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When I first started in the miles and points world back in 2013, I didn’t really pay much attention to hotel elite status. Since my job doesn’t entail a lot of travel on my employer’s dime, I thought it would be impossible to rack up enough miles, nights, and stays to really get any kind of meaningful perks from elite status.
However, I’ve now seen some of the benefits of hotel elite status, particularly in the World of Hyatt program. Read on to learn more about Hyatt’s Globalist status — and why Hyatt Globalist status is one of the top hotel membership tiers you can earn.
How to earn and maintain Hyatt Globalist status
Hyatt introduced a new loyalty program called World of Hyatt back in March of 2017. It included the current tiers:
- Member: Automatic upon signing up for the program
- Discoverist: Earned after 10 qualifying nights; earning 25,000 base points; or holding three qualifying meetings/events in a year
- Explorist: Earned after 30 qualifying nights; earning 50,000 base points; or holding 10 qualifying meetings/events in a year
- Globalist: Earned after 60 qualifying nights; earning 100,000 base points; or holding 20 qualifying meetings/events in a year
Though you can qualify for Hyatt elite status by holding meetings in Hyatt hotels, a qualifying meeting is one that has at least 10 paid guest rooms, the rental of a conference room, or paying for catering, so I think this is a pretty unlikely way to get Hyatt Globalist status.
If you already have Hyatt Globalist status in 2019 and want to maintain it, you only need 55 qualifying nights to requalify. Starting in 2020, you’ll need 60 nights or 100,000 base points to qualify for Hyatt Globalist status, regardless of whether you’re requalifying or qualifying for the first time.
When you qualify for Hyatt Globalist status (or any elite status with Hyatt), that status is good for the rest of that year, the entire next year, and through February of the following year. So, status earned any time in 2019 will be good through February 2021.
You can also earn Lifetime Hyatt Globalist status if you rack up 1,000,000 Base Points over the course of your membership.
8 Hyatt Globalist benefits that make it so valuable
A recent FinanceBuzz study found that the three hotel perks that travelers are most interested in were free breakfast, free Wi-fi, and room upgrades — and Hyatt Globalist status can get you all three.
Hyatt Globalist benefits also include guaranteed hotel availability, a dedicated reservation line, savings at Exhale spas, and a daily bottle of water.
But those aren’t all the perks you’ll get. Take a look at these valuable Hyatt Globalist benefits and see how they can help you pay less for your next hotel stay.
1. Club lounge access or free breakfast
This has probably been my most used Hyatt Globalist benefit — Hyatt Globalist members get access to the Club lounge (if the hotel has one) or complimentary breakfast for up to two adults and two children if there isn’t a lounge.
If you’re not familiar with Hyatt’s Club or Executive lounges, it’s something that’s offered in most midscale and upscale Hyatt hotels and usually comes with complimentary breakfast, evening hors d'oeuvres, and small snacks and drinks throughout the day.
2. Waived resort and parking fees
Resort fees are becoming more and more prevalent at hotels, and they add to the cost of your stay. However, as a Hyatt Globalist, you don’t have to pay resort fees on award stays.
Similarly, Hyatt Globalist members receive free parking on award stays at locations where parking can be charged to your room.
3. Extra points on stays
Hyatt Globalist members get a 30% bonus on all base points earned, so instead of five points per $1 spent, you could get 6.5 points per $1. Note that the extra points you earn are bonus points, not base points; you still only earn five base points per $1 spent on qualifying purchases.
4. Room upgrades
As a Globalist member, you get room upgrades at check-in based on availability, up to and including standard suites.
5. Guaranteed suite upgrades
If you don’t want to count on an upgrade at check-in, Hyatt Globalist members receive four guaranteed suite upgrades that you can use at the time of reservation. So, after paying a qualifying rate for a regular room (unfortunately, award stays are not eligible for suite upgrades), you can use a suite upgrade to stay in a better room.
Each of your four suite upgrades can be used for up to seven nights, meaning you potentially have 28 nights guaranteed in a suite.
6. Late check-out and early check-in
As a Hyatt Globalist member, you’re eligible for early check-in (12 p.m.) as well as late check-out (4 p.m. at most hotels), subject to availability.
7. A dedicated Hyatt Concierge
In addition to a dedicated Globalist reservation line, Globalist members also have a dedicated Hyatt Concierge to assist with reservations and personalized service. While most of the time, I find making reservations myself isn’t too onerous, having a dedicated concierge can be a lifesaver when there are unexpected problems with a stay.
8. Free nights
Hyatt Globalist members get one free night at a Category 1-7 hotel and one free night at a Category 1-4 hotel each year. The free night awards are valid for 180 days from the date they’re issued.
How to earn World of Hyatt Globalist status faster
There are a few ways to get Hyatt Globalist status. First of all, remember that the official requirements say you need 60 qualifying nights; 100,000 base points; or 20 qualifying meetings.
But there are a few ways that you can get Hyatt Globalist status faster.
Rack up stays using your points
First of all, remember that award stays count as qualifying nights, and a Category 1 award stay is only 5,000 World of Hyatt points per night. So, if you have a lot of Hyatt points, this can be an option for some of your stays.
If you have a lot of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, remember that Chase points can be transferred to Hyatt at a 1:1 rate, so that’s another easy source of Hyatt points you can use for free stays.
Consider the World of Hyatt Credit Card
If you're trying to qualify for Hyatt Globalist status, you should consider getting the World of Hyatt Credit Card. It's one of the best hotel credit cards for this purpose, where you get five qualifying nights each year and two qualifying nights for every $5,000 you spend on the card. That means it’s one of the few hotel membership tiers that you can get literally without spending a single night in a hotel!
Now granted, if you wanted to earn Hyatt Globalist status solely from spend on the credit card, you’d need to spend more than $100,000 in a year, which is likely out of reach for most people. A more-likely scenario is that the free qualifying nights you can get from the credit card might help you get those last few nights you need at the end of the year to hit your next membership tier.
Bottom line
Hyatt Globalist is one of the best top-tier hotel statuses out there, and the Globalist benefits are easily worth thousands of dollars each year. If you’re a frequent Hyatt customer, one of the best travel credit cards to help you qualify is the World Hyatt Credit Card. When you reach your goal, Globalist benefits can help you get extra perks and hotel stays for free.
Big bonus points on Hyatt stays
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The World of Hyatt Credit Card
Current Offer
Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points: earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening, plus up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent
Annual Fee
$95
Rewards Rate
up to 9X points at Hyatt (4 bonus points per $1 on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels plus up to 5 base points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member); 2X points on restaurants, airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships; and 1X points on all other purchases