ROAD WARRIOR VOICES

Hyatt Hotels to launch new loyalty program

Nancy Trejos
USA TODAY
Hyatt Hotels will debut a new loyalty program March 1 called World of Hyatt. Guests will be able to redeem points at hotels such as the Hyatt Regency San Francisco.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation will launch a new loyalty program that will create three new elite tiers and reward guests not just for booking a stay but for spending on food, drinks and spa treatments.

The World of Hyatt program will officially launch March 1, Hyatt announced Thursday evening. It will replace the Hyatt Gold Passport program.

“It will provide very compelling benefits at every level of the program,” says Mark Hoplamazian, president and chief executive officer of Hyatt Hotels. “There are more ways to experience Hyatt and get benefits from that than there were in the existing program.”

The three new tiers will be called Discoverist, Explorist and Globalist. Guests will advance to the tiers based on qualifying nights or base points within a year. Right now, there are just two tiers determined by nights and stays.

To be a Discoverist, they will need 10 qualifying nights or 25,000 base points. Explorists must stay for 30 qualifying nights or earn 50,000 base points. To be a Globalist, guests will have to have 60 qualifying nights or 100,000 base points. It takes more nights to get to the first elite tier in the current program.

Base points can be earned for spending on dining and spa treatments. Guests will also earn a free night once they’ve stayed at five different Hyatt brands. Hyatt has 12 brands and 667 properties. It also has a collection of properties known as Unbound.

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Elite members will also get confirmed suite upgrades at the time of booking.

“There’s something in it for everyone whether you stay with us once a week or once a month,” says Jeff Zidell, senior vice president of Hyatt.

Hoplamazian says he believes the program will strengthen Hyatt’s relationship with its customers at a time when the hotel industry is going through consolidation.

“The ultimate goal is to provide unique experiences that people can tap into, and to have a sense that this is more of a journey of us learning about them and doing something about it,” he says. “We feel we are guests in their lives vs. the other way around.”

The Hyatt Gold Passport program will remain in effect through Feb. 28. Guests can continue to earn and redeem points as they always have until then. Any points they earn starting Jan. 1 will be applied towards their World of Hyatt status.

When World of Hyatt launches, they will still earn five base points for every eligible U.S. dollar spent. The number of points required for a free night redemption will also remain the same.

Members will be notified of their new World of Hyatt status by March 1.

"We believe it will be a seamless transition into the new program," Zidell says.