Originally Posted by
hailstorm
Be advised that a suite upgrade certificate is good for a maximum of seven nights. So you'll be looking at burning three certificates to do this. Also note that a "released suite" (the suite that you've already reserved and that I assume you would cancel once you became a Diamond) may not necessarily go immediately back into the pool of available rooms, so you may not be able to reserve the entire three week block using suite upgrades when the time comes.
I've been advised by Customer Service and another Hyatt agent that the hotel can handle the transition, not necessarily having to go back into the pool. Before I booked, I asked customer service that if I can do this or is the best strategy to book the triple AAA rate of the base room, and she said book off the suite so that I know I've got the suite, and when I start the challenge, call customer service/hotel and have reservation converted to a reservation utilizing suite upgrades or points. If using points, I'm thinking calling back in another 3 days and blocking off 24 nights instead of 21 nights (no additional deposit required as its all under reservations). I double checked since I'm from Canada that the hotel isn't going to refund onto my cc and charge the deposit again, as there is a foreign transaction fee (not like US where Amex Plat or many ccs carry no foreign transaction fees). If I use points to upgrade to a suite, that would cost me 36,000 points and I have to book the daily rate. But if I book using 3 diamond suite upgrades, then I can take advantage of any discounted rate available at the time when we convert the reservation. I'll have enough points to u/g using points by middle August this year, and I may save the diamond suite upgrades to upgrade at a resort or the new Andaz on Maui.