Help with Choosing a Hotel Program
 

I actually have an interesting problem, in that I am looking to be loyal to a hotel program, but my amount of stays does not qualify for a lot of the higher end status perks. In fact this year I spent a total of 46 nights at hotels, but spent close to $30k USD.

I am a member of SLH, and while they do tend to have my favorite hotels, their loyalty program and footprint leaves a lot to be desired. I know that they have partnered with Hyatt, but a lot of the hotels that I actually stay at are (of course) not included in their agreement. The next problem is that my credit cards are from Canada, so the amount of offers that I get are limited.

Is there just no viable option for me? Marriott hotels have a better footprint, but I will never spend enough nights to get top tier status. Ultimately, I don't know if this matters since you can just spend money to avoid this problem, but I would like to maximize my point earnings. So is there a way for me to qualify for higher end status based off spend only?

One of the ways to get to Hyatt Globalist, the best status available to the public, is to spend $20K (100K base points) at Hyatts in the calendar year. I imagine this may be your best option, as long as there are enough Hyatt hotels where you travel.

Perfect, that was exactly what I was looking for. The 2 main places where I spend do not have good Hyatt properties in that they are either in an inconvenient location, or they aren't very good. I can get around that by booking guests in those properties I guess. thanks for the advice.

What value are you hoping to get out of Glob if you're not going to stay at WoH properties in the two main places that you stay? Is it really greater than buying other people rooms just to hit 20k spend?

I don't think it will really change my personal habits, but getting Globablist would make it much cheaper to put up guests/family members when they visit. I don't really see a downside to getting it since I have been getting bored staying at the hotels I frequent. Most of my travel is leisure so I don't really have any constraints.

And I should mention that yes, there are Hyatt properties in Japan and the Philippines, they're just not very good. I do see that they have added the Tokyo Station Hotel from SLH which I do have a soft spot for.

I would have to disagree about Hyatts in Japan not being very good. Some of the finest Hyatts in the world located there in Tokyo and Kyoto.

I would always choose the loyalty program based on what hotels you will mostly want to stay in. On that basis, Hyatt appears to be a bad choice for you. And I agree that the Hyatt footprint in Japan (where they have three good hotels in two cities....) and Philippines is especially subpar.

Would this really offset the costs of getting Globalist?

Just presenting another option, Hilton is the other big chain that does allow you to earn Diamond Status via spend. The problem is that Hilton Diamond is nowhere as good as Hyatt Globalist in terms of the value/benefits of top-tier status. The only leg up is that Hilton does have a better footprint than Hyatt, but in my experience Hilton properties don't tend to be as good and consistent compared to Hyatt Properties.

I'm with everyone else here that if Hyatt's footprint can't work too well for you, then there's not really that much benefit in chasing Hyatt Globalist. There's no point in earning top-tier status, if you can't use the benefits that comes with it.

Right, and if OP spends $30K again, $20K will be 100K base points and Glob, if I'm not mistaken. Heck, a few visits to the PHs in Tokyo/Kyoto will get OP near the $20K marker. And, for Hilton, just get the Amex Aspire for the bonus, elite benefits and all the other stuff.

This way, you get Glob with spend (better yet, get the Chase Hyatt and spend it on that) and get paid for being Hilton Diamond. Win/Win, in my book.

It appears OP is in Canada. Is the Aspire card available there? If so, that would probably be a no-brainer for someone spending/traveling like he does.

Yeah, I don't think the Aspire Card is available for Canadian residences

What properties are you talking about? I'm guessing the 2 park Hyatt's and the Andaz. Once you get to that price point you can find value anywhere, especially in Japan. Outside of 2 cities there really are no options. I've stayed in the Hyatt in Fukuoka, but it certainly wasn't memorable and the location was less than ideal.

I generally stay away from those types of hotels anyways, since I believe that the number one thing im paying for is privacy. I do not like how busy the Park Hyatts get.

There's a Park Hyatt coming to Niseko. The HR Kyoto is still a good hotel. If you want footprint then enjoy being Bonvoyed.
Sorry to break it to you but most Hyatts and other chains are going to be busy with afternoon tea guests, staycationers, business people and tourists.

There’s something else to consider, namely vacation properties to spend your hard earned business travel points on. As a US based globalist I’ve had vacations at Andazes in Mexico and Costa Rica, both of which were great. So far I’ve been very happy with those kinds of redemptions. That said I have not done a comparison of Hyatt’s resort properties to their competitors. I think that comparison would help make a truly informed decision.

I mean the main reason I am considering Hyatt is because they're absorbing SLH properties. They would have never been on my radar without that development.

Some of the SLH properties that they've added in Japan are not the type to get crowded, and if they add Sankara than I will definitely switch over.

Hyatt is not absorbing SLH properties into Hyatt. Its just a limited business partnership, meaning that Hyatt benefits and status are not considered at SLH. Booking SLH through Hyatt just gives you the ability to earn points and nights, and you get the same benefits (regardless of Hyatt status) which is just early checkin, late checkout, breakfast, one category upgrade.

I guess I used the wrong adjective, but yes, I am looking at earning Hyatt points for staying at SLH properties, since the SLH program itself is quite weak.

This seems to be the major feedback that I'm getting. I guess I'll crunch some numbers and see, just seems like I could be doing more with my spend.

If you're not happy with the Hyatts in those two countries, I would strongly suggest you not bother with trying to get Hyatt status. You'll be in for a lot of disappointment elsewhere.