Hyatt Place Is Rolling Out Early Check-In For More Elites And Ending Free Breakfast For Non-Members

ByEdward Pizzarello
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Hyatt has a press release out this morning detailing some changes coming up for their limited service brand Hyatt Place.  The changes are incremental, not transformational.  But, they should be positive for most members.

Early Check-in For Explorists

Hyatt is extending an early check-in benefit to mid-tier Explorist members at Hyatt Place properties.  The press release says:

  • World of Hyatt Explorist and Globalist members will be able to travel on their schedule with a forthcoming option to check in when and how they want. Starting early 2019, these elite members will have the exclusive opportunity to enjoy early check-in (based on market and occupancy).

For this benefit to be truly valuable it needs to be available in places other than the US.  Early check-in is a huge benefit when traveling to Europe (and Asia, to a slightly lesser degree) based on the time most flights from the US arrive.  I use early check-in quite frequently overseas.  The language includes “based on market and occupancy” which means we’ll have to wait and see how widely available this is.  I have asked for clarification from Hyatt on whether there are markets already excluded.

Free Breakfast, With An Easy Catch

Hyatt just concluded a test where they charged a fee for breakfast.  In the future, in order to get free breakfast you’ll need to be a member of the World of Hyatt program.  And, based on the language, you may need to book directly with Hyatt:

  • All World of Hyatt members who book directly with Hyatt can enjoy the newly reimagined breakfast for free at Hyatt Place hotels, starting November 1, 2018.

If I were a betting man, I’d say you’ll need to book directly with Hyatt (as opposed to Expedia or other online travel agencies) to get free breakfast.  If this is the case, some folks will lament this decision. Maybe it’s because I own a business, but I wholeheartedly agree with a change like this.  Hyatt (and all the other major chains) pay a commission to online travel agencies now in exchange for filling hotel rooms.  They get less access to customer information and less money.  If I were a hotel owner, I’d absolutely be trying to give my customers incentives to book directly with me.  If I can fill the room myself, commissions to online travel agencies are wasted money.

Breakfast will also get regional choices.  Hyatt suggests items like biscuits in the South or avocado toast in the Pacific Northwest as future additions.

Mobile Check-In And Enhanced Fitness Centers

Mobile check-in is coming to new Hyatt Place hotels.  It’s unclear if this is for properties built in the future or whether all Hyatt Place properties will see this.  And, it could exclude the old Amerisuites hotels for a period of time.  Most Hyatt Place hotels have RFID-enabled hotel locks, where you touch your key to the pad as opposed to sliding it into a slot.  That should mean those hotels could be mobile-enabled without a huge expense.  It remains to be seen what this roll-out will look like.  I’ve found I enjoy mobile check-in more than I thought I would.  At hotels where I have no chance of an upgrade, being able to go straight to my preferred room type is a small plus.

Hyatt is continuing to leverage their Miraval partnership by extending Exhale into the Hyatt Place brand.   This includes improvements in the fitness centers.  For now, they’ve noted more space for yoga and stretching.  Hyatt Place already has a decent fitness center for a limited service hotel, but could be a true industry leader in this category with just a bit more investment

The Final Two Pennies

The potential exists for this to be a positive announcement by Hyatt.  We need more information regarding the free breakfast requirements and early check-in benefit to really gauge the value.  Hyatt Place already has a better breakfast than the vast majority of limited service hotels out there.  Their fitness centers are at least as good as the majority of limited service hotels.  Improvements in either area are nice plus.

If I get any clarification on my questions to Hyatt, I’ll update this post and/or blog the updates separately.

What Do You Think About These Changes?

The post Hyatt Place Is Rolling Out Early Check-In For More Elites And Ending Free Breakfast For Non-Members was published first on Pizza in Motion

My goal in life is to fill my family’s passports with stamps, creating buckets of memories along the way. You’ll find me writing about realistic ways for normal people to travel the world, whether you’re on a budget or enjoy luxury. I also enjoy taking us on the occasional detour to explore the inner workings of the travel industry.

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