Welcome

Friends,

This column comes on Monday, and so I hope your week is off to a great start. I am writing about hotels today, as I was reminded of how strong Hyatt’s program is this weekend.

I hope it is a help to you if you are looking for a place to stay in the months ahead.

Let’s get going.

Links

Air New Zealand is launching their own wine label, which is sure to be great.

The New York Times on Points & Miles (this article is worth a read).

Fascinating data on hotel loyalty programs, which relates to today’s story.

Story

I worked in management consulting after graduating from college and spent hundreds of nights in an assortment of Marriott’s every year. I am still spending points from those consulting days.

To be sure: there is real value to be found in Marriott’s Bonvoy program, however on the whole it is weak. And in the past twelve months, my family has stayed nearly exclusively in Hyatts. “That is nice” you are probably thinking, “but why on earth are you telling me about it?”

Great question.

Hyatt has a remarkably strong loyalty program, and many people miss it. Here’s why I like it so much (and therein maybe worth your attention, too).

1. Great redemption values: free nights start at 3,500 points and work their way up to 45,000. That’s a positively narrow range compared to both Marriott and Hilton, respectively, and great if you are transferring in points from a partner (like Chase) to redeem.

2. Fantastic credit card point transfers: Hyatt is a Chase Ultimate Rewards partner (1-1 point transfers) with strong personal and business co-branded credit card options, too

3. Stellar properties: your points go far, whether at the Hyatt Place in Boston’s Seaport District, the Alila Ventana Big Sur or the Park Hyatt Sydney. And points rates are generally straightforward (off-peak/standard/peak) versus the madness of dynamic pricing.

4. Consistent tier recognition: their three elite tiers are well defined and consistently recognized, which is a topic that I care about to a fault.

Hannah and I stayed at the Park Hyatt Sydney on our honeymoon. My family spent a night at the Park Hyatt in Auckland a few months ago. And last night I was at the Hyatt Regency in Birmingham.

Each of these stays was on points for materially less than the comparable Marriott or Hilton in the market. And on said stays we received a room/suite upgrade of some form along with free breakfast and a host of other perks on account of my status (for context, I currently hold their highest ‘Globalist’ tier—which can be achieved through a combination of credit card spend and nights stayed).

Free nights plus real perks make me a fan.

The biggest drawback to Hyatt is its global footprint: it has fewer properties than Hilton and Marriott. You feel this in places like Monroe, LA where they have none—as well as in larger markets where they have materially fewer options. I am comfortable with this trade off for better redemptions and stronger benefits for frequent guests.

Is a Hyatt Regency that much better than a standard Marriott or Hilton? The short answer is objectively no, and the slightly longer answer is that it always totally comes down to a given hotel.

But that makes the point: if the quality is not materially different (insofar as all three of the major chains have genuinely quality properties alongside ones that I am okay to avoid) then I’m grateful to prioritize staying where I can earn + redeem free nights the fastest and be recognized for my loyalty along the way.

Big Picture: Hyatt, in conjunction with its partnership with Chase, recognizes and rewards guests better than the competition. And I love them for it.

Happy flying.

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Remember, this life you are living has meaning. Be well today.

-Tommy