DHartwell

I've been a lurker on the site for a while, I figured I'd sign up to ask this question.

Ive quickly ammassed ~70K (including 44K from the current promo) points from business travel (company paid, points are free to me) this year, and should get a few more as I stay in a Hyatt nearly daily for the next 2 months or so.

Obviously this is enough for at least 5 free nights at a "level 3" hyatt or 3 free nights at a "level 6" hyatt, etc.

I'm planning a 5-night trip to Vegas in June. Is it worth blowing points on the "level 3" (12,000 pts/night) Vegas Hyatt Place to save me the $110 or so a night, or is it better to pay for the nights and keep the 60k points for use on a "level 6" property somewhere down the line?

Is there some sort of "rule of thumb" or formula to determine when the dollars saved isn't worth the cost of losing points?

Thanks!

kenbo

Welcome to FT!

I would save the points in that situation.

In general, points are valued differently by everyone but as you go along, you'll start to notice a trend, or common redemption rates. I try to get at least 1.5 cents per point when redeeming GP points. In some cases you can make an exception, ie. the rate is over $200/night. In your situation, the math looks like:

$110/12,000 = $0.009

After you add taxes, you may come out to $0.01 per point but still not close enough to where I would recommend using the points.

FriendlySkies

Personally, I'd gladly pay the $110 per night, and save those points for a property that costs $910 per night, such as a Park Hyatt in Asia, etc.

MarkMColo

I would add in the points you won't be earning. So, if the tax rate is 10%, the formula would be something like:

$121/(12,000+550) = .0096

canyonleo

There is no one single strategy for using points... but if there's one most common strategy, or one I always follow, it's to use cash when one goes to a cheap location (like Las Vegas, where there are deals for lodging and other travel items like no other city has deals for) and use points for expensive high category exotic/city locations (like Tokyo, Maldives, Paris, etc.).

snugglening

So after reading thru to receive Hyatt diamond life time

1. You must have earned 1000000 BASE points that is $200000 in spending. Note that only stays that are credited to points will qualify.

2. You must have been a Gold Passport member for 10 years.

Lifetime points include all the Hyatt points that you have earned from number of sources i.e. bonus points, credit card points, transfer points etc.

So if I can spend $200,000 on their credit card and I am member for 10 years I am good?

Brendan

Nope, Snugglening! What you quote, emphasizes the difference between the "Lifetime points" number which is displayed on GP.com vs. BASE points, which is exactly what you said in (1.) above. Spending on credit cards earns zero BASE points!

777 global mile hound

It is only room rate spending (Heads in Beds) and eligible in house/on property spending that qualifies when the stay is set to earn Gold Passport points.

It is my hope that the good folks from Hyatt will change this over time
Not to include credit card points but to include all lifetime eligible spend regardless if one chooses points or airline miles which the program currently forbids.The policy is outdated and out of touch

In over 15 years as an engaged member of Gold Passport not a single
individual at Gold Passport every brought up the fact that by engaging in Hyatt airline promotions I would be losing the opportunity to reach my Diamond lifetime status.

There are many others in the same boat based on the amount of questions and confusion here we receive in this forum and communications I receive from other Gold Passport members regarding the ongoing policy
At the very least I would like to make their membership base more fully aware by making the terms simply more transparent.


This would be helpful so all GP members who hope to achieve this milestone threshold can make the best decision possible while continuing to do business with Hyatt in good faith
Thanks for revisiting the question!

JCary

I just read in a blog that "Hyatt Gold Passport is matching elite status' in other programs with a free 60 day trial period of their top level Diamond status'.
Is this correct? I am PC Platinum and HH Gold. Thanks!

jasonvr

Yes, it is true. You need to complete 12 nights within 60 days to retain the status after starting the challenge/trial. Completed mine in mid-Feb and received my Diamond card in the mail today.

JCary

But during the 2 months trial period you can reap the benefit of Diamond status, right?

jasonvr

Yes, including point bonuses and suite upgrades. But be aware that it is most likely a "once in a lifetime" thing though. If you are just trying to get two months with no intention of keeping it afterwards, you are most likely never going to be able to do another challenge in the future.

snugglening

I work for a bank and they have a negoatiated rate for my hyatt in my city. We have never used a corp # we just call it in and same the name of the company.

Do you think we have deals for all hyatt in the US or is it just that one near me? I am in Ohio.

Mary2e

You would have to check using the means they provided to get the corp rate discount. If it's a large, multi-city/state bank, chances are there are other properties included. If it's a local bank, I would guess not.

peteropny

Well with your location in your profile - I can guess which bank (I was the GM for the building where your regional HQ was located for about 4 years over 10 years ago) - I would guess that the deal is just with the local Hyatt in your HQ city and possibly selected other cities where your bank has a large presence and has a lot of hotel nights from visitors / employees visiting. I would doubt that you have a deal in CA for example where your bank has little presence.