Muckus

Like many posting on the main "World of Hyatt" thread and associated travel blogs, I wil be a former Diamond member soon. I'm one of those folks who qualified on stays, with usually 25-30 stays and 40-45 nights. Only once in 10 years as a Diamond have I stayed 50 nights. And, my annual Hyatt spend is roughly $10-12k, so I won't qualify in that way going forward.

So, I'm beginning to think through my options and could use some guidance (and, presumably, others are considering their options too). I have mid-tier status on SPG and Hilton via my AMEX Platinum card and with Marriott via my lifetime United Star Gold status (although of course the SPG and Marriott statuses now overlap).

Part of me thinks I should just plan on mid-tier status with several hotel chains and make the best of it. But, is there a better alternative for someone like me?

antonius66

Honestly, if you have 45 nights, I would think a mattress run or two to get 10 more nights might be worth investigating. The benefits overall will be richer and you are pretty close already. Seems odd to say, well, I spend 10-12 thousand a year at a chain and am less than a dozen nights from top tier status, so I will resign myself to mid level status somewhere else. Just a thought. The other side of the coin, however, is that mid tier status with several chains would give you more options on where to stay and still get points and SOME benefits.

MSPeconomist

IMO part of the problem with World of Hyatt is that 55-60 nights can be hard given Hyatt's limited footprint.

antonius66

I agree. I am not saying it is a simple choice, but just that given the parameters mentioned by the OP, it should merit some cost benefit evaluation as to what would yield the best reward.

austin_modern

https://www.choicehotels.com/choice-...s/status-match

They've got you covered.

Kacee

And: Best Western Status Match.

rfrost

I'm in a similar situation to the OP, with a very similar stay pattern and other chain statuses (earned the same way), though I also have Platinum status with Fairmont and mid-tier status with IHG and Accor (the latter of which should match up to top-tier for a year or two thanks to the Fairmont merger). I'm just not sure what I will do. I've certainly enjoyed the benefits of Diamond status over the years, especially breakfasts in Paris, Moscow, and Washington, great suites in Moscow and Tokyo, and a small number of very good Club lounges. On the other hand, I've had lots of stays at mediocre and occasionally poor properties chosen solely for the purpose of maintaining status, and I would find it liberating to be able to choose the best hotel in a city or the hotel with the most convenient location for what I am doing instead of going to the Hyatt-- if there even is one.
I do want to take some advantage of what could well be my last year as a Diamond (or f/k/a Diamond). I think I will hold off on any decision until I have a better sense of what my "natural" stay pattern in 2017 is, and then decide whether the added cost and hassle of some unnecessary stays are worth it...

Muckus

Thanks, But I am more of a Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt etc. sort of traveler, often in East Asia, London, Doha, UAE, and big cities in the US. I rarely stay at a Hyatt Place (literally only a hand full of times ever). I am looking for a chain with business hotels and luxury hotels with properties in major business destination cities, and some nice resorts here and there to use for vacations with the points...

Kacee

Sorry, couldn't resist.

For 2017, SPG Plat at 25 stays is probably the call. SPG will do challenges, but you do not get status during the challenge period.

Muckus

I completely agree! I have never had a mattress run in my life, nor would I. So, I am not very interested in trying to top-off the amount I would otherwise stay by manufacturing another 10 or more nights to get status. I am away from home enough as it is. I understand the urge for Hyatt to shed low revenue/high status customers, but I guess I fall in between the group they want gone and the threshold they have set for the group they want to keep. I often feel the same way about airlines. I left UA after 10 years as a 1K because they clearly didn't value and we longer rewarding (at least not by much) my 125k miles per year and $20k+ in spending. I wasn't spending enough for Global Services, so they stopped rewarding me in ways I had valued. I ended up switching to AA and find it better, albeit only somewhat better.

I genuinely understand that I am not as valuable to a hotel as a 80-100 night road warrior, and yet I just checked out of the Andaz 5th Avenue and spend $3,500 there in five days. That seems like something a business would want and would incentivize in appealing ways. So, I am trying to figure out where to send that business to maximize the rewards and perks I can get in 2017 and thereafter...

By the way, I guess I will be mid-tier with Hyatt next year on the basis of my 44 nights and $10k+ spending, so at least for next year I will be mid-tier with SPG/Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt...

Muckus

Thanks! I will look into that. Do you happen to know whether they extend such challenges to someone who, like me, is already SPG Gold? I would, of course, want to try to Platinum. Or, maybe Marriott would allow for such a challenge?

austin_modern

Surprised you can manage 44 nights @ 10k (225/night) for your GH/PH/Andz preferences in big cities.

Id go for SPG if you're done with Hyatt. Of course, Red Roof Inn's always an option too...

sfozrhfco

Check your SPG dashboard periodically. They gave me double stay/night credit for the last few months. They have various targeted offers for which you can register if eligible. Your points will go a lot further with SPG--especially as you can now redeem at Ritz Carlson, St. Regis, Luxury Collection, Le Meridien, Renaissance, W etc which gives you a lot of flexibility and a very large footprint globally. No more searching for the elusive PH which may be several states/countries away from your actual destination.

Muckus

That's an average. Sometimes it is more like $15k. But, the $500/night stays in Singapore, London and New York end up getting balanced out by much cheaper Asians destinations like HCMC and Manila, or US properties in smaller markets like Baltimore, Birmingham, Phoenix, etc.

Rd3

I'm SPG Gold through the AMEX Plat in the midst of a challenge right now--it's 18 nights within a 3 month period--I'm 2 nights away--there's a thread in the SPG forum with details --I'm not smart enough to know how to link to it here--lol