Hyatt Club Access Awards
There is no doubt that the Hyatt club access awards have been the redheaded step child of the World of Hyatt program over the years. That was true even before covid, when so many Hyatt hotels shut down their club lounges – never to be reopened. They were so worthless to Globalists at the time, who automatically get lounge access from their status, that Hyatt was actually giving points for unused certs at one point. With all of that, how could I say they are now more valuable then ever – especially for Globalists? Recent World of Hyatt program changes have made it so. Let me explain.
Hyatt Club Access Awards Details
You earn Hyatt club access awards based on how many elite nights you have each year in the World of Hyatt program. That could be elite nights earned from paid stays, award stays, credit card spend or from holding the World of Hyatt card. You can choose Hyatt club access awards at the following World of Hyatt milestone reward levels:
- 2 club access awards at 20 elite nights
- 2 more club access awards at 30 elite nights
You have to select them instead of 2,000 points on your next award stay, or a $25 FIND experience credit. In Ben's breakdown of the most valuable Hyatt milestone rewards at each level he picked the 2,000 points as the best option. That is true for many people, but may not be for you. The club access awards may need a bit more consideration with everything that has changed.
Guest Of Honor Changes Alters Things
In the past Hyatt club access awards weren't valued, especially for Globalists, because you would either get lounge access already, or you could Guest of Honor the other room. Up until this year there were no limits on Guest of Honor award bookings. That meant that you could gift family or friends your Globalist status for their stays. That was especially useful to larger families that travel with more than 4 people. You could just guest of honor a room for your spouse so that everyone would be covered for free breakfast etc. Remember that status only covers 1 room per stay, so you couldn't just book two rooms normally and get it.
The unlimited Guest of Honor awards ending this year is a change that hurt some, but had to be done because of gaming that was happening. I actually like a lot of the changes that World of Hyatt made when they updated how these work. So much so that I decided not to pursue Globalist this year at all.
However, with these changes people may want to reconsider what they thought was valuable and not. That is because Guest of Honor awards are much tougher to come by now, which inherently makes them more valuable. They now find themselves on the milestone awards chart (pictured above) instead of just a perk of Globalist status.
Elite Nights Where You Can Earn Guest Of Honor Awards
- 40 nights
- 60 nights (you get 2 here)
- 70 / 80 / 90 nights
- 110 / 120 / 130 / 140 nights
This means that most Globalists will likely earn 3-4 Guest of Honor awards each year. That is a far cry from the unlimited they used to get. Because of that I think that you should prioritize them and not just use them whenever. If you had selected club access awards on your march to 60 nights, then you would have 4 of those too. You can use the club access awards to preserve your Guest of Honor awards.
This Is A Decision Worth Considering For Larger Families Or Social Travelers
Where this really comes into play is if you are a World of Hyatt Globalist that has a family of 5 or more, or you like traveling with other people. If that is the case, then you need to maximize the awards available to you in order to maximize the Globalist status perks you earned. In the past it wasn't a concern, since Guest of Honor bookings were unlimited. With them being much more difficult to come by, they should be better preserved. That is where the club access awards come in.
The goal should be to prioritize using the lounge access certs whenever possible. While there are way less hotels offering lounge access, at least domestically, there are still plenty throughout the Hyatt portfolio that do. Whenever you are staying at a hotel with lounge access you will want to use the Hyatt club access awards instead of a Guest of Honor award. Because the lounge will still get your family, or traveling companions, free breakfast in the lounge and save you money on your trip. The last thing you want to have happen is to be staying at a hotel where access would help, but you ran out of Guest of Honor awards because you used them haphazardly earlier.
Hyatt Club Access Awards: ToP Thoughts
There is no doubt that we need to reconsider what we thought about Hyatt club access awards with these Guest of Honor changes. At least if you are a Globalist member with a larger family, or one that likes to travel with others. With the limited availability to Guest of Honor awards with the new World of Hyatt changes it could be important for you to prioritize club access awards. Use them at any property where a lounge is available to preserve your Guest of Honor awards for properties where it isn't an option.
Let me know if you think Hyatt club access awards are more valuable than ever with these changes over in the ToP Facebook Group.
