crystak

The admin and other expenses (possibly future investments) were probably deemed not to be cost effective. Paper certificates in this day and age are ridiculous so they would have probably needed a revamp if they were to continue.

OsakaWino

It is true that the paper certs took ridiculously long to be mailed. I use room service dining a lot, so I always requested the certs for 1500 pts for dining rather than the 1000 points online. Mail took a minimum of 4 weeks.

CaptKornDog

(And P.S. I hope Mr. Zidell is still reading this thread)

OsakaWino

While eliminating the paper certs should probably save them some money, it would be nice if they just put something in place for online redemption either to be manually accessed by the member or automatic. 1000 points automatically posted after every 3rd stay for all members would be nice.

WCT3U

I'd also like to see something electronic. At least something where I could check my reward status and see what hadn't been redeemed. But there are advantages to paper mailings. The Hyatt mail I received had something useful in them. Because a certificate might be in them, they didn't get immediately dropped unopened into the shredder like other bulk mail I get each day. The same isn't true for Hyatt e-mails that I get -- those are treated as spam. I also think the paper mailing costs would not be much since a member only gets a maximum of eight certificates in a year, and probably actually just one or two, maybe three. It's not like Starbuck's or the (discontinued) Dunkin Donuts program where steady customers would get a postcard on a regular basis.

Platinums are a funny group because, by definition, the members aren't very frequent guests at the chain. I'd guess that the majority of members are more on the five stay side of the curve (or fewer counting those with the credit card). Anyone on the twenty end is a few mattress hops away from Diamond but otherwise you have people who stay just a few times a year. These aren't people who would visit hyatt.com frequently to check their certificates and they may not be excited by 1,000 points. I think an automatic posting also doesn't entice people to stay again because the reward is already redeemed. With the certificates, it was a potential reward for the next stay. If you didn't visit Hyatt and stay at least for lunch or dinner, you got nothing.

Mr. Zidell spoke of improving the program in new and innovative ways. With all due respect, an automatic 1,000 points after each third stay is neither new nor innovative. It's actually less than what Platinums had with certificates because they were on a graduated scale with points increasing over time. But it is better than what we have today (nothing).

MSPeconomist

If your automatic points proposal becomes part of the program, I would expect more points to appear (or to appear at more frequent intervals) as one has more nights/stays during the year to reward those other than the ones who barely make Plat.

Firewind

I'd guess that now the vast majority are credit card Platinums.

Not sure I'd expect anything.

londonienne

While I dislike Hilton('s properties), think Starwood is pretty OK, and generally love my Hyatt stays, I'm leaving the programme in favour of the former two, which are now far more lucrative below the top-tier level. This devaluation is the last straw. No more Hyatt stays in 2013.

glovestravel

Same 2 of 3 times never received the bonus. Frustrating, so mainly just used points.

bakster21

Had a four night stay through December 30th that triggered my (last) reward...almost thought it wouldn't go through so close to the deadline. Sad to see them go...

Snoopyo

I am a Canadian member that at times travels extensively in the states but sometimes primarily in Canada.

I have been a Hyatt Diamond for 10 years, otten living several days a week for weeks. I dropped down to Plat 2 years ago when I lost track of the count after staying 40+ nights (almost lived in Hyatt in a US city for most of 2 months) and projects shifted back to Canada and with Hyatt having 4 and now 5 properties, kind of hard unless I am working in a city with a Hyatt.

Been Platinum for a couple of years and like the extra certs but paper certs are hard to manage with travel. I found the electronic certs for Diamond suite upgrades much easier to keep track and use. I used them several times for dining while not stayin on property but the points did not post, neither for the dine nor the platinum certificate.

I am sad about another downgrade. Most of my points were earned between 2001-2007 with another chunk earned around 2009 early 2010. There have been significant devaluation where my favourite Hyatts went from 15K to 18K and now 22K.

Also I am not happy how Hyatt corporate seem to value the credit card users who are churning the card for the free night benefits rather than customers who had been loyal to Hyatt. Canadian and International GP members are not eligible for US credit cards. Staying at Park Hyatt Vendome for 2 nights on reward requires 44K points which at an everage of 6 points for $ spent for Elite required over $7K of spending which Chase Hyatt CC users get with 2 free night certificate for a low annual fee or even fee waived for first year.

The plat extra certs rewards people who have paid stays but that is taken away..