Some interesting reading this morning ....
Anyhow, I do like Hyatt and will miss the Diamond benefits when they are gone (for me). As I note upstream, the 4pm check-out has always been huge, and I have never failed to receive it (with Andaz Maui being the only place where I've even had to push on them about it ...)
Thus I am trying to think about what to do moving forward. Since I am still a Diamond through 28 Feb 2017 and seem to be slotted in still as a Globulist through, what, 28 Feb 2018 ... ? ... and since Hyatt works for me when I can find a Hyatt, my inclination for the next 14-16 months (not sure what will be optimal come 1 Jan 2018) is to
- continue to stay at Hyatts when I can, since I enjoy them and the Diamond/Globular benefits
- but not to go out of way to stay at them when it is inconvenient and/or unnecessary (not so hard to substitute LaQuinta for HP, for example)
Then there is the Hilton vs. SPG/Marriott business that folks are writing about .... I must say that Hilton's stinginess with late check-outs kind of puts me off (I'm a fake Hilton Diamond right now), so it sounds like rather than subbing in LaQuintas for HPs, I might start calculating whether in 2017 I can shoehorn in 23 SPG/Marriott stays (I have the SPG card) ... ?
I guess what I am concluding -- writing these things is good therapy -- is that there is no real reason to bail on Hyatt yet, but if not being so Hyatt-compulsive is in the offing, even during next year (when the small footprint makes it impossible to do 55 of my 70 or so annual nights in Hyatt), that SPG/Marriott is the only plausible Plan B investment ....