Being in India, it is challenging to accrue Hyatt points because there aren’t any co-branded credit cards or cards that allow for Hyatt point transfers. Unlike Marriott Bonvoy, where we could transfer Membership Rewards Points from American Express Cards.
There is no point in complaining, therefore we shall see ways to earn those points which could be potentially better than booking revenue.
By Staying
Of course, the old fashioned way. World of Hyatt Members earn 5 points to 6.5 points per 1 USD spend. Which is about 6.3 points per Rs 100 spend. Globalists would get 8.2 points. I value Hyatt points at Rs 1.5 a point so that’s about 12% return on stay for Globalists.
We can do even better…
Double Your Points Rate
Majority of Hyatt hotels offer a Double Your Points rate where we receive twice as many base points. Generally, this would be a terrible deal, but sometimes if we can find a rate which is marginally more than the lowest available rate, it could be a potentially good deal. This rate is beneficial if we expect a lot of incidental spends during the stay.
In the above example, we would earn about 520 points, but with this rate we would earn 1040 points before any elite status or WOH card bonus. I value this rate at 19% return on the base member spends and 22% return for Globalists. This can be a great deal and you may want to crunch numbers to see if it would make sense to book this rate.
World of Hyatt Visa Credit Card
While we do not have this card issued in India, but a member of my family does, and we use it for spends at Hyatt hotels. Based on my valuation of Hyatt points, it fetches 5 points for Rs 100, translating to a 7.5% return.
Buying Hyatt Points
Hyatt sells points at 30% bonus (or still better at 30% discount sometimes) frequently so the cost of a point is Rs 1.47 (Rs 1.34 if it is at 30% discount) so a standard redemption free night at Category 1 hotels would cost Rs 7,350 but if we can find an off-peak redemption at 3500 points, then the cost comes down to Rs 5,145.
I buy Hyatt points with Citi Prestige for its 2X points on forex spends. Therefore, even after the hefty 4.13 percent forex surcharge, the cost per point drops by Rs 1.4 (or Rs 1.28 if it is at a 30% discount) based on my valuation of Citi Points.
If the Hyatt Points were being sold for a 30% discount and could be combined with other card-based promotions, I might even buy them speculatively.
Transfer Points from another member
With the Hyatt Points Combine feature, we could receive points from another member without any cost. We can pool points to one account to do redemption, or perhaps one account would have status. However, it is not a straightforward option since we need to have signatures from both the members, then email WOH. Additionally, it may take up to four weeks for the points to arrive. Other restrictions include the ability to combine points once every 30 days, whether sending or receiving.
However, it works as advertised and this is one way to earn points.
Bottomline
Hyatt’s footprint is on the smaller side, so there are fewer opportunities to stay there. Fortunately, though, Hyatt frequently offers bonuses or discounts when selling points, making up for the footprint issue.
I earn points from all the above options and these are some practical ways to earn those Hyatt Points.
[…] frequently, so the cost of a point is Rs 1.47 (Rs 1.34 if it is at 30% discount). We could buy Hyatt points with Citi Prestige (2X points on forex spends). Therefore, even after the hefty 4.13 percent forex […]