Possibilities(2) - 5k Bonus for 3 nights (30k Max) - 9/15-11/15/2011
Aug 25, 2011, 10:43 pm
#76
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: UA 1K,Hyatt Diamond,AA Lifetime Platinum,SPG
Posts: 190
Your analysis is very persuasive. I agree that you are very objective.^
^
I hate to admit it, but I have gone out of my way to maintain Hyatt Diamond (as I imagine many others have on this board) and always did so because:
1. Great GP promotions, as well as G bonuses
2. Perks for Diamond members
Here's the problem...as we all know #1 has been non-existent in 2011. Forget FFN (even though Starwood & Marriott have both offered similar promos this year), the G bonuses appear to be gone for good. Hyatt used to be the most generous program for top-tier elites, which is why we all went out of our way to stay at Hyatt. You have to ask though, if this chain has now given up on us. Starwood has ~1,000 hotels and I believe Marriott is around ~3,500 and both have offered better free night promos this year. So why go out of our way to stay at Hyatt in 2011?
As for #2, probably thanks to pressure from Hyatt, Starwood & Marriott now both offer free internet to its top-tier elites. Additionally, Marriott also guarantees breakfast or lounge for its top-tier. Hyatt, meanwhile, still offers practically no benefits for elites at Hyatt Place hotels (except 500 points), while Starwood offers a choice at its Four Points chain (free amenity, which includes free movie, $5 f&b credit or bonus points as well as the chance for free suite upgrade) and Marriott offers similar perks at Courtyard/Fairfield chains.
I'm trying to be objective, but without a good Q4 promo, I see no reason to keep my stays at Hyatt this fall. Bye bye Diamond status...
I hate to admit it, but I have gone out of my way to maintain Hyatt Diamond (as I imagine many others have on this board) and always did so because:
1. Great GP promotions, as well as G bonuses
2. Perks for Diamond members
Here's the problem...as we all know #1 has been non-existent in 2011. Forget FFN (even though Starwood & Marriott have both offered similar promos this year), the G bonuses appear to be gone for good. Hyatt used to be the most generous program for top-tier elites, which is why we all went out of our way to stay at Hyatt. You have to ask though, if this chain has now given up on us. Starwood has ~1,000 hotels and I believe Marriott is around ~3,500 and both have offered better free night promos this year. So why go out of our way to stay at Hyatt in 2011?
As for #2, probably thanks to pressure from Hyatt, Starwood & Marriott now both offer free internet to its top-tier elites. Additionally, Marriott also guarantees breakfast or lounge for its top-tier. Hyatt, meanwhile, still offers practically no benefits for elites at Hyatt Place hotels (except 500 points), while Starwood offers a choice at its Four Points chain (free amenity, which includes free movie, $5 f&b credit or bonus points as well as the chance for free suite upgrade) and Marriott offers similar perks at Courtyard/Fairfield chains.
I'm trying to be objective, but without a good Q4 promo, I see no reason to keep my stays at Hyatt this fall. Bye bye Diamond status...
Aug 25, 2011, 10:46 pm
#77
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: UA 1K,Hyatt Diamond,AA Lifetime Platinum,SPG
Posts: 190
If they could overlap this with a double stay promo, that will be good even without a FFN.
Four stays YTD, and not convinced this will prompt me to do another 21 by year end! I usually save Hyatt requalification for FFN season. Come on Hyatt. Can you at least overlap this with a double stays promo?
On the other hand, I may be the kind of low margin promo hound that they've decided to live without.
On the other hand, I may be the kind of low margin promo hound that they've decided to live without.
Aug 25, 2011, 10:51 pm
#78
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: Too Many to Count
Posts: 510
Not that I haven't mentioned this before (about a dozen times) but people DID notice that the company went public, right? Nothing surprising here. Vote with your $ if you're upset. Priceline / Hotwire sound like good alternatives. Hilton and Marriott sound more and more attractive.
Hyatt got taken to the cleaners last year with all their promos. A huge publicity swell ahead of the credit card, which doesn't sound coincidental. Anyway, without FFN, the Hyatt brand is woefully lacking, mainly because it doesn't have anywhere close to the properties any of its competitors have.
Hyatt got taken to the cleaners last year with all their promos. A huge publicity swell ahead of the credit card, which doesn't sound coincidental. Anyway, without FFN, the Hyatt brand is woefully lacking, mainly because it doesn't have anywhere close to the properties any of its competitors have.
Aug 25, 2011, 11:01 pm
#79
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,578
Not me! I'm going to roll IHG after this news. They have a Holiday Inn resort there and only want 15K a night!!!!
The fall bonus they are running will get someone 8-10 free nights between bonus points and regular stay points.
It might not have Turkish marble tile in the lobby or a gold plated toiled seat but I'll still be there for free!
The fall bonus they are running will get someone 8-10 free nights between bonus points and regular stay points. It might not have Turkish marble tile in the lobby or a gold plated toiled seat but I'll still be there for free!
Aug 25, 2011, 11:06 pm
#80
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,578
Not that I haven't mentioned this before (about a dozen times) but people DID notice that the company went public, right? Nothing surprising here. Vote with your $ if you're upset. Priceline / Hotwire sound like good alternatives. Hilton and Marriott sound more and more attractive.
Hyatt got taken to the cleaners last year with all their promos. A huge publicity swell ahead of the credit card, which doesn't sound coincidental. Anyway, without FFN, the Hyatt brand is woefully lacking, mainly because it doesn't have anywhere close to the properties any of its competitors have.
Hyatt got taken to the cleaners last year with all their promos. A huge publicity swell ahead of the credit card, which doesn't sound coincidental. Anyway, without FFN, the Hyatt brand is woefully lacking, mainly because it doesn't have anywhere close to the properties any of its competitors have.
Aug 25, 2011, 11:09 pm
#81
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Upcountry Maui, HI
Posts: 13,312
Lots of people are complaining about this relative to Gx? This is just as lucrative as Gx (only) for the most part. You lose if you aren't doing multiple of 3s, but you don't have to hop either. Also, it's a loss of 1k points compared to 3 G2 bonuses. But for G1 and G3, it's a gain.
The thing I miss about Gx is that it was always running and was stackable with other promos, and they often had other promos at the same time. So, you could get G1/G2/G3 and whatever other lucrative promo happened to be going on at the same time. But Gx was the core, and it was very lucrative.
I think there's a core group here that will complain about anything that isn't FFN. That group grew quite a bit last year with all the matching and FFNs that they had.
-David
The thing I miss about Gx is that it was always running and was stackable with other promos, and they often had other promos at the same time. So, you could get G1/G2/G3 and whatever other lucrative promo happened to be going on at the same time. But Gx was the core, and it was very lucrative.
I think there's a core group here that will complain about anything that isn't FFN. That group grew quite a bit last year with all the matching and FFNs that they had.
-David
Last edited by LIH Prem; Aug 25, 2011 at 11:14 pm
Aug 25, 2011, 11:16 pm
#82
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NAPA
Programs: MARRIOTT LIFETIME TITANIUM ELITE, HYATT LIFETIME GLOBALIST, UAL SILVER, AA EXECUTIVE PLATINUM
Posts: 476
Makes my life easier...
I was actually worried that they would run a ffn promo.
I am 9 stays away from SPG Plat and 4 from Hyatt Diamond.
A decent promo from Hyatt would have made it tough to justify the 9 SPG stays....this yawner makes the decision easy.
I am 9 stays away from SPG Plat and 4 from Hyatt Diamond.
A decent promo from Hyatt would have made it tough to justify the 9 SPG stays....this yawner makes the decision easy.
Aug 26, 2011, 12:16 am
#83
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: LAX
Posts: 10,912
Let's not go nuts here. Promos or not Hyatt is the most consistent and customer friendly chain that unlike others does not really have any "try to avoid" properties.
If you seriously consider taking business from Hyatt to Hilton or Marriott you'll find out how watered down and useless top tier benefits those programs have become. You may have better luck with SPG but that one is inconsistent and very property dependent.
Plus it's not like other chains have anything particularly interesting to offer so far.
I'd love to see promos but my choice on personal travel now is probably Hyatt vs Priceline not Hyatt vs other chains - that balance hasn't really changed.
Aug 26, 2011, 12:35 am
#85
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Virtuoso, Marriott Stars/Luminous, Hilton Impresario, IHG Luxury & Lifestyle, Hyatt Prive etc
Posts: 2,004
Also v disappointed: might get 10k bonus, but miss out on another 10 as only 2 months. It won't change where I stay as I love the service and benefits I receive as diamond, however I would have stayed an extra 6 nights if a better promo, so that's $3000 missed for Hyatt. As it is I'll just bank the money.
As for FFN, why couldn't you earn free nights in the category you stay in. I.e., stay 2 nights cat 6, get free cat 6 night. Spend 1 night cat 2, 1 night cat 6, get free cat 4 night...I pretty much only stay in cat 6, so would be unfair to do FFN excluding cat 6.
At least there isn't a credit card offer (yet). That would exclude all non us members.
As for FFN, why couldn't you earn free nights in the category you stay in. I.e., stay 2 nights cat 6, get free cat 6 night. Spend 1 night cat 2, 1 night cat 6, get free cat 4 night...I pretty much only stay in cat 6, so would be unfair to do FFN excluding cat 6.
At least there isn't a credit card offer (yet). That would exclude all non us members.
Aug 26, 2011, 12:40 am
#86
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: UA 1K,Hyatt Diamond,AA Lifetime Platinum,SPG
Posts: 190
Yes, you are right. Hyatt turned from first to worst this year. 
For those of you who have trouble dealing with reality, let me put it plainly--IT'S OVER.
It's sad how in the space of a year Hyatt promos have gone from first to worst, but it's time to deal with it. I say thanks for the memories--free nights in Mainz and Berlin, the Big Apple, Newport, Honolulu and Kauai on the last FFN and BWB.
Diamond has been great too, but it's time to move on. And there seems to be little reason to keep the credit card either.
Agree with the earlier comment about PC; Crack the Case netted me about 150K, and the bonuses keep coming.
Au revoir.
It's sad how in the space of a year Hyatt promos have gone from first to worst, but it's time to deal with it. I say thanks for the memories--free nights in Mainz and Berlin, the Big Apple, Newport, Honolulu and Kauai on the last FFN and BWB.
Diamond has been great too, but it's time to move on. And there seems to be little reason to keep the credit card either.
Agree with the earlier comment about PC; Crack the Case netted me about 150K, and the bonuses keep coming.
Au revoir.
Aug 26, 2011, 12:44 am
#87
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: UA 1K,Hyatt Diamond,AA Lifetime Platinum,SPG
Posts: 190
Actually when I first heard that Chase will issue new card with Hyatt, I am very glad since it means I will have more option in the future if I do not have FFN, while it seems that I totally neglect the negative factors at that time.
I agree. I can't understand why Hyatt moved their focus from stays (and promos) to the Chase card, because I can't see more value in it for Hyatt than loyal top-tier elite members (who stay more often due to promos). Apparently I'm wrong, though... It sure seems that the hotel chains are transitioning their FF programs the same way airlines did in the past decade. They apparently make more $ from the credit cards & partners than in their hotels. I understand the mentality for other chains (& airlines) doing this, but since many Hyatt hotels are corporate-owned, I would think they see the benefit of maintaining a large number of top-tier members. After all, it's not just the points from the room, we also spend at the hotel restaurant/room service & in-room entertainment--all of which are very high margin.
Aug 26, 2011, 12:59 am
#88
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: UA 1K,Hyatt Diamond,AA Lifetime Platinum,SPG
Posts: 190
I am comparing the spg 3 for 1 free nights with "all promotions" that Hyatt has this year. In my memory, Hyatt always has better promos than SPG and I even want to pursuade my colleagues to switch from spg to hyatt this early year. Now I find I may mislead them and you could guess how embrassed I am when I heard this "promo" and dare not to discuss this with my colleagues/friends.
Starwood's upcoming promo will be double or triple points, depending on the night of the week; so you think this is worse? I suppose if you typically stay at a Park Hyatt or St. Regis where rates are $300+, SPG is clearly richer, but if you usually slum it in the sub $100 Hyatt Place or Four Points, this promo is better. Anything in between is close to being a wash, to varying degrees.
Aug 26, 2011, 6:53 am
#90
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: MCO
Programs: DL-DM/1MM, HILTON-DIA, .HYATT-DIA/GLOB , IHG-PLT,HERTZ 5*, NATIONAL ES
Posts: 8,691
Disappointing, but I am only 3 stays away from a requal to Diamond. I will make those and then move the remainder to Hilton.
SPG does not interest me due to bad experiences with property consistrncy. Hilton has issues, but SPG seems to be worse IMO.
SPG does not interest me due to bad experiences with property consistrncy. Hilton has issues, but SPG seems to be worse IMO.