Hyatt Status Guide: Status Levels, Benefits, How To Earn and Requirements
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Written by
Harlan Vaughn
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Edited by
Jasmin Baron, CCC™
Hyatt has over 1,400 hotels spread across 30 brands and 80 countries. You’ll find a Hyatt hotel in most major cities and vacation destinations, typically with excellent locations and amenities. Like other hotel chains, Hyatt has its own loyalty program, called World of Hyatt.
People who like Hyatt tend to be fiercely loyal — and World of Hyatt is a big reason for that. I’ve stayed in Hyatt hotels in Australia, France, Germany and Japan, plus many domestic locations, and can say the hype is worth it. We’ll go over how World of Hyatt works and what makes it a world-class hotel program worth joining.
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What Is Hyatt’s Loyalty Program?
World of Hyatt is Hyatt’s loyalty program — and it’s a rarity. Points are valuable and easy to understand because it’s one of the few programs that still retain a set award chart. That makes it easy to know how many points you’ll need for an award night.
The program is free to join, so you can begin earning World of Hyatt points when you stay at a Hyatt hotel. It’s one of the best hotel loyalty programs.
How Does the Hyatt Loyalty Program Work?
Upon joining the World of Hyatt program, you’ll be a member. This lets you start earning World of Hyatt points on your paid stays. From there, you can climb to an elite status tier by reaching certain numbers of stays or points activity thresholds.
Once you accumulate enough points, you can redeem them for award stays. With World of Hyatt, points add up quickly, and free nights are fairly easy to earn compared with other hotel loyalty programs. Or at least, that’s been my personal experience.
Because it’s free to enroll, you lose nothing by joining. If you have paid Hyatt stays coming up, I’d recommend signing up for the program. Note that Hyatt points expire after 24 months of inactivity.
Hyatt Status Levels and Tiers
Discoverist
The first stop on your status journey is Discoverist. I had trouble remembering the levels until I realized they were in alphabetical order (D, E, G). Maybe that will help you remember, too.
Requirements:
- 10 nights or 25,000 base points
Key benefits:
- Resort fees waived for award stays
- 10% bonus points on eligible purchases
- Premium internet and bottled water at check-in
- 2 p.m. late checkout when available
- Upgrade to a preferred room when available
Explorist
Requirements:
- 30 nights or 50,000 base points
Key benefits are everything above, plus:
- 20% bonus points on eligible purchases
- Guaranteed room availability within 72 hours of your stay
Globalist
Requirements:
- 60 nights or 100,000 points
Key benefits are everything above, plus:
- 30% bonus points on eligible purchases
- 4 p.m. late checkout when available
- Guaranteed room availability within 48 hours of your stay
- Upgrade to a preferred room when available, including standard suites
- Club access or free breakfast
- Free parking on award stays
Milestone Rewards
As you ascend toward a higher status, World of Hyatt also offers milestones along the way.
20 nights or 35,000 base points: Your choice of:
- 2,000 bonus points for a stay at certain Hyatt brands
- Two Club access awards
- $25 FIND experience credit
- Two preferred seat coupons on American Airlines
30 nights or 50,000 base points: Earn a free award night at a Category 1 to 4 hotel, plus your choice of:
- 2,000 bonus points for a stay at certain Hyatt brands
- Two Club access awards
- $25 FIND experience credit
- Two preferred seat coupons on American Airlines
40 nights or 65,000 base points: Earn a Guest of Honor award for up to seven nights of Globalist status, plus your choice of:
- 5,000 bonus points
- Suite upgrade award
- $150 FIND experience credit
- Two Main Cabin Extra seat coupons on American Airlines
50 nights or 80,000 base points: Your choice of:
- 5,000 bonus points
- Two suite upgrade awards
- $150 FIND experience credit
- Two Main Cabin Extra seat coupons on American Airlines
60 nights or 100,000 base points:
- Free award night at a Category 1 to 7 hotel
- Two Guest of Honor awards
- Two suite upgrade awards
- My Hyatt Concierge service
70, 80 and 90 nights: Earn a Guest of Honor award for up to seven nights of Globalist status, plus your choice of:
- 10,000 bonus points
- Suite upgrade award
- $300 FIND experience credit
- American Airlines Gold elite status
100 nights: Earn a free night award at a Category 1 to 7 hotel, plus your choice of:
- 10,000 bonus points
- Suite upgrade award
- Miraval extra night award
- American Airlines Platinum elite status
110, 120, 130 and 140 nights: Earn a Guest of Honor award for up to seven nights of Globalist status, plus your choice of:
- 10,000 bonus points
- Suite upgrade award
- Miraval extra night award
- American Airlines Platinum elite status
150 nights: Earn an ultimate free night award at a Category 1 to 8 hotel, plus your choice of:
- 10,000 bonus points
- Suite upgrade award
- Miraval extra night award
- American Airlines Platinum elite status
How To Earn Points With Hyatt
Paid Hyatt Stays
You’ll earn up to 5 points per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels. If you have elite status, you’ll also earn bonus points on every paid stay. Note that taxes and fees don’t earn points.
Paid Hyatt Amenities
When you dine, get a spa service or book other services at Hyatt hotels, you’ll also earn up to 5 points per dollar. This is in addition to the points you’ll earn on a paid stay.
Hyatt Credit Cards
Chase issues two Hyatt credit cards: one personal and one business card. Both earn World of Hyatt points for everyday spending, with elevated earning for Hyatt hotel stays charged to your card.
The personal version is The World of Hyatt Credit Card, which includes automatic Discoverist elite status and an annual free night award. It’s often considered one of the best hotel credit cards.
FIND Experiences
When you book a FIND Experience, you’ll earn 10 points per dollar, plus any bonuses for your elite tier. Options include private tours, exhibits, classes and more.
Hyatt Partners
Hyatt has partnerships with several airlines, as well as with Avis and Peloton. When you complete qualifying activities, you can earn bonus World of Hyatt points.
Transfer Partners
Hyatt also partners with two transferable points programs. If you have certain Chase credit cards that earn transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can transfer them at a 1:1 ratio directly to World of Hyatt. The same applies to Bilt Rewards, with a 1:1 transfer ratio.
This is an easy and convenient way to top up your World of Hyatt points balance (and one of my favorite ways to get extra World of Hyatt points).
How To Redeem Points With Hyatt
Hyatt Award Stays
Far and away, the best use of World of Hyatt points is for Hyatt award stays. This is where you’ll typically get the most value.
Hyatt stays could include any Hyatt hotel, such as an all-inclusive resort or a wellness resort. With Hyatt’s award chart and easy-to-use calendar function, you can get an idea of how many points you’ll need for an award night.
Points + Cash
If you don’t have enough points to cover an award stay, the Points + Cash option lets you use a combination of points and a cash co-pay. The value here varies, but you can compare the redemption against the cash cost of the stay to get an idea of whether it’s worthwhile.
Room Upgrades
If you want Club access or a premium suite, you can pay for an upgrade with your points.
Hyatt Amenities
At hotels that offer add-on services like dining or spa treatments, you may be able to use your World of Hyatt points to offset the cost.
FIND Experiences
Instead of using cash for a FIND Experience, you can redeem points for an experience instead. Again, be sure to compare the points and cash cost to be sure you’re getting a good deal.
Is Hyatt Status Worth It?
Yes, Hyatt status is absolutely worth it if you’re loyal to the brand — but it takes some planning. Because Hyatt hotels aren’t as prevalent as other hotel chains, you may have to literally go out of your way to find them.
For example, there aren’t any Hyatt hotels in a few places I like to visit, so I settle for other chains. However, if your travels mostly take you to big cities and well-known destinations, you’re likely to find a conveniently-located Hyatt hotel.
The two lowest tiers aren’t anything to write home about, but Globalist is perhaps the most valuable elite status tier of any hotel program. The amenities and recognition are unmatched.
If Hyatt has a presence where you like to go, it’s worth switching your stays to earn Hyatt elite status — and World of Hyatt points are among the most valuable rewards points of any travel loyalty program.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Hyatt Status
What are the Hyatt elite levels?
Hyatt elite levels are Discoverist, Explorist, and Globalist, earned with 10, 30, or 60 qualifying nights or 25,000, 50,000, or 100,000 base points, respectively.
How long does Hyatt Elite status last?
Hyatt says: “When a Member qualifies for elite status, they will receive that elite status after meeting the minimum requirement through February of the second Calendar Year following qualification.” That means if you earn elite status at any time in 2026, you’ll retain it through February 2028.
Do Hyatt elite members get free breakfast?
Only Globalist elite members get free breakfast as a benefit. Some Hyatt hotels come with free breakfast for all guests, regardless of status.
