World Elite Mastercard -- booking hotels
 

So I confess to never having tried to use a World Elite Mastercard to book through/in their Luxury Hotels catalogue... (Does anybody? I keep seeing references to this program in various threads, but google as I might, I can't seem to find a thread here on FT...)

Anyhow, I was looking to book at a Grand Hyatt, and the rate was, to my pleasure and surprise, less than the AAA rate I was getting through Hyatt. So my antennae were out for "traps," and the evident one to check was whether I was getting steered to a nonrefundable rate. (Not my thing for hotels.)

I could not see from the Mastercard Travel website too much about the room etc. and any Hyatt stipulations, but I did find some language that any change or cancellation would entail a $30 fee to Mastercard Travel. Can this be real? My googling led me to this -- http://www.mastercard.com/travelserv...-and-fees.html -- which would seem to confirm, but I am wondering if I am reading this program right. Even Amex Travel's Fine Hotel and Resorts allows no-cost cancellations if the hotel rate is a refundable one, and even makes the rules clear on their web site ... and Amex Travel is hardly the soul of consumer convenience.

Thanks in advance for any advice, experience, confirmation, disconfirmation ....

I haven't booked hotels through MC's service, but the $30 fee seems to be not only for cancellations, but also for changes to a reservation.

World Elite Mastercard -- booking hotels
 

If you have a world elite MC, you probably would have access to a concierge who can book these rates without the agency cancellation fee.

Alternatively if you are using the website to book Hyatt, the reservation can also be canceled directly on Hyatt's website.

I don't see much on this--only this thread popped up when I searched.

In comparing the luxury hotel rates here vs. via Amex, a lot seem to have lower rates. I'm especially interested in the Hyde London City. The rate is the same as Expedia, except on the search page, it is listed as have free breakfast for two and a $100 incidental credit. This is the same as with Amex, but a couple of hundred cheaper overall. However, when I proceed further along the booking process, there is no mention of the extras anywhere. It's only under the "privileges" tab on the initial search page.

This doesn't give me much confidence. Does anybody have any experience booking these properties and can say if they followed through on the amenities?