There’s been much electronic ink spilled on Hyatt’s changes to its program that went into effect March 1. Here are the full details.
Perhaps the single most positive benefit for those who are still able to earn top tier elite status now that it requires 60 nights is ‘My Hyatt Concierge’.
Starwood offers an ‘Ambassador’ at 100 nights, and Marriott is testing a similar program. Hyatt offers their version at ‘just’ 60 nights.
Sky Check-in Lobby at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur
The idea is to offer an assigned Hyatt Concierge to members staying 60 or more nights in a year who will assist with all things related to the stay experience such as transfers from the airport, arrival, room requests, food and beverage, and spa. It’s one dedicated point of contact that can learn preferences and address all Hyatt-related issues.
I was grandfathered into an older version of the program that any Diamond used to be able to ask to be a part of (and that is sunsetting). I’ve used it to have someone to handle confirmed suite upgrades, or book a credit card free night or one of the new free nights upon qualifying for Explorist or Globalist status, since it can be easier to do it with a person. And easier still just to shoot off an email. No more dealing with misinformed agents who think that confirmed suites are capacity controlled on cash and points award nights.
This is a new benefit in 2017, and it’s offered when someone hits Globalist this year. For most members they won’t be assigned a Concierge until later in the year — after they’ve qualified for 2018 status.
Bedroom at the Park Hyatt Siem Reap
Hyatt had told me back in February that upon crossing 60 nights, members would receive a welcome notification, and then within 48 hours they’d be contacted by their assigned concierge by email and phone.
That doesn’t appear to be happening. Members hit 60 nights, and they hear nothing at all.
The Forward Cabin tells me that when he reached out to Hyatt after not being contacted by a My Hyatt Concierge despite hitting 60 nights already this year, they let him know he’d have to be patient.
It normally would happen within a week but if we have a lot of people added to the list it should be no more than a month before you are contacted. Hopefully it will be much sooner than that.
Hopefully indeed.
When Hyatt was testing My Hyatt Concierge with a small group of members over the last couple of years they did it with only 4 people working the program. They expected to grow that to 15-20 people worldwide and handling multiple languages.
Either they didn’t scale it as quickly as they’d hoped or they learned that the number of agents they’d need to meet demand was greater than forecast. Because somehow 48 hours became ‘no more than a month’. That’s not the personalized service delivery they promised their most valuable customers.
I haven’t been a Hyatt Diamond for a couple of years but man the wheels seem to be coming off over there…
I used to love that program but since the WoH changeover… just one screw-up after the other…
Thanks very much for the article. I’m about to hit 60 and now I know what to expect – basically nothing.
I’m at 57 nights and about to hit 60 on an upcoming trip to Japan later this week. Very disappointing that I’ll have to wait 30+ days after qualifying in order to be assigned My Hyatt Conceirage. Perhaps Hyatt should smooth things over with a couple extra confirmed suite upgrades or perhaps an extra free night or some points as an apology? Seems like a pretty terrible way to welcome people to Globalist. Ugh. I’m definitely a lot less excited about hitting Globalist now.
People, the trick to being rich is not to be poor.
So please don’t whine because you are not getting good service. The trick to getting good service is to not allow bad service.
Just ask hyatt for the concierge service and you will get an email pretty quick .That’s what i did and 24 hours later I had an email from my personal concierge.
I got mine as soon as I hit 62 nights.
@ Gary — Really? This is a pretty useless benefit.
This post and many of the comments sound like a lot of complaining about how something MIGHT play out. I received my email welcoming me to the My Hyatt Concierge program within just days of reaching the 60-night mark. To be honest though, I don’t see this as a spectacular benefit. I suppose it’ll be nice if plans go sideways, but from a day-to-day perspective, not so much.
I’ve had a private line agent for two years — can’t say they do much of anything. Sure, they can do complex bookings… but never like they surprise me with anything in room or transfer.
I don’t see this being helpful at all. I have used the Twitter team as my personal concierge for the past years. It’s been super-helpful, and there’s a very fast response time, including follow-ups with issues. I think in many ways, Twitter is better than what they are going to offer here.
I’ve been in the program for several years. I’ve been through four personal concierges. Three excellent, one not so much. It is helpful for making complicated changes, redeeming free nights, getting confirmed upgrades and the like. I would call it a nice benefit but certainly not the most important.
I look forward to this benefit. The current globalist line messed up my current reservation in Paris, maybe more experienced staff will do better
Hi Gary,
As someone who has had this for years, I can honestly sat that this is one of the LEAST important benefits. The few times you need it, reservations can do that same, as can the social team, or the hotel itself, in fact 2/3 times I had to get the hotel to get involved and tell Concierge how to do things.
Do you have any contacts at Hyatt? If so, can you maybe find out what they are doing about the real lack of elite benefits. There is no roll-over nights, there is nothing after 100 nights. They are essentially telling their customers to stop staying once they hit the targets.