Unannounced category change

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Jun 23, 2021, 11:39 pm

fttc

Original Poster

Join Date: Jul 2009

Posts: 274

Unannounced category change

I was just browsing recently and I noticed quite a few hotels have changed from cat4 to cat5 recently that I don't see announced. I thought there is minimum change in 2021.

For example, the following ones changed to cat4 in march 2020 and I'm pretty confident I saw them listed as 15k a few months ago. But they are all 20k now and listed as cat5.

Grand Hyatt Seattle
Hyatt at Olive 8 Seattle
Hyatt Regency Amsterdam

But I don't see them on the 2021 change list at all. There are also a few others which I knew were cat4 (but I don't have proof) that are now cat5.

Has Hyatt also fallen into the lows of hidden category change now? Or am I missing something here?

stmadfish likes this.

Jun 24, 2021, 12:52 am

Matt4200

Join Date: Sep 2019

Location: Los Angeles

Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond

Posts: 4,869

Quote:

Originally Posted by fttc

According to this chart from 2020 GH Seattle and Olive 8 both moved from Cat 4 to Cat 5 in March of 2020. Maybe what you saw was a glitch because I’m fairly certain they’ve both been Cat 5 through the entire pandemic.

https://travelingformiles.com/breaki...more-news-too/

Jun 24, 2021, 1:59 am

craigthemif

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Aug 2011

Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane

Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond

Posts: 13,048

Those hotels were supposed to drop to Category 4 in the category change list announced pre-COVID. That update was completely cancelled and never happened. So they've been Cat 5 all along.

P.S. A mod should change the incorrect thread title...

Jun 24, 2021, 5:22 am

AndyKehn

Join Date: Aug 2020

Posts: 829

These properties have been cat 5 since at least 2019. Otherwise I would have used all my cat 4 certs at HR Amsterdam

Jun 24, 2021, 8:56 am

freckles123

Join Date: Apr 2017

Posts: 152

Quote:

Originally Posted by fttc

All 3 properties became category 5 in March 2019

https://thepointsguy.com/news/world-...egory-changes/

Jun 24, 2021, 9:09 am

fttc

Original Poster

Join Date: Jul 2009

Posts: 274

Ok, people are saying the move down in 2020 got suspended and never happened.

Then I also noticed GH SFO (the one at the airport, not downtown, and not the airport HR either) was $15k a few months ago. It's $20k now. I don't see it on any 2020 or 2021 list at all. How do people explain that?

Jun 24, 2021, 9:10 am

LondonElite

Suspended

Join Date: Mar 2002

Location: Canada, USA, Europe

Programs: UA 1K

Posts: 31,452

Honest question: what sort of announcement were you expecting?

Jun 24, 2021, 9:33 am

skj

Join Date: Jul 2009

Location: IAH

Programs: UA 2MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold

Posts: 2,164

Quote:

Originally Posted by fttc

The GH SFO opened as (and has always been) a Cat 5. See, for example, this post FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Grand Hyatt SFO REVIEW - MASTER THREAD

Jun 24, 2021, 9:58 am

AndyKehn

Join Date: Aug 2020

Posts: 829

Quote:

Originally Posted by fttc

Wow you need to check your memory my friend. None of what you're saying in this thread is true at all. GH SFO has always been cat 5 since the beginning.

TerryK, River in Sight, craigthemif and 1 others like this.

Jun 24, 2021, 10:40 am

#10

TerryK

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 1999

Location: New York, NY, USA

Posts: 12,482

I stopover at SFO from time to time. GH SFO has always been 20K points or else I would have used my Cat4 cert.

Jun 24, 2021, 11:00 am

#11

gbdbld

Join Date: Apr 2019

Location: MCO

Posts: 384

The case something like this might happen is for a new property, before they open and the rooms are available to book, sometimes the cat is much lower. I stayed at Hyatt Place St Pete Downtown at 5k when they first opened. But that is not the case for any of the property you mentioned.