Windward Side of Life

I’m not talking about completing the challenge; I’m talking about utilizing/exploiting the challenge to secure rooms and benefits for an aspirational stay a time or two a year during the 60-day challenge period. I’m saying the way the challenge is set up, completing it is unnecessary for many people. One gets the suite upgrades right away and they remain, challenge completed or not. All Diamond benefits are bestowed during the 60-day period. Many people are not traveling to special, aspirational places throughout the year: it’s once or twice a year. Do the challenge for that meaningful period then let it lapse, repeat the next year and so on and so on. Sure, it may be nice to have status year round, but for many it's not really practical to chase status for those other few nights at Orange County or San Diego or Miami. Take your platinum from the credit card and wait until there's a really big fish to catch. And use any leftover upgrades for those few minor stays if you can.

See comment a few posts above about how to get “elite” status which can then be utilized for qualifying for the challenge. It doesn’t take anything more than a $49 annual fee and one stay. I’m sure Hyatt sees it in the way you’re describing, attracting other program's elites with significant business, but the reality is it’s much more than that. Or less.

I’m not blaming anyone for exploiting the “loopholes” in the challenge that are becoming apparent, I’m only (repeatedly) asking why, in light of said loopholes, go to the effort of retaining Diamond – assuming you don’t exceed the stay/night limits routinely – when it can be easily obtained for a significant, 60-day period each year? Why spend time and money to re-qualify if you can get it every year for two months with essentially no cost whatsoever? I might be way off here, but if what we’re being told is accurate then I don’t think so. The challenge has some well thought out parameters if you ask me, 12 nights in 60 days is realistic. And extending some Diamond benefits makes more sense to me than say SPG's challenge, which is not overly tempting when one gets absolutely nothing extra during the trial period. However, the extensive benefits, all granted at inception, and the apparent ability to repeat it make it much less of a serious challenge and more of what I would term an opportunity.

Also, please accept my apologies if it seems that I'm singling you out for your recent challenge and subsequent Kauai/Maui visits. In no way did I mean to suggest you as an example of misuse, though I can see it may have come off that way. I am just suggesting obvious targets that are often mentioned by those seeking how to leverage their newfound, temporary status for their upcoming big visit, many even admitting they have no interest in ongoing loyalty. (And given the parameters of the challenge, who can really blame them? Again, the challenge doesn't necessarily cultivate any loyalty.) From everything I've read from your posts here you are Hyatt's dream candidate for the challenge and you've utilized it in what I would imagine is the intended purpose.

jennbar

I agree, once again, with all of this.

At the end of the day, the Challenge is a strong marketing ploy for Hyatt. 1) You already have to be an elite member of another chain. Thereby taking some of the other chain's business. 2) Those trying to complete the Challenge are trying to make as many stays as they can in order to meet the 12 stays. Even if they don't, I bet at least 50% stay at least 6 nights. and 3) Within those 6+ nights, they are showing off the greatest perks of Hyatt (and any top tier hotel corporation) at the guest costs.

If in the end, the guest cannot meet the Challenge, no one really loses. Sure there are a lot more Diamonds sprinkling about, but that's exactly it--sprinkling. They are not with the impressions those "seasoned" Diamond's have. In my eyes, if I was a seasoned Diamond and felt left out due to the Challenge members at a hotel, all I believe I would have to say is, "I've been a true Diamond for so-and-so years; I do not feel as if I am being treated like one." Hyatt customer service is top notch in this respect, and I strongly believe they would take care of you right then and there.

iflyjetz

Interesting read; I skipped to the last couple of pages here. I can understand why people would simply use the Diamond Trial for one or two trips per year.
For me, I maintain status because I'm normally staying on airline crew rates so I don't earn stay credits. However, almost all hotels extend lounge/breakfast benefits to me - the only exception is Hilton. I don't need to worry about Marriott anymore since I'm LT Gold; I only need to renew SPG and Hyatt status every year. The new partnership with MGM Resorts will be very helpful for me maintaining Hyatt Diamond.

As far as there being too many Hyatt Diamonds, I disagree. I don't see Hyatt lounges packed with elites. They're not nearly as full as Marriott and Hilton lounges.

I disagree with this. I'm now Marriott and SPG Lifetime Gold, working on Plat for both. While loyalty programs (benefits and qualification) may change over time, I would expect some sort of lifetime program to exist with most major chains.

Ancien Maestro

Windward Side of Life..

No offence taken.. You actually make very good points and the point of thread is to discuss these points of views.

Hyatt is targeting elite members of other hotel chains that typically are loyal and spend $$$. If a few FTers slip thru the loopholes, its not a big deal to them.

Lets take the scenario that an individual does the Diamond Challenge for one stay. We already know that suite upgrades at high demand hotels are almost impossible. So they get a few upgrades for a stay and diamond service for a stay and doesn't complete the challenge. If that individual goes and books suite upgrades thereafter, they are no longer diamond and the variance of diamond suite upgrades and points suite upgrade is ie $23 per night.. But the key here is that the individual is not Diamond unless they do the Challenge again.. Which means more business for Hyatt.. As the individual is receiving not just the original 4 diamond upgrades, but acquires another 4 doing the Challenge again. Do you see the cycle happening here? There is inherent value in Diamond that the member is taking time out of their day to sign up for. Once you lose it, the diamond upgrades is the hook line and sinker clawing back business like a vice. Doing diamond suite upgrades (as opposed to points suite upgrades) without Diamond status has little value even in high demand resorts. Although unused diamond suite upgrades is the residual from a unsuccessful challenge.

Plus, there are 1,000 point bonuses earned per night of the challenge for the first six nights. Most who do the challenge will do 6 stays/6nights.

firexemblemj

Hi everyone,

I am new to this forum and i am just a recent college graduate who is starting to travel for work.
So, i completed my Hyatt Challenge and i extended my Diamond tier until 2/2015. Since the extension is until 2015, do i still need to have 50 nights this year to qualify for Diamond when my tier expiration is 2015? Or, i need 50 nights in 2014 to continue to qualify as a diamond in 2015?

Thank you

hailstorm

This (or 25 stays will also suffice).

Ancien Maestro

Once 50 nights or 25 stays are completed, you will qualify for Diamond until February 2016. You will also receive a new set of suite upgrades March 1st, 2015.

As a note, since you've qualified for Diamond until February 2015, you will receive another 4 Diamond Suite Upgrades March 1st, 2014, on top of the ones you have now. Each Diamond Suite Upgrade is good for up to a 7 night stay in a hotel suite category, subject to availability.

hqly2001

MY brother requested a status match with his elite ihg status via emaila nd sent them a pdf of this statement and got Diamond and match within a few days. I faxed them my statement and they tell me it takes 2-3 weeks to process. Does anyone know why it takes longer if you fax? Maybe fax are of less priority and so it'll take longer to verify info?
Do they even contact IHG to verify my statement etc?

Windward Side of Life

Yeah, I agree that’s who GP is targeting but I also understand the opportunities the challenge creates for others who are nothing close to their target (see post 805 for just one example), including current Diamonds who are on the fence about maintaining their status.

There’s no doubt, as Jennbar asserts, that the challenge is a strong ploy. FFN was also a strong ploy by GP, and like the challenge it too was easily ex-ploy-ted. I’m sure GP’s intent with FFN was to lure customers into the Hyatt fold and woo them over with their phenomenal service. But it also resulted in a lot of people parlaying two nights in a $65 HP into a free night at the GHK/PHT/PHV/etc. I have no idea how the individual hotels felt about that, or GP for that matter, but I do know FFN has been gone for years now and it doesn’t appear that it’s coming back anytime soon. I also don’t know that I believe there are too many Diamonds running around because of the challenge. But I do think that if we are realistic it’s not a Diamond Challenge at all, it’s a Diamond Gift. Hyatt isn’t asking that any reduced stay threshold be crossed to get the status, they’re essentially saying “here, take the gift of Diamond status (plus the 6,000 GP bonus) for two months and decide if you want to put some money and effort into keeping it. If you really want it, you can buy it and keep it. If not, fine, take your lovely parting gifts and we’ll see you next year.” It’s the concept stated here that “nobody loses” that makes me think I will reconsider if I get to the point of having to make mattress runs to keep status. If they’ll temporarily give it away so easily, maybe I’d rather move some significant stays back to some other programs that have properties I especially love/miss – properties/programs that I may be foregoing in my quest of utilizing/maintaining Diamond - and then cash back in at GP when I do go to some truly great Hyatts. Heck, if SPG made their challenge like this I’d be doing it every year, that’s for sure! And I’m not going to spell out the fairly obvious any more than I already have here, but one can easily work the challenges to keep those residual confirmed upgrades available as a Diamond over and over if the challenge/gift is repeatable. It isn’t a hook, line, and sinker; for those with any resourcefulness it’s a chunk of bait stuck to the dull tip of a pole. The opportunities are truly amazing. Like GP’s slogan says: “The only thing better than welcoming you is welcoming you back.” I reiterate that the challenge model may be a disincentive in the same way that it is an incentive. If manipulated, it may compel some to move business away to other chains while popping back into GP to maximize benefits once or twice a year. Sure, they got the 6 or 10 nights, but they lost the other 40+. I recognize that the program is probably gaining much, much more business than driving away, but the prospect does remain.

Anyway, enough on that. On a side note, I, along with many others, think the Hyatt GP program is in for some (more) big changes in the near future. Following the tragic demise of FFN’s the G Bonuses dried up with no warning a couple of years ago. Many of us were immensely disappointed, especially when the only official announcements we could get were that Hyatt had some other, really great things planned. Oh, that and FFN’s needed a rest. But we’ve only seen the same, relatively tame promos regurgitated a few times a year for the past three years, with a “surprise and delight” thrown in every once in a while. It seemed like GP had lost much of its luster as far as promos were concerned. Then when other programs gutted their redemption structures earlier this year and Hyatt essentially stood pat, the loss of those G Bonuses didn’t seem quite so bad: I’ll take the trade-off of less abundant bonus opportunities if I know the reward structure won’t be radically altered every few years. The elimination of G Bonuses worked as a sort of devaluation, but it wasn’t near as painful as wholesale category changes usually are. Unfortunately the stealth change to the stay certificates that has just happened doesn’t bode well for us. And interestingly it appears that Marriott has just withdrawn its own Platinum challenge, at least for the time being. Where this all goes with GP who knows; but I’ll be shocked if there’s not at least a category 7 next year.

Ancien Maestro

Thanks for the exhaustive synopsis. Something broke with other programs this year, and I think Hyatt standing pat really said something to their commitment of customers. But, with the enhancements as you've pointed out happening, perhaps back to traditional loyalty program fundamentals will win customers over.. but customers nowadays will switch to another hotel room at a drop of the hat. Its quite competitive and price/loyalty program sensitive.

Maintain the level of Diamond service received.. and hopefully suites are accessible to those who value it as part of the program. Seems, like hotel goers are into achieving free nights as fast as possible and burning free nights in nice exotic places.

Reading about the Europe hotels.. I'm glad there are new Hyatts popping up over there. I'll wait a few more years, and then take a tour of some of the properties. I ran into similar problems at the Switzerland Fairmont experienced by those who booked a suite in Nice, or upgrades at check-in at European destinations. Their culture seems to have a problem providing upgrades.. even confirmed upgrade bookings. Hopefully, the hotels straighten out down there, as I would love to visit the vast offerings in Europe. I did receive my suite at the Switzerland Fairmont.. but it ended up costing my exclusive loyalty to Fairmont.. as I'm now with Hyatt as my primary program for now.

kaka

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Im looking to jump ship from hhonors after not only after depreciation but also terrible CS for the last few mths...

However after requesting a plat challenge from email and online form on friday, i've yet to hear from them for the rest of the day...

RTW1

Strange... I've had 3 replies this weekend to some of my messages. Did you get the automated receipt, and checked you spam?

I've never heard about a Platinum challenge, just the Diamond Challenge though. Your Hilton Gold should get you one.

kaka

oops i did mean diamond challenge. anywys, yea, i've received auto receipt but that was it. no other news. nothing in spam.
given there was a friday and a saturday i find this pretty strange.

BKKLEE

this is long holiday weekend in the US.....I would think GP ofc closed.......

RTW1

That's indeed a bit strange... CS for GP is normally one of the best. I would send an inquiry to the receipt you got, it contains your reference number.
As I've said I got a number of replies yesterday.