Hyatt innovations
 

I'm not impressed. Can anyone enlighten me as to Hyatt "innovations" that would make anyone brand loyal? I've heard that they are aping the Heavenly bed (years later...). I'll give them the Atrium lobby (or should that go to John Portman?). Management of that company seems to be very closed minded and unenlightened (and arrogant, if you don't mind me saying so).

Regency Club: Closed in many/most locations....Turndown chocolates: gone, etc.

So, I'm open to any enlightenment. Thoughts?

If you just scratch the surface on this board, you will find your answer. Hyatt Gold Passport is the best hotel loyalty program in the business. When you add Hyatts conyinuing Faster Free Nights, it far outpaces everything else.

Value is good as well.

However, many Sheratons still have turdown chocolates. I suppose I ought to consider giving up my 20 free nights per year at Hyatt Maui for those.

Sheraton has Club lounges in every full service hotel.

The turndown chocolates they use are lo-carb. In conjunction with a low carb menu program.

I've just listed two innovations/features that SHERATON has, but that's not the topic of this board.

Gold Passport has been around for 20 years, yet that brand is still tiny by comparison. What features does Gold Passport offer that makes it neck and neck with, for example, SPG? (I haven't seen any Gold Passport "Freddy" awards). Blackout dates? Etc.

I've been to Sheratons without club lounges. The Sheraton Suites PHL airport and Sheraton Park Tower London comes to mind right away, but I'm sure there are more. We've found that Hyatt Regency Clubs usually have higher quality food items than at most Sheraton clubs we've visited.

From the Hyatt hotels that I have visited recently, The Hyatt Jersey City, New Brunswick, Princeton, Maui, Houston, SFO, Park SF, Park DC, Park Vendome all have turndown chocolates.

Hyatt has had their "Healthy" room service menu for years before SPG adopted their Lo-Carb menus. While not low carb, there was at least a consistent low cal option across the entire US chain, internationally it is not so consistent.

Hyatt Diamonds receive Club access or continental breakfast vouchers with every stay. That is a published benefit. At SPG, if the lounge is closed, you may or may not get breakfast in the restaurant, it's up to the hotel. This is one of the reasons we steer our leisure stays to Hyatt. At the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome, the breakfast would have cost 84 euros for two per day. I have pictures of the spread if you're interested.

Hyatt's Faster Free Nights promotion has been more lucrative than anything SPG has put out recently.

1-800-CheckIn. SPG doesn't have that.

I'm an SPG Plat with 150+ nights at SPG because it is more convenient for my company paid stays. I'm Hyatt Diamond with my out of pocket stays because the treatment I receive is so much better and more consistent than what SPG has been able to deliver. In addition, Hyatt provides full elite benefits on any rate you pay. SPG, Hilton Hhonors, and, I believe, Marriott specifically exclude elite benefits from Priceline / Hotwire rates.

Look into this board a little bit for your answers. Gold Passport is not neck and neck with SPG. It is far, far ahead.

Anybody who can operate a calculator can figure out the main difference. You spend much less money to earn a free night at a Hyatt than with SPG. The misleading "no blackout" policy of SGP is usually not a benefit in practice. On the rare occasions when I have trouble booking a free night with HGP, they have "Passport Plus" awards.

It really confounds me that people just don’t "get" this. If you had a major airline that gave you a free North American ticket for 25,000 miles, and another one required 70,000 miles, which one would you select? This is a fair analogy.

As for low-carb chocolates, is this an “innovation” that inspires your loyalty? The hotel that gets my loyalty is the one that gives me more free nights at great properties, not the one that subscribes to the latest fad diet.

Still waiting on "innovations"
 

A more apt analogy might then be expanded to say that the 25,000 miles airline flies to 50 places, while the higher mileage program airline flies to 500. You might have a lower threshold to redeem, but a much greater opportunity to earn, to places that you have to, or like to, go.

As stated previously, I have yet to see any "Freddie" awards for Hyatt.

As to Low Carb, calling it a fad diet is a bit of a stretch, based on the number of people participating. I do applaud Sheraton for jumping on this. Low calorie diets have been around since the 80's, so Hyatt's menu program isn't exactly keeping up with the times.

BTW, I see that Club lounges are a requirement in Sheraton "core" hotels, Suite properties are not included in that grouping. So, Club lounges are required in every single "core" Sheraton.....still a huge improvement over the disappearing Regency Clubs.

Back to the topic. Innovations, that relate to the ability to attract and retain current customers. As far as I can tell, Hyatt has had the following:
Atrium lobbies (big energy wasters, kind of a fad), Chocolate and Duck themed restaurants and menus (Verrrrryyyyyy far out of fashion now)....what else?

Marriott has been rated as one of the "best places to work", and that consistently shows in the quality of their people. Starwood gets huge kudos for the Heavenly Bed (and now the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper), & SPG. Might I add they created (CREATED) a whole new entity unto itself...."W".

So can anyone give me some real reasons that I should start using Hyatt?

So SPG has 10x the number of desirable properties as Hyatt? For me, they don't even have one that approaches Hyatt at my favorite vacation spot (Maui.)

You are clearly an SPG fan, and are entitled to your opinion, which evidently favors low-carb chocolate over free nights at great properties.

As for diets, I think calorie counting has been practiced long before the 80’s. Personally, I am a low fat kind of person.

It would appear you have already been given some real reasons on how Hyatt is innovative. Faster Free Nights alone blows away anything *wood or any other program has. My suggestion is that you stay with them or what ever program you prefer if Hyatt is not innovative enough for your personal tastes.

Actually, I favor Hilton Hhonors, I'm a Diamond with that program; but that's beside the point. I'm looking for some reasons to use Hyatt. Simple question!

As to numbers of properties, Hyatt has in the 200 range. Starwood close to 1,000. Marriott has 2400. Hilton has gotta have at least that many, if not more with all of their brands. SO, the number of properties doesn't exactly favor Hyatt as far as earning and redemption possibilities.

In any case, the only reason that I'm hearing from these responses is that Gold Passport is the far and away answer to my quesiton. However, as I keep saying, I dont see any hard core evidence to support that (Freddie awards, in particular). And the number of properties clearly favors Hilton and Marriott (and Starwood to a smaller degree).

So, again, what else is there? Service? "That Hyatt Touch?" Great beds? Great carpet and wall vinyl? Great towels? What??????

Do the math.

Here's some math
 

200/1000 = 20%

200/2400 = 8%

I'm STILL waiting on some more compelling reasons.

What good is a free night if it can't be used?????

Very impressive math! Did you use an Excel pivot table?

But the math I was referring to is more like $100 spent on your room earns a free night at almost any Hyatt in the world.

A free night that can't be used is indeed worthless, but that doesn't apply at Hyatt - mainly at Hilton from what I gather.

Even more worhtless is a free night that is unearned because it requires too many points.

Why does the word Trolling come to mind as I read through this thread?

Ummm...yeah. :rolleyes:

If all Hyatts were to designate a broom closet as the club lounge but then tell you that they are closed . . .due to "lack-of-business"/"renovation"/"security reasons since 9/11" (someone at the desk at the East Hartford Sheraton told me that one), would you be happy?

Yeah, I know. I'll let him get in his precious last word if he likes.