InJapan

First, I want to thank you all for the great posts, I have learned so much in the last two days about some of the hotels I am planning to visit, while I was browsing these posts.

So I searched the web and found very little accurate information and lots of misinformation about the card. For clarity, no we do not donate money large or small to Hyatt, own one or two or have stock in the hotel, I must say I did find the most useful correct info here on these posts, concerning the card, thank you all.

Again, thanks all for the great and informative posts I do enjoy them.

Vuelos

This thread just made my morning.

Congrats to JonathanIT's dad & InJapan

peteropny

Welcome to Flyertalk & our Hyatt forum InJapan!!!

SeniorChief

I just found out that FOUR of my colleagues were upgraded to Courtesy Card status while a bunch of us were not, we have been comparing note once the first one "discovered" it. We all travel the same amount and usually to the same properties at the same time on the same rate, why some were selected and others not is a mystery.

A lot like Global Services, I still really don't know why I was invited to that (guessing the amount of money I spent that first year, but honestly that is only a guess).

TerryK

It seems to me that Hyatt has changed how Courtesy Cards are awarded. There will be a lot more of them now. I wonder if there will be a new VIP card for those original Courtesy Card holders (Hyatt owners etc.).

QueenLorelei

I noticed this week that my husband's gold passport account was upgraded to Courtesy Member from Diamond. I spoke to someone from the Courtesy Member desk about the program. I was told that this status cannot be "earned" like platinum or diamond status by staying a certain number of nights.

To become a Courtesy Member you must be NOMINATED.

Once nominated, they look at the nominee's history with Hyatt and if he/she meets the criteria, the nomination makes its way to the top. I was told that the President of Hyatt has to okay the nomination.

I was not told what criteria they look at to decide which nominees actually advance to Courtesy Members. I was told that this is a very prestigious program and that besides continuing to receive all of the Diamond benefits, you also get upgraded to a suite or the "best room available" at check-in and that you also get the lowest room rate available.

We are waiting for our Courtesy Card to arrive.

peachy3

This has to be the final aspiration for those who love Hyatt! Love the stories, keep em coming =)

goboygo

I found this thread based on finding out this week my level had been elevated to CC, so I have been searching out CC info and that led me to here. I have been reading here for years, but finally joined.

Myself and 3 others who I work with all got Courtesy Card status this week. There are about 10 of us who travel regularly but only 4 of us got it. I called my buddy who is one of the "serge's" for one of the Hawaii properties and he said most of what the others have said. The lady on the Diamond line was very excited and telling me how great this was on and on.

I have been a diamond member for 15 years consecutive. I negotiated rates for groups, scheduled dinners and banquets at the hotel etc. The other 3 that got them have not done anything but make Diamond for 5-7 years now, so the who nominated us question is killing us! One of the lesser fortunate guys in our group called the Diamond line to get info. They told him it is June of each year when they do the nominations. He asked about his account and all the girl told him was maybe next year someone would nominate him.

The only other info I could find out is, it used to be only 500 a year got invited now that number is 2000 supposedly. One thing for sure, it is treated like a secret clubs as alot of the GP folks don't know much about it. We'll see, I am going on travel next week and GP already updated my reservations to reflect the new status. I really would like to know who my "nominatrix" is!

jayer

Bummer. Didn't get it. I've got to be one of the lowest-yield long-term Diamonds ever, but two road trips in the last 10 months cranked up my activity number (the mystical tie-breaker within Diamond they barely admit exists and never really explain) up to something that was really pulling in the suite upgrades. Sounds like I'm now behind another 1500 newly-promoted people proudly dropping a green card on the counter. Better try and keep that Marriott status going after all.

mkxt

Just like some other posters here I've been upgraded from Diamond to CC a few days ago. Considering the spike of activity in this thread, it is not inconceivable that Hyatt may have lowered their threshold requirements for CC and/or widened their ranks. Naturally, if more people are admitted to this level, the perks and their availability must suffer.

So far I've stayed at one Regency property in my new status and the typical CC perks were all there, including a suite upgrade, champagne in the room, and an in-person greeting by the General Manager. Trying to book a room at another property (this time in Tokyo) today, however, I've failed, despite the presumably guaranteed room availability for CC's. This is a striking difference with what I've seen before; Hyatt had been going out of their way to accommodate CC holders in fully booked properties before. In my case, the person I spoke to simply said "we're fully booked" without even trying to help with alternate arrangements (which could include calling neighboring Hyatt's, for one).

In any event, I am hoping that our friends at the Hyatt HQ know what they doing and this will not turn out to be a system glitch of sorts.

Best regards,

mkxt

InJapan

I have stayed at the Tokyo Hyatt's a few times and I am not sure how many days you were trying to get, but if it was a weekend with a short notice, yes probably even for a Courtesy Card holder, rooms are almost impossible during the wedding season in Japan, which seems to be year long, but summer is busy. I have seen wedding after wedding all day long from my room above the chapel, with the extended families possibly spending the night, and the influx of new Asian guests, the suites and regular rooms are harder to come by on a weekend.

Plan way ahead for Chinese New Years, or Japanese Holidays, last time I was there for a big holiday, there were not enough tables (looked like they doubled the amount of tables available) and they were calling guests when a table opened up, it was amazing to see, because of the amount of guests, when most weekdays the place is empty, mostly. However, through it all they replenished the food numerous times, seated as many guests as they could and smiled the entire time.

As for checking on another property, they probably would not even ask, it has to do with not putting you in a position of discomfort. I am not trying to make excuses for anyone, just saying if you did not ask, they probably would not offer. If you ask, they go out of their way to help you.

If you want Hyatt and the hotel you are trying is full there are three in Tokyo, the next step is up or down the cost chain with the highest being the Park as the cost seems to leave a few more rooms available, no lounge, but they give (dia) you a nice continental breakfast in your room.

This doesn’t help mkxt with the lost chance, but it may help some others coming to Japan, I hope you did find a room and were eventually upgraded to your liking

I want to say thanks Vuelos and peteropny for the welcome, appreciate all the info I mine from these pages, invaluable, thank you and everyone that posts here.

JonathanIT

Did you try having the Hyatt CC representative contact the hotel for you?

mkxt

Thank you, InJapan. It was a very sensible commentary. I had called on a very short notice and it was a weekend. I did manage to get an amazing suite at another Hyatt property, though. To answer another poster, the reason I didn't make my reservation through the GP hotline was that the Japanese call center was shut down on Saturday and it was outside of business hours for the US call center.

Also, a general observation as to the qualifying criteria for CC, as discussed earlier in this thread. I don't clock nearly as many days per year as some of the other posters, but I do regularly stay at some of the most expensive Hyatt properties in Europe (PH Moscow, PH Paris, HR London, etc.) at rack rates, which probably makes an above-average margin for the network. Simply looking at the number of days one stays at Hyatt per year, or even the total spend per person, tells you nothing about the profitability of that particular customer from Hyatt's perspective. Therefore, I would not be surprised to see people spending two or three months a year at Hyatt at deeply discounted corporate rates not getting the top status. Frankly, corporate customers are already locked in and often do not need additional stimulation to continue staying with Hyatt.

My 2 cents.

goboygo

I have been a diamond for 15 years consecutive. I always have paid corp rates. I have negotiated my own group rates that have been in place in for 10+years at various Hyatt's. I deal with sales and marketing side of the house alot as well as being a diamond year after year with usually 70 or so nights a year. I know and deal with the Sales and Marketing managers as well as the GM's at these properties. For work, we sponsored events that brought in folks for 2-3 weeks at a time, like 500 people and I would send many to the Hyatt and we would max out my negotiated rates, so the Hotel loved it. Not to mention in 2007 and 2008 when the economy hit the crapper, but my work sent a couple of hundred folks out for 2-3 weeks multiple times during the year, so we were like a shot in the arm to 2 of the Resort's" in a bad time. They even dropped the rate for 08 by 30 bucks.

I think CC is a combination of not only your individual progress or expenditures, but also additional revenue you bring in to Hyatt, but who nominates you is the largest contributor I think. I always organize one or two dinners in the Colony with anywhere from 12-20 people on a usual trip to Honolulu. The Hotel knows me and has for years. And then of course, someone has to nominate you. Now compare that to 2 others of my counterparts who also got the CC this year. They are Diamonds and have been for 10+ years (well one has the other only diamond for 4 years now), but they have done zero other than be a Diamond, but they both are very personable and also have met the managers of the properties, so I am thinking the "who nominates or sponsors your invitation" might be the largest factor in who gets it because I have spent alot more money than the other two of my friends not just as a hotel user but as a conference organizer, dinner organizer etc. and the only common denominator is that we travel together and are Diamonds with vastly differing time of membership.

SeniorChief

goboygo and I are colleagues, travel about the same, more often than not different times, but to the same properties on the same rates. I also have negotiated rates at various properties and steered a lot of business to Hyatt. I however did not get the upgrade to CC. I am at 10 years being Diamond. So to further GBG's point, the nomination is the critical part, kind of verified through discussions with GP customer service.

I have a meeting set up with the Director of Sales at the property I have the largest negotiated room/nights rate with, during negotiations this time I may mention my disappointment with not being upgraded to CC. I am responsible for over 150 room/nights per year with this property, should have counted for something.