Originally Posted by
Tide_from_PAE
Since Hyatt only does off-peak/standard/peak award pricing for many properties, some of the best point redemptions in relation to the rack rate tend to be for hotels which are Category 1 and Category 2 hotels which are expensive due to a local event, especially one where Hyatt corporate did not decide to implement peak award pricing in advance. Hyatt has a number of such properties in college towns in the US South and Midwest where the cash rate could be $500-1000 a night before taxes by Hyatt is only asking 3,500-9,500 points per night. These are typically the nights before big football or basketball games, sometimes graduation.
Yes that is a good example. I'm staying at the Hyatt Centric in Boston over graduation weekend which was 25k points per night. When i originally booked the room the cash rates were going for over 1k per night. A standard room there should cost no where near 1k per night.
This type of pricing is very typical of big sporting events coming to town as well. Also traveling during major school holiday weeks to popular destinations can get you outsized returns on your points too. The only problem with that is those types of booking are very hard to get on short notice.
In California I like using points at the Park Hyatt Aviara, Carmel Valley Ranch, and of course the Alila Big Sur which is one the most expensive point redemptions in the system. The properties in Hawaii can get you outsized returns, particularly the Andaz Maui.
In Colorado during ski season the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek and Grand Hyatt Vail are good redemptions although the PH is now 40 to 45k points a night. I stayed there a bunch of times when rooms were 30k points per night. Same with the Hyatt Centric Park City which is now 40 to 45k points per night. Scottsdale has the Andaz and Royal Palms to look at for redemption opportunities. In Miami a Thompson and Andaz are opening this year it will be interesting to see how those price. Same with GH Deer Valley.
I got great redemption values during peak times recently at the Park Hyatt Chicago, Hyatt Regency Indian Wells, Hyatt Regency Tamaya, & Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe which just went down a category. If your extremely flexible in your bookings like you've said, there are very few hotels in the Hyatt network, in the US, that consistently stay over 1k per night no matter what time of year it is. Good luck!