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Two years ago when there was speculation about a new Hyatt co-brand credit card, we got World of Hyatt Business Credit Card.
The key value proposition, to me, is that spend on this card can earn credit towards elite status 25% faster than The World Of Hyatt Credit Card. With the co-brand small business World of Hyatt Business Credit Card you earn 5 Tier-Qualifying night credits toward status and Milestone rewards for every $10,000 you spend in a calendar year.
The other possibility that was speculated two falls ago was a premium Hyatt credit card. And that’s back on the table, as a survey of possible benefits reveals. Some of the things under consideration appear to be:
- Earning: 5x earn at Hyatt properties (versus 4 points per dollar with existing cards). 3x earn on your top 2 spend categories (I like this, much more valuable than the current 2x in your top three spend categories each quarter through 12/31/24 on the business product)
- Statement credits: A variety of statement credits on Hyatt spend; Hyatt all-inclusive spend; FIND experiences (these latter two are significantly less valuable to me, and likely to promote breakage so less costly to offer) as well as statement credits for food and beverage spend at Hyatt properties as well as fitness memberships (the Hyatt personal card bonuses fitness spend and aligns with the brand’s wellness focus)
- Elite status: Automatic Explorist status or potentially Explorist for a year and then Discoverist like the current card. (Meh. Hyatt’s Explorist level is weak, value is only at the Globalist level.)
10 elite qualifying nights for having the card (instead of 5 annually, as with the current consumer card) plus 3 more for every $7,500 spend (this is not an improvement, since currently the consumer offers 2 for every $5,000 spend, and isn’t as good as the small business card at 5 per $10,000 spend).
- Annual free nights: Annual free category 1 – 5 free night, versus the current category 1-4, frankly the current card’s free night should be improved due to category inflation since it was announced.
Also an additional free night after $25,000 in spend, versus $15,000 spend with the current card, so not really an improvement.
Anniversary free nights could be gifted, or extended after $25,000 spend or by redeeming 5,000 points. For me these sometimes expire and I convert them to points, since on personal trips with family I want a suite and these cannot be used in conjunction with confirmed suite upgrades like points redemptions can.
Potentially combine two category 1-4 free nights for a single free night at a higher category property (potentially up to category 6, or category 8) or top off with points to a higher category.
- Discounts: Buy one get one free night once annually or restricted to all-inclusives; Pay 3 get 4 nights rate at all-inclusive resorts
- Improved milestone rewards: double value at the 70, 80, 90, 100 night levels where you currently choose 10,000 points or a single confirmed suite upgrade you’d get twice as much.
- Annual Fee: potentially $250, $350, or $450
The only premium hotel card where the current value proposition is obvious for chain loyalists is the Hilton card. I dropped my Bonvoy Brilliant Amex over the weekend given the increased annual fee, that the statement credits switched from $300 at Marriott to a monthly restaurant credit, and since I have lifetime Platinum status anyway and so that key benefit offers me no incremental value.
I’d probably consider this card for the doubled milestone rewards, if the statement credits were valuable enough to cover the annual fee. And once I had the card I’d use it for my Hyatt spend, and perhaps for 3x focused on spend not bonused by other cards as well. Overall though the surveyed offerings don’t seem substantially better than current co-brand offerings.
“For me these sometimes expire and I convert them to points”
Now that pandemic breaks are gone, I don’t think Chase-granted free nights can be extended or converted to points, even for Globalists. I think that only applies to free nights earned via EQN count.
Ultra weak sauce, looks like Hyatt is trying to pull off a Bonvoy. This card would just dissuade Hyatt loyalists from the brand.
I was once a huge Hyatt fan back in the day
However when the Hilton premium Amex CC offers a far more generous value proposition you know for certain the little program that should simply didn’t or doesn’t
Hyatt redemption rates are now the highest in their history granted matching most of the other programs
No more exceptional value or rarely especially in the US
Suite upgrades far more difficult to obtain. After earning globalist status
the free night expires in just months compared to a full year at Hilton
Worse unlike Hilton the Hyatt award is capped denying you to use it in the property you wish
Hyatt is now a shadow of its former self and I continue to do less than half the business we used to and they continue to be inflexible in many ways even to their best customers
So far this new so called premium card has me yawning much like the Hyatt Visa business card.I want card that makes good sense not one I apply for to grab another sign up bonus and like a dog bury the bone or in this case their meager credit card
I had the survey. They showed 3 potential Hyatt cards and you picked one you liked the best. They it compared your pick against the top Marriott, Hilton, and Sapphire Res card. I picked Sapphire Res. This went on for about 10 iterations on Hyatt cards.
With more hotels flat-out refusing to honor elite benefits, it makes zero sense to pay to achieve status. And that includes higher fees for premium cards, or whatever additional spend might be required.
Hilton cards do not compare in general:
Their point to ratio doesn’t match other hotel cards.
(the a look at how many points you get for an IHG card, what the annual fee is, and how many points you need for a free night: It’s half the points for a same-priced room).
Someone please correct me and tell me that I am wrong about Hilton cards !
The current Hyatt Biz card is not worth it, as there’s no annual free night,
which makes the annual fee for the card way too high.
The personal Hyatt card is worth it: free night, and lower annual fee;
only drawback: free night is only up to Cat 4 (so no Grand Hyatt SFO :-(.
If Hyatt/Chase issue a card that brings the free night up to Cat 5, I am in, even for a higher annual fee.
Hilton cards do not compare in general:
Their point to $ ratio doesn’t match other hotel cards.
(the a look at how many points you get for an IHG card, what the annual fee is, and how many points you need for a free night: It’s half the points for a same-priced room).
Someone please correct me and tell me that I am wrong about Hilton cards !
The current Hyatt Biz card is not worth it, as there’s no annual free night,
which makes the annual fee for the card way too high.
The personal Hyatt card is worth it: free night, and lower annual fee;
only drawback: free night is only up to Cat 4 (so no Grand Hyatt SFO :-(.
If Hyatt/Chase issue a card that brings the free night up to Cat 5, I am in, even for a higher annual fee.
Hilton cards do not compare in general:
Their point to $ ratio doesn’t match other hotel cards.
Take a look at how many points you get for an IHG card, what the annual fee is, and how many points you need for a free night: It’s half the points for a same-priced room, compared to the Hilton points you would need !
In other words: A 150K points bonus for a Hilton card with a $450 fee gets you 3 free nights.
A 150K points bonus for an IHG card with a $99 fee easily gets you 6 or 7 free nights,
and we are talking about the same class and price of room.
I do not get the hype about Hilton cards …
Someone please correct me and tell me that I am wrong about Hilton cards !
The current Hyatt Biz card is not worth it, as there’s no annual free night,
which makes the annual fee for the card way too high.
The personal Hyatt card is worth it: free night, and lower annual fee;
only drawback: free night is only up to Cat 4 (so no Grand Hyatt SFO :-(.
If Hyatt/Chase issue a card that brings the free night up to Cat 5, I am in, even for a higher annual fee.
When somebody gonna figure out what to do with these Regency Club Awards. I haven’t used one in 10 years. If they could give me the same points it would cost for club awards I would get the new card. I hate that milestone benefit. It’s like steak for vegetarian.