World of Hyatt - [Club Lounge Awards]
 

From T&C's

1. Receiving Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards. Upon receiving or re-qualifying for Explorist status, Explorists will receive four (4) complimentary awards redeemable for Club lounge access (“Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards”). For Members who have received Explorist status for a multi-year term, additional Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards will not be awarded each Calendar Year upon elite status renewal (unless the Member otherwise re-achieves Explorist status by satisfying the Tier-Qualifying Night or Base Point accrual requirement). In no event will a Member receive more than four (4) Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards on the Effective Date of these Terms. If, while you have an elite status higher than Explorist, you complete activity that satisfies the requirements to earn Explorist status, you will not receive Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards unless and until you are placed into the Explorist tier for the Calendar Year immediately following such qualifying activity.

2. Redeeming Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards. Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards are valid for one (1) year from the date of issuance and must be redeemed in connection with reservations with a checkout date before the expiration of the Explorist Club Lounge Access Award. Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards can be tracked through the “My Awards” section of the Member’s account. A Member must redeem an Explorist Club Lounge Access Award when making the underlying reservation. Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards are redeemable only at participating Hyatt hotels and resorts that have a Club lounge and are not valid at Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Hyatt Zilara, Hyatt Ziva, or Hyatt Residence Club hotels and resorts, or M life Resorts. Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards are valid on nights for which the Member has paid an Eligible Rate or has redeemed points for a standard-room Free Night Award, Suite Free Night Award, or a Points + Cash Award, up to a maximum of seven (7) consecutive nights. Not valid in connection with any Free Night Award other than those identified above, including, without limitation, Hyatt Credit Card premium and anniversary Free Night Awards, 5-brand Free Night Awards, Category 1-4 Free Night Awards (defined below) or any other promotional Free Night Award. Breakfast will not be provided to a Member at participating hotels or resorts without an accessible Club lounge. Club lounge access is subject to availability and space limitations. Explorist Club Lounge Access Awards are not redeemable in connection with hotels or resorts that have not yet opened when the Member makes his/her reservation, even if reservations for such hotel or resort are otherwise being accepted.

WOH -- Explorist Club Upgrade Experiences and Questions
 

Sorry if this is duplicative of an existing thread. But I had a few questions about this benefit, and it's probably a good place for experiences to be posted.

Some questions that occur to me:

1. Can you apply to an existing reservation, or are the terms correct that you may only apply it to a new reservation. (For example, you found a great points and cash rate before your certificates posted and now you want to apply it, but the points and cash rate is no longer available. Will they apply or require rebooking?)

2. Capacity controls? You have a standard room booked. But no club rooms are available for points or for sale. Can you apply the certificate?

3. Does the award automatically return to your account if you end up cancelling the underlying reservation?

I'm tried to redeem a club level upgrade via Twitter for a reservation next month and was told there was no availability. Sent back a screenshot showing grand club availability for the property and now they are looking into it.....

This seems like a good place for this, but I won't be offended if mods think it belongs somewhere else...

What insight do the FT Hyatt experts have on where will be the best places to use Explorest club upgrades?

for instance, I'm contemplating a stay at the Andaz Papagayo, which I think has no lounge. Too bad since it will be a weeklong vacation with family, when lounge access is most valuable. Oh well. Similarly, I recently enjoyed great breakfasts at the Blue Duck Tavern at the PH DC and at the PH Vendome in Paris, neither of which has a club to my knowledge. On the other side of things, I had a very nice experience with the lounge at the Manchester San Diego GH in January.

What properties in the US have particularly good lounges to use the upgrades at? What former DSU goal properties now become less useful to Explorists on the basis of having no club?

I see there is this thread below, but since the move to Explorist I assume there is a much more material focus on which lounges are good so it might be useful to start a thread consolidating lounges with some sort of ranking system.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt...-lounge-4.html

Let us know how that turns out, please. It is annoying that they don't allow application of an upgrade while booking a reservation online.

They followed up and said "We are currently experiencing issues with the Club Lounge Access awards. I would recommend contacting us back in 24-48 hours. We will hopefully have it resolved soon!"

Hopefully they actually fix the issue and honor the upgrade.

I'm not sure I understand, but I think you tried to apply one of the 4 lounge access awards, and when told no availability, you showed that there are still lounge-level rooms for sale, thereby positively proving lounge access is still available. Is that right?

Which begs the question, as mentioned in post #2, what, if anything, controls award space?

I can't decide which restriction I hate more: not providing breakfast when lounge isn't open, or can't be used on ANY CC free nights (SUB or cat4) or ANY promotional free nights (including 5-brand free night).

Correct. Rooms for sale, but no upgrade availability. I'll check back with them late tomorrow and see if their system is fixed.

Why decide... they both suck.

How do you actually find out about lounge closures if you don't want to spend a lot of time here? How many frustrated Explodists will check in at a home el on Friday and be told "we upgraded you (with your award) to a nice Executive room. By the way, the lounge is closed on weekends. Here is your bottle of water, enjoy your stay". Or perhaps that never happens if someone actually booked a Club room (paid or via upgrade)?

Or even an indication of which rooms are DSU-eligible.

Do we know what rates are eligble? Specificly are AAA rates eligble?

I'd be shocked if they weren't "Eligible rates".

yes, been asked and confirmed multiple times