re a frequent reader of my blog, you’ve heard me consistently extoll the virtues of Hyatt Gold Passport. Sure, I’m a self-avowed Hyatt Homer. But, the Hyatt picture continues to get more compelling. Sure, they’re smaller than their primary competitors. They have some very compelling properties and for quite some time had the best promotions amongst any of the major chains. For the most part, they also provide better customer service.
They’re continuing to work on expanding their footprint and have just announced another partnership that provides some great coverage in a part of their network that was a bit lagging.
Hyatt has entered into an agreement with Playa Hotels & Resorts to operate all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean. The agreement also provides for future properties in other Latin American countries as the partnership grows. You can find out more about Playa Hotels & Resorts here.
The full agreement looks to include the addition of almost 6,000 rooms across 13 resorts that Hyatt members will have access to. 6 of those, or approximately 2800 rooms will be branded as Hyatts. While there’s no information on redeeming Gold Passport points as yet, the fact that Hyatt expects to announce two locations in Mexico later this year seems to indicate we should have more information about this soon.
I think Hyatt has done a solid job in its expansion efforts over the last few years. While Hilton and Marriott have many more properties, it doesn’t mean they have infinitely more coverage around the globe. The example I frequently use is Hilton’s presence in a tertiary city like Williamsburg, VA. They have 7 properties in Williamsburg. None of them are elite level properties and most have serious signs of age. So, sometimes quantity isn’t everything.
The Caribbean is a thin area for Hyatt. They have a fabulous property in Aruba and that’s pretty much it. They have a handful of properties in Mexico, but most are not focused in coastal tourism areas like Cancun or Cabo. So, this relationship adds a nice element to the program.
Consider some of the other additions Hyatt has made:
- A sizable relationship with MGM Resorts in Las Vegas.
- An affordable option in Amsterdam.
- Denver, India, Uzbekistan.
- South Korea, Panama and NYC
- India and Puerto Rico
- 4 New Properties In France
Most of these are new markets for Hyatt, so lots more coverage for you to spend those Gold Passport points.
And, as Jeff Zidell, Vice President, Hyatt Gold Passport told me last week at the Hyatt/M Life kickoff event, Hyatt has more properties in their pipeline then any of the other big chains.
All-inclusive resorts aren’t always my first choice but they are a very popular option for large chunks of the population. Bolt-on additions like these yield continuing increases in value to go with all the other things Hyatt already does well.
Great news! I’m hoping since you’re a Hyatt points expert you could explain to me how to track my hyatt promotion points. Is it just me or is it really hard to figure out the hyatt goldpassport statement? I have done two of the spend x get y bonus promotions this year and can’t figure out if I have received the bonus or not. I have a hyatt visa and stays and I do some meeting planning but nothing is ever clearly marked. Any help would be really, really appreciated!
Liz,
I’ve had one spending bonus that I was eligible for. It posted as a separate line item when I logged in to my Hyatt GP account with the label “Hycard Inc.” with the full amount of the bonus. Let me know if you would like me to send a screen shot.
That would be helpful! Thank you.