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Hyatt Suite Upgrade Awards are among the most valuable perks you can earn as a World of Hyatt member. These coveted awards allow you to confirm a standard suite at the time of booking — rather than hoping for an upgrade at check-in. Even better, a single award can be applied to a stay of up to seven nights. This spells incredible value at high-end properties.
In this post, we’ll dive into how to earn and use Hyatt Suite Upgrade Awards to book a more luxurious experience without spending a fortune.
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How to Earn Hyatt Suite Upgrade Awards
There are effectively just three ways of obtaining these coveted Hyatt Suite Upgrade Awards. However, just one of them is realistically achievable for most World of Hyatt members.
Milestone Rewards
World of Hyatt offers its members the ability to earn Milestone Rewards as they ascend the program's elite ranks. The more you stay at Hyatt properties, the more of these upgrade awards you can earn.
You will unlock the ability to earn your first Suite Upgrade Award once you reach 40 qualifying nights or 65,000 base points. That's followed by another two Suite Upgrade Awards when you’ve stayed 50 qualifying nights (or accrued 80,000 base points). And you'll earn two more when you earn Globalist status at 60 qualifying nights (or 100,000 base points).
From then on, you'll earn a new Milestone Reward every 10 additional qualifying nights. Each milestone gives you the chance to choose another suite upgrade certificate or other perks. This continues until you max out at 150 qualifying nights per year.
That means ultra-frequent Hyatt guests have a chance of earning up to 14 Suite Upgrade Awards every year. More realistically, those who reach Globalist status can expect to earn up to five. And they can deliver plenty of value when used strategically.
Lifetime Globalist
Those lucky enough to have reached Lifetime Globalist status with Hyatt receive four Suite Upgrade Awards every year around March 1 and still have the chance to earn additional ones through Milestone Rewards, as described above.
Of course, to get to Lifetime Globalist status, you would need to earn a cumulative 1,000,000 base points as a World of Hyatt member. At five base points per dollar spent, that translates to a whopping $200,000 spent at Hyatt properties to attain Lifetime Globalist.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Hyatt Elite Status
As a gift from a friend or family member
Some Milestone Rewards, including Suite Upgrade Awards, can be gifted to other World of Hyatt members. So, if you have generous friends or family members who have earned these awards but don't plan to use them, they can send one your way.
Just remember: the award must be used before it expires. So, make sure your check-out date is on or before the expiry date before you ask your friend or family member.
With that said, if any of you out there are feeling particularly generous, you know how to get a hold of me!
How to Use Suite Upgrade Awards
Hyatt Suite Upgrade Awards couldn’t be easier to use. Just check that the hotel you’d like to book has a Standard Suite available for your desired dates. If it shows up in the search results, you can apply your Suite Upgrade Award to confirm the suite right away. There's no need to gamble on a complimentary elite upgrade that might not be available when you check in.
Here's a step-by-step guide to redeeming a Suite Upgrade Award in the mobile app: Tap on Account in the lower right-hand corner, then select the Awards tab.
Select the Suite Upgrade Award you’d like to use for your next booking and tap on the Redeem button.
You will be redirected to Hyatt’s search screen to choose your hotel and dates for your stay to be booked into this standard suite using your hard-earned Milestone Reward.
One of the best features of Hyatt Suite Upgrade Awards — and what sets them apart from other “upgrade” perks offered by competitors — is that they can be used for stays of up to seven consecutive nights. This makes them especially valuable for leisure trips, when you're more likely to stay longer at upscale properties.
Keep in mind that you can only apply Suite Upgrade Awards on reservations for standard or club-level rooms booked directly with Hyatt — whether paid with cash, points, or a points + cash redemption. They cannot be applied to third-party bookings.
Related: How To Use Hyatt Pay My Way and Points + Cash Options
Hyatt Suite Upgrade Award Restrictions
As valuable as these Suite Upgrade Awards are, there are a few important restrictions to keep in mind.
Not all World of Hyatt properties allow suite upgrade redemptions, and unfortunately, Hyatt doesn't publish a full list of ineligible hotels. If you're having trouble applying a Suite Upgrade Award, we recommend contacting Hyatt to confirm the property you want to book participates.
If you are planning to stay at a nifty new property, you'll need to wait until the hotel has officially opened and begun welcoming guests. Even if it's possible to book your stay in advance, you won't be able to apply an award until the hotel is fully operational.
Remember that your check-out date must be on or before the expiration date of your Hyatt Suite Upgrade Award — regardless of how far in advance you book your stay. These awards are valid until the end of the calendar year in which you earn them, plus an additional 14 months.
You can only use these awards to upgrade to standard suites. Premium suites can't be confirmed in advance using your Suite Upgrade Awards. However, it never hurts to ask for an additional upgrade at check-in.
Lastly, these awards cannot be combined with Free Night Awards earned via the Brand Explorer perk, those earned with a cobranded Hyatt credit card, or any other promotional free nights. They also can't be used with Guest of Honor bookings. Only stays booked using cash, points, or a combination of points + cash are eligible to be upgraded via these awards.
How to Maximize Your Hyatt Suite Upgrade Awards
As a general rule, the longer your stay and the nicer the hotel, the more value you’d get from these awards. Since each award can be applied to a stay of up to seven consecutive nights, shorter stays won't unlock the perk's full potential. If you apply your award to a one-night stay, that certificate doesn't retain any value from the six additional nights you didn't upgrade.
The Hyatt portfolio ranges from high-end brands like Andaz, Thompson, and Park Hyatt to budget-conscious options like Hyatt Place and Hyatt House. Although some of these lower-cost hotels do have standard suites, they aren't all that exciting. Top-tier properties, on the other hand, offer luxurious suites that tend to be far more differentiated from a standard room at the same property.
What to think about before applying a Suite Upgrade Award
Another way to think about the value of upgrading to a standard suite is to compare the cost (in points or cash) to the cost of a standard room.
For example, a standard room at a Category 1 property will set you back 5,000 points per night, while a standard suite costs 8,000. That 3,000-point difference per night adds up to 21,000 points over a seven-night stay.
Now consider the difference at a property like the Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires, a Category 6 hotel. Here, a standard room costs 25,000 points per night, and a standard suite costs 40,000 per night. By applying your Suite Upgrade Award to a 7-night stay, you’d be saving 105,000 for the duration of your stay.
It's also important to remember that Suite Upgrade Awards only upgrade you from a standard room to a standard suite. They do not cover the cost of the stay itself. So, if you're booking a top-tier property, you’ll still need to pay the full rate in cash or points for that standard room. At times, this can be pretty significant.
For many travelers, the sweet spot is a four-to-six-night stay at a high-end (but not top-tier) property. Rather than fixating on the price difference between a room and a suite, look for properties that offer meaningful differentiation between the two categories. If you have some points to burn, here are some of the best Hyatt hotels in the world.
How to Gift Suite Upgrade Awards
Gifting away a Hyatt award is super simple. You'll follow the same process we outlined above to redeem an award. However, in this case, you'll need to tap the Gift button. Then, a new screen will ask for your recipient’s World of Hyatt membership number and last name. Tap Gift Now and give yourself a nice pat on the back.
Your lucky friend will receive an email alerting them of your generosity. Once they open their Hyatt app, they’ll see this award for themselves. And they can then upgrade a future stay to a standard suite.
Bottom Line
The Hyatt Suite Upgrade Award is among the most flexible and valuable in the hotel industry. And it's no surprise they're a favorite among Hyatt loyalists. Even the occasional Hyatt guest — with the right friends — can benefit from this amazing perk. That's a pretty great strategy for converting casual customers into Hyatt fanatics.
For those who invest serious resources with Hyatt, Lifetime Globalist brings the promise of four Suite Upgrade Awards annually. For everyone else, there are ample opportunities to claim these awards as you earn elite status and unlock Milestone Rewards.
Whether you're celebrating something special or just want more space, these awards can elevate your stay. With a little strategy, luxury doesn’t have to be out of reach.
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