downinit

Is AMR going to finally open up some award space now that they are no longer worth booking on points?

nsx

I doubt that Hyatt has increased their compensation to the hotels whose category increased.

downinit

It is all relative, but you can't really compare ZRH vs VIE vs CDG when the options are ZRH vs ZRH.

EuropeanPete

In points that's a lot, but it's often around just 200CHF a night nowadays.

GUWonder

Hyatt’s compensation to hotels for award nights can remain the same or even drop when a hotel’s award category is increased. However, when the ADR for the property goes up, Hyatt’s compensation costs per award night for award nights at the property probably tend to go up (or have already gone up) too for the more in-demand properties.

Some Hyatt properties whose award category pricing was raised this round may not even have seen much of an increase in their public, regularly-priced (non-award night) direct-distribution nightly rates over prior years, and yet due to year-over-year occupancy/demand increase Hyatt has had to pay more in compensation for award nights in 2022 (and anticipated to do so in 2023) than in 2021 at them.

The three tier award pricing per award category and other things Hyatt is doing is little more than de facto earnings management at Hyatt program members’ expense. Much the same with Hyatt’s reassignment of categories for its hotels. Hyatt would tend to increase the Hyatt program members’ point costs for redemptions even if the compensation paid to the hotels were entirely static, as Hyatt has margins and earnings expectations as its priority deliverables.

The Hyatt point costs for a night being a lot compared to the cash rates is unfortunately a sign of the times in how devalued the program is from an earning-from-nights -for-spending-on-nights perspective. Hyatt seems to be marching to the beat of the Delta Air Lines drummer with devaluing the points but trying to keep the hamsters on the hamster wheel with the elite status benefit carrot. But even that carrot tends to become a poorer version of itself over time, as can be seen with what happens with the large number of people waiting for meaningful complimentary upgrades at the DL flight gates except perhaps at off-peak times.

The HR ZRH at c. $200-220 or 20k Hyatt points? Indeed that is not a good deal on points; nor is it an incentive to run up the Hyatt point balance.

ooom416354

Quick question, I have a points stay booked under the previous category rate and want to add extra night to the reservation. Obviously it will be booked at the new category points rate but it should not affect any of the previously booked points used right? My concierge says it won't affect the previous points used but I wanted to confirm if anyone did something similar last time a category change occurred.

Thanks

Warriorconcept

Make it as a new reservation for the extra night, if you modify the current one it will reprice at new rate.

ooom416354

Yep that's what it thought. My concierge said something like she would book it on a separate line under the existing confirmation number but I have no idea what that means

777 global mile hound

This is correct I learned this recently from my new concierge.

ooom416354

I'd do that but of course this hotel has a minimum amount of nights to book. FML

777 global mile hound

Plan B
book the second reservation with the min nights required provided you have the points to do so.You’ll get them back quickly
Then have your Conceirge amend to the night(s)you need and have them link the two reservations with a note to the hotel advising them
I just has a similar scenario
Hope that helps

ooom416354

OK, great, this is probably the best idea. I'll do that. Thank you!

One question, the linking of the new reservation to the old one under the old category structure will be completely separate right? Meaning lets say for some reason we decide to NOT stay that extra night, I can cancel this new reservation and nothing will affect the previous rate at all? Completely separate bookings just linked in the hotels eyes to keep us in the same room?

OhDoctor

Something that I didn't consider, and which I haven't seen covered anywhere else -- all of the Cat 1 hotels within 50 miles of my home will now be Cat 2. Huge implications in terms of mattress runs.

Seagull689

Obviously it is a very “you” centric implication

ooom416354

Same boat, I booked the CT ones close to NYC for the end of the year in advance just in case.