Mar 19, 2018, 8:57 am
Last edit by: Tokyoite
Club Lounge Awards are just Club Lounge Access while booked in regular rooms. They have nothing to do with Club rooms.
borrowed from post 1.From T&C's (link)
1. Receiving Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards. Upon receiving or re-qualifying for Explorist status, Explorists will receive four (4) complimentary awards redeemable for Club lounge access (“Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards”). For Members who have received Explorist status for a multi-year term, additional Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards will not be awarded each Calendar Year upon elite status renewal (unless the Member otherwise re-achieves Explorist status by satisfying the Tier-Qualifying Night or Base Point accrual requirement). In no event will a Member receive more than four (4) Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards on the Effective Date of these Terms. If, while you have an elite status higher than Explorist, you complete activity that satisfies the requirements to earn Explorist status, you will not receive Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards unless and until you are placed into the Explorist tier for the Calendar Year immediately following such qualifying activity.
2. Redeeming Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards. Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards are valid for one (1) year from the date of issuance and must be redeemed in connection with reservations with a checkout date before the expiration of the Explorist Club Lounge Access Award. Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards can be tracked through the “My Awards” section of the Member’s account. A Member must redeem an Explorist Club Lounge Access Award when making the underlying reservation. Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards are redeemable only at participating Hyatt hotels and resorts that have a Club lounge and are not valid at Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Hyatt Zilara, Hyatt Ziva, or Hyatt Residence Club hotels and resorts, or M life Resorts. Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards are valid on nights for which the Member has paid an Eligible Rate or has redeemed points for a standard-room Free Night Award, Suite Free Night Award, or a Points + Cash Award, up to a maximum of seven (7) consecutive nights. Not valid in connection with any Free Night Award other than those identified above, including, without limitation, Hyatt Credit Card premium and anniversary Free Night Awards, 5-brand Free Night Awards, Category 1-4 Free Night Awards (defined below) or any other promotional Free Night Award. Breakfast will not be provided to a Member at participating hotels or resorts without an accessible Club lounge. Club lounge access is subject to availability and space limitations. Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards are not redeemable in connection with hotels or resorts that have not yet opened when the Member makes his/her reservation, even if reservations for such hotel or resort are otherwise being accepted.
World of Hyatt - [Club Lounge Awards]
Mar 12, 2017, 9:58 pm
#61
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
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Mar 13, 2017, 8:59 am
#62
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Osaka
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, UA
Posts: 3,158
It means explorists are not entitled to a room with lounge access. Rooms that are normally designated "Club" rooms can be assigned to guests without granting lounge access. I received such an upgrade once years ago when I was a Plat. This can easily happen at properties with a large number of "Club" rooms at times of high occupancy.
Mar 13, 2017, 1:47 pm
#63
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: BA
Posts: 954
Not sure why they are excluding promotional free night awards (like CC anniversary/signup nights) from use of the club lounge upgrade passes. I don't see how they're different from free nights paid for with points. Anyway, what if the reservation is 1 night paid for with a free night certificate and the remaining nights in points?
Mar 13, 2017, 2:37 pm
#64
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,847
Only the geniuses at Hyatt's Rules Committee can probably tell you why they chose to exclude those free nights.
Mar 14, 2017, 2:03 pm
#65
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 939
Somehow I missed this is the Ts and Cs for these awards and it put a major dent in travel plans for the upcoming year as Explorist, intending to use several free night credit card certs in my family. I am sure the intent of the restriction on club access is to limit the value of the certificates, plain and simple. They want to ensure breakage. I was never able to use up my DSUs as Diamond and this will ensure I can't use my 4 club upgrades either.
For me personally, it sucks, and it seals the deal that I will cancel all our Hyatt credit cards when the fee comes due (unless they have a strong retention offer) because a cat 1-4 night without benefits is barely worth $75 to me. And it's a hassle to have to try to find a good use for that free night to maximize the value before expiration. Bottom line is they took the fun out of it for the free nights. If it's not a treat to reward yourself, why bother?
As for World of Hyatt itself, I am burning as many as possible of my Explorist club upgrades and points this year with the expectation of losing status next year and never staying at a Hyatt again unless it's a mistake or good deal through an OTA or a BRG for an executive room. They made the decision to focus on Hilton and Starwood/Marriott with Gold mid-range status a very easy one. Not sure whether the intention is to shed clients like me and focus only on the highest loyalty guests or not, but sure seems like that will be the result.
Have to admit one thing though, as much as I hate the new rules and tiers and idiotic names, I am starting to "get" the theme of the new program and advertising and it's kind of growing on me. World peace and love and exploration or something like that. But that's not going to make me stay at their hotels with such restrictive rules.
For me personally, it sucks, and it seals the deal that I will cancel all our Hyatt credit cards when the fee comes due (unless they have a strong retention offer) because a cat 1-4 night without benefits is barely worth $75 to me. And it's a hassle to have to try to find a good use for that free night to maximize the value before expiration. Bottom line is they took the fun out of it for the free nights. If it's not a treat to reward yourself, why bother?
As for World of Hyatt itself, I am burning as many as possible of my Explorist club upgrades and points this year with the expectation of losing status next year and never staying at a Hyatt again unless it's a mistake or good deal through an OTA or a BRG for an executive room. They made the decision to focus on Hilton and Starwood/Marriott with Gold mid-range status a very easy one. Not sure whether the intention is to shed clients like me and focus only on the highest loyalty guests or not, but sure seems like that will be the result.
Have to admit one thing though, as much as I hate the new rules and tiers and idiotic names, I am starting to "get" the theme of the new program and advertising and it's kind of growing on me. World peace and love and exploration or something like that. But that's not going to make me stay at their hotels with such restrictive rules.
Not sure why they are excluding promotional free night awards (like CC anniversary/signup nights) from use of the club lounge upgrade passes. I don't see how they're different from free nights paid for with points. Anyway, what if the reservation is 1 night paid for with a free night certificate and the remaining nights in points?
Mar 14, 2017, 2:19 pm
#66
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,714
To date all hotels I've stayed at (across many chains) have honored the highest status/reward in such cases. Not something you should expect, but good when it happens (and likely at least based on my experience).
Mar 14, 2017, 7:47 pm
#67
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,623
"A Member must redeem an Explorist Club Lounge Access Award when making the underlying reservation."
How do you redeem these at time of making reservation? Do you have to call in?
Where do they appear in your account or are they mailed? I might be matched to Explorist soon.
How do you redeem these at time of making reservation? Do you have to call in?
Where do they appear in your account or are they mailed? I might be matched to Explorist soon.
Mar 14, 2017, 8:14 pm
#68
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,435
It means explorists are not entitled to a room with lounge access. Rooms that are normally designated "Club" rooms can be assigned to guests without granting lounge access. I received such an upgrade once years ago when I was a Plat. This can easily happen at properties with a large number of "Club" rooms at times of high occupancy.
Mar 14, 2017, 8:55 pm
#69
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,847
"A Member must redeem an Explorist Club Lounge Access Award when making the underlying reservation."
How do you redeem these at time of making reservation? Do you have to call in?
Where do they appear in your account or are they mailed? I might be matched to Explorist soon.
How do you redeem these at time of making reservation? Do you have to call in?
Where do they appear in your account or are they mailed? I might be matched to Explorist soon.
I sure hope you can make a reservation online and later apply the award (on the phone, like DSUs). Perhaps with the "when making the underlying reservation" verbiage they want to tell us that we can't waltz up to the front desk and ask for a club upgrade at the time of checkin?
Wouldn't it be nice if we had Hyatt reps participating in this forum and answering questions? Say, World of Hyatt Concierge?
Mar 14, 2017, 9:00 pm
#70
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,435
I don't see them anywhere in my account. Don't think they are mailing anything. I suspect they couldn't get their development team to build the feature to display and apply those awards online because everyone was busy working on the 5-brand awards tracker.
I sure hope you can make a reservation online and later apply the award (on the phone, like DSUs). Perhaps with the "when making the underlying reservation" verbiage they want to tell us that we can't waltz up to the front desk and ask for a club upgrade at the time of checkin?
Wouldn't it be nice if we had Hyatt reps participating in this forum and answering questions?
I sure hope you can make a reservation online and later apply the award (on the phone, like DSUs). Perhaps with the "when making the underlying reservation" verbiage they want to tell us that we can't waltz up to the front desk and ask for a club upgrade at the time of checkin?
Wouldn't it be nice if we had Hyatt reps participating in this forum and answering questions?
But, to answer your question, you can call in and apply a club access upgrade to an existing qualifying reservation.
Mar 14, 2017, 9:23 pm
#71
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,847
Mar 14, 2017, 9:49 pm
#72
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Osaka
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, UA
Posts: 3,158
No need to read more into it than what it says.
Mar 14, 2017, 9:53 pm
#73
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Osaka
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, UA
Posts: 3,158
Mar 14, 2017, 9:56 pm
#74
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,435
Your experiences as a Platinum are not relevant. This is an entirely new system.
Mar 14, 2017, 11:15 pm
#75
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Columbia, SC
Programs: AA Plat, SPG/Marriot Gold, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Expl
Posts: 2,363
"A Member must redeem an Explorist Club Lounge Access Award when making the underlying reservation."
How do you redeem these at time of making reservation? Do you have to call in?
Where do they appear in your account or are they mailed? I might be matched to Explorist soon.
How do you redeem these at time of making reservation? Do you have to call in?
Where do they appear in your account or are they mailed? I might be matched to Explorist soon.
I don't see them anywhere in my account. Don't think they are mailing anything. I suspect they couldn't get their development team to build the feature to display and apply those awards online because everyone was busy working on the 5-brand awards tracker.
I sure hope you can make a reservation online and later apply the award (on the phone, like DSUs). Perhaps with the "when making the underlying reservation" verbiage they want to tell us that we can't waltz up to the front desk and ask for a club upgrade at the time of checkin?
Wouldn't it be nice if we had Hyatt reps participating in this forum and answering questions? Say, World of Hyatt Concierge?
I sure hope you can make a reservation online and later apply the award (on the phone, like DSUs). Perhaps with the "when making the underlying reservation" verbiage they want to tell us that we can't waltz up to the front desk and ask for a club upgrade at the time of checkin?
Wouldn't it be nice if we had Hyatt reps participating in this forum and answering questions? Say, World of Hyatt Concierge?