Is Hyatt Globalist Worth It?

There is no doubt that Hyatt Globalist is the best hotel status out there. I have saved thousands of dollars because of the free breakfast, free parking on Globalist award nights, late checkouts and numerous upgrades. Does that mean Hyatt Globalist status is worth pursuing though? It could be, depending on your situation, but it probably isn't for me any longer. I have been on and off the Hyatt Globalist status train for years now. The amazing Bilt status match brought me back in the fold a few years ago. I decided to jump off the status hamster wheel again, in large part because of one program change. No, it isn't because suite upgrade awards no longer unlock extra award space for online bookings. Although, that is a loss in value for the program and they will now be a lot more difficult to use. It is because of the very positive changes to the Guest of Honor awards.

My Normal Hyatt Year

It is important when deciding whether or not Hyatt Globalist is worth it, or any status for that matter, to base it on you alone. The status in question can be the greatest thing since sliced bread, which Globalist status is, but that doesn't mean it is a great fit for you. You need to consider all of the time, effort and money that you need to put into earning the status. You then need to compare that to the expected value you will receive from said status.

Don't fall into the sticker value of things trap either. Because $150 breakfasts are likely not the norm for your travels. If you didn't have the status it is unlikely that you would eat in the overpriced lobby restaurant, unless you are property locked somewhere. It is more likely that you would head offsite for a local breakfast that is a fraction of the cost. Same could be said for upgrades. Would you pay $250 more for that bigger room? If not, then is it really worth that? These are the things you need to consider when making a status calculation. It is best to be honest with yourself about them too, unless you just want to live a delusional life.

My Normal Yearly Nights

Another consideration is how many stays do you stay organically and how many will you need to earn from spend or status runs. During a normal year I stay around 30 nights in a Hyatt hotel. The rest of the time is split across other brands like Hilton, IHG and Choice, plus the occasional boutique non points hotel option. That leaves me around 30 nights short of Hyatt Globalist status. I could bridge that gap in a couple of different ways. I could force myself to stay in more Hyatt hotels for my trips, even to the point where I let their footprint dictate my travels. Or, I could spend more on their credit cards to fill in the gaps of elite nights. Another option is to mix in some category 1 mattress runs or some cheap stays at Rio in Las Vegas. These are all things to consider along with the perceived value I would receive from Hyatt Globalist status.

Is Spending Towards Hyatt Globalist Worth It?

I am not too interested in letting Hyatt status dictate my travel, so I would need to consider the spend angle to keep my Hyatt Globalist status. To fill out the remaining elite nights I would need to spend $75,000 on my World of Hyatt personal card. If I had the World of Hyatt Business Card that would only require $60,000 in spend. The calculations are different because you earn 2 elite nights every $5,000 in spend on the personal card, but earn 5 elite nights every $10,000 in spend on the business card.

That is a doable amount of spend, but it comes at a cost. I could put that spend towards other welcome offers, or spending offers, and get a better return. I could also put it on a card that earns at a better rate on all of that spend, like my Venture X Business card. Mixing up the cards for that spend would likely net me an additional 1 point, or more depending on the category, per dollar. At least once I get outside of the first $15,000 in spend that earns the free night certificate.

Let's take that $15K in spend off the top and look at that $60,000 worth of spend that I would need to do. This is the opportunity cost I would be looking at depending on how many points I was giving up per dollar

Assuming at 1.5 cents per point valuation:

• 1 point – 1.5% – $900
• 2 points – 3% – $1800
• 3 points – 4.5% – $2700
• 4 points – 6% – $3,600

As you can see, it gets pretty expensive pretty quickly, depending on how many points per dollar you are giving up on average. If that spend would go more towards welcome offers then it would be down towards the bottom of that lineup. Maybe even beyond that if we are talking multiple new cards. If you are just replacing your everyday spend card then it is a much more manageable number. Heck, maybe you have more spend then you know what to do with it and it doesn't really matter much to you at all. These are all things you need to flesh out for yourself though.

My Normal Hyatt Travels

We also need to consider our normal travel trends when deciding if Hyatt Globalist is worth it. Not all of my 30ish nights are at full service properties. We often stay at Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels because the set up offers our family extra space. The lower points totals help my World of Hyatt balance too. When staying at a limited service property Globalist status isn't really worth much at all. Unless you are somewhere that charges parking, a rarity at these hotels, otherwise you are not saving much of anything. There is usually no upgrade to be had and everyone that books directly gets free breakfast.

About half of my nights are without my family too. There are a lot of meet up and work trips mixed into my schedule throughout the year where they are not with me. That lessens the value we get, since there are not multiple people taking advantage of the perks. There are also a lot of nights where I have an early morning flight etc. and I don't get to take full advantage of everything Hyatt Globalist has to offer.

That leaves me with just a handful of trips a year where Hyatt Globalist status really shines and is super helpful. That is a far cry from the 30 elite nights that my account may say. This is why you should consider your travel patterns when deciding on whether or not top tier World of Hyatt status is worth pursuing.

Guest Of Honor Is A Game Changer

The Guest of Honor perk is nothing new with the World of Hyatt program. It has been a beloved part of having Globalist status for many years now. Some may even think it was recently gutted with the program changes a year or so ago. That is because you used to get unlimited Guest of Honor bookings each year, but now you have to earn them at various elite night levels.

Guest Of Honor Positive Changes

I actually think the changes are better for my purposes, as a moocher of Hyatt Globalist status. That is because of the improvements that we did see with the changes. The first, and most important change, is that the giver of the Guest of Honor booking now earns an elite night. This is a great perk of doing your friend a solid. It essentially saves them up to $2,500 in credit card spend each time they give one out, since that is one less night they need to earn. The second positive is that they can now transfer you the Guest of Honor award online. That is so simple and easy, and it no longer requires transferring points from one person to another. They simply forward it to you and you book it yourself via your own account.

With the Guest of Honor awards being more rewarding to give out (because of the elite night credit) and easier to do it (thanks to online capabilities) people are more willing to offer them up. In the past with the need to move the points via the transfer form, and then call in to book, it was such a hassle. It made a lot of people unwilling to even consider it.

Why This Changed My Thoughts On Hyatt Globalist Status

I am lucky to have some friends able and willing to do this for me for the few times a year where status would really make a difference. They get an elite night that gets them that much closer to their next elite night perk, and I get the joys of top tier status. The fact that the whole thing only takes a few seconds really makes it a win win option.

A few beers, or a dinner here and there doesn't hurt the grease the wheels either. I have even done some category one mattress run check ins for others to help the reach the status, which in turn helps me out in the future.

Because of that, and my travel patterns, I just don't think the effort of chasing the other 30 nights make sense for me. If I stayed in luxurious properties more often then it could make more sense. Maybe that will change in the future, but for right now this works for my situation. That is what really looking at how you travel, and how often status actually makes a difference, could be a game changer for you too.

Is Hyatt Globalist Worth It: ToP Thoughts

While Hyatt Globalist is no longer worth it for me, it could be for you. A lot will depend on how many World of Hyatt stays you have organically each year. It will also depend on what type of properties you stay at and how many people are with you. If you are much closer to hitting Globalist status, then the spending gap on your credit card may be a lot more palpable. Just remember to take a bird's eye view of your travels and see if you are adding trips, and nights, at places solely to re-up on your status.

You will also want to crunch the numbers on your expected return. Do it with a realistic eye towards true value and compare it to the effort, money and time required to achieve Globalist once again. Does it still land on the side of good for you? If it does, great! If not, then it might be time to take a hybrid approach with some Guest of Honor awards sprinkled in. Hopefully you have met some friends at a meet up that are willing and able to help you out in a pinch.

Let me know if you are going after World of Hyatt Globalist status next year over in the ToP Facebook Group.