My Favorite California Hyatt is Now a Category 7

I’ve written before about the Hyatt Carmel Highlands Inn in Carmel, CA. It’s my favorite Hyatt in California and a hotel my whole family enjoys. It also is now a Category 7 property, meaning a night will set you back 30,000 points.

First, I want to express disappointment that Hyatt so poorly communicated this week’s category changes to members. I was never formally notified of the changes and don’t know anyone who was. The changes took effect yesterday.

One hotel went down in price:

The Confidante Hotel Miami Beach (Category 6 to a Category 4)

Eight hotels went up in price:

Hyatt Place Orlando Airport (Category 1 to Category 2)
Hyatt Place Orlando/Lake Mary (Category 1 to Category 2)
Hyatt Place Shenzhen (Category 1 to Category 2)
Hyatt Place St. Paul (Category 1 to Category 2)
Hyatt Place Augusta (Category 2 to Category 3)
Hyatt Place Long Island City/New York City (Category 2 to Category 3)
Hyatt Place Santa Cruz (Category 2 to Category 4)
Hyatt Carmel/Highlands Inn (Category 6 to Category 7)

I’m not all that concerned about any of these changes except for the final one noted above–my favorite hotel in California.

Is a Category 7 rating justified?

First, understand that quality is not necessarily correlated to category level. Were that to be the case, the Hyatt Regency Kathmandu or Park Hyatt Hyderabad would certainly be at least a Category 4 or 5 (they’re both Category 1 properties). More often, category level is correlated to price.

The Hyatt Carmel Highlands Inn is an expensive property. The hotel features only 48 guest rooms and was once a Park Hyatt hotel. While there is only one restaurant and no spa, the hotel’s stunning views and geography make it an in-demand hotel.

a person standing in front of a building

So in terms of quality, no…it’s hardly in the league of some of Hyatt’s finest hotels. But in terms of price…the category classification becomes quite clear.