World of Hyatt Announces 2022 Award Chart Changes
Joe Cortez February 15, 2022
The hospitality company published their list of hotel category changes this week, with all changes going into effect on Tuesday, March 22, 2022.
76 Drop in Categories, While Nine Move to Elite Category 8
According to the company, 70 properties will move up by one category, while 76 will go down in one category, resulting in a net positive for travelers. However, 10 properties will move into the highest tier, Category 8. The top tier was traditionally reserved for Hyatt’s partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World and Destination by Hyatt residences.
Four U.S. properties will move into the highest tier, which will soon cost 40,000 points for a standard night award. The Park Hyatt New York, Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, and California properties Alila Ventana Big Sur and Alila Napa Valley are all shifting into the highest category. They will be joined there by two Japanese locations, one Australian hotel and three European hotels:
- Hôtel Lou Pinet, France
- Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme, France
- Park Hyatt Milan, Italy
- Park Hyatt Sydney, Australia
- Park Hyatt Kyoto, Japan
- Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono, Japan
Only one property previously in Category 8 will fall by one category. The Boheme Hotel in Greece will drop to Category 7, bringing the price of a standard room night award to 30,000 points.
Across the United States, 13 properties in nine states and territories will drop to a lower category. Six properties will move up from Category 1 to Category 2, while one property will jump two categories. The Hyatt Place Moab in Utah will go from a Category 2 hotel to a Category 4 hotel, increasing the price for a standard award by 7,000 points per night.
Travelers who want to take advantage of the current award chart can book their award or Points + Cash redemption before 8:00 am Central Time on Tuesday, March 22, 2022. After that time, all awards will be governed by the new award chart. Anyone who has a current award booked at a hotel dropping in categories will get a one-time refund of the different in points.
Shifts Come as Hotels Prepare for Travel Surge
Hyatt’s annual calendar shift comes as hotel brands across the United States are priming themselves for a surge of new hotel guests. In 2021, Choice Hotels entered into an agreement with Penn National Gaming to let loyalty program members use points to book casino properties, while Frontier Miles allowed those with hotel loyalty status to match to an elite tier in their frequent flyer program.
Can we stop calling it a net positive when the number of hotels moving up a category exceeds the number moving down a category? Hyatt Place Bricktown Oklahoma going down a category and Andaz Maui going up a category are not offsetting equivalents, particularly with the simultaneous introduction of peak pricing. March 2022 has destroyed significant value in the WoH program.
If I regularly travel to Bricktown, Oklahoma but have no intention of ever going to the Andaz Maui, it's a good deal for me. I know most of the people who post on flyertalk have boatloads of points and tend to reedem at aspirational properties, but not all of us can or do.
Yep the peak pricing stuff just hit all my ski resort locations too; that's going to be painful.
True, but one data pair has no value. Could have easily picked a pair going in the opposite direction. It would be simple to determine if it is a net positive. Add up points required NOW for all the hotels moving in either direction, then add up the points after the shift. Then compare them.