Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: San Jose, California, USA
Programs: AS Plat, UA MM, AA MM, IC Plat, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,161
With Hyatt, I haven't noticed any better (or worse) treatment overall when on a paid stay versus a free/award stay. (This is in stark contrast to IHG's Ambassador program, which restricts certain guaranteed benefits to paid stays only.)
As a Platinum staying on a free night at the GH Hong Kong, I was upgraded to the Club floor (with Club benefits), but as with a paid stay, this was at the hotel's discretion.