...virtually every hotel on the planet is for tourists?

I�m not exactly sure that is true.

I think the hospitality industry in HK is eager for the border to open up, so they have a chance to raise prices. These low prices are most likely unsustainable in the long run. I created a thread on FT where a top-level government member anticipates this summer as the earliest HK could open up. I'm beginning to think the fall may be the earliest as HK is being overwhelmed by an Omicron surge. I'm already fully vaccinated (2+booster), so people like me are extremely low risk. As soon as they eliminate the quarantine requirement, I would love to spend a week at the Grand Hyatt and Centric. Asia is like the best place to enjoy top-tier status perks. Sadly, I haven't been anyone exotic since qualifying for Hyatt Globalist.

The Hyatt Monterey is now playing games on awards- 4 night minimum for a summer weekend.

maybe it�s not new, but I�m guessing they don�t want all those cat1-4 certs.

More and more hotels are imposing minimum stay limits. Really hope Hyatt can do something but they won't.

just booked one nighter for last Sat of June. Seems like some weekends still work.

Hotels are loving the savings from not having daily housekeeping. Minimum-stay requirements are another way to reduce housekeeping expenses.

?? what does the certs have to do with anything? AFAIK the hotel only sees that you are using your pts, many times at check-in the person checking me says I see you are on a points stay. Now the only time a hotel may care is if Hyatt pays them less $$ when you use a cert rather then using your pts, and I dont believe that is the case

More likely with other hotels going up in Cat nearby they assumed that foks will come to them instead and thusly are trying to KO those plans

The category change is creating a rush to book hotels that are becoming cat 5, much stronger impact than on a points reservation.

they would not be having as big a rush if the change didn�t render those certs unusable there.

My Bad, I didnt know they were going up to a 5. I booked it with pts for a family member in April a month ago

So, thoughts:
(1) Gild Hall was probably getting hammered with Cat 1-4 certs and ended up "crying uncle". Being the only Cat 4 in Manhattan would've left them exposed to getting hit by folks with those certs being able to roll up, use the certs, and (for Globalists, of which I suspect there are "more than normal" right now) get free parking. That said, I feel like this makes Manhattan a bit of a "hole" in the system in terms of viable properties.
(2) In the Orlando area...I'm disappointed by the increase in category for the HR OIA (that's been Cat 3 for as long as I can remember), but I approve of dropping the HP LBV down to Cat 2. Having frequented both hotels, I can say that from a pricing perspective they really did not belong in the same category (the HR is usually at or over $200/night while the HP LBV is quite often closer to $100-120/night...it can land higher, yes, but never in the $300 ballpark that the HR OIA could land at on occasion).
(3) I agree that Hyatt needs to make the Cat 1-7 cert a Cat 1-8 cert (and perhaps carve out an exemption for some of those FHR properties...honestly, just bin cert use at FHR properties and call it a day; those are interesting aspirational properties but at least from my point of view they're not really "there" for me).

Doing this would defeat the purpose of moving Cat 7s into Cat 8.

There are probably fewer Cat 1-7 certificates in circulation? A devaluation still sends the wrong signal to people who spend 60 nights at a Hyatt.

I expect those that spend 60 nights at a Hyatt recognize that things cost more now: food, gas, rental cars, etc. I view it as inflation - where there is a general increase in costs.

How does anyone not recognize it? Inflation is everywhere!