alextrips

The TSU has tremendous value and I am at 100% with them. Like many of you, for me it's like a game to maximize my usage of this stuff. I have week long stays where the TSU added thousands of dollars in upgrade value. I am lucky and have rarely been turned down a globalist suite upgrade when base level suite is actually available. I proactively ask if I see it available.

But back on topic, some of these rerating of properties is head scratching. Alila Marea at CAT 8?

ElevatorEnthusiast

777 global mile hound With all due respect (seriously), that's a lot of steps to go through for a suite upgrade. Perhaps, the "wining and dining"-type steps are the difference? My preference is that I show up without any fuss (usually to a new property) and receive a suite upgrade when one is available. So far, that's what I have been able to achieve with Marriott as I have far too many stays to attempt any sort of optimization techniques.

Different strokes (and different programs) for different folks, I guess!

Ijones027

so bizzare I'm only titanium but I never got upgraded in two years where as hyatt I send a message on the app and I got upgraded every time except once in 24 tries

fullnelson3

This figures....in the year that I decide to pursue Globalist for 1st time And just killed a credit card slot for the extra nights as well. Oh well, will make the most of it and study this thread for the sweet spots!

UA-NYC

Marriott is not an end-customer focused organization, so I would say yours is a more typical experience w/them

777 global mile hound

Respected and understood
Many times I do nothing and just get upgraded with no steps or don't at all
Thought I was being helpful how to increase the likelihood and those are just some of he ways if it matters without paying additional funds typically to get upgraded
Those are some of the steps one can take to increase that likelihood.
What I can say is elite status is important and if one thinks just having elite status is the holy grail to an upgrade just peek at the largest program in the world Marriott Rewards
and see the anger and frustration amongst Plats and higher.
I score 90% of the time @ MR.And yes it takes work (sigh)

All programs take steps to analyze to maximize benefits with upgrades and good point value.With the upcoming bloodbath of the Hyatt upcoming devaluation
I'm crunching the numbers this year of what programs I will use or won't use to strategize best value and experience.Every country and region requires a different strategy its exhausting
I've been playing the game now 30 years!Thanks to this community and through the blogs I've learned much!
I realize there are plenty that can't/don't wish be bothered.Happy with the outcome so I do what's best at the time

Sophoclefr

Sorry to slightly disagree on this whole thread (and I don’t work for Hyatt or any hotel chain and am not in love with them).

But yes whether we like it or not there is inflation in the world. Probably above 5% (closer to 10% where I live). So there is nothing surprising hotels increase their cash room rates in this range. Hyatt points being (mostly) earned prorata of cash spent they would be in fact reevaluated if number of points needed to book a free night was not increasing by the same percentage as well.

So unless someone did the math across the whole Hyatt portfolio (maybe weighted by hotel size and category or average price point) and it shows that on average the point cost of a free night is increasing by more than 5-10% there is no point talking and complaining about a global shocking devaluation of Hyatt points and WoH program?

Visconti

Ah, fair point.

While generally I don't disagree, I'm only concerned with how the program affects me personally. Towards that end, the Cat 7 not covering the escalating Cat 8 promotions are a significant devaluation on how I use the program. As to the rest, if it doesn't affect me, which it doesn't, I couldn't care less; matter of fact, I'd love nothing more than WOH to transfer value from those staying at other properties to me.

Finally, as to complaining, FT is the only place where I may "whine." I mean, no one in RL would care and would likely think it weird I'd complain about something like this, and most would probably find it strange I post as often as I do on some net forum devoted to traveling.

IndyJeffrey

Life became far less stressful when I just started staying where I want rather than letting so many decisions be driven by points and status. Your mileage (should any be awarded) will vary, of course.

Matt4200

For very many people going up a Category along with Peak Pricing greatly impacts whether they can now afford their trip.

Example - Family has 75k points to book a 5 night stay at a Category 1-4 property. This now changes to a Cat 5 and is 100k points. Having to buy these extra 25k points costs roughly $500 more which could easily put that planned trip on hold and/or have to book an entirely different destination.

For me personally this is a massive consideration, especially so with the peak pricing that was introduced mid-pandemic.

VegasGambler

The way to deal with inflation is not to move hotels up or down categories but rather to increase the cost of each category, to keep the points worth, on average, the same number of cents.

Personally I don't see any devaluation; in fact it's just the opposite (due to inflation). Pre-covid, I would value points at 2c each. I would only use points with I got 2c or more per pt, otherwise I would pay cash. This kept my earning and burning more or less in balance and I always had a healthy supply of pts. Recently, just about every hotel has been giving me at least 3c of value on redemptions so I've been using pts exclusively... to the point that for the first time ever, I'm actually out of pts (I just spent a few hundred thousand at over 5c per pt) I do have a stash of several hundred thousand chase pts that I can convert so all is not lost yet but I'm going to have to rethink my 2c per pt valuation if this keeps up. Certainly I'll be shifting all my spend to my CSR and Hyatt CCs.

Matt4200

Even though it negatively impacts me with this years’ specific changes I don’t hate Hyatt for it, nor would I call it a devaluation.

The only one thing I would overall consider a Devaluation is Hyatt not changing the Globalist Category 1-7 Certificates to 1-8, especially with it only having a 6 month validity and only being able to earn 1 per calendar year. I definitely think this needs to be changed.

I understand that at the moment you’re getting good value for your points and that’s great, but I would definitely look at the same ADR’s of those properties pre-COVID to determine quality and actual value as prices at some properties are just hyper-inflated. If it was $100 per night pre-COVID and now they’re charging $400-$500 it’s likely not worth anywhere near that so even getting 3 cpp usage while good may be better used elsewhere. At least that’s how I see it.

For me a prime example of this is Hyatt Place Moab that’s going to be a Category 5 that’s just insane. On top of that the property owner made a deal with Hyatt to mark this as a resort to get extra revenue, plus deny late checkouts for Elites.


We stayed there a few times prior to COVID and while we were on great terms with management and they’d always secure us a good upgrade (which is rare there) it’s honestly Category 2 to Category 3 at best. Meaning $120-$180 cash rate is where it should be and that’s what it was, and eventually where it will shoot back down to in time. We even on occasion we’re granted a Casita and still with that I would never pay a dime above $180 per night as it’s simply not worth it for any Hyatt Place.

Sophoclefr

You’re right on what would be in theory the best way to deal with inflation.
But I guess that doing it the way they do 1/ hide it for 99% of the guests who are not on FT and probably don’t know anything about category changes and 2/ allow them to do once a year needed adjustments in points under/over priced hotels?

I would also tend to agree on your second point that this year and considering the high general inflation Hyatt points have probably been revalued not devalued (but I haven’t done the proper maths). So many hotels have flat point costs while cash rates have increased by 20-50%…

VegasGambler

I see your point here but the issue is that prices have gone up across the board. So the options are, pay the higher prices, or stop traveling. I choose to continue traveling. I can mitigate this somewhat by staying in less fancy hotels (I have no problem with Hyatt Places) but as you point out, even HP are expensive in many places.

I agree with you about the value vs price distinction and I think a lot of people miss this point ("I got $3000 / night of value from my TSU!!!!" lol, no you didn't, unless you would actually be willing to pay that much cash for that suite) but if all the prices have gone up then the value of just the value that you place on traveling. And I'm not ready to stop traveling. That is, if I run out of chase pts too I'll start paying the new rates -- so for me it's real value, not just price.

projectmaximus

Why in the world should someone value based on pre-covid prices when these are the prices right now?! VG doesn't have the option to go back and pay pre-covid rates, so his options are the current rates or stay home. When (if) prices regress to pre-covid levels then your point is valid, but ours would be as well because that would be the current, real world rate.