Cannabear

I apologize if this issue has been addressed recently, but I wasn't able to find a recent answer after searching several threads.

If my memory serves, the GP T&Cs used to explicitly state that a qualifying stay (for tier credit) required the member to physically check-in. I just had a couple of pretty thorough looks at the T&Cs currently on the site and it seems to me that physical check-in requirement is gone, or at least it's not as clear:

"To receive credit toward Hyatt Gold Passport tier status, a member must pay an Eligible Rate for at least one night of their stay. A stay is defined as the total number of consecutive nights spent at one property. Back-to-back stays within a 24-hour period at a single Hyatt are considered one stay. A member will not receive Hyatt Gold Passport credit toward tier status or toward any promotion for the nights the member pays an Ineligible Rate. A Hyatt Gold Passport member will only receive eligible tier credit for qualifying stays or nights after the member completes their stay and is checked out of the hotel."

Not to go too Clintonian here, but I guess this turns on what the definition of "spent" is. For situations where a member has fully prepaid a non-refundable, can't-be-modified stay rate, but the person doesn't physically check in, could that count towards tier credit? FWIW, I have occasionally had to cancel a business-related reservation at the last minute, and sometimes customer service has been able to get the property to waive charging me for the stay, but in a handful of times when I have been charged for the cancelled reservation, I'm pretty sure GP has given me tier credit. If that occurs for a not-prepaid-but-cancelled reservation, it doesn't seem crazy to think I might get similar treatment for a no-show prepaid reservation. Anyone have recent experience with this?

Mary2e

That definitely is a change in the T&C.

I seem to recall that it used to say "occupy the room." To me, that meant that on those mattress run stays I would have to walk IN to the room, and well, occupy it. They didn't say for how long.

However, I don't believe you will get credit for a prepaid stay when you don't show up. You still have to be checked in to "complete" the stay. You don't technically have to check out - as most hotels will do that for you automatically.

oc2005

If you look under the section titled "EARNING HYATT GOLD PASSPORT POINTS AS A REGISTERED GUEST," it still says:

7. Hyatt Gold Passport members may receive Hyatt Gold Passport points for up to three rooms (member's room and two additional rooms). Member must be a registered guest, occupy at least one of the rooms and pay for all three. Only the room occupied by the member will count toward tier status, current Hyatt Gold Passport promotions and receive program benefits and services. The occupant of the second or third room may not receive Hyatt Gold Passport points, airline miles or Amtrak Guest Rewards points, either at time of stay or retroactively.

Which might be the "occupy" language you're recalling.

azepine00

Iirc the term "phantom stay" that was introduced here on ft ended up being included in gp t&c as an example of ineligible stay - is it still there?

oc2005

I don't see the term phantom stay in the general terms, but it still does appear in the terms of using web check in:

"You must visit the Hyatt Express Check-In Kiosk or the front desk on the scheduled date of arrival and physically occupy the assigned guest room. Failure to visit the Hyatt Express Check-In Kiosk or the front desk may result in your room being released as an early departure, and your payment card being charged one night's room accommodations. These stays are considered phantom stays. Phantom stays are not eligible for Hyatt Gold Passport points, credit toward tier status or participation in bonus points or other promotional offers. A phantom stay is described as a stay where a guest uses Hyatt Web Check-In or 1-800-CHECK-IN to check into a hotel but does not physically stay at the hotel."

Cannabear

I'm having trouble finding the Web Check-in Terms and Conditions. My understanding is that 1-800-CHECK-IN no longer works. How recent are the Web Check-in T&Cs that you're looking at?

oc2005

They're the live terms I see when I click on the web check-in terms and conditions links throughout the Gold Passport site:

http://www.hyatt.com/hyatt/profile/r...ckin_terms.jsp

or on some pages when you click on a popup link:

http://www.hyatt.com/hyatt/reservations/pop_tc.jsp

Although they are live links from throughout the site, they do seem to be rather old terms -- copyright says 2006!

hailstorm

I did a check with the most recent entry on the Wayback Machine, from April 28, 2012.

https://web.archive.org/web/20120428...ckin_terms.jsp

The text is 100% identical to what you see today.

In fact, since 2007, the only change has been a reference to "Global Hyatt Corporation" becoming "Hyatt Hotels Corporation".