World of Hyatt properties globally boast some of the most well-known customer service and consistent brand expectations around the world out of any chain you can find. While you will find that Hyatt does not have the property volume of chains such as Marriott or Hilton, they DID just open their 1,000th hotel on March 16th, 2021. Hyatt however, more than makes up for volume with the quality of unique properties that set themselves apart from the rest of the hotel world. One of our favorites being the Hyatt Miraval or Hyatt Ziva properties. In this basic guide, we show you how to earn and maintain World of Hyatt’s status at each of its four levels.
In this Basic Guide:
- Program Introduction
- World of Hyatt Status Levels
- Member
- Discoverist
- Explorist
- Globalist
- Best World of Hyatt Status Perks
- Guest of Honor
- Club Lounge / Breakfast
- Milestone Rewards
- How to Earn Hyatt Status without Ever Staying at a Hotel
What is the World of Hyatt Program?
World of Hyatt is a loyalty program designed to help travelers earn credit for stays, through World of Hyatt points. When I traveled sparingly, I rarely used to sign up for each individual hotel program that I was staying at. Gone are those days, and I make sure to sign up for every loyalty program I can get my hands on. World of Hyatt is made up of well-known names such as Park Hyatt, Andaz, Grand Hyatt, and Hyatt Regency. They also include all-inclusive properties such as Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, and Miraval.
Within these loyalty programs, even the most basic of benefits generally include free WiFi, and resort fee waivers etc.
Basic Pro Tip ~ There are many ways to earn World of Hyatt points outside of just pure hotel stays. Learn the ins and outs of earning in our Basic Guide to Earning World of Hyatt Points
Something rather unique about the World of Hyatt program is that you really only see the best benefits at the top-level status. This is a little different from other chains like Marriott Bonvoy, for instance where you can enjoy free breakfast and lounge access at a mid-tier status. For this reason, WOH is consistently the top valued chain in terms of points redemption.
World of Hyatt Status Levels
There are four levels of Hyatt: Member, Discoverist, Explorist, and Globalist. All new account holders will automatically be at the ‘Member’ level. Below we break down each status level and the applicable perks.
NOTE: 2021 Status Requirements have been temporarily reduced due to COVID. Read up on these New Hyatt Elite Status Requirements for 2021 especially if this is the year you were thinking about making a run at elite status. It might not ever be any easier than this! In 2021, you can earn the highest (and perhaps best top-tier status in hotels for only 30 nights!
World of Hyatt Member – 0 Nights
World of Hyatt is your basic membership just for signing up. Don’t forget that booking through a 3rd party site will not entitle you to these benefits. I always shop rates for booking directly with a hotel vs third-party companies. Remember you can always try to call the hotel and see if they will price match a rate you found. Perks you get for being a World of Hyatt member include:
- 5x points at Hyatt hotels
- 10x base points on eligible Exhale spending
- Waived resort fees on award nights
- Match to M life rewards Sapphire status (MGM status)
- Small Luxury Hotels benefits (free breakfast, upgrades when available, etc.)
Hyatt Discoverist – 10 to 30 Nights / Year or 25,000 Points
Discoverist is the first true earned status in the Hyatt portfolio. This status can be earned once you have spent 10 qualifying nights at a World of Hyatt hotel or have 25,000 base points available. If you have the World of Hyatt Credit Card, you will receive this status automatically as long as the card is open. Being part of the Discoverist membership gives you 5 base points per $1 spent plus 10 percent bonus points on eligible purchases. You will also earn expedited check-in, member rates, waived resort fees, and more.
Hyatt Discoverist members get all of the Member benefits above plus:
- 10% bonus on base points earned at Hyatt hotels
- Match to M life Pearl status (MGM status)
- Elite check-in
- Free bottled water (daily)
- Free premium internet (where available)
- 2 p.m. late checkout (when available)
- Earn one Hyatt points per dollar spent with American Airlines
Hyatt Explorist Status – 30 Nights or 50,000 Points
Adding onto the Discoverist tier, your next tier is Explorist. Explorist members can actually enjoy a status in perpetuity by leveraging the M Life Status match, and repeat this year over year. This would get you M Life Gold status.
Explorist members get all of the Discoverist benefits above plus:
- 20% bonus on base points earned at Hyatt hotels
- 10x points at Exhale, plus a Week of Wellbeing
- Match to M life Gold status (MGM status)
- Room upgrades, excluding suites and rooms with lounge access
- 72-hour guaranteed availability
Hyatt Globalist Status – 60 Nights or 100,000 Points
The highest tier of World of Hyatt comes with some incredible perks. The Globalist status truly sets itself apart from other hotel chains high tier status by saving all of the best benefits for the top. Below you can see the total list of benefits, but one of the most surprising ones you don’t see often is waved valet parking fees. This can bring some serious cost savings in major cities, especially on long-term stays!
Globalist members get all of the Explorist benefits above plus:
- All the benefits of Explorist status
- 30% bonus on base points earned at Hyatt hotels
- Resort fees waived on award nights and on eligible rates
- 10x points at Exhale, plus a Week of Wellbeing and free classes when paying an eligible rate at any Hyatt hotel
- Match to M life Gold status (MGM status)
- Room upgrades, including standard suites
- 4 p.m. late checkout (when available)
- 48-hour guaranteed availability
- Free breakfast or club access (up to two adults and two children per room)
- Free parking on award nights (as long as the parking can be charged to your room)
- Priority access to available rooms when checking in early
- Guest of Honor (share your Globalist benefits with others on award nights)
Best Perks from the World of Hyatt Program
1) Guest of Honor (Globalist)
The Guest of Honor perk for Globalist members is the most interesting and in my opinion most unique across any brand. This allows you to basically “gift” Globalist status for their stay when you are paying with award points. They will receive all the same benefits as a globalist normally would. You can also have points transferred to you if they are willing to reimburse you.
2) Club Access / Breakfast (Globalist)
Up to two adults and two children can enjoy the perk of having either the free breakfast (if no club lounge) or club lounge access which offers multiple offerings per day including breakfast, hors d’oeurves, and a light dinner. Lounge access generally includes complimentary alcoholic beverages as well. Higher-end properties like those that are in Tokyo, for instance, can really add up on breakfast fees so this is an amazing benefit!
3) Milestone Rewards (All Tiers)
Milestone rewards are not linked to any elite status tier, which means anyone can earn them based on the number of qualifying nights they stay or the base points they earn. As you achieve certain milestones within each status tier, you’ll earn extra perks that add a lot of value to the World of Hyatt program. However, you’ll have to complete each eligible activity within one calendar year in order to earn the associated milestone rewards benefit.
Milestone rewards start when you reach 20 qualifying nights, and then you get another one after every 10 qualifying nights (up to 100). Here’s a chart that shows you the rewards you can get for each milestone:
Bonus with the World of Hyatt Credit Card, right now you can earn 2 qualifying nights for every $5,000 spend. This means you can earn your Milestone Rewards even faster.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card
The World of Hyatt Credit Card
How to Earn World of Hyatt Status without Staying at a Hotel
The easiest way to earn status in my opinion is via the Chase co-branded credit cards. You can earn Discoverist status, in the form of 30,000 points when you open the card. This status will remain in perpetuity as long as the card is open and active.
This makes Hyatt’s elite status easier to earn when compared to actual “in bed” hotel stays. Keep this in mind as you consider how many stays you’ll need to gain your desired Hyatt elite status tier.
You also can get bonus points based on spending categories. Below is the full spending category breakdown and how you can earn bonus points towards your next redemption.
9 points total per $1 spent for Hyatt stays and experiences including restaurants and spas. That’s:
- 4 Bonus Points per $1 you spend with your card
- 5 Base Points per $1 you can earn as a World of Hyatt member
2 Bonus Points per $1 spent for getting around with local transit and commuting
2 Bonus Points per $1 spent for dining out at restaurants, cafes and coffee shops
2 Bonus Points per $1 spent for taking off with flights purchased directly from the airline
2 Bonus Points per $1 spent for staying healthy with fitness club and gym memberships
1 Bonus Point per $1 spent for wherever life takes you
The World of Hyatt Credit Card
The World of Hyatt Credit Card
Basic Breakdown
World of Hyatt is a very popular chain amongst points and miles travelers for good reason. However, due to the limited footprint it offers globally, it might not be the absolute option for you if you are a frequent traveler, and need a lot of location choices. If you do pursue it, you are sure to be rewarded with excellent customer service and consistent brand loyalty.
Let us know! Do you have a favorite part of the Hyatt program? I’d love to hear from you down in the comments or over in the 4,700+ Member Basic Travel Facebook Group!
