Question for Explorists - Do you ever get upgraded?
 

https://world.hyatt.com/content/gp/e...explorist.html

• Enjoy an upgraded room based on availability at check-in, excluding suites and rooms with Club lounge access

Has anyone received an upgrade to a better room as an Explorist? If so, did you have to ask for it?
I have yet to receive an upgraded room as part of Explorist benefits. Just curious to see what other experiences have been like.

On a separate note, I wonder why the language around upgrade benefits are different between Discoverist and Explorist.
The former gets a "preferred room" at check-in, whereas the latter gets an upgraded room but not club level or suite. What's between "preferred" and club?

Park Hyatt Aviara upgraded me to a higher room category (better view). That's it. Ever.

I feel Explorist is the most worthless status I've ever had. I would not stay one extra night to maintain it.

I was upgraded to a true suite once back in the small period of time I was a Discoverist. I was upgraded once as an Explorist to a preferred type room in the small period as a explorist as well. Not a lot of datapoints, but the four stays I had with Hyatt as a member pre-Discoverist, I was given a very sorry room in each and every case (not just a bottom floor base level room, but one that would also face the air conditioning units or a blank wall or was located right next to an exterior door that shut with a loud slam anytime someone used it). I think the FT community is mostly disconnected from the reality that most any hotel has a fair quantity of these types of room. With my six stays as a Discoverist, and two stays as an explorist, It very least got me out of the pits of room choices -- in every case I was given at least a decent room and did get the two upgrades mentioned above.

So, the language is ambiguous, but I will go out on a limb from personal experience to go ahead and say that there is a benefit when it comes to room assignments even having a mid-tier status. Not sure if disc vs exp is different, but it is better from being nothing.

Strongly disagree. At the least, you collect a cat 1-4 certificate and a couple club passes (which I would get great use out of personally).

Every one is different though, not just in what we value but in what our travel patterns end up allowing to happen. The 'upgrade to standard suite' privilege with globalist to me personally is near 'worthless' (I do get some sort of preferred room consistently, but my standard suite upgrade rate is sub 10% on a per stay basis and sub 5% on a per night basis, as a I detailed elsewhere). The other benefits I reap large value from though.

(I feel like plat pro with AA is the most worthless status I've ever had, never any upgrades or even close to them, the free checked bag/earliesh boarding already gotten with credit card, same day flight change non-existent in nearly every case. I would spend not a penny to get it, but that doesn't mean others don't get value based on their travel patterns).

Grand Hyatt Incheon upgraded me to a three-room suite in the newer West Tower on a one-night stay.

It really depends on the property and how busy they are. If you're doing Fall/Winter weekend travel to downtown/business properties in the Midwest, you will probably get some nice rooms - I've received full suites in Louisville and Cincinnati, and large corner rooms in Indianapolis during a brief stint as an Explorist. It also helps to reach out to the property before the stay to ask nicely if there's an upgraded room available.

However, when traveling to popular destinations especially during high season, I don't count on much even as a Globalist. My last dozen or so stays, I've not had any appreciable upgrades beyond a club room or better location/view (as a Globalist). Occupancy rates are pretty high, and nice hotels tend to sell out, making complimentary upgrades difficult to get.

I would not go out of my way to qualify for Explorist unless it was happening organically.

Yes, I've been upgraded a few times recently. From nonview to view rooms and from 2 queen to 1 King rooms.
With a lot of properties parsing rooms down to even higher prices for high floors, you've likely been upgraded and not realized it.

If 2Q->1K is considered an upgrade these days....

Well, when the 2Q room is $10 cheaper than the 1K room (as in the case when I normally book 2Q), then yes, it's an upgrade.
Since I pay with money out of my own pocket, I book the cheapest room. I suppose if I was a consultant and expensed it to a client or my company paid for the room, I'd just book the 1K and spend an extra $10 of OPM.

Curious, where did you get that definition from?

I try to keep things simple and consider any room change to a more expensive room as an upgrade. That boils down to 1k when 2Q is listed as cheaper, better view, higher floor, club level with club access, suite upgrade.

As far as the 2Q vs 1K, there are times when 2Q goes for a higher rate … obviously dependent on dynamic supply/demand pricing. I want 1K and will book it if the price is same/less than 2Q. If 2Q is cheaper, I'll book that and request 1K in the remarks. Yes, I'm a cheapskate - however, I spend my money based on what I perceive as best value but am also at a point in my life where I have a much higher minimum standard than I accepted in my youth.

Thanks, but all I'm seeing for Explorists is:
Upgrade to best room, excluding suites

I'm sure this is codified but it does require a bit of digging.

Andaz Papagayo Costa Rica - upgraded to higher building & floor for amazing Gulf view.
Hyatt Regency Vancouver BC during Festival of Light - upgraded to suite for 1 night stay.
Grand Hyatt Seattle during SeaFair - upgraded to high floor with filtered view of Puget Sound.
Hyatt Ziva Cabo San Lucas - upgraded to partial ocean view room.

Both Vancouver & Seattle had club lounges to enjoy meals & snacks in as well.

We just try to be cordial, but be sure to ask (maybe in email beforehand, noting any special celebration).

As discoverist - can nearly call it nothing save for certain properties in China which will do 1-cat (but mostly just a view difference etc)
As explorist so far - HR Kyoto - no nothing (rooms were available online...the service was just mediocre, not just for Japan); Andaz London - pre-upgraded to largest non suite (thanks to my very helpful Prive agent as well!)