AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
Few things in life are certain: death, taxes, and annual award category changes from World of Hyatt. Category changes are an unfortunate reality in award travel, and this year's iteration of Hyatt's award chart updates is taking place on May 20, 2026 at 8 a.m. Central Time.
World of Hyatt continues to be the darling of many points and miles enthusiasts — and for good reason. The program has avoided some of the most egregious changes of other hotel programs, still has a published award chart, and offers award redemptions at generally lower price points than most other hotel chains.
That said, these changes always come with some sadness, as we wave goodbye to some properties no longer within range of the free night certificate now that they've risen in category, but we also get the gift of some properties being downgraded and now being within reach.
World of Hyatt Award Category Changes in 2026
Category changes are usually more bad than good. If a hotel you used to stay at in the past moves up a category, you'll need more points for it now. However, if it moves down, you could end up paying fewer points in the future.
For 2026, there are 136 hotels changing categories: 24 will move down, while 112 hotels are moving up. Cue the sadness.
- +83 net increase for non-inclusive hotels — 107 properties increasing vs. 24 properties decreasing
- +5 net increase for all-inclusive properties — 5 properties increasing but no properties decreasing
- No properties are going up or down by two categories
These award category changes go into effect as of May 20, 2026 at 8 a.m. Central Time — not earlier in the month like you might have read elsewhere. That means you still have time to utilize the current award chart before those changes go into effect. Run, don't walk.
Here are the key points to look for:
- Hotels moving up from Category 4 to 5 — as these will no longer be accessible with free night awards earned from The World of Hyatt Credit Card (Rates & Fees) or the Brand Explorer perk.
- Properties moving up from Category 7 to 8 — these will no longer be bookable using the Category 1–7 free night you can earn after 60 qualifying nights in a year
- Hotels moving down into Category 4 — as these will now become accessible to those with Category 1–4 free nights
No current Category 8 properties are decreasing to Category 7 in this year's changes, so there will be no new hotels bookable with your Category 1-7 free night certificate this year.
- Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
- Enjoy complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as your account is open.
- Get 1 free night each year after your Cardmember anniversary at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort
- Receive 5 tier qualifying night credits towards status after account opening, and each year after that for as long as your account is open
- Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year
- Earn 2 qualifying night credits towards tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
- Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays - 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels & up to 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
- Earn 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- Member FDIC
- Up to 9X points total per $1 spent at Hyatt - 4X points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5X points per $1 you can earn as a World of Hyatt member
- 2X points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airlines tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- 1X point per $1 everywhere else
Hyatt properties increasing from Category 4 to 5
These are the properties that will jump from Category 4 to Category 5. If you have a Category 1-4 award sitting on your account, consider redeeming it for a stay at these properties before May 20:
- Hotel Figueroa, California
- Hyatt Place Santa Cruz, California
- Hyatt Regency Coral Gables, Florida
- Hyatt Centric Las Olas Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort, Florida
- Hyatt House Jersey City, New Jersey
- Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson, New Jersey
- The Carolina Inn, North Carolina
- Hyatt Regency Seattle, Washington
- Grand Hyatt Kuwait Residences, Kuwait
- Jabal Omar Hyatt Regency Makkah, Saudi Arabia
- Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya, Saudi Arabia
- Hyatt Regency Lisbon, Portugal
- Hyatt Regency Hesperia Madrid, Spain
Hyatt properties increasing from Category 7 to 8
These hotels will move from Category 7 to Category 8, so book them now if you have a Category 1-7 certificate available to you:
- Andaz 5th Avenue, New York
- Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa and Casino, Aruba
- Hôtel du Louvre, France
- Hotel Fluela Davos, Switzerland
- Park Hyatt London River Thames, United Kingdom
Hyatt properties decreasing from Category 5 to 4
Saving the good news for last. On May 20, these properties drop from Category 5 down to 4. That means you'll be able to apply that Category 1-4 free night award on your account for stays at these properties soon — but you'll need to wait until May 20 before booking at that price:
- Dream Nashville, Tennessee
- Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue Austin, Texas
- Hyatt Regency Dharamshala Resort, India
- Andaz Macau, Macao
- The Standard, Singapore
All World of Hyatt Award Category Changes for 2026
United States
| State | Hotel | Current Category | New Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Hyatt House Anchorage | 3 | 4 |
| Arizona | Hyatt Place Tucson-Central | 1 | 2 |
| California | Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica | 6 | 5 |
| California | Andaz West Hollywood | 6 | 5 |
| California | Hotel Figueroa | 4 | 5 |
| California | Hyatt Place Santa Barbara | 6 | 5 |
| California | The Laurel Inn | 5 | 6 |
| California | Hyatt Place Santa Cruz | 4 | 5 |
| Colorado | Hyatt Centric Downtown Denver | 4 | 3 |
| Connecticut | Hyatt Regency Greenwich | 3 | 4 |
| Florida | Hyatt Regency Coral Gables | 4 | 5 |
| Florida | Hyatt Centric Las Olas Fort Lauderdale | 4 | 5 |
| Florida | Hyatt House Orlando International | 2 | 3 |
| Florida | Hyatt Place Orlando/I-Drive/Convention Center | 2 | 3 |
| Florida | Hyatt Place Across From Universal Orlando Resort | 2 | 3 |
| Florida | Hyatt Place Sarasota/Bradenton Airport | 2 | 3 |
| Florida | Hyatt Place Sarasota/Lakewood Ranch | 2 | 3 |
| Florida | Hyatt Place Tampa/Busch Gardens | 2 | 3 |
| Florida | Hyatt Place Tampa/Wesley Chapel | 2 | 3 |
| Florida | Hyatt Place Lakeland Center | 2 | 3 |
| Florida | Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort | 4 | 5 |
| Illinois | Hyatt Lodge Oak Brook Chicago | 2 | 3 |
| Illinois | Hyatt House Chicago / Oak Brook | 2 | 3 |
| Illinois | Hyatt Place Chicago/Schaumburg | 1 | 2 |
| Kansas | Hyatt Place at Wichita State University | 1 | 2 |
| Kansas | Hyatt Regency Wichita | 1 | 2 |
| Kentucky | Hyatt Place Cincinnati Airport/Florence | 1 | 2 |
| Kentucky | Hyatt Regency Lexington | 2 | 3 |
| Louisiana | Hyatt Place Baton Rouge/I-10 | 1 | 2 |
| Louisiana | Hyatt Regency New Orleans | 3 | 4 |
| Maryland | Hyatt Place Baltimore/BWI Airport | 1 | 2 |
| Massachusetts | Hyatt House Boston/Waltham | 2 | 3 |
| Michigan | Hyatt Place Flint/Grand Blanc | 1 | 2 |
| Nebraska | Hyatt Place Lincoln/Downtown-Haymarket | 2 | 3 |
| Nevada | Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino | 5 | 6 |
| New Jersey | Hyatt Regency New Brunswick | 2 | 3 |
| New Jersey | Hyatt House Jersey City | 4 | 5 |
| New Jersey | Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson | 4 | 5 |
| New Jersey | Hyatt House Mt. Laurel | 1 | 2 |
| New Jersey | Hyatt Place Mt. Laurel | 1 | 2 |
| New York | Hyatt Place Albany/Downtown | 2 | 3 |
| New York | Hyatt Place Saratoga/Malta | 2 | 3 |
| New York | Hyatt Place Buffalo/Amherst | 2 | 3 |
| New York | Hyatt Place Garden City | 3 | 4 |
| New York | The Time New York | 6 | 5 |
| New York | The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel | 6 | 7 |
| New York | Andaz 5th Avenue | 7 | 8 |
| North Carolina | The Carolina Inn | 4 | 5 |
| North Carolina | Hyatt House Raleigh Durham Airport | 1 | 2 |
| North Carolina | Hyatt House Raleigh/RDU/Brier Creek | 1 | 2 |
| North Carolina | Hyatt Place Chapel Hill / Southern Village | 2 | 3 |
| North Carolina | Hyatt Place Durham/Southpoint | 1 | 2 |
| North Carolina | Hyatt Place Raleigh-Durham Airport | 1 | 2 |
| Ohio | Hyatt Regency Columbus | 2 | 3 |
| Ohio | Hyatt House Columbus OSU/Short North | 2 | 3 |
| Ohio | Hyatt Place Columbus/Dublin | 1 | 2 |
| Ohio | Hyatt Place Columbus/OSU | 2 | 3 |
| Ohio | Hyatt Place Columbus/Worthington | 1 | 2 |
| Pennsylvania | Hyatt House Pittsburgh/ Bloomfield/Shadyside | 2 | 3 |
| South Carolina | Hyatt Place Sumter/Downtown | 1 | 2 |
| Tennessee | Dream Nashville | 5 | 4 |
| Tennessee | Hyatt Place Memphis/Wolfchase Galleria | 2 | 1 |
| Texas | Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue Austin | 5 | 4 |
| Texas | Hyatt Place Waco - South | 1 | 2 |
| Texas | Hyatt Regency DFW International Airport | 3 | 4 |
| Texas | Hyatt Place DFW | 2 | 3 |
| Texas | Hyatt Place Houston NW Vintage Park | 1 | 2 |
| Virginia | Hyatt Place Blacksburg/University | 2 | 3 |
| Washington | Hyatt Regency Lake Washington at Seattle's Southport | 3 | 4 |
| Washington | Hyatt Regency Seattle | 4 | 5 |
| Puerto Rico | Hyatt Place Bayamón | 2 | 3 |
| Puerto Rico | Hyatt Place Manatí | 2 | 3 |
Canada, Caribbean, and Latin America
| Country | Hotel | Current Category | New Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aruba | Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa and Casino | 7 | 8 |
| Canada | Hyatt Place Edmonton-West | 1 | 2 |
| Canada | Hyatt Place Windsor | 1 | 2 |
| Canada | Hyatt Place Moncton / Downtown | 1 | 2 |
| Chile | Hyatt Centric Las Condes Santiago | 2 | 3 |
| Chile | Hyatt Place Santiago/Vitacura | 1 | 2 |
| Costa Rica | Hyatt Place San Jose/Pinares | 1 | 2 |
| Guatemala | Hyatt Centric Guatemala City | 2 | 3 |
| Honduras | Hyatt Place San Pedro Sula | 1 | 2 |
| Honduras | Hyatt Place Tegucigalpa | 1 | 2 |
| Mexico | Hyatt Centric Playa Del Carmen | 4 | 3 |
| Mexico | Alila Mayakoba | 6 | 7 |
| Mexico | Hyatt House Monterrey Valle/San Pedro | 1 | 2 |
| Mexico | Hyatt Place Monterrey Valle | 1 | 2 |
| Mexico | Hyatt Place Saltillo | 1 | 2 |
| Saint Lucia | Secrets St. Lucia Resort & Spa | C | D |
Europe
| Country | Hotel | Current Category | New Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | Hyatt Place Rouen | 1 | 2 |
| France | Hôtel du Louvre | 7 | 8 |
| Germany | Me and All Hotel Ulm | 1 | 2 |
| Greece | Grand Hyatt Athens | 3 | 4 |
| Greece | Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki | 2 | 3 |
| Portugal | Hyatt Regency Lisbon | 4 | 5 |
| Spain | AluaSoul Ibiza | A | B |
| Spain | Dreams Lanzarote Playa Dorada | B | C |
| Spain | Dreams Jardin Tropical Resort & Spa | B | C |
| Spain | The Standard, Ibiza | 6 | 7 |
| Spain | Hyatt Regency Hesperia Madrid | 4 | 5 |
| Spain | Secrets Lanzarote Resort & Spa | B | C |
| Sweden | Story Hotel Stockholm North | 1 | 2 |
| Switzerland | Hotel Fluela Davos | 7 | 8 |
| United Kingdom | Park Hyatt London River Thames | 7 | 8 |
| United Kingdom | Hyatt Place London City East | 4 | 3 |
Africa and Middle East
| Country | Hotel | Current Category | New Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethiopia | Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa | 3 | 4 |
| Kuwait | Grand Hyatt Kuwait Residences | 4 | 5 |
| Kuwait | Hyatt Regency Al Kout Mall | 4 | 3 |
| Saudi Arabia | Jabal Omar Hyatt Regency Makkah | 4 | 5 |
| Saudi Arabia | Grand Hyatt The Red Sea | 7 | 6 |
| Saudi Arabia | Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya | 4 | 5 |
| Saudi Arabia | Hyatt Place Riyadh Al Sulaimania | 2 | 3 |
| South Africa | Hyatt Regency Cape Town | 1 | 2 |
| United Arab Emirates | Andaz Capital Gate, Abu Dhabi | 3 | 4 |
| United Arab Emirates | Hyatt Place Dubai Jumeirah | 1 | 2 |
Asia and Pacific
| Country / Region | Hotel | Current Category | New Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | Grand Hyatt Dalian | 4 | 3 |
| China | Hyatt Regency Beijing Shiyuan | 2 | 1 |
| China | Andaz Nanjing Hexi | 3 | 2 |
| China | Commune by the Great Wall | 3 | 2 |
| China | Hyatt Place Chongli | 2 | 1 |
| China | Park Hyatt Sanya Sunny Bay Resort | 7 | 6 |
| China | Grand Hyatt Shenzhou Peninsula | 4 | 3 |
| China | Grand Hyatt Sanya Haitang Bay Resort & Spa | 4 | 3 |
| China | Hyatt Regency Sanya Tianli Bay | 3 | 2 |
| India | Hyatt Centric Hebbal Bengaluru | 1 | 2 |
| India | Hyatt Centric MG Road Bangalore | 1 | 2 |
| India | Hyatt Regency Dehradun Resort & Spa | 2 | 3 |
| India | Hyatt Regency Dharamshala Resort | 5 | 4 |
| India | Ronil Goa | 1 | 2 |
| India | Hyatt Place Goa Candolim | 1 | 2 |
| Japan | Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay | 3 | 4 |
| Japan | Caption by Hyatt Namba Osaka | 2 | 3 |
| Japan | Hyatt Place Kyoto | 2 | 3 |
| Japan | Hyatt House Tokyo Shibuya | 5 | 6 |
| Macao | Andaz Macau | 5 | 4 |
| Malaysia | Hyatt Regency Kuantan Resort | 1 | 2 |
| Singapore | The Standard, Singapore | 5 | 4 |
Notes on Hyatt peak/off-peak pricing
Remember that earlier in 2026, World of Hyatt teased changes to the published award chart. Along with these category changes, this new five-tier award chart will go into effect on the same date. The values in the tables above reflect standard pricing. The number of points you need for a stay with Hyatt could be more or less, depending on what pricing model is in effect for the dates during your stay. Things like holidays, demand, and other local trends can affect award pricing and the peak/standard/off-peak calendar.
What to Do Now
If that hotel you've been eyeing is moving up to a higher category and you were planning on redeeming points or a free night award, you should book now. That way, you can lock in the lower price. Even if your stay is for dates after the category increase, your points price will be honored.
Conversely, if a property you were going to book with points is moving down in category, you should book it now anyway. All existing award or Points + Cash reservations for hotels that are moving down to a lower category will receive an automatic refund on the point difference.
Also note that, if you make modifications to an existing reservation that causes an already applied free night award to be reissued, you will not be able to re-apply that same award to a property that has now moved up in category after May 20.
Bottom Line
We always dread Hyatt category change day. There's always at least one hotel that we will be sad to see leave the free night award territory — but that's likely because we were getting good value at that property! And many times, that increase is triggered by a recent renovation the hotel has gone through.
Looking at the data, we see more properties increasing than decreasing every year. But it's important to keep in mind that Hyatt is constantly adding new low-category properties throughout the year. For example, the Alila Solo in Java, Indonesia is a Category 1 hotel. You can book stays at this property starting at 3,500 points per night, which feels like it should be illegal.
Of the five hotels jumping to Category 8 this year, three of those are in European capitals and one in New York City — places that usually command higher rates. If any of these properties increasing in category were on your radar for this year, make sure you jump on it before May 20.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The World of Hyatt Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
