vike

I would need to spend about an additional $550 to qualify for Diamond for next year. In doing so I would earn about 17,000 GP points. I'm not sure how much traveling I will do next year. Sound like a good investment?

halothane

It depends on your travel patterns and what you value most when staying at a Hyatt property.

swiss-mike

If you're going to stay a few times at high-end properties and wish to upgrade to a suite, it is likely to be a good deal.

rfrost

I was tempted to say "priceless" but of course it has a monetary value. I do think it depends on what your plans are and what you value--but with luck, there'll be an FFN in 2011, and you can combine some unnecessary stays with FFN earning.

bostonpilot

I'd say that's a very individual decision (I realize that's not a helpful answer...). For me, its all about justifying cost/hassle with what my projected travel is going to be for next year.

Personally, diamond is a huge bene for me and I've been lucky to have a few years running of travel to where there are a lot of Hyatt options. I hoard my points and hardly ever use them, holidng out for a very special occasion. I use the heck out of FFN's, but not points.

For me, my diamond perfect storm of bene's is about to happen. The family and I are moving to Asia for the next couple of years for work, which fortunately brings along a fairly good expat financial package and more importantly, actually having weekends to myself now that I won't have the endless maintance work of keeping up a house and a boat that I've had for years.

I am already working on how to burn the ~500k in GP points and ~750k of airline FF miles that I'm sitting on + all the additional points I'm going to be earning on my continued work travel on fun adventures with the wife and kids. So, for me, keeping up my diamond is non-negotiable for the next few years so that I can enjoy all of the bene's and bonuses while I play.

That said, there have been a number of times I have let top status in other programs expire because the hassle or out of pocket cost just isn't worth what I forsee for upcoming travel. For example, after 10+ years of HHonors diamond, I've abandoned it because it just isn't worth the headache to maintain for the occasional bene I get and my now infrequent hilton stay. Plus, my wife doesn't see the logic in matress/mileage runs, so its a hard sell.

Personally, to me $550 isn't a bad investment, espcially if it yields 17k points, but that's a cost/benefit call that's different for all of us.

SandC

Depending on where you stay you could recoup that $550.00 in rather short order on things like breakfast and/or spa fees. When you factor in the savings from the suite upgrades you could make back such a sum in a single night.

karung99

I value my Diamond a lot, have been able to get upgraded to almost of these stays here and overseas it is a big deal to me.

If you travel overseas, these pay for all the free alcohols and breakfasts.

If you still have Costco's Certs, it is only costing you $440 out of package.

Go for it and enjoy!

crystak

Only you can decide. Depends which hotels you are going to frequent.

For the 17,000 points you could almost stay a night at one of the Park Hyatts (e.g. Paris 500+ euros a night, make that 600 euros with deluxe upgrade + 40 euros breakfast - complimentary to Diamonds).

roadwarrior365

It would be worth it to me. I mainly travel for leisure and free breakfast for the whole family is nice. Upgrades are a nice also, but the main reason for me is if things go wrong the hotels will go out of the way for you. I just stayed at Sheraton Arlington TX during the World Series we had to wait 3 hours for our room to be ready. That would have never happened as a diamond at a hyatt.

Mary2e

Generally speaking, since we travel mostly for leisure and to resorts, it's worth the difference between the cost of the least expensive room and the room we would normally pay for, which is at least partial ocean view, and breakfast.

In most cases, we calculate that to be at least $150 per day, times at least 16 days, or about $2400. So requalifying for anything less than that is what we shoot for.

I haven't added in the value of the hors douvres in the evenings that we can sometimes make a meal of if we don't feel like going out.

MikeFromTokyo

Considering some of the suite upgrades I have gotten, I think its value is quite substantial.

On my next stay in Hong Kong alone I view my Diamond status as saving me thousands of dollars. I was originally planning to stay at the Four Seasons Hong Kong (in a room that would potentially upgrade to a suite), but could not bring myself to pass up the opportunity to use a suite upgrade at the GH. I realize that the two properties are not comparable per se, but I am very happy to be confirmed in a suite at the GH with grand club access at literally a fraction of what I would have otherwise paid.

wpj

go for it ! diamond status is always valuable if you are going to spend even a few nights next year in hyatt properties.

al613

Carefully choose properties with Regency Club for your MR and choose dates when RC is closed. Plus look for G bonuses. You can net much more then 17k points for $550. Check also here if you are close
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt...promotion.html

rbAA

Actually, 4 stays at the correct CT prop's would generate over 50k Hyatt pts, factoring in the G bonuses, and the current 10k 4 5 stays promo, for about $430, as I'm doing this month.

But to answer your question, even in years where my travel has been restricted, the value of DIA, to me, is:

$20 to $32 per person for free breakfast;
$10 per day for internet;
At least $20 per day for Club snacks/drinks/etc (of course, my older son can really make that increase dramatically, especially at the GH Toyko and GH HKG
At least $20 per day for upgraded room; plus
500 to 1000 addition points even on award or miles stays for DIA amenity.

So, it doesn't really take too many stays as DIA to make it worthwhile. If you do 25 stays a year, it's a no brainer.

karung99

+1 Well said, you are hire as Hyatt's Diamond promoter ^