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Up to 60,000 points
$95
Good to Excellent (670-850)
The World of Hyatt card offers a fast track to Hyatt elite status, an annual free night, and up to 9x points per $1 on Hyatt stays.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card makes your Hyatt stays more rewarding and helps you get coveted World of Hyatt elite status faster. This card is a must-have for any traveler who regularly stays at Hyatt hotels, or even for anyone who’s able to take advantage of the card’s annual free night certificate.
When you factor in all the benefits the World of Hyatt card offers, it’s easy to see why it is one of the best co-branded hotel credit cards on the market.
The World of Hyatt card doesn’t just offer you the ability to earn more World of Hyatt points. You’ll also receive automatic elite status to immediately enhance the benefits you receive on all Hyatt stays, and a clear way to help you achieve higher levels of elite status through card spend.
Plus, you’ll receive travel and purchase protection, a free night certificate on your cardmember anniversary, and the ability to earn another free night certificate after spending $15,000 on the card.
Put simply, if you’re someone who stays in Hyatt hotels often, and is looking to make the most out of these stays by earning more points and reaching higher levels of elite status, the World of Hyatt card would be very worth it to you.
The card’s annual free night certificate is likely one of the benefits that will excite cardholders the most. After all, this benefit alone can easily cover the cost of the card’s $95 annual fee. You can redeem 1 of these certificates each year at any Category 1 to 4 hotel in Hyatt’s portfolio. Certificates are valid for an entire year after they are issued.
While this certificate won’t get you a free night at the most luxurious properties, there are some pretty stellar Hyatt hotels that are Category 4 or lower that can cost upwards of $300 a night.
Hot Tip: Need some ideas of where to redeem your Hyatt free night certificate? We’ve got you covered! You can also earn a second free night certificate when you spend $15,000 on your card each year.
Even though Hyatt Discoverist status is the lowest elite level in the World of Hyatt loyalty program, it will still make your stays with Hyatt more rewarding, especially if you did not have status with Hyatt to begin with.
Hyatt Discoverist comes with perks like:
These benefits can help enhance your Hyatt stays — after all, who doesn’t love late checkouts, bonus points, and room upgrades? Keep in mind that “Preferred Room” upgrades generally just include rooms on a higher floor or with a nicer view.
The World of Hyatt card allows you to spend your way to elite status without ever needing to step foot in a Hyatt hotel.
How is this possible? For starters, all cardholders receive 5 elite night credits at the start of each year. This means you’d need an additional 25 elite nights to reach the Explorist level, and 55 additional elite nights for Globalist, the top level in Hyatt’s program.
In addition, cardholders will earn another 2 elite night credits for every $5,000 they spend on the card. Spending $65,000 would earn you 26 elite night credits, pushing you over the threshold for Explorist status, and spending $140,000 would earn you 56 elite night credits, pushing you over the threshold for Globalist status.
While that is a bit of an extreme example, and would only be suited for those with large levels of annual spending, it does showcase how reaching high levels of Hyatt elite status can be made even easier if you regularly spend on the World of Hyatt card and regularly stay in Hyatt hotels.
Consider a more realistic example where a cardholder spends $15,000 on their World of Hyatt card each year ($1,250 per month) — this would leave them with 11 elite night credits (5 for holding the card plus 6 for the annual spend), plus a second free night certificate, and leaves just 19 elite nights needed from actual stays throughout the year in order to reach Explorist status.
Naturally, if you’re a fan of staying at Hyatt hotels, you’re likely wondering what you can do to earn even more Hyatt points outside of staying at Hyatt hotels. Well, we have you covered! Our dedicated guide breaks down all of the very best ways to help you rack up World of Hyatt points!
It’s no secret that the World of Hyatt program is one of our favorite hotel programs thanks to its strong award chart. However, not every redemption within the program is a great use of your points. Having said all of that, we’ve put together a guide to some of the best ways to redeem your Hyatt points for maximum value.
If you’re not a Hyatt loyalist and prefer Hilton hotels instead, then the Hilton Surpass card is worthy of consideration. The Hilton Surpass card earns 12x points per $1 on Hilton stays, plus 6x points per $1 at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations. You’ll also receive Hilton Gold elite status and 10 annual Priority Pass visits.
If you prefer a card that earns flexible rewards that can be used for both flights and hotel stays, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. It earns 2x Ultimate Reward points per $1 spent on dining and travel, 5x points per $1 on Lyft rides, and flexible redemption options (including transfer partners).
Read more in our head-to-head comparison of the World of Hyatt card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
The information regarding The World of Hyatt Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
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