Despite my bitterness toward Hyatt, reviewing my actual results for the year I decided to return to the brand full force and double down. Oh, the hypocrisy.
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“Do As I Say, Not As I Do”
My parents tried to live out lives that walked the walk and not just talked the talk, but more than once I heard, “do as I say, not as I do”. This frequently comes up when I advise others on their travel questions. “If I fly 100,000 miles/year, should I stick with one carrier or just fly whoever is convenient?” Stick to one carrier I would say. Then I look at my own habits and find I have been splitting a lot of my loyalty. What can I say? I’m human.
In my post two weeks ago I stated I would not seek out Hyatt the rest of the year for re-qualification of my Diamond Globalist status. I lied. Not intentionally of course, but my actions speak louder than my words. That doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for you, in fact, for most travelers (even business travelers) Hyatt is the wrong choice due to their limited footprint and high requirements. But following some analysis and reflection, my tune changed.
Mid-Year Status Evaluation… Surprised Me
I’m happy to admit my own hypocrisy when applicable. In this case, I am being hypocritical in that just two weeks ago I discussed how Hyatt went too far with Globalist requirements and that I wouldn’t focus on the program. Then this last week I doubled down. What changed? Metrics.
I looked at my upgrade numbers from Hyatt compared to Marriott, SPG, and IHG and they simply put me in a nicer room without arm wrestling any time I’m in a full-service hotel. I have also split loyalty this year in some markets where I have decided I won’t next year. The great Marriott/SPG experiment is over for me, and putting 26 nights back in markets where I had a Hyatt option (New Orleans, Houston, Los Angeles, etc.) has run its course. Following an awkward conversation at the Freddies, I don’t trust those people as far as I can throw them – and I haven’t been pumping much iron lately.
The choice to double down and really focus on Hyatt through the end of the year and for 2019 was based on the numbers and the value I am receiving from the chain. It is also coupled with the fact that looking forward, I am choosing as much who my partners are by determining who they aren’t.
Hyatt’s Changes In Aggregate
A lot of really confusing changes came out with the switch from Hyatt Gold Passport (as it was, and is, and forever will be – for me) to World of Hyatt (blech). It was such a dramatic series of overnight changes and the only ones that seemed tangible were the negatives. Breakfast for up to four in your party just became two adults and two kids, but what if you’re a family of four with two in high school? Moving from as few as 25 stays (could have been 25 single night stays) to 60 nights minimum – potentially 240% increase. All of the new benefits seemed intangible, like free upgrades subject to availability at checkin. How well would that be executed? The brand was very vague in communicating that they granted status top-tier guests that had already earned in the previous year as now a benevolent gift and not something earned after all. They also separated the benefits from the status and made qualified guests re-earn their status in order to receive their suite night benefit.
However, as Hyatt began to realize the program had gone too far in pushing elites away from the program, they started to make little changes one at a time.
- Award nights count toward status.
- Double-elite qualifying stays at Andaz properties (17) for July-August.
- New Hyatt credit card with an automatic reduction of 5 nights toward elite status.
Initially, all of the bad news delivered at once left such a terrible taste in my mouth that I soured on the brand and moved them from #1 to #4 in terms of priority in qualification. That seems like an arbitrary thing, but consider that I spent at least 60 nights in Hilton, 25 in SPG and 75 in IHG before putting Hyatt in line and that’s despite the fact that IHG hates their elites.
If Hyatt’s positive changes that arrived one-by-one had instead come along with the bad news when they first rolled out the program, I might have never shuffled the deck. In aggregate, the changes have been good and my suite upgrades better than I realized but taken one at a time were never enough to tip me back to being a fan of Hyatt until I crunched the numbers.
Thinking About 2019 Already
I know, I know, it’s still 2018 and I haven’t re-qualified for this year, next year isn’t what you should focus on. You’re absolutely right, but just indulge me for a moment. I am 34 years old now and on the road an awful lot. I am starting to feel my age, salt and pepper have found their way to my hair. I want to travel comfortably pretty much all the time now and if I should have to qualify for status in a program next year I don’t want to have to rough it in the process.
Next year I anticipate a reduced travel schedule and when I choose where to struggle (like with Hyatt’s limited footprint). At least when I arrive I can stay in comfort. If I focus on SPG/Marriott – whatever they are going to call the new program – I will probably have to battle for an upgrade (even SPG properties made me argue or lied to my face about upgrades this year as a Platinum). If I got the Marriott/SPG whatever card to shortcut my stay requirement from 75 to 60 nights, I am sure it would be a battle every stay and I just don’t have it in me. IHG doesn’t have that fifth gear to make me want to stay in their properties with my family (outside of Kimptons and some Intercontinental Hotels). Hilton, due to carry-over nights is already re-qualified for 2019 – those folks are just awesome.
There’s a book, it has a vulgar title that I won’t spell out here, but you can see it on Amazon, or download it on Audible (this is how I consumed it) that has one clear piece of salient advice.
You’re always going to have a pile of … stuff… to deal with. Whether you’re Justin Bieber that can’t buy a pack of gum in public without someone snapping their photo or a blue collar guy that hates his boss, everyone has their own pile of …stuff… to deal with. The important thing is to find the …stuff… you want to deal with and not focus on a …stuff-free… life. It’s not going to happen.
Applying such a lesson here, while Marriott/SPG have a ton of hotels, I don’t want to have to fight for upgrades at checkin. Their program is too complex with which hotels offer which benefits, and their properties are often more expensive.
I’d just rather deal with Hyatt’s stuff than Marriott/SPG’s and that was my realization following the surprising results of my mid-year status numbers.
I Still Think Hyatt Went Too Far With Globalist Requirements
For most business travelers, my assessment that Hyatt went too far with Globalist requirements hasn’t changed. Requiring 60 nights without a reduction for stays given the limited opportunity to stay in their hotels remains too steep. They require the same amount of nights as Hilton with a footprint 85% smaller and that’s crazy. But, following the publication of the aforementioned two posts I have reconsidered my position a little. They have added some worthy shortcuts to reduce the number back down to a reasonable target, even if it’s still on the high side.
Have you been hypocritical in your loyalty choices? Should I have left Hyatt behind and never went back even after looking at the metrics? How has your experience with Hyatt been?
Before the Hyatt change, I thought they would be my goto as I loved that program after discovering it a few years ago. Then the rules changed and I thought f-them. Further I was happy with spg, and two years away from lifetime platinum so I stayed there.
Subsequently, the spg merger, aspire card for Hilton diamond status, a marginal set of Hyatt improvements, and the Hyatt prive program. Basically all factors working to shift my attention to Hyatt first for annual qualification.
We will see how it goes. Suite upgrades are not a big deal to me on business but a great lounge and full breakfast are key to my having a great stay. Hyatt seems to tic those boxes best now with the Prive program.
Am I missing anything?
Cheers
I think you have carefully evaluated your options, my question is where will you go now?
I can easily do 60 Hyatt nights yearly given I hit major global cities for my work. So I’ll do globalist annually and fill in with spg or Hilton as needed or a compelling value presents itself.
Hyatt is recognizing something I have long believed – treating a Hyatt Place similar to a Park Hyatt is silly. The 2x value at Andaz is hopefully a test run to fix this issue. Similarly for Conrad/Waldorf vs Harden inn. StRegis/Ritz vs Fairfield. If they are smart they will incrementally increase the value proposition to high end stays – higher stay value maybe 1.5 nights credit per night and the Prive program would be a powerful mix.
I hope you’re right but they should expand it beyond a brand that has just 17 hotels of their 700+ worldwide. Outside of West Hollywood, Hawaii, and New York, there are just 13 hotels for which you can receive double night credit and that’s just not realistic for many travelers.
Well I hope they roll out to all premium brand. Just thinking this is a test run. With Andaz it’s perfect to see how this might affect behavior on a limited scale.
But would be a power move if they did.
…and it would focus spending where they want it. Adding Park Hyatt properties to the fold would triple the options for travelers to accumulate double-elite qualifying nights and light up the map, as it stands, there are as many properties eligible in the US as there are in all of Asia and the numbers are just too limited to be impactful.
Where you and I will have to forever agree to disagree is that suite upgrades, which seem to be the primary metric you focus on, justify the mattress running and paying the Hyatt premium in general that causes you to unnecessarily spend $1,200-1,500 a year (by your own admission) to maintain loyalty to the brand. To each his own. But even if I traveled enough to acquire top tier status somewhere, I can think of a lot of better things to do with that much cash in exchange for “settling” for a base room and running to Starbucks for my $7 breakfast at another chain.
I would argue that most business traveler loyalty is driven by two factors, one sometimes outweighing the other. Those two factors are: ease of use during business trips, and value of redemption for leisure. Where I struggle with Hyatt is that their hotels are not often located where I need to be for business trips. If I visit a client in Cleveland, it’s not downtown typically so the one Hyatt Regency they have in the city isn’t convenient (the other two are spread out farther afield in suburbs) but… my family loves confirming suites in high-end properties for vacations. Of the two factors, the latter is most important to me. Therefore, it remains a constant struggle to secure the nights I need. Breakfast is a nice perk on vacation (Lucy loves pancakes) but not on a business trip usually.
Regardless of their much smaller footprint, the Hyatt points go a lot further than Marriott and the other major brands when it comes to either a basic room or a suite. I have found this to especially apply when comparing high-end hotels and resorts overseas – Hyatt rules in my opinion.
No doubt about that… as long as you can find one of their properties.
I pointed to Bangkok in an earlier comment so I will return to that. We really enjoyed the Grand Hyatt Erawan, but value for money – it was really expensive for a dated hotel when new five star hotels are everywhere for (in some cases) half price. [NOTE: Hyatt has since opened two more properties, a Park and a Place with a Regency coming soon] Want to go to Hanoi? You’ll be in another chain. Barcelona? out of luck. Rome? Try SPG. It’s not that Hyatt isn’t great, it’s that it’s sparse. That’s what makes it so difficult to qualify with their absurdly high requirements. That being said, I have admittedly relented and will focus on the program in 2018/19.
I have to say that I’ve been a loyal Hilton Honors (currently Diamond) member for almost 20 years. What drove me back me over to Hyatt all these years later was disgust for the condition of some of the assorted Hilton properties. Ib some cities I visit repetitively no good Hilton Family options. Hamptons don’t even exist anymore as far as I am concerned as all rooms are sprayed daily with toxic Febreze. So I gave myself a 2nd option and the quality of the accomadations and the level of service has been a breath of fresh air at Hyatt. So what if I’m only a 2nd tier “ist”. I can do without the free breakfast.
I think at this point Hilton & Marriott just have too many properties. It’s unwieldy. So Hyatt is a good example of why smaller is sometimes just better.
I agree that you are more likely to find a dated and struggling Hampton Inn than a Hyatt Place. But then again, you’re lucky to find a Hyatt at all compared with the ubiquity of Hampton Inn properties. Consider for a moment that there are more Hampton Inns, 300% more in fact, than all of the Hyatts in the world of any branding. If I conservatively estimate (I can’t find a firm number) that there are 300 Hyatt Place properties (almost half the brand portfolio) then there are more than 7x Hampton Inn properties in the world and certainly, some of those are going to be lacking.
Loyalty is about personal experience and in your personal experience with Hilton, it seems like you have not had the best experience. Mine has been different, though we agree that Hyatt is across the board, superior.
Have any of you thought about the desire to reach the lifetime globalist status? I’m not sure why you would want to switch between the highest tiers of multiple programs when you can accumulate a ton of free nights at one accruing the associated bonuses while doing so. I’m already at 85 nights with Hyatt this year and I will continue at the same clip through December and beyond.
I find Hyatt to be the most friendly chain I have stayed with. I used my points last year to year my family to a weekend at the Park Hyatt Huntington Beach, and that stay coincided with me reaching globalist again after a break for a couple of years. As you said on your article, award nights count towards globalist status.
I was greeted with champagne for me and my family at check-in, food and gifts in our room, and a “congratulations on reaching globalist, Mr B” from every staff member I interacted with that weekend. I have been with Hyatt since 97 and I feel my loyalty has been rewarded. No other chain does the same.
All experience is relative to the person experiencing it. It sounds like we are both on the road about the same amount of time in a given year, however, you are traveling to cities with Hyatts and I am traveling to cities with limited Hyatt footprints. It would be utterly impossible for me to complete 160 nights in Hyatts throughout the year, though that is close to how many nights I will spend away from home. If you frequent cities that have Hyatts, and don’t mind the premium where they don’t have many Hyatts (Bangkok was notoriously overpriced for the market until they opened additional properties) then throwing the extra nights in probably makes sense. For me, their properties and my destinations simply don’t align often enough, or budget (mine or my company’s) comes into play. I’d love to be able to stay in Hyatts all the time but they just do not have enough of them. It makes it a struggle.
Not to mention that the point of status is to experience those benefits you earn from it. Unless you can earn top-tier in multiple programs, you are better off maxing out one chain and using credit card mid-tier status for the rest of them. Whether Hyatt is the best choice for that one chain depends on your travel pattern.