I'll be shocked if this turns out to be true. Why would Hyatt wait until after Covid to announce such a move, when it had the perfect excuse for two full years to go the Hilton route?

The OP said the guy gave him six other excuses before the "test program" excuse. Why would he do that if he could have just blamed Hyatt from the jump?

People are paying $1,000/night for mediocre hotels with limited service in Hawaii right now, as if it was the only place on the planet with beaches. It's no wonder the properties aren't in a hurry to bring back benefits. They're laughing all the way to the bank.