Hyatt rolled out several new Gold Passport features to its website today. They’ve also extended an important Diamond elite benefit that was first introduced for one year only in 2015.

Hyatt Diamonds Can Keep Gifting Their Status When They Book Awards for Friends and Family

Hyatt has extended the Diamond “Guest of Honor” benefit. When a Diamond member redeems points for someone else’s award stay, that person will receive Diamond benefits for the stay.

That way Diamond members can treat their family and friends to the same kind of experience with Hyatt that they receive themselves. I love the idea of letting Diamond members give their friends and family the same Hyatt experience that they have, it lets them share their love for the brand in a way they can be proud of. Having a spouse, child, or good friend taken care of I think really reinforces a connection that’s more than transactional.

Basically a Diamond can gift:

• An upgrade, if available
  
• Lounge access or full breakfast if no lounge is available
  
• High speed internet, rather than base-level internet that is free to all guests
  
• Late check-out
  
• Check-in amenity

Welcome chocolates at the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi

Breakfast at the Hyatt Olive8 in Seattle

The benefit was introduced for 2015 only, but has been extended for bookings made through December 30, 2016. Interestingly it wasn’t made ‘permanent’. Hyatt can change its benefits whenever it wishes, and the other benefit introduced at the same time was Guest of Honor — 2 United Club passes for Diamonds — was even added to the Gold Passport terms and conditions.

Either way, it’s good to see this continue. It makes the points of Diamond members, especially Diamonds who gift rooms to friends and family rather than choosing to travel more when they don’t have to, more valuable. It lets a Diamond show friends and family why they’re loyal to the chain.

Of course if Hyatt chooses to eliminate the benefit in the future, members may just return to doing what some did before — a Diamond makes a booking in their own name, adds someone else as second guest on the reservation. That person checks in (the Diamond member is ‘getting in later…’) and gets treated as a Diamond. Some folks do it in order to earn stay and promotion credit for the Diamond member, while providing elite benefits to the guest.