Hyatt Announces 2024 Award Chart Changes
As warmer weather hints at springtime in the US, some traditions renew themselves. One of those traditions is analyzing annual award category changes for major hotel chains. Whether March “came in like a lion and out like a lamb” in the points and miles world may be determined by which hotels are your favorite. Hyatt has announced these category changes will go into place on March 26th. That means you have until then to book under the old rates. Additionally, properties going down in category will be available to book at the lower rates on March 26th.
Notable Hyatt Award Category Increases
The list of desirable properties increasing in category is longer than the list of properties decreasing in category.
| Property | Current Category | New Category |
| Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego | 4 | 5 |
| Grand Hyatt Denver | 3 | 4 |
| Hyatt Regency Denver | 3 | 4 |
| Grand Hyatt Washington, DC | 4 | 5 |
| Park Hyatt Washington | 5 | 6 |
| Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach | 4 | 5 |
| Thompson Chicago | 4 | 5 |
| Hyatt Centric Boston Faneuil Hall | 5 | 6 |
| Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort, NM | 3 | 4 |
| The Grayson Hotel | 5 | 6 |
| Grand Hyatt Istanbul | 3 | 4 |
| Park Hyatt Istanbul – Macka Palas | 5 | 6 |
| Park Hyatt Siem Reap, Cambodia | 3 | 4 |
| Grand Hyatt Tokyo | 6 | 7 |
| Park Hyatt Auckland | 5 | 6 |
| Andaz Singapore | 5 | 6 |
| Andaz Papagayo | 6 | 7 |
| Hyatt Ziva/Zilara Cap Cana | E | F |
| Hyatt Ziva/Zilara Rose Hall | D | E |
| Thompson Playa Del Carmen | 3 | 4 |
| Hyatt Centric Venice Murano | 3 | 4 |
| Hyatt Centric Milan Centrale | 4 | 5 |
| The Tribune, Rome | 4 | 5 |
| Thompson Madrid | 5 | 6 |
Notable Hyatt Award Category Decreases
| Property | Current Category | New Category |
| Hyatt Caramel Highlands | 7 | 6 |
| Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas | 8 | 7 |
| Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe | 6 | 5 |
| Grand Hyatt Shanghai | 4 | 3 |
| Grand Hyatt Guangzhou | 3 |
2 |
The Final Two Pennies
You can find the full list of properties changing category on the Hyatt website. It’s easy to see that the list of desirable properties getting more expensive is longer than the list getting cheaper. My usual opinion when I review the annual list of Hyatt changes is along the lines of “it could have been worse”. That’s pretty much how I feel here. When I see the sort of increases that a chain like Marriott has implemented, some of these Hyatt changes look downright tame.
I think back to the Swan and Dolphin, two Disney World hotels that used to be a part of Starwood Preferred Guest. My recollection is that those properties could be booked for 10,000-12,000 SPG points per night. With a 3:1 conversion during the Marriott merger, that should have made those hotels 30,000-35,000 points per night. I regularly see those hotels at 75,000 or 80,000 points per night even though the cash rates haven’t moved nearly that much.
These Hyatt changes by and large aren’t great. But, I can live with most of them. Denver, DC and NYC seem a bit higher than I would have expected. I need to spend a bit more time thinking about the all-inclusive pricing. Otherwise, I’m reasonably comfortable with the changes.
As a reminder, if you’re thinking about booking any of the hotels due to increase, do that before March 26th. You can always cancel later on for a full refund.
Here’s a list of Hyatt property reviews from our travel:
- Hyatt Regency JFK at Resorts World
- The Pell, Rhode Island
- Hyatt Regency Tamaya (New Mexico), Part 1
- Hyatt Regency Tamaya, Part 2
- Hyatt Regency Tamaya, Stables
- Hyatt Residence Pinon Point, Sedona
- Hyatt Regency LAX
- Park Hyatt Vienna
- Park Hyatt Vienna, Part 2
- Park Hyatt Sydney
- Park Hyatt Sydney, Suite Review
- Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, Part 1
- Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, Part 2
- Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, Part 3
- Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner, VA
- Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner, Part 2
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