A year ago Hyatt introduced a new highest-priced category 8 to their award chart. The most expensive room in the system had been 30,000 points. Category 8 would be 40,000 points.

Hyatt promised that category 8 was just for special ‘SLH Hotels’ they were bringing into the program. SLH Hotels aren’t Hyatt hotels, they’re a set of properties they drive business to and allow members to redeem for. My sense was they might be paying SLH properties more for redemptions than they pay to their own Hyatt properties, and needed to offset that cost with higher points prices.

I also said, though, that once category 8 existed we’d start to see other hotels at that price. I predicted it would be ‘just a few’ hotels that are ‘very special.’ Hyatt has just announced that is happening as they add more Destination Hotels properties into the World of Hyatt program.

A year ago Hyatt announced its acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality and the Thompson, Joie de Vivre, Alila, and Destination brands (along with the nascent tommie brand). Destination Hotels started joining Hyatt August 20th.

Now Hyatt is sharing that,

• There are two more waves of Destination Hotels joining November 5 and November 12
  
• They’re adding Residence (timeshare) properties to the program
  
• Timeshare properties are usually designed as extended stay and as limited service. Elite upgrade, late check-out, guaranteed availability and breakfast benefits aren’t honored at all of them.
  
• Some properties are ‘earn only’ no redemptions permitted
  
• Five Destination Hotels will be category 8 – the first hotels within Hyatt’s own portfolio priced at category 8.

Credit: Kaanapali Alii

I don’t have an issue with limited-participation hotels, and it makes sense for timeshare hotels not to offer complimentary breakfast as an elite benefit. Late checkout is subject to availability, asis standard for resorts. I’m not sure the logic in refusing upgrades. However it’s not really fair to say that Hyatt is growing and delivering more value to members by adding hotels where redemption is not possible.

And I think we can assume that moving five Destination Hotels into category 8 is just the beginning. We’ll eventually see more at the inflated 40,000 points per night level.

Here’s the list of Destination Hotels, along with join dates and category (if redemption is permitted) and whether full elite benefits are honored:

Are you excited about any of the new Hyatt ski or Hawaiian Destination Hotels properties?