Gold Passport Concierge

Dear FlyerTalkers,

Leading up to this year’s Freddie Awards, Hyatt Gold Passport Senior Vice President Jeff Zidell spent some quality time with previous Freddies, enjoying the benefits of Hyatt Gold Passport membership at several Hyatt hotels in Chicago. At that time, we assured you of one truth: no one loves a Freddie more than Jeff.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt...f-freddie.html

Fittingly, no one could have been prouder to bring home four new Freddies – Best Hotel Elite Program for The Americas, as well as Best Hotel Elite Program, Best Hotel Customer Service and Best Hotel Redemption Ability for Middle East/Asia/Oceania – from the 25th annual Freddie Awards ceremony held on April 25. Visit our blog, Keyed Into Hyatt, to find out where Jeff and his new pals landed on their first trip together.

http://blog.hyatt.com/hyattblog/2013...embersaro.html

A heartfelt “thanks for voting” from all of us here at Hyatt Gold Passport (especially Jeff and Freddie).

Happy travels!

austin_modern

Congrats.

Glad Jeff loves Freddie.

365RoadWarrior

If Hyatt had won every category in which I'd voted for them, it'd have been a near "sweep". Congratulations on the four Freddies!

MSPeconomist

....and Freddie loves Jeff.

TallestHotelInJapan

And what for is the Freddy? Aren't there "better" programs around?

austin_modern

http://bit.ly/13DLPBc

"Better" is a judgement that could vary significantly by the beholder... one of the premier industry awards voted Hyatt top in said categories...

TallestHotelInJapan

Hyatt program is on my list to shut down the loyalty because it doesn't pay for me to stay at HYatt hotels. Fair enough?

JetAway

That being the case, is there a special reason you've started to post frequently on the Hyatt board?

hobo13

The more Freddies that Hyatt wins, the worse our benefits will be.

Might as well give them best credit card. That's really all they care about.

gum

Many loyalty programmes decrease the perks and services for their members. I am convonced that this is indeed the false way to increase loyalty - especially if you look at the complimentary continental breakfast and/or Gold passport floor which Hyatt hotels had during the 90s and the beginning of the century. But now and until the mid of the year 2013 the bean counters are everywhere and every hotel chain/airlines reduces services.

Therefore if you compare the today´s Gold Passport with the past it is *really*worse. But if you compare it with the competitors of today it´s much better.

There are two good deals within the programme:

1.) First one is the 6,000 points upselling to a suite for up to 4 nights.
2.) Secondly the 3,000 points Regency/Grand Club upselling is a kind of ever-revolving-benefit if you look on the calculation chart.

Therefore the advantages for base members are higher than at Hilton or so. The buildings/real estates of Hyatt are more modern than at many other hotel chains.

Maybe your perception of a decreasing value may be partly based on the natural "wear off" of those benefits: Time by time they will be part of your normal travel patterns and you think this benefits are usual and normal.

So I am convinced Gold Passport is not so bad as you state.

My major criticism on Hyatt would be that some European properties have increased the rates vastly. But that´s part of a pricing and not a loyalty strategy.

If you look at Hamburg, Germany, a rate during the week of 270 Euro (off-peak in June) for the tiny 32 square meter "park room" or for 460 Euro per night for a peak weekend (Jul 5th/Jul 6th, 2013) seems to be ridicoulous.

austin_modern

Most of the properties I stay at have increased, as well, here in the states. I recall sending a "heads up" email to my boss late last this year that corporate rates on the east and west coast Hyatts were up 20-30% on the hotels I frequently staying at. This is mimicked in the HDR as well. In short, I think the overall hotel market is getting better and thus they're able to increase prices because demand is higher. Likewise, they're able to decrease promotions (free points for all!!) as its not needed to drive sales. I dont believe this is a Hyatt thing as much as an industry thing.