Rio Las Vegas is transitioning to the Destination Hotels brand, instead of being unattached to a brand. And that makes not a bit of difference to the traveler, except that stays will count as checking the box for the Destination brand as part of earning a category 1 to 4 free night for every 5 different brands a member stays with the chain.
This is not a hotel that plays by brand standards anyway. Stories of how they’ve tried to game elite breakfast benefits to save money are legion. Now they have a new trick.
Rio is publishing that their lowest rates don’t earn Hyatt points, receive Hyatt benefits, or accrue night credit towards status either. And they don’t even disclose this in advance. It is in the confirmation email you receive after you book (which most guests do not read thoroughly). I am confident this is not consistent with current published Hyatt rules, but Rio has shown they play by their own rules.
Rio Hotel Vegas 50% Cyber Sale Rate – not eligible to earn qualifying nights?
byu/diatribalwarfare inhyatt
Rio Las Vegas is running a Cyber Sale.
50% OFF SUITE-SIZED ROOMS
For a limited-time, get 50% off already low room and suite rates at the new Rio Las Vegas.
2-night minimum stay. Book by December 9th. Stay November 19, 2024 through September 8, 2025.
Credit: HoppingRabbit34 via Wikimedia Commons
You can book the Cyber Sale rate right at Hyatt.com.
Here’s a rate of $93 per night including resort fee of $50 per night – $42.50 excluding resort fee, from which Globalists are exempt.
If you book through the property’s website directly, the rate is even lower! It’s just $22.50 per night, excluding resort fee (that a Globalist would not have to pay).
However, they warn you that if you do this you won’t earn with World of Hyatt. And they’d still charge even Globalists the resort fee because they’re ‘ineligible’ for benefits when booking direct.
I don’t think they’ll be able to get away with this as part of the Destination by Hyatt brand. Although I don’t see how they can do this now, since Hyatt’s terms define ineligible rates such as third party online sites and vacation package providers, as well as booking through Mr. and Mr. Smith rather than booking those hotels directly with Hyatt. Booking at a Hyatt property’s own website isn’t considered a third party.
According to the World of Hyatt terms and conditions, any rate you book at Hyatt.com without entering a discount code is an “eligible rate” and therefore earns points and stay credit towards elite status. Period.
An “Eligible Rate” is defined as any room rate for a participating hotel, resort, or other property that is published by Hyatt (including rates found on hyatt.com without the application of a discount code, and Hyatt’s “Standard Rate,” “Volume Account Rates,” “Senior Citizen Rate,” Hyatt Privé rate, the monetary portion of any Points + Cash Award (as defined in Appendix B, and Hyatt friends-and-family discount rates, but excluding rates published by ALG Vacations or by Mr & Mrs Smith (each defined below) unless Hyatt expressly indicates otherwise) or, for Miraval properties, published by Miraval.
Aside even from the violation of Hyatt’s rules (which I’ve shared with Hyatt, but not yet heard back), and the lack of disclosure, the message here is risible: we expect our most loyal guests to pay more. But at that point, why not just sell elite qualifying nights directly and cut out the middle man?
Then again you should not actually stay at the Rio. You should check in there midweek when there’s a great rate when you’re staying in Las Vegas anyway, in order to earn elite night credit, but from all the feedback on this hotel you probably want to actually spend the night somewhere else. Even guests who feel the rooms themselves are fine tend not to enjoy strolling through the property to and from those rooms it seems.
I stayed at the Rio in October for the HLTH conference. Paid $50/night. As a lifetime globalist got early checkin in a nice VIP location. The hotel is a bit of a dump though I got a large and private suite. So-so breakfast (free). Renovations seem to be underway. They charged me the resort fee (which doubled my rate) but my Hyatt Concierge got them to remove it. I would stay there again at that price.
With the proliferation of online betting, why is Vegas still a thing? And, no, prostitution is not actually legal there. There are no beaches. It’s hot as hell. They’re running out of water. It’s definitely not family-friendly. The best national parks are in UT, AZ, and CA, anyway. Let’s just let Vegas go. Allow it to return to desert. It’s for the best. Buh-byyyeee.
Credit card companies sock it to small businesses but Gary Leff, who is a fine writer except when he supports credit card company thugs, gets upset only when a hotel frequent stay program socks it to its members, like in this article. Both are bad.
Looks like Rio keeps trying to play sleazo in terms of honoring Hyatt benefits. Thanks for shining a spotlight on these shenanigans, Gary. Hopefully, Hyatt corporate will put a swift and final end to Rio’s deception and gaming. Unfortunately, isn’t that what casinos are known for?
@ Solucia — I am shocked that this place is associated with a HLTH conference. I stayed there once for a week, and it was like living inside a cigarette. It was disgusting.
I’m staying elsewhere in LV next month, but might book some nights if I need a couple for a Milestone award. As Globalist I can like do so for $30 and get the breakfast. I’ll book through Hyatt in any case.
The brand explorer category doesn’t matter.
Losing Caesars Diamond via Wyndham is more of a problem personally. Future stays likely to be Resorts World.
Gary I think this is similar to the MGM Marriott partnership also…if you book promotional rates through the mlife website they also don’t count towards nights stayed etc…
Not saying I agree with that though
Once again, more proof that the Hyatt grass isn’t greener. Yes, Marriott has problems but Hyatt is increasingly as bad as Marriott. Since they’ve pivoted toward resorts, all-inclusives, and franchised/licensed hotels for growth, everything has been on a free fall.
Suncadia Resort in Washington State, another Destination property, also doesn’t fully participate in WOH. For example, Globalists don’t receive free breakfast.
Penn and Teller appear at the Rio. For their next trick they are going to make all the guests disappear.
@1990 it isn’t hot all year, laws against prostitution are rarely enforced, and there are lots of things to do besides gambling. And it isn’t intended to be family friendly (they actually want people to leave the kiddos at home so you will gamble more).
If you book the free offer of 4 nights, no fees thru the Rio hotel site from the email sent to members.you will not receive any Hyatt nights credits. You have to book thru the Hyatt website to eyeglass hyatt henegit.
To me, the most important thing in this post was mentioned quickly in passing. What is a “discount code” that wouldn’t qualify for an “Eligible Rate”? Is a “Corporate or Group Code” a discount code? Dan publishes his group code and says that people who use it (I’ve never tried) get everything credited normally to them. Is a discount code a “Special Offer Code”? Gary quoted the FAQ correctly, but I have no idea what it means.
this is not new , this was already the case during the summer , only booking via Hyatt.com qualifies….
This is a situation where not even booking on Hyatt.com qualifies for points and stay credit
depends on the rate hidden in the fine print
What a crock of b…………….t
Just another hotel in the Hyatt program which is playing games.
We wish you would expose the Grand Hyatt Bali next, where there isn’t a base room available on points for the entire next year. Yeah right. Oh I see, the rooms are actually listed as King with Garden View, and Hyatt Globalist customer service reps will carefully explain that this must mean there are no base rooms available since these have an upgraded view, hence no rooms on points (at 8k) but only club rooms etc. Nevermind that when you call the hotel and ask which room description is their base room, they respond “well the King room with Garden View”. Then when you ask “so since this is your base room and it is available for a cash booking, why is there no points redemption available for 8k?”
Suddenly they put you on hold and never come back on the line.
But worse, even Globalist customer service will not force the hotel to comply with Hyatt’s T&C, stating simply “we cannot control the hotel’s inventory of rooms…”
Hyatt customer service has gone so far downhill…
@Gary have you not heard back from them about this still? The 3 day advance cancellation period is slowly approaching for me, so want to cancel the reservation if they truly aren’t going to give EQNs for this rate.
@J i received only an explanation for the ineligible rate booked through the rio website – that it is third party operated, and no best rate guarantee because it is for an unrenovated room. no response to ineligible rate booked through hyatt channels
Checked out a few days ago and received zero poi ts and zero eqn’s. Booked directly through hyatt. About to reach out to my concierge to see if I can get my credit.
Looks like the booking page on Hyatt site is now updated to say “Discounted Rate” (the “not eligible…” part is now removed). I went ahead and made a test booking and the confirmation email now says:
“Type of rate
50% OFF VEGAS CYBER SALE
Rate information
Discounted Rate Rate is eligible to earn points and tier credit.”
Does it mean it’s safe to stay again for elite nights purposes?