dsquared37

It was a strawman to counter the boogieman 25stay/25night program gamer. It just so happens those who stay on OPM tend to be the most vocal about Hyatt washing their hands of these mythical beasts. /shrug

Regardless who's spending the money it will be directed toward the program that the guest feels they'll receive the most from.

Hotel Points Guy

I'm a Discoverist who has a Hyatt credit card, and I'm seriously considering shifting 10 stays from Hilton to Hyatt in light of the current offer. I have also read the WOH terms and conditions, which states the following regarding 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...

I do not see any requirement to first earn a particular number of nights or base points before being awarded the 4 Explorist Club Lounge Awards. (Unlike the Globalist Suite Upgrade Awards, which do require you to first earn Globalist status based on qualifying nights or base points.)

My Question Is: Am I correct in assuming that if I stay 10 nights with Hyatt under the current promo, then I will be awarded Explorist status with 4 Club Lounge Awards?. I believe this is correct, but I wanted to run this by the collective wisdom of all you super sharp Flyer Talkers

notquiteaff

I am fairly certain that is correct.

OsakaWino

I always find it ironic that those who most vocal in deriding 25-stay qualifiers are leeches who get their 60 nights staying at HH/HP on OPM so that they can take their brood on an all-pts stay in a suite at some resort. Maybe it is angst for their having to spend half their pitiful existence on the road alone staying in substandard accommodations.

I also find it ironic that WoH favors that type of customer over my previous stay pattern of 25 stays/40-45 nights averaging the equivalent of US$300/night (although to be honest that includes T&S).

In any case, loyalty program's sole focus on nights/stays seems counterproductive to their objective of increasing revenue. I don' see why they don't simply go for a spend-based system. I would think US$15K spend for Glob, $5K for Explo, and $2K for Disc would be about right. Getting rid of the 60-night under $100/night crowd would allow them to lower the spend requirements from where they are now and still attract a more valuable level of customers.

hailstorm

Explorist certs, unlike Globalist suite upgrades, are a benefit that's tied to the tier, so you will receive them immediately after you receive Explorist status.

jacobguo

Another example of how limited Hyatt's footprint is: trying to book a Columbus Day road trip to Vermont to see fall foliage. Guess where the closest Hyatt is?

A lowly Hyatt Place outside Saratoga Springs, NY.

JackE

Deleted

HoustonConsultant

I get from where you are coming, but I'm wondering if there aren't a whole lot more 60-night churners than there are 40-night $300 a night rollers.

The volume of those folks makes the revenue attractive, and it puts bodies in HPs and HHs.

Besides, if you are doing 60 nights in a HP/HH, you deserve a nice vacation.

GUWonder

Some hotels with loyalty program participation do have a spend-based status earning path, some for lifetime status. But given the multi-market mix the major hotel companies like to have in portfolio, US3 airline-like spending requirements for status sort of flop, no less so when filling beds comes with increased ancillary revenues and stronger marketing.

OsakaWino

I was mostly just ranting after reading a bunch of posts dissing me as a 25-stay qualifier.

But nevertheless, I can't say I understand the strong emphasis on quantity over quality. I guess it is a good thing that I never tried to go for a career in marketing.

dannybhoy

Exactly. I was also one of the mythical 25-stay diamonds. All but two of my stays were in GHs (averaging at least USD225/night) and the remaining two were in HRs. Not quite PHV but not HHs/HPs either. And in most cases, it was me, myself and I.

GUWonder

Just like a diversified portfolio of equities helps mitigate for risk exposure and is perceived as helping to provide more consistent and/or superior returns over the longer term, a diversified portfolio of hotel properties helps hotel companies mitigate for risk exposure and is perceived as helping the hotel companies to better weather economic cycles. There are times when the luxury market, for example, takes a big hit, but the bottom and/or mid-tier holds up or otherwise performs better than the luxury tier.

Hyatt's footprint growth shows that it's not aiming for getting out of the Hyatt Place-type market and finds the quantity growth on that end to be useful for its longer term position. Hyatt's clearly not aimed at being a luxury hotel group, nor is it aimed at being the lowest quality and highest quantity property provider in the markets in which it operates.

Hyatt's program seems to have turned out to be more for the crowd of those staying in Hyatt Places for several weeks than for the 25 short-stay types; but this liberalization of Globalist qualification/retention in the US market signals that Hyatt has some doubts that shifting toward Hyatt Place and mid-tier Hyatt working stiff types with its program is doing it all that good. Perhaps Hyatt will realize it's left money on the table by not doing more to court customers like yourself who are staying primarily beyond North America.

PortlySpartacus

HH/HP are now substandard accommodations? I have to stay in these properties when I travel for work because some of the cities don't have any other Hyatt options. So when I'm on work travel in a Tier 2 or Tier 3 city, this is my only option. But I would hardly call it substandard. In fact, a recent stay at a new HP in Verona, WI was excellent. The new HP they are building are very nice IMO. Are they like a full service Hyatt? No. But they are comfortable and completely acceptable.

And these HP/HH aren't all $100 or less. As has been noted on other threads, sometimes the room rate for HP/HH in major cities is $200+.

Why is it ironic that Hyatt would favor (not sure they do) work travelers spending on the company dime? Because we have to travel for our job and we have coworkers that travel and there are lots of us and we spend lots of money. Does Hyatt value corporate $ spent versus your personal out of pocket $ spent? No, sorry, that $ received by Hyatt is green either way.

kiowavt

Exactly. In my case it was a mix. 25% work and 75% personal. But Hyatt got all the dollars. The downside? None for them but a lot of upside.

kiowavt

I have had some stays in HRs that were great deals. But that also signaled that the rates were lower as rooms were more likely to go unfilled. So it's a win for the Hyatt chain either way, to move the booking to them vs to others. And yes, my mix involved as few Hyatt Place stops as I could have. Not because they are not fine to say in, but because, in my experience, they are each so similar (other than the Bloomington Indiana one I love so much). Even a wonderful design can be boring over time. Oh, and when I get the email welcoming me now and listing my benefits while at a HP, like suite upgrades, free breakfast, free internet, it is hard not to cringe.