The Hyatt loyalty program will undergo major changes on March 1, 2017. And if you’re a big spender, you might like this development!
Via Deals We Like, Hyatt is giving folks the ability to earn Hyatt Explorist status after spending $50,000 in a year on the Chase Hyatt card.
You’ll Get Increased Benefits at Hyatt Hotels With Explorist Status, Like More Bonus Points and Upgrades!
I’ll help you decide if this is something you should plan to do.
Spend to Earn Hyatt Explorist Status
Link: World of Hyatt Elite Status Tiers
Hyatt is revamping their loyalty program on March 1, 2017. After that, there will be no more Platinum or Diamond elite status. Instead, there will be Discoverist, Explorist, and Globalist status.
Currently, folks who have the Chase Hyatt card receive automatic Platinum status. But under this new program, “World of Hyatt“, cardholders will get automatic Discoverist status. And if you spend $50,000 per year on your card, you’ll be bumped up to Explorist status.
Is Explorist Status Worth the Effort?
Spending $50,000 per year on a single card does NOT seem like a worthwhile investment to me. Explorist status IS better than Discoverist status, but it’s not even the top tier status. And the increased perks are NOT outstanding.
With Hyatt Explorist status, you’ll receive:
- 20% bonus points on stays (just 10% more bonus points than Discoverist status)
- Free night at a category 1 to 4 Hyatt hotel after 30 qualifying nights or 50,000 base points each calendar year
- 4 club lounge access awards valid on eligible rates or when redeeming points for free night awards
- Upgrade to best room, excluding Club lounge access and suites
Yes, Hyatt Explorist Status Is Better Than Discoverist Status. You’ll Get Slightly Better Upgrades, 10% More Bonus Points, and a Few Other Things. You’ll Have to Decide How Much Those Benefits Are Worth to You!
You’ll need to decide if these perks are worth putting $50,000 in spending on your Chase Hyatt card. And consider the “opportunity cost” of putting so much spending on the Chase Hyatt.
You might miss out on bonus categories with other cards, like 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on dining with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, or 5% cash back at participating stores with the Discover It. Or you might need to pass on sign-up bonuses from other cards, because you can’t afford to meet minimum spending requirements.
The Chase Hyatt Is Still a Good Card
Spending $50,000 on the Chase Hyatt is not ideal for a mid-level elite status tier. But I still like this card a lot!
It comes with a sign-up bonus of 2 free nights at any Hyatt after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening your account. You’ll also get:
- 5,000 bonus Hyatt points when you add an authorized user and make a purchase with your card within the first 3 months
- 1 free night in any category 1 to 4 Hyatt every anniversary
- 3 points per $1 spent at all Hyatt hotels
- 2 points per $1 spent at restaurants and airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, and at car rental agencies
- 1 point per $1 for all other purchases
The card comes with a $75 annual fee. You can read my full review here.
Note: This card is NOT restricted by the Chase “5/24 rule”. So if you’ve applied for 5+ cards from any bank in the past 24 months, you are still eligible for this card!
Bottom Line
Hyatt will change its loyalty program on March 1, 2017. And they are letting folks earn the mid-tier Explorist status by spending $50,000 in a year on their Chase Hyatt card.
That’s a lot of money to spend! There are other cards that give a better return for spending than the Chase Hyatt, and the benefits that come with Hyatt Explorist status aren’t worth it.
What do you think of this new option for earning Hyatt elite status?
