unc0mm0n1

I have two options. First option I can do it in April. Me and my wife have some friends who are coming into town in April and I can reserve the room for them, plus I graduate from law school in May and I can reserve rooms for my family and friends thus completing the Diamond challenge and as I understand it I'd have status until February 2015. There is no way I'll stay enough nights to keep the status after that but I don't have to come out of pocket for any of the stays.

Second choice is getting diamond status before my post bar trip in August. I'll have 8 Hyatt paid nights on that trip (points and cash). If I do this my understanding is that I'll have Diamond status until Feb 2016. The problem is that I'll only have 8-10 paid nights during the challenge instead of the stipulated 12. I'd probably have to do a mattress run for the last 2-3 nights costing me money. We live in Cambridge, MA so there aren't really any cheap hyatt places for a MR nearby.

A caveat, I would like to use my suite upgrades on the rooms during my post bar trip (PH Seoul, PH Bejing, GH Bali) if I do the Diamond Challenge in July and reserve the rooms at that time, do I still have a good chance of getting a confirmed suite upgrade for mid August?

ZBigFam

I think if you do the challenge after the window for the current challenge ends it would be better as you would get a longer time frame being diamond (assuming they create a new challenge and use the same time frame for diamond status).

I can't speak to the chances of a confirmed suite upgrade as i am toying with the idea of the best time to do the challenge myself.

Good luck.

lawyertalk

Where will you and your wife be working? If you're both at firms, do you realistically expect both of you to be free at the same time for long trips?

Basically, what would the extra year be worth to you? Would it be worth the mattress runs? If not or it's close, just do the challenge in April so you have a longer time (and thus better shot) to book P+C rooms and secure the suite upgrades because you may have to check repeatedly if any property does not have upgrade and/or P+C availability. You also don't have to complete the challenge if the challenge runs through your stays since you'll be Diamond for the challenge period and get to keep the suite upgrade certificates anyway.

One other note, in case you did not include it in your April calculation, know that if you book two rooms for two nights each, you receive credit for only two nights, not four nights.

nnn

Does the OP say the wife is a lawyer?

In any event, we are spouses in big firms and have managed to take at least one trip per year lasting 9-10 nights, so it can be done.

OP: I'd do the later challenge, so that you can have status longer. It may help on work trips to get nicer rooms, and you may take other personal trips, even short ones. However, you are gambling that the Diamond challenge will not be discontinued.

PortlySpartacus

If you do the challenge before June and achieve the 12 nights, you will have Diamond status until Feb 2015.

However, if you do the challenge after June and achieve the 12 nights, you get Diamond status until Feb 2016!! So you get a whole year and a half of Diamond as opposed to under a year.

I would focus on that as the key decision point. I did just that last year and they gave me 4 suite upgrade certs after making the 12 night stays and those 4 certs expire next month, Feb 2014. And then in March of this year I will be renewed as Diamond for another year and get 4 more certs that expire Feb 2015.

All of that Diamond status really for only completing the 12 night challenge during the summer of 2013. Not bad. Of course, I need to stay 50 nights in 2014 to renew my Diamond status for 2015.....

unc0mm0n1

I will actually be at a firm, but not an American based one. I'll be working at a Magic Circle firm in London. From what everyone has told me they really value the vacation time there. During the summer three of the partners and three of the associates in my section took 7+ day vacations. My wife is a teacher, thus she is off every summer.

NNN: You don't think I'd have any trouble getting the suites by doing the challenge that close to my departure? I've never done suite upgrades so I don't know how easy they are to get.

unc0mm0n1

Yeah I knew that. i was still stuck in 2013. How long out do you redeem your suite upgrades, do you find them difficult to redeem?

nnn

That's a good point. Many hotels' base-level suites, one of which you need available to apply a DSU, will be sold out far ahead of the stay -- and other hotels will have suites available near departure. It completely depends on the hotel and the dates of stay. If getting the upgrades on your bar trip are the main consideration, I'd get the Diamond status now and apply the upgrades while you can (assuming they are presently available), unless you do further research and make yourself comfortable that suites will be available where and when you want to go, late in the game.

unc0mm0n1

The hotels are PH Seoul, PH Beijing, GH Bali. The dates are early to mid August, all on weekdays except the four days for the GH Bali encompass a weekend any info on the likely hood at those hotels? If not thanks for your help anyway. You guys have given me great insight.

laxsnaogg

If you can find the entry level suites at refundable rates, book them now. Once you get your suite upgrades, simply call the diamond line and have them cancel your original reservation and rebook into the suite upgrade. Just be sure to explain what you intend to do; and have them call the hotels directly (to ensure 'your' suites remain available). I did it for a trip to HR Maui and GH Kauai, and it wasn't a problem. (But I did have to explain carefully/upfront to the diamond rep).

Gold Passport Concierge

I am happy to see that you are interested in our Diamond Trial Tier 2014. Please know that with this trial once you have completed the requirements (provide statement with recent activity from a competitor and had 12 eligible nights within 60 days), you will remain Diamond until February 2015. If you would like to participate you must enroll no later than April 30, 2014. Our promotions are always changing and we won’t know until the end of this promotion if we will extend it. I would like to remind you, that Gold Passport members will only receive stay credit for the room they occupied. Members can receive full points for up to three rooms where as one will count towards the tier status.

Ancien Maestro

Full rate deposits will be taken at the properties utilizing this method. If status is known, and OP will in fact receive suite upgrades March 1st, 2014, a reservation can be made in anticipation of receiving the suite upgrades, into a paid base room (and perhaps a P+C reservation). Just call in and have HGP apply an actual certificated when deposited in the HGP account.

peteropny

I just deleted 2 posts that were a duplicate of the same question posted in another thread since cross posting is not allowed on FT.

Peteropny - co-mod - Hyatt

doss1

GCP,
Since the promotion ends April 30, 2014, do you recommend we enroll now if we can't start the challenge until later in the year? I want to do it but I can't do the bulk of my stays until late summer. Can I set a custom start date?

tudorcity

I'd like to know the answer to this as well. If we sign up by 4/30/14, can we select a start date after 4/30/14?