Hyatt Gold Passport - hyatt vs starwood prices

i wasn't sure whether this should go in the hyatt or starwood forum so im placing it here, but mods feel free to move.

i was wondering whether the prices were greater in general for one or the other. (mainly looking at the lower end hotels-ones by airports,etc...). i know some hotels will be more and some will be less, and im currently checking my normal travel locations for price differences, but im wondering if there is an overall trend.

also, since im thinking about moving to hyatt at the end of year, i was wondering if there was a faq thread here or anything that i can read to teach me about the program or anything else you guys think i should know before making my decision.

also, regarding status match-at the end of this year i will by spg plat (actually by like dec 1)- will hyatt match me to diamond or give me like a challenge or something?

also-sorry so many questions-is there an aba company discount code for hyatt?

thanks a lot for your help in advance

For status match - Hyatt will match you with Diamond to your Starwood Platinum - see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt-gold-passport/516391-hyatt-status-matching-master-thread.html for more information than you want to know.

There isn't really a FAQs thread but a combination of http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt-gold-passport/1003932-tutorial-getting-your-hyatt-points.html and http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt-gold-passport/998020-thenextbigthing-ffn-2009-t-cs-faqs-10-1-09-1-31-10-earn-10-15-09-3-31-10-redm.html will tell you just about anything you want to know.

There is no ABA discount AFAIK. Prices compared to Starwood - couldn't really help you there - I guess it would depend on the level of hotel - eg Hyatt Regency or Hyatt Place at the particular locations.

I think the lower end hotels such as Four Points, etc. at SPG will be cheaper and MORE of them spread around the world than the cheap Hyatt Place which is only in US. Grand Hyatt and Park Hyatt are also generally more expensive than the Westin or Sheraton, from what I found.

Then there's St. Regis, W, etc. which are in some cases more expensive than the Hyatt Regency and GH.

Overall, I think that SPG has a more widespread range of hotels with prices starting from lower than Hyatt's average price.

Well - I would line up the brands this way (from high to low):

Park Hyatt - St Regis / Luxury Collection
Andaz - W
Grand Hyatt - Le Meridien
Hyatt Regency - Westin / Sheraton
Hyatt Place / Summerfield Suites - Four Points / Aloft / Element

Well - I would line up the brands this way (from high to low):

Park Hyatt - St Regis / Luxury Collection
Andaz - W
Grand Hyatt - Le Meridien
Hyatt Regency - Westin / Sheraton
Hyatt Place / Summerfield Suites - Four Points / Aloft / Element

I'd generally agree with this, although I think Grand Hyatts are more convention crowd-oriented than Meridiens.
It's hard to generalize, but I often find Hyatts a bit pricier than their Starwood analogues, and of course there are far fewer of them. You'll really notice the difference in Europe.
On the other hand, the GP program is very good, and FFN's/Next Best Thing is, IMHO, the best promo of them all.

In general (from my experiences lately), SPG tend to have cheaper rates, especially in the lower end hotels like FP and aloft. Sheraton tend to have similar prices at Hyatt Regency. Prices wise, peteropny did a pretty good job except for Hyatt Place. I've been finding Hyatt Place at around 80-100 a night. A lot of the FP and Aloft you can easily find $60 a night rate w/ AAA. I find Hyatt Place to be pretty nasty. From the bathroom to the bed, it felt a lot like a motel 6. Some people may argue, well you get the plasma tv, living room, blah blah, but I tend to find Hyatt Places to be rather dirty in my standards. I tried staying at HP a couple of times (MR) and I couldn't stomach it. I find Starwood to be A LOT CLEANER, especially in the lower end properties. Aloft is often much cheaper than HP, but it's a lot cleaner and brighter in the rooms. I don't feel like I'm in motel 6 when staying at aloft--although the aloft beds and beddings are equally horrible and nasty.

As for the higher end Hyatt, I find Hyatt Regency to be a bit boring. The newer renovated rooms are nice, but they feel like just a hotel room to me. And the Portfino (whatever its called) toiletries are NASTY. When staying at Westin, the white tea stuff and heavenly bed make the stay a lot more spa like and relaxing.

Grand Hyatt is kind of like a Westin/Sheraton Overseas. It's nicer, but not so much like Le Meridien. LM is a category of its own: Euro chic. I'm not sure if thats a good thing or bad thing :p

I have yet to stay at an Andaz, so I can't compare that with W. Although W still remains my favorite hotel brand.

I find Park Hyatt to be a bit overrated. The rooms are often simple with not many extra amenities (there are exceptions, of course, like PH Seoul), so, I would equate park hyatt with some of the Luxury Collection brands.

The St Regis brand is yet another category of its own. It's Old, but I think they are a tad better than PH, but I still don't like St Regis and I tend to avoid it because its too old for me.



Well - I would line up the brands this way (from high to low):

Park Hyatt - St Regis / Luxury Collection
Andaz - W
Grand Hyatt - Le Meridien
Hyatt Regency - Westin / Sheraton
Hyatt Place / Summerfield Suites - Four Points / Aloft / Element

I find Hyatt Place to be pretty nasty. I find Starwood to be A LOT CLEANER, especially in the lower end properties. Aloft is often much cheaper than HP, but it's a lot cleaner and brighter in the rooms. I have yet to stay at an Andaz, so I can't compare that with W. Although W still remains my favorite hotel brand.

I find Park Hyatt to be a bit overrated. The rooms are often simple with not many extra amenities (there are exceptions, of course, like PH Seoul), so, I would equate park hyatt with some of the Luxury Collection brands.

The St Regis brand is yet another category of its own. It's Old, but I think they are a tad better than PH, but I still don't like St Regis and I tend to avoid it because its too old for me.

To the OP, this is a highly subjective view, which does not really express reality... :(

A Hyatt Place cannot be older than 2-3 years, because we are talking about a new brand. Just based on this fact, it is very very likely that your average Hyatt Place is a lot cleaner than your average Four Points, which is more than 20 years old...

Prices are comparable, Hyatt Place can go down in the 50's on weekends, same with aloft and element... not much difference here, if you compare properties geographically, which you should do in the first place..., everything does not make sense at all...

Calling a Park Hyatt room simple with not many extra amenities is actually a prefect example of very subtle irony, I hope, otherwise the poster has very very limited experience....

To the OP, this is a highly subjective view, which does not really express reality... :( Far from

A Hyatt Place cannot be older than 2-3 years, because we are talking about a new brand. Just based on this fact, it is very very likely that your average Hyatt Place is a lot cleaner than your average Four Points, which is more than 20 years old... That's what makes it even worse. a 2-3 year old properties are NASTY. I specifically mentioned the comparison with aloft. Alofts are 100% nicer and cleaner than HP guaranteed. There are some nasty FPs too, but most of them have received a face lift with the new Sheraton/FP branding.

Prices are comparable, Hyatt Place can go down in the 50's on weekends, same with aloft and element... not much difference here, if you compare properties geographically, which you should do in the first place..., everything does not make sense at all... You need to compare locations where there are BOTH aloft AND Hyatt Place. Those are the ONLY locations you can compare the 2. And, alofts usually have lower prices.

...I hope, otherwise the poster has very very limited experience.... limited experience? Ha, I think you should go to the SPG forum and ask about me. Better yet, feel free to visit my photo album in my signature. Once you see the type of SPG hotels I usually stay, then you'd agree just how nasty HPs are.

A Hyatt Place cannot be older than 2-3 years, because we are talking about a new brand. Just based on this fact, it is very very likely that your average Hyatt Place is a lot cleaner than your average Four Points, which is more than 20 years old...

The furnishings may not be older than 2-3 years, but the structure can be a lot older. If I recall correctly, many Hyatt Places came into being when Hyatt acquired Amerisuites.

Grand Hyatt is kind of like a Westin/Sheraton Overseas. It's nicer, but not so much like Le Meridien. LM is a category of its own: Euro chic. I'm not sure if thats a good thing or bad thing :p

I just stayed at Le Meridien Munich, and it's Euro Trash! I was upgraded to an executive room, which was supposedly roomier, but the decor is banal and dated, the towels and linens worn-out, toiletries nasty, the lobby wannabe W-ish dark and nightclubbish. Not impressed.

Ok - gentle reminder - do not get personal in posts. Each person's perception can be quite different even for the same property. Individuals tend to be biased towards what they are used to (I'm biased towards Hyatt compared to Starwood for example).

And there is quite a range of "quality" within any particular flag. The listing that I gave is only a very general one. Even for Starwood, I would think that most people would agree that the Le Meridien San Francisco is a better property than the Palace (which is Luxury Collection).

Thanks!!

peteropny - co-moderator - Hyatt

limited experience? Ha, I think you should go to the SPG forum and ask about me. Better yet, feel free to visit my photo album in my signature. Once you see the type of SPG hotels I usually stay, then you'd agree just how nasty HPs are.

I believe that FD1971 was referring to your apparently (based on your posts here on Hyatt forum) very limited exposure to international Grand and Park Hyatt's. So which Hyatt's besides HP Ontario and HR Orange County have you had a paid stay?

The furnishings may not be older than 2-3 years, but the structure can be a lot older. If I recall correctly, many Hyatt Places came into being when Hyatt acquired Amerisuites.

Hyatt actually bought the Amerisuites brand and all hotels were completely 'core redeveloped' meaning that only the bare bone physical structure remained on the floors were guests rooms are located, the lobby was obviously completey changed. That is the reason for some complaints, that the actual bath is very small, barely big enough for a shower and toilet.

Amerisuites was originally invented to offer every traveller a bit more space so all guests rooms were ( and are ) suites. I would call them junior suites, but I have stayed in suites at, among others, Luxury Collection hotels that were smaller than your standard Hyatt Place room.

If you take the AAA ratings, all Hyatt Place hotels have a 3 Diamond rating, so offer the same quality as your standard Sheraton, Hyatt Regency or even Westin in the US...

I believe that FD1971 was referring to your apparently (based on your posts here on Hyatt forum) very limited exposure to international Grand and Park Hyatt's. So which Hyatt's besides HP Ontario and HR Orange County have you had a paid stay?

That was exactly my point and after blissworld's comment that Park Hyatt rooms do not offer too many goodies, it became quite obvious...

Absolutely no offence against bw intended, but we are talking about some of the best hotels on this planet...if some US properties should be branded as a Park Hyatt is certainly worth another discussion.

You need to compare locations where there are BOTH aloft AND Hyatt Place. Those are the ONLY locations you can compare the 2. And, alofts usually have lower prices.

limited experience? Ha, I think you should go to the SPG forum and ask about me. Better yet, feel free to visit my photo album in my signature. Once you see the type of SPG hotels I usually stay, then you'd agree just how nasty HPs are.

Care to give some examples where aloft properties are 'usually' cheaper ?

If you are only referring to Ontario, you definately have a point, but the Hyatt Place is able to charge a premium, because it is on the grounds of the Ontario Mall whereas all the other hotels outside of the Mills Circle are significantly cheaper, including everything in Rancho Cuc.

The Hyatt hotels in Los Angeles are normally relatively expensive and except Huntington Beach do not really stand out for anything, except average. I did not stay at the Andaz yet and understand that they invested some money to upgrade the Century Plaza, which was also only average incl. some great history after being acquired by Hyatt

BTW, I am also a SPG Plat. as well, just had an amazing stay at Sheraton Suites MCO, a beautiful and very modern hotel.

Enjoved the best appetizers in a hotel lounge ever and the personal very attentive service of the front desk was also outstanding, not to mention the upgrade to a standard suite was also highly appreciated, same as the noise of the planes. Actually, and I am not kidding, I thought it were planes, but then realized it was the fridge, which was ca. 1980, the shower head was probably even older...rate at the solid Hyatt MCO however was more than $ 150 higher and the Grand Cypress sold out...

Again, no offense intended, but I am highly interested in objective reviews of seasoned travellers and not some cheerleading for a brand and hotel, that might not be justified.

On a sidenote, great pictures in your album. I also enjoy W hotels a lot, however the wannabe hip & cool crowd ( often incl. the front desk staff ) is a little over the top, but sometimes highly entertaining

For more than two decades, Smith Travel Research (STR) (http://www.strglobal.com/home.aspx) has been a leader for hotel industry benchmarking and research. Based on the actual average room rate, they group branded hotel chains in six segments. Those brands named within this thread are grouped (http://www.strglobal.com/documents/STRGChainScale.pdf ) as followed:

Luxury
Andaz
Grand Hyatt
Luxury Collection
Park Hyatt
St. Regis
W

Upper Upscale
Hyatt
Le Meridien
Sheraton

Upscale
Aloft
Element (Extended Stay Upper)
Four Points
Hyatt Place
Hyatt Summerfield Suite (Extended Stay Upper)

Midscale w/F&B
--

Midscale w/o F&B
--

Economy
Motel 6

Very interesting.....to a cockroach.

Where I usually stay (Asia Pacific Region), Hyatt (HR/GH/PH) tends to publish higher rates (BAR) than SPG's equivalent (same category/same days in advance/same room type). When I book a room for a biz trip I check at the same time spg and gp room availability and px.

One of the differences I noticed between spg and hyatt is that spg tends to treat their elite customers better...or at least before check-in you expect to score an upgrade or have special treatment. At Hyatt you don't expect anything (at least me). You just check-in, get your key and go sleep. But if you are not an elite customer, Hyatt tends to be more neutral and treat you better than spg. I have been on and off elite on Hyatt getting better (more attentive) treatment as a general member on Hyatt than spg.

Another point to consider (as a biz traveller) is food (especially breakfast). Hyatt in AP region has better variety and quality of food in their morning buffets. Some comparisons than lately:
1- HK: HR TST vs Sheraton TST
2- Seoul: GH vs Westin Chosun
3- Singapore: St Regis vs GH

Finally, I also consider quality of the Fitness facilities and here again Hyatt in AP Region tends to be better fitted than spg properties.


Weighting these factors, I usually book 50/50 (spg/hyatt); I decide depending on work schedule/location/personal training stage/mood, so higher px at Hyatt will not be a deciding factor, but more competitive rates will be always appreciated.