World of Hyatt Credit Card review

The World of Hyatt Credit Card Review: More Details

As many frequent travelers know, hotel loyalty programs are notorious for inflated point values and limited redemption options. Card offers that look generous are often worth half of what they seem, making it hard to know how far your rewards will take you.

Enter the World of Hyatt Credit Card. Not only does this card offer a generous rewards rate on all sorts of everyday purchases, but cardholders can rest assured that World of Hyatt points are some of the most valuable loyalty program currency available. That means it’ll be easy to stretch your rewards a long way.

Great sign-up bonus

Right now, new World of Hyatt cardholders can earn up to 60,000 bonus points. Based on Bankrate’s latest 2.3-cent World of Hyatt point valuation, this offer could be worth up to a staggering $1,380 on average.

On a points basis, this exceeds the highest bonus the card previously offered and could be even easier to earn depending on your typical spending. The previous offer could provide 30,000 points for spending $3,000 in the first three months, and another up to 30,000 additional bonus points via the card’s boosted rewards rate on general purchases for the first six months (2X bonus points per dollar on purchases that typically earn just 1X points, on up to the first $15,000 spent).

If you think you can meet the spending requirement, this stellar offer makes it a great time to apply for the World of Hyatt card.

Up to two free nights each year

The World of Hyatt card only charges a $95 annual fee, but it still comes with luxury perks that help offset this cost. One of the most valuable perks the card offers is a free night at a category 1 to 4 hotel every year. Additionally, you can earn another free night at a category 1 to 4 hotel any year you spend $15,000.

Each of these free nights is valued up to 15,000 points. Plus, the spend threshold for the second night is pretty easy to reach – only requiring about $1,250 in spend per month.

Earning points

Earning points with the World of Hyatt card is easy – thanks to a good rate on purchases you make every day. Cardholders earn 4 points per dollar on Hyatt hotel qualified purchases (and up to 5 base points per dollar earned by regular World of Hyatt members), 2 points per dollar on restaurants, directly purchased airfare, local transit, commuting and gym and fitness club memberships and 1 point per dollar on everything else.

See Related: 6 ways to earn more Hyatt points

While many airline and hotel co-branded cards only offer a good rewards rate on flights and hotel stays, the World of Hyatt card can be rewarding every day. The restaurant and gym membership bonus categories stand out in particular, as they can make up a significant portion of your monthly budget. By earning Hyatt points on these purchases, you’ll have enough for your next free night in no time.

What are World of Hyatt points worth?

World of Hyatt points are among the most valuable rewards program currencies. In fact, we estimate the average world of Hyatt point is worth around 2 cents – or twice the typical rewards point. When you combine this high point value with a great earning rate, the World of Hyatt card has a lot of potential value.

Hyatt hotel network

While World of Hyatt is not as large of a program as Hilton Honors or Marriott Bonvoy, the Hyatt hotel network is still pretty large. With more than 600 properties in over 50 countries, there are Hyatt properties in most major travel destinations. Plus, Hyatt brands range from midlevel hotels such as Hyatt Place to all-inclusive resorts like the Hyatt Zilara.

Redeeming points

Unfortunately, one area World of Hyatt falls short is redemption options. Cardholders won’t be able to redeem their points for a cash value – even for a gift card. Plus, redemption options other than free nights won’t get as much value out of your points. You’ll also need to earn a minimum number of points for each redemption option.

World of Hyatt redemption options

See Related: Best ways to use Hyatt points

We recommend saving your Hyatt points for free night awards, as this option gets the best value. Hyatt award nights are priced by property tier, and we found the best value among lower-tiered properties. Another perk – Hyatt uses a fixed redemption chart rather than peak pricing. That means you can find incredible deals by searching for a room during busy times of year. Since Hyatt doesn’t impose any blackout dates, your chances of finding a good value are better than with other hotel programs.

How many Hyatt points do you need for a free night?

As mentioned before, Hyatt award nights are priced by tier at a fixed rate, making it easy to know just how much you’ll need to save for a night at your favorite property. Each tier requires a different number of points for a free night in a standard room, detailed below.

Standard room night award pricing

To discover what category your desired property falls under, you can search using World of Hyatt’s interactive map tool. You can also use your points for a free night in a suite or upgraded room at select properties. Check out Hyatt’s free night pricing chart for information on how much these stays will cost you.

World of Hyatt elite status

Another great perk that comes with the World of Hyatt card – automatic Discoverist elite status. With this perk, cardholders can enjoy free premium Wi-Fi, a free bottle of water every day, room upgrades when available, late checkout and more. At SLH hotels, users enjoy even more benefits, such as complimentary breakfast.

See Related: The benefits of elite status with World of Hyatt

Not only will these perks add some luxury to your next hotel stay, but they help offset the cost of the annual fee.

Other benefits

On top of automatic elite status and up to two free night certificates per year, World of Hyatt cardholders can enjoy a bevy of other benefits tailored to frequent travelers:

• 5 qualifying nights toward elite status each year – In addition to automatic Discoverist status, World of Hyatt cardholders are given a boost of five qualifying nights to help them achieve a higher elite status tier.
• 2 additional qualifying nights for every $5,000 – To accelerate advancing through elite status even further, you can earn two additional qualifying nights every time you spend $5,000 on your card.
• Rental car insurance – For cars booked and paid for with your card, you can receive secondary coverage in the case of damage or theft.
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance – If you have to cancel or cut a trip short due to severe weather or illness, you can be reimbursed up to $5,000 per trip for no-refundable charges made to your card.
• Lost luggage reimbursement – If your checked or carry-on bags are lost or damaged by the carrier, you can be covered up to $3,000 per passenger to replace your items.
• Baggage delay insurance – When your bag is delayed more than six hours by the carrier, you can receive up to $100 a day for five days to cover essential purchases like toiletries.
• Purchase protection – Qualifying purchases made with your card can be covered for up to 120 days in case of damage or theft (max $500 per claim, $50,000 per account).
• No foreign transaction fee – You can use your card freely when you travel abroad, as you won’t be charged a fee on foreign transactions.

To take full advantage of these perks, put all large purchases on your World of Hyatt card.

Customer experience

The World of Hyatt card is issued by Chase, which has a good customer service reputation. In J.D. Power’s 2020 customer satisfaction survey, the bank ranked fourth out of 11 major issuers. Chase also offers 24/7 customer service, though they do not have an online chat feature.

The Chase mobile app also rates well among users – rating 4.4 out of 5 in the Google Play Store and 4.8 out of 5 in the Apple App Store.

How does the World of Hyatt card compare to other travel cards?

The World of Hyatt card boasts one of the best earning rates and point values available among hotel credit cards, but Hyatt’s footprint is a bit more limited than other major brands. If you are looking for a hotel with a larger network, check out one of these popular alternatives:

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card	Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card*	Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Rewards rate Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. 3X Marriott Bonvoy® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2X Marriott Bonvoy® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.	Rewards rate 14 points per dollar on Hilton stays 7 points per dollar on airfare, car rentals and restaurants 3 points per dollar on other purchases	Rewards rate 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠. 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries. 2x on all other travel purchases. 1x on all other purchases.
Welcome bonus Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.	Welcome bonus Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/8/2025.	Welcome bonus Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual fee $650	Annual fee $450	Annual fee $95
Other things to know Free night award each year after your card renewal month (up to 85,000 points) at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program. Certain hotels have resort fees. Up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide (up to $25 a month) Up to $100 credit for qualifying purchases on stays of two nights or longer at St. Regis/Ritz-Carlton hotels Priority Pass lounge access when you enroll Terms apply	Other things to know One free weekend night award each year on your cardmember anniversary Additional free weekend night if you spend $60,000 in a year Priority Pass lounge access $250 airline fee credit for incidentals with a selected airline $250 Hilton Resorts credit $100 credit for incidental purchases on stays at Waldorf Astoria/Conrad properties Terms apply	Other things to know 25% higher point value when redeemed for travel through Chase Travel℠ Primary car rental insurance Transfer points to 13 travel partners at a 1:1 rate No foreign transaction fee

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant

If you are looking for a hotel loyalty program with a large footprint, look no further than Marriott Bonvoy. Encompassing Marriott, Starwood and Ritz-Carlton properties, Marriott is the largest hotel company in the world.

For cardholders looking for luxury perks with the brand, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card is loaded with travel credits and benefits that make it a great pick for luxury travelers. For example, cardholders enjoy Priority Pass Select membership, which grants access to more than 1,200 airport lounges around the world.

Hilton Honors Aspire

While not quite as large as Marriott, Hilton Hotels is one of the largest hotel brands in the world. Unfortunately, Hilton points are very inflated, and their value is half of the typical rewards program point.

Nevertheless, the Hilton Honors Aspire card offers a good earning rate, by letting cardholders earn an incredibly high number of points per dollar – especially on Hilton, airfare, car rental and restaurant purchases. To offset the card’s high annual fee, cardholders can take advantage of lounge access and numerous travel credits.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Since the Chase Sapphire Preferred is not tied to any hotel loyalty program, you can redeem your points for stays at thousands of properties around the world, under many different brands. While you won’t enjoy the elite status benefits that come with sticking to one loyalty program, you’ll have the added flexibility of redeeming your points for all kinds of travel purchases without sacrificing their value.

Who should apply for the World of Hyatt card?

• Hyatt loyalists looking for a way to earn more points with the loyalty program.
• Frequent travelers who want automatic elite status with World of Hyatt.
• Frequent travelers looking for a hotel loyalty program with a high point value.
• Cardholders looking for free nights and other luxury perks for a modest annual fee.

How to use the World of Hyatt card:

• Spend up to $18,000 in the first six months to squeeze as much value from the full sign-up bonus as possible.
• Put all Hyatt, restaurant, airfare, transit and gym membership purchases on the card to take advantage of bonus points.
• Use your free night award during a busier time of year at a more expensive property to take advantage of fixed award pricing and get a good deal.

Is the World of Hyatt card worth it?

For a hotel rewards card, the World of Hyatt card offers one of the best point values and earning rates you can find, making it a great choice for loyalists of the hotel brand. Plus, the annual free night certificate and elite status benefits can help you offset the card’s annual fee. However, users who are not devoted to any one particular hotel brand can usually get more value out of a generic travel card – as they offer better earning rates and more flexible redemption options.

*Information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by CreditCards.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

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