Originally Posted by
Visconti
I was trying to find a nice PC way to say, "those who spend more money should be treated better than cheap *ss freeloaders."
Better?
If that is their intent, or if that is "how it should be", then they should merely go on a spend-only basis.
The new program still rewards the biggest freeloaders, those who were already spending 50+ nights in the cheapest possible Hyatts on their employer's money.
WoH will drive more business toward lower-end properties because these super-freeloaders will now have to spend 60 nights rather than the previous 50, but it will significantly reduce the number of mid-spend (US8-12K) guests while having no effect on the stay pattern of the very high-end group.
When Diamond was attainable, Hyatt got 90-100% of my 40-45 leisure nights and 10-12K spend each year. Since Explorist is not worth the effort, that percentage will likely drop to 0-50%. Lost revenue, pure and simple.
And I find it unimaginable that 20K spend is the breakeven point for Dia/Glob benefits. In many if not most cases, the benefits represent extremely little actual cost to the property, especially as a percentage of the room rate - a slightly larger room, a later checkout, an extra mouth for a buffet style breakfast...
From another perspective, Hyatt is taking a very big gamble by eliminating a stay requirement while Hilton and SPG maintain theirs. Maybe Hyatt is setting a trend, and then again, maybe not.