The "gaming" isn't just manipulation of points availability but also assignment to "best available room" (i.e., the dumpster/garden view).

And the minimum stay requirement, which is only imposed on the base level room, which is obviously done to limit award availability.

1: should work if the Pool Side Suite is available for your entire stay. 40k points/night.
2 = very little chance of P+C availability + Poolside Suite availability
3 = no shot
4: I've heard reports of this working
5: Sure

That said, as I totally agree, I've always gotten a great upgrade on my all points stays, even had any alternative room request honored... so if one makes a little effort the property might honor such requests.

3. works for me every time. I book a standard (Garden) room (I hate the ground level pool suites one gets blocked into when using all points for a suite), then rely on my status for an upgrade which works every time, typically to ocean view but if the property is near full then only to partial ocean view. But, if one is Platinum not Diamond then 3 goes from likely (IMO) to iffy/maybe.

I was assuming the OP was talking about a complimentary upgrade to a suite for his/her family of 5. In that case, I think the chances are very very small...

Gary Left calls out the Andaz Maui for their game playing.

http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....eeming-points/

I'd say Gary's been reading the thread :)

He really nailed them.

Beat me to it, I was about to say both :)

It helps the hotel with revenue too, considering those who want to book with cash for fewer than 6 nights can't book the lowest category.

So every in-demand Hyatt should just add one room to their inventory at the bottom end, and then declare it to be under renovation. Problem solved. No rooms on points.

Can it really work like that? There's no rule that 40% of the rooms have to be at that inventory level? 30%? 20%? Any minimum?

When I started collecting Hyatt points, I considered them to be worth 2c each. No longer.

Had some downtime at work today and I called for a December reservation to see if it would work. WOH called the property and got it booked for 6 nights. HUCA and cancelled the first 3, to get my 3 night stay in high season.

Cash price was 459 so decently better than 2cpp once you factor in taxes and waived parking/resort fees.

I think that the way to look at the super high end properties is that you need to plan ahead. As long as you're moderately flexible, there is great value to be had. I would consider it similar to looking for saver award availability using airline miles to get a great value.

I wish it were easier but also understand some of the business reasons for why it is so.

problem is this isnt a super high end resort..

Perhaps now Hyatt will take notice http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....eeming-points/

I have to say, I'm glad we stayed before this property went downhill. We paid an AAA rate, applied a DSU and received a high floor ocean suite and enjoyed full breakfast soon after the property opened.

I have watched this entire saga from the sidelines ever since the hotel opened.

Quite frankly, I believe "we" have done this to ourselves. The initial reviews and treatment of diamonds quickly made it the go-to property in Hawaii, not only for those with status, but for churners as well who managed to get status - and Hyatt was giving status matches at the time.

So there were scores of people flocking to this property, and again, quite frankly, eating them out of house and home.

So the hotel cut the cord.

I certainly don't approve of the types of limitations being put on award/suite stays -and really hope that corporate gets down on them to fix this absurdity of a special class of rooms available for rewards. But in the end, I still feel we did it to ourselves - oh, and also all the bloggers pushing the Hyatt program with examples of how much they could get for nothing.