2013 Modifications to Stay Certificates
Jan 3, 2013, 3:50 pm
#16
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP Gold
Posts: 2,732
To receive stay credit, you must pay an eligible rate. Stay certificates do not qualify as an eligible rate and so do not earn stay credit or points. Think of them as award stays.
Jan 3, 2013, 6:59 pm
#17
Moderator: GLBT Travelers & Hyatt Gold Passport
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: CVG
Posts: 15,300
Exactly - occasional mistakes do happen and you get stay credit / points but don't count on it.
Jan 4, 2013, 1:06 am
#18
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Between AMS and BRU
Posts: 8,852
I feel they are (deliberately) vague about this... when reading the FAQ's on the certificates this is what is mentioned:
Do I receive Hyatt Gold Passport points when I redeem Hyatt Certificates and Gift Cards?
Yes, any payment or redemption made with a Hyatt Gift Card or Certificate for goods or services that would otherwise be eligible for Hyatt Gold Passport rewards are eligible for the same rewards. The person using the card or certificate must be a member of Hyatt Gold Passport.
But as mentioned earlier the T&C's contain this:
Hyatt Gold Passport points will not be given for the-value of this certificate.
So a little confusing. But I guess the statement here is that to redeem the certificates you are using a rate that isn't eligible, even though it is booked through Hyatt (which would normally qualify as an eligible rate).
Do I receive Hyatt Gold Passport points when I redeem Hyatt Certificates and Gift Cards?
Yes, any payment or redemption made with a Hyatt Gift Card or Certificate for goods or services that would otherwise be eligible for Hyatt Gold Passport rewards are eligible for the same rewards. The person using the card or certificate must be a member of Hyatt Gold Passport.
But as mentioned earlier the T&C's contain this:
Hyatt Gold Passport points will not be given for the-value of this certificate.
So a little confusing. But I guess the statement here is that to redeem the certificates you are using a rate that isn't eligible, even though it is booked through Hyatt (which would normally qualify as an eligible rate).
Jan 4, 2013, 8:19 am
#19
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
Programs: Military Space-A, UA Plat, AS MVP Gold 75K, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat, HHonors Gold
Posts: 1,248
I think they are also trying (unsuccessfully) to differentiate between Gift Certificates (the use of which does not affect earning, as they are treated as cash) and Stay Certificates.
Jan 4, 2013, 5:41 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,434
How come there's little correlation between the level of certificate needed and the level of the property with regard to redeeming points for free nights? In other words, there are plenty of level six properties that can be had for an elite cert and some lower level properties that cost more.
Jan 4, 2013, 8:17 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: OKC (Oklahoma City), Oklahoma
Programs: Marriott Gold; IHG Platinum; Insomnia Cookies
Posts: 514
It's another option, like award stays with points are options. Often cash is better, but sometimes it really works.
Jan 5, 2013, 1:08 pm
#25
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Houston
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, UA 1.56MM (fmr UA1K)
Posts: 5,770
Yes. However, my point is that such a thread might be helpful in knowing which properties actually have had availability in the past to use these certificates. It might help eliminate time consuming and frustrating calls to Hyatt that seem to always end in that the certificates are unusable. It would be best if we could check usability online.
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemil...djusts-prices/
Jan 5, 2013, 11:32 pm
#26
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Victoria, B.C.
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Gold LT
Posts: 1,940
Try using a certificate to Maui or Kauai - not going to happen.
Jan 6, 2013, 11:59 am
#27
Moderator: GLBT Travelers & Hyatt Gold Passport
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: CVG
Posts: 15,300
I've never tried it at Maui or Kauai - but availability at most domestic city hotels and most international properties aren't a problem.
I'm just pointing out that such a list will not be very useful - members may of course try to compile a list but I won't be managing it in any way.
Jan 6, 2013, 12:04 pm
#28
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: coastal Croatia
Programs: BAEC Gold, M&M Senator
Posts: 2,181
here are a few:
Cat 6 properties in the US. that accept a "lower" value cert:
Highlands Inn, Grand Hyatt Kauai, Park Hyatt Chicago, Andaz 5th Ave, Grand Hyatt NY--Inspire
Hyatt Huntington Beach, Andaz Wall St., Park Hyatt Washington DC, HR Lake Tahoe--Elite
Hotels that are Category 5 or less that only take Exclusive: Hyatt 48 Lex, Hyatt Place NYC (cat 4),
Park Hyatt Melbourne (Cat 4) and Park Hyatt Sydney (Cat 6) are both Inspire
In Japan, HR Hakone (Cat 6), HR Tokyo (Cat 3) and HR Osaka (Cat 2) are all Elite.
In India, Grand Hyatt Mumbai and HR Delhi (both Cat 4) only take Inspire, putting them equal to Cat 6 hotels in a lot of places (like the PH Tokyo).
In the London, the Hyatt Churchill (Cat 6) and the Andaz (Cat 5) are both Elite. The Hyatt Birmingham is only one cert category lower but it's a cat 3.
Cat 6 properties in the US. that accept a "lower" value cert:
Highlands Inn, Grand Hyatt Kauai, Park Hyatt Chicago, Andaz 5th Ave, Grand Hyatt NY--Inspire
Hyatt Huntington Beach, Andaz Wall St., Park Hyatt Washington DC, HR Lake Tahoe--Elite
Hotels that are Category 5 or less that only take Exclusive: Hyatt 48 Lex, Hyatt Place NYC (cat 4),
Park Hyatt Melbourne (Cat 4) and Park Hyatt Sydney (Cat 6) are both Inspire
In Japan, HR Hakone (Cat 6), HR Tokyo (Cat 3) and HR Osaka (Cat 2) are all Elite.
In India, Grand Hyatt Mumbai and HR Delhi (both Cat 4) only take Inspire, putting them equal to Cat 6 hotels in a lot of places (like the PH Tokyo).
In the London, the Hyatt Churchill (Cat 6) and the Andaz (Cat 5) are both Elite. The Hyatt Birmingham is only one cert category lower but it's a cat 3.
Jan 6, 2013, 4:21 pm
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,434
here are a few:
Cat 6 properties in the US. that accept a "lower" value cert:
Highlands Inn, Grand Hyatt Kauai, Park Hyatt Chicago, Andaz 5th Ave, Grand Hyatt NY--Inspire
Hyatt Huntington Beach, Andaz Wall St., Park Hyatt Washington DC, HR Lake Tahoe--Elite
Hotels that are Category 5 or less that only take Exclusive: Hyatt 48 Lex, Hyatt Place NYC (cat 4),
Park Hyatt Melbourne (Cat 4) and Park Hyatt Sydney (Cat 6) are both Inspire
In Japan, HR Hakone (Cat 6), HR Tokyo (Cat 3) and HR Osaka (Cat 2) are all Elite.
In India, Grand Hyatt Mumbai and HR Delhi (both Cat 4) only take Inspire, putting them equal to Cat 6 hotels in a lot of places (like the PH Tokyo).
In the London, the Hyatt Churchill (Cat 6) and the Andaz (Cat 5) are both Elite. The Hyatt Birmingham is only one cert category lower but it's a cat 3.
Cat 6 properties in the US. that accept a "lower" value cert:
Highlands Inn, Grand Hyatt Kauai, Park Hyatt Chicago, Andaz 5th Ave, Grand Hyatt NY--Inspire
Hyatt Huntington Beach, Andaz Wall St., Park Hyatt Washington DC, HR Lake Tahoe--Elite
Hotels that are Category 5 or less that only take Exclusive: Hyatt 48 Lex, Hyatt Place NYC (cat 4),
Park Hyatt Melbourne (Cat 4) and Park Hyatt Sydney (Cat 6) are both Inspire
In Japan, HR Hakone (Cat 6), HR Tokyo (Cat 3) and HR Osaka (Cat 2) are all Elite.
In India, Grand Hyatt Mumbai and HR Delhi (both Cat 4) only take Inspire, putting them equal to Cat 6 hotels in a lot of places (like the PH Tokyo).
In the London, the Hyatt Churchill (Cat 6) and the Andaz (Cat 5) are both Elite. The Hyatt Birmingham is only one cert category lower but it's a cat 3.
My best guess would be that there is no global protocol, and that each property is free to make these decisions as they see fit to based on local business conditions.
For example, there is no mention of stay certificates on the Japanese Hyatt site, so I would guess that they are not well-known there and are used much less frequently, so they set a lower threshold in an attempt to increase business.
Jan 10, 2013, 3:16 pm
#30
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: New York, NY
Programs: FSPP, Virtuoso, Belmond Bellini Club, STARS, Hyatt Privé, Peninsula PenClub, etc.
Posts: 112
Just wanted to note that although they originally appeared to accept Ultimate Certificates, that was a mistake, and 5 Park Hyatts do not accept *any* stay certificates, not even Ultimate. As you might have guessed, they are: Paris Vendome, Milan, Zurich, Moscow and Maldives.