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Hyatt recently added the ability to book Hyatt suite upgrades using points online. This overdue feature reduces the need for phone calls and waiting on hold. Here's how World of Hyatt members can redeem their points for suite upgrades via the website.
Hyatt Suite Upgrades Without Using Points
There are several ways to get suite upgrades at Hyatt properties without using your points:
- Globalist status — those in the top tier in the World of Hyatt program get suite upgrades at check-in, based on availability.
- Milestone Rewards — starting at 20 nights or 35,000 base points, World of Hyatt members earn different awards for reaching set elite night thresholds. The ability to choose suite upgrade awards starts at 50 nights or 80,000 base points.
Suite upgrade awards are valid for 7 nights on one award and can be used at the time of booking to confirm an upgrade to a suite from a standard room. These types of upgrades do not require using any of your World of Hyatt points. For more on the World of Hyatt program, read our guide here.
Hyatt Suite Upgrades Using Points
Hyatt only added online capability to redeem points for suites last year. You can book suites online using your points, just like you would book a standard room using your points. Standard suites typically cost 60% more points than regular rooms.
In 2021, Hyatt finally added the ability to use points to upgrade your standard room to a suite (6,000 points per night for a standard suite, 9,000 points per night for a premium suite) via the website.
An Example Booking
Let's look at a weekend rate at the Park Hyatt New York. The standard rate is $795 per night.
If you want to book a standard suite, the cost is $995 per night.
As of last year, you redeem points to book a suite outright. While a standard room would cost 30,000 points per night, the standard suite would cost 48,000 points. That's a 60% increase over the standard room. The premium suite costs 60,000 points—double the rate of the standard room.
However, Hyatt's new feature allows you to book a suite upgrade using points. From the standard rate, you can tack on 6,000 points to upgrade.
Checking the Math
While this might look like you're using 6,000 points at a $200 value (which would be a 3.33¢ redemption, well above average value for Hyatt points), it's not that simple. Using points for suite upgrades is only possible when booking the standard rate at a hotel. World of Hyatt member rates, AAA member rates, advanced purchase rates, and other discounted rates aren't eligible for points upgrades to suites.
Thus, be sure you're doing the math on any higher rate you're paying (the difference between discounted rates you could book and the standard rate) to see the true value of your points redemption. Then, you can decide if you think it's worth redeeming your points for the suite upgrade after paying the standard rate in cash.
The Bottom Line
In short, it's possible to book a Hyatt suite upgrade using points, and it can be done online. No more phone calls or waiting on hold. These point upgrades can only be done on standard rate bookings.
Remember that Hyatt introduced peak and off-peak pricing, so the value proposition for what you might get from using points for suite upgrades may vary. Always do the math before confirming any reservations.
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The policy of peak andoff-peak pricing implemented by Hyatt is a great advance to budget our bookings for the best seasson at the best rates
Hyatt hotels are always fantastic in every detail