FlyingRobot

I spend about half of each year on the road for work. I will always choose a Hyatt hotel if one is available in the area I am traveling to, which was 86 nights in 2017 (about 25% of my year). I had been a Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond member for 2012-2017, now Globalist for 2017 (and re-qualified for 2018).

In general, the change to WoH went mostly unnoticed, but there were a few things that stood out:

• Upgrades (availability based) - while this has improved with Globalist, I have still yet to check in to a hotel this year that offered me an upgrade without me asking (including about half of the Hyatts listed on the "World of Hyatt - Globalist Experiences [Best Room Available incl. Standard Suites]" thread). When I do ask, they front desk representatives always moan and grumble as if I am annoying them. That is usually followed by "let me ask the manager" or some other statement to make it clear I'm imposing undue burden on them.
  
  The World of Hyatt program very clearly offers room upgrades, up to standard suites, on all stays. Hotels should really be instructed to include something like "Thank you for being a Globalist, we've upgraded you to xxx" or "Thank you for being a Globalist, unfortunately we don't have any upgrades available currently, but I will check a few times during your stay if you'd be interested in moving rooms mid-stay" ... or anything that at least acknowledges the benefit so that I am not required to ask.
  
  That said, nothing is more frustrating than having a representative tell me "we've upgraded you to a very nice xx room", only to have them list exactly what I booked ... or, my favorite, "we've upgraded you to a very nice room on the xx floor" only to look at the fire escape map in the room and see that I am in the smallest room on the floor. I would so much rather a simple acknowledgement of the benefit and honesty about availability.
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• Lines - With the prior Gold Passport program, every hotel had stanchions with signs for the front desk to form two queues. One queue said "Gold Passport Platinum & Diamond" and the other said something like "All other guests". It was clear to everyone what each line was for. Under World of Hyatt, there is a single roped off queue with an "Explorist / Globalist" sign, and absolutely no other queue for everyone else, or worse, I've been to a few that just have a sign on one check-in desk and no ropes at all. This is super confusing and I have not had a single hotel this year handle this correctly. Either everyone is in the one queue or there are multiple lines, one for each representative, and nobody is using the queue. The end result is that I either get a lot of dirty looks from other guests as I try to skip the queue and approach the Globalist labeled desk or, more often, I just get in line to avoid the awkwardness.
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• My Hyatt Concierge - when this was first added, I received a call from a concierge to introduce himself and explain the service. It made no sense. I book through the app, website, or my corporate travel service. The agent said I still call the main number if I want to use an upgrade or need help with a 48-hour guaranteed availability, rather than him. I've never had issues scheduling spa treatments or dining reservations at the hotel, on the day I'd like to have them. The agent said that he would keep me informed of the latest promotions and "insider information", but I never heard from him (or any concierge) again ... Overall, it seems like a wasted of Hyatt resources for very little member benefit. I'd rather see this effort spent on adding dining and spa bookings in the mobile app or finally allowing me to apply a Confirmed Suite Upgrade through the website or mobile app on an existing reservation or at the time of booking rather than forcing me to call to check inventory and availability.
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• M-Life Status - As someone who spends far too much time in Las Vegas for work, the prior Gold Passport Diamond status benefit of M-Life Platinum was massive, and it is actually the original reason I started staying at Hyatt. Under the new World of Hyatt program, Globalist only gets M-Life Gold, which is unfortunate, as gold is borderline useless at MGM properties (at least in Las Vegas). I do, however, greatly appreciate that I earn Hyatt points and qualified nights by staying at MGM properties.

I'm excited to see that "Finally! Award nights will count towards elite status in 2018".

TheTourVan

Thank you for this. I was a very loyal Hyatt customer for a number of years and Diamond in every year I was with them. The switch of programs made me leave the loyalty program because I was not going to be able to qualify for the highest level anymore and the perks shrinking. I was very curious about how the options fared and you summed them up nicely. While I am sure that the YMMV will be in effect here and everybody is different, yours sort of rings true for how my last year as a Hyatt Diamond went also.

Since switching I very found another program adequate, but still check in as a credit card holder knowing that I can always go back at some point. But this kind of confirms my expectations. Thanks for taking the time.

craigthemif

In my opinion, Hyatt joined SPG in making the mistake of over-promising and under-delivering on suite upgrades. Considering Hyatt's US-centric footprint, this was entirely foolish, since North American hotels have historically been stingy with upgrades - only partly because each hotel sees far more elites. So all Hyatt corporate did was give certain guests more reason to DYKWIA at check-in (or feel like they have been cheated), without really having done anything to incentivise hotels to actually provide those upgrades.

Outside the US, World of Hyatt has been the same as Hyatt Gold Passport for me. Rooms are usually upgraded, sometimes to a suite. Although I can't choose Diamond amenity points, I still receive the same fruit, wine, chocolates, etc. that I always received.

rwm818

I would echo this experience. My stays are 90% Int'l so this is all that matters to me...and agree with OP on point #1 - would be great for the desk staff to address the room "upgrade" issue proactively - instead of keeping mum and hoping us Globs don't mention or ask about it :-(

Visconti

One of the things dislike is having to wait in line to check in or out, and enduring a guest's 20 questions in front of me. Like Vegas, I'd like to see WOH create a check in/out lane exclusive for its top tier. And, like Vegas, if there's a line, take care of the top tier line first, like they do at Caesars Palace.

Markie

My experience has not been great in terms of suites - often better rooms but very often larger rooms.
The MLife changes I doubt will make much difference to me as Platinum seems to mean nothing at MGM.
The requalification is going to be hard this year - it was just luck that I managed it this year and there was a bit of Mattress Run in there!
Hyatt properties playing with rooms to deny upgrades is just plain annoying.
Overall, I am OK with the scheme, but it is far from my favourite - which it had been for more than twenty years.
Let's hope that losing a host of old-Diamonds will result in some of this being fixed for 2018.

JackE

Don't get me started on Vegas. There is no good reason to have the routine long, long lines that they do. Hire a few extra FDAs or add some overtime. Figure out a faster check-in process. The guest is locked into paying for a room, so have his or her packet ready for pickup, pre-programmed and all.

This is the guest's first real interaction with staff. Why make us waste our precious business or vacation time waiting in a stupid line? They could be soaking us for gambling revenue or overpriced meals. Either one would pay for extra staff many times over.

As to WoH, loss of the welcome amenity (I always chose the actual amenity, not points) is dearly missed. Some things are just plain stupid, like over-touting a dime's worth of water and a once-in-a-lifetime free night for 5 brand stays. (Now if were annual, then I could see promoting it.)

I do seem to get more suites, even without asking. Hate the top-tier name. Love the waived resort fees and free parking for award stays. Resented paying for 60 nights and then seeing that drop to 20 (a big reason for getting to 60 was being on the right side of supply-and-demand). Glad to see them include reward stays so I can use points instead of accumulating them.

creativeguess1

s0ssos

Internationally, on one-night stays, I find myself getting upgraded to a suite an awful lot. I find properties with lounges much better than properties without (even including Park Hyatt), as the lounge personnel seem much better (i.e. more customer oriented).

I hate this new expiration policy of the suite upgrade certificates, and with suite upgrades common (for me anyway) I might not be able to use all mine before they expire in Feb.

HoustonConsultant

No resort fees for Globalist is a good deal, and now I'm always shocked when I remember that I have to pay them at Marriott/SPG. Free parking on points stay is nice too. Resort fees and parking can hit $60+ a night in some locations.

I have received more suites this year than in past years. I have to ask for it more often than not, but there are at least two hotels I've stayed in 10 times with a suite each time.

My Globalist Concierge managed a complicated reservation with a suite upgrade, found a better set of seven days, and swung a connecting room to make it a two-bedroom suite. I'm not going to need the concierge much, but so far, I've liked what I've seen.

Having reward nights count as official nights is the no-brainer than finally occurred. I have a cert that expires at the end of the month, and I have no real need to use it, but I'll at least go check in somewhere to get the night credit.

I dislike the elimination of the welcome amenity.

krazieman

I agree that I get a lot of very nice upgrades on 1 night stays. I got a presidential suite at the HR Boston. But stays of more than 2 days usually gets me no upgrade.
PH NY wouldn't give me a suite even though one was available, they would only let me pay to get into it.

FlyingRobot

I should have said that I do end up with suites quite a bit, as others have pointed out, especially on 1 night stays - but it did not happen a single time in 2017 without me asking (which lead to the moans and groans...). I've received the Presidential suite at Hyatt Regency San Francisco, Grand Hyatt San Francisco, and Hyatt Regency Santa Clara as well as very nice suites at Park Hyatt Bangkok, Andaz 5th Avenue, Hyatt Regency Cleveland at the Arcade, Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center, Grand Hyatt Berlin, and the Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill... all were 1 or 2 night stays and all required asking. I also had several successful uses of Upgrade Certs, but those were for longer stays and required planning ahead.

Now, don't get me wrong - I'll never be above asking. It just gets old when about 90% of the time the agent's response is as if I'm being a huge pain in the ....

FlyingRobot

Agreed, no resort fees is a great addition - but the whole resort fee thing rubs me the wrong way anyhow, so this feels like "we added a nonsense fee, but you're excluded from it". They should really just up their rates rather than trying to hide behind resort fees (yes, I know that some districts like Vegas tax the hotels differently between room rates and resort fees, so it is advantageous to the hotel, but bla bla bla).

I've never had an issue with the regular Diamond/Globalist line, even for complicated bookings. I stayed at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome in May that was 1 paid night, 1 award night, 1 paid night, 1 points night, 1 paid night, 1 points night - in that order, all in a single linked reservation, and with no requirement to check-in/out or change rooms each day. It took the phone agent about 20 minutes to book, but he seemed like he was having fun and didn't complain at all. The reservation system wouldn't allow a single mode of payment (other than cash) for the entire stay, so we went night by night, applying whatever award or points would be accepted, falling back to cash if necessary. He then reached out to the hotel GM via email, copying me, to explain what was done and make sure I would not have to change rooms each day.

Next time I have something this complicated, I'll give the concierge a go... but it will be hard to top my Vendome booking.

Visconti

Agreed.

If promised, then make an effort to ensure properties abide by the spirit of benefit. I find having to (fortunately, have received proactive upgrades thus far) ask/prod/negotiate/plead distasteful, and refuse to do so. Eventually, this leads to everyone asking/pleading during every check in, which I find unsavory in the extreme. I'm checking into a hotel, not a flea market, and will not stand in line waiting and listening to other guests in front of me pleading for upgrades. Conflict and confrontation is a normal course of business for me, but it shouldn't be when I'm checking into a damn hotel after a long flight.

CIT85

My upgrade percentage has not been very good in 2017, granted I also never asked for upgrade when checking in. I was able to use my TSU a couple of times when it mattered to me most, on vacation or when my wife was with me on business.

I somehow was able to manage 62 nights in 2017 and requalified for Glob, although I have no idea if I can do that again in 2018. But then 55 nights is a tad easier than 60 nights.

I do like the no resort fee and then no parking fee on award stays.

I hate the expiration dates for TSU and free night certs. I may end up just going up DC for a night to use my Cat 1-7 cert that comes with 60 nights.