It’s been rumored quite a bit recently, with some reports that Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond members were being offered 1000 points as their check-in amenity in Asia and in Europe.

But now it’s been officially announced.

Dear MilePoint members,

As a Diamond member you may have recently experienced something new with our Diamond welcome amenity.

What’s new? At Park Hyatt®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt® Hyatt Regency® and Andaz® locations outside the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean, Diamond members now have a choice of welcome amenity. Diamond members can choose either a food and beverage amenity (locally inspired amenity at Andaz hotels) or 1,000 Hyatt Gold Passport® bonus points.

What remains the same? At Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt and Hyatt Regency locations in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean, Diamond members can continue to select a food and beverage welcome amenity or 1,000 Hyatt Gold Passport® bonus points. And, at all Hyatt Place® and HYATT houseTM locations, Diamond members will continue to enjoy a choice of 500 bonus points or in-hotel selection (complimentary beverage at Hyatt Place or $5 credit in the Guest Market at HYATT house).

We sincerely hope you enjoy this new option, and we look forward to welcoming you again soon.

Safe travels,
Hyatt Gold Passport Customer Service

Previously, full service Hyatt properties in Europe and Asia didn’t have to offer points the way that North American properties did.

And as a result — with just a food and beverage amenity to provide — hotels had broad latitude in figuring out what that was.

First, food and beverage was often interpreted as ‘food’. And second, ‘food’ could just be a couple of apples. Sometimes, even, the same apples that they would put into any room.

That’s been my experience more often than not. On the other hand, at the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, I received this:

And this:

.. and a bottle of wine.

So there are soome properties that will give me something potentially worth more than 1000 points.

But sometimes you want food, sometimes you don’t, and the requirement to offering something or points means the hotel doesn’t really saving by choosing to make the food and beverage amenity something worthless.

It gets the incentives right.

So though seemingly a small matter, it’s a nice improvement for Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond members traveling outside the United States. And for non-U.S. members it’s a step towards helping them accumulate Gold Passport points at a rate similar to their US counterparts (although the lack of a Gold Passport points-earning credit card in most markets still leaves non-U.S. folks at a disadvantage).