Hyatt Award Chart Changes
World of Hyatt award chart changes were announced this spring, in what may amount to the biggest shakeup we've ever seen from the beloved program. As usual in loyalty-speak, Hyatt bills these changes as “enhancements.” We know this translates to “bad news.” To break the news to us gently, the first two announcements are actual improvements to the program that are coming at a later date (TBD). The last one, however, is so significant, and so brutal, it eclipses the good news of the other two improvements by a large margin.5/13/26 UPDATE: Reminder that these award chart changes go into effect at 8 a.m. CT on May 20, 2026. The annual category changes WILL occur that same day, with 23 properties going down in Category and 113 properties going up. We think those changes are equally brutal, as we detail in our full analysis here.
RELATED: See more on how the devaluation will affect all-inclusive resorts and Miraval properties here.
Three Changes Announced
This spring's press release covered three major changes to the World of Hyatt program:
- “Later this year,” Hyatt members will be able to transfer points to other members digitally. This is a very big improvement over the current system, which requires a paper form to be submitted and can take several days or even weeks to be finalized. As a Globalist, I've had success asking my concierge to do this. But either way it is a hassle, and so digital transfers will be a vast and much needed improvement.
- Those with elite status (Explorists, Globalists, Lifetime Globalists) and World of Hyatt Credit Cardmembers will enjoy early access to award night availability. “More details coming soon,” but this means that those who prioritize Hyatt should be able to plan ahead in a way that non-elites cannot.
- The most significant change is to the Award Chart itself. Today's changes announce a total of five redemption levels within each room category. Previously (and currently), within each Award Category there were three redemption levels: Peak, Off-Peak and Standard. These new redemption levels will be called: Lowest, Low, Moderate, Upper and Top. Let's dive in to what this means.
The New Award Chart Updates
Award Chart Changes
On May 20, Hyatt will replace the current award chart with the following:
Even at first glance, you can tell how much this hurts. The aptly named “Top” redemption level for a Category 8 property is now 75,000 points. Comparatively, the new Lowest redemption level for a Category 1 hotel (as low as it can go) is only 500 points cheaper than the current “Off-Peak” rate.
Let's compare where we are now with where we'll be in May. It's worth noting that the original press release only indicated “Beginning in May” and we did not find out the firm date for when these changes will officially take effect. We know that will be May 20.
Analysis of Changes
This chart shows Categories 1-8 of the current chart at off-peak, standard and peak rates and compares it to the new lowest-, mid-, and highest-rates possible in the new five-tier award charts. While we don't know the division of nights in these five new categories, here is a comparison with what we know now.
| Current Off-Peak (lowest) | New Lowest (lowest) | Current Standard (mid-tier) | New Moderate (mid-tier) | Current Peak (highest) | New Top (highest) | |
| Category 1 | 3,500 | 3,000 (-500) | 5,000 | 6,000 (+1,000) | 6,500 | 9,000 (+2,500) |
| Category 2 | 6,500 | 6,000(-500) | 8,000 | 10,000 (+2,000) | 9,500 | 15,000 (+5,500) |
| Category 3 | 9,000 | 8,000 (-1,000) | 12,000 | 15,000 (+3,000) | 15,000 | 20,000 (+5,500) |
| Category 4 | 12,000 | 12,000 | 15,000 | 20,000 (+5,000) | 18,000 | 25,000 (+7,000) |
| Category 5 | 17,000 | 15,000 (-2,000) | 20,000 | 25,000 (+5,000) | 23,000 | 35,000 (+12,000) |
| Category 6 | 21,000 | 20,000 (-1,000) | 25,000 | 30,000 (+5,000) | 29,000 | 40,000 (+11,000) |
| Category 7 | 25,000 | 25,000 | 30,000 | 35,000 (+5,000) | 35,000 | 55,000 (+20,000) |
| Category 8 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 40,000 | 55,000 (+15,000) | 45,000 | 75,000 (+30,000) |
As you can see from the chart above, there are very few changes that are positive. While five of the eight categories will see their new Lowest rates below the current Off-Peak rates and three of eight will remain the same, every other change on the chart is an increase in the amount of points required. Yes, you read that correctly. Every other change on the chart is an increase in points required. Including some five-figure increases at the higher ends of the chart. The positive changes yield a max of 14.3% points savings (for a Category 1 hotel and savings of 500 points). The negative changes yield a max of a 67% points increase (for a Category 8 and an increase of 30,000 points).
What we don't know yet is how these new redemption levels will be implemented and whether they will fluctuate. The press release indicates it will be implemented “thoughtfully, with limited hotels moving a limited number of nights into the Upper and Top categories in 2026 and broader adoption in the years that follow.” We are expected to receive additional information about implementation in April 2026. Suffice it to say, unless there are lots of award nights in the two lowest cost tiers moving forward, this is nothing short of the worst devaluation we've ever seen from Hyatt.
Hyatt Category Changes Postponed to April, Except for a Few
We typically expect Hyatt program changes this time of year, as Hyatt historically announces category changes across the portfolio in March. This year, because they have announced these new redemption level changes, the category change announcements is postponed until April. ToP will cover those changes when they are announced. (Update: Here's more on the annual category changes.)
As part of the announcement today, however, the following hotels changed category, effective immediately:
Down one category:
- The Barnett, part of JdV by Hyatt (Category 5 to Category 4)
Up one category:
- Hyatt Place San Antonio-Northwest/Medical Center (Category 1 to Category 2)
- Andaz Pattaya Jomtien Beach (Category 4 to Category 5)
- Grand Hyatt Incheon (Category 3 to Category 4)
- Hyatt Centric Malta (Category 2 to Category 3)
- Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort (Category 4 to Category 5)
Up two categories:
- Grand Hyatt Grand Cayman Resort and Spa (Category 6 to Category 8)
While we appreciate Hyatt postponing the broader category changes until later, moving ANY hotels with no-notice is a departure from the norm and another gut punch for those planning to book any of these properties.
Hyatt Award Chart Changes: ToP Thoughts
Change is inevitable in this hobby. Hilton already massively devalued their program a few times. Marriott's dynamic pricing has made its redemptions very difficult to predict as well. It only makes sense that Hyatt award chart changes would happen. For those who like to stay in premium properties in Hyatt's portfolio, these changes will hit the hardest. How will these changes impact your strategy for earning and redeeming points with Hyatt going forward? Come tell us your thoughts in the ToP Facebook group.
