World of Hyatt Credit Card review: 1 of the most valuable hotel cards

World of Hyatt Credit Card overview

With a rewarding loyalty program and generous card benefits, the World of Hyatt Credit Card is one of the top hotel cards on the market. Cardholders earn 4 points per dollar on all Hyatt spending, and you’ll get a Category 1-4 free-night award each year you keep the card and another when you spend $15,000 in a calendar year. Hyatt points are the most valuable hotel points, and free nights start at only 3,500 points. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

*Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

Thanks to its solid redemption possibilities and elite benefits, World of Hyatt is one of our favorite loyalty programs at TPG.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card doesn’t have the heavy-hitting benefits you’ll find with more premium hotel cards, but its perks are valuable enough to easily justify the modest $95 annual fee.

The recommended credit score for this card is above 670.

But does it deserve a spot in your wallet? Let’s dive into the details below.

World of Hyatt pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Annual free night certificate Additional free night certificate based on spending Automatic elite status Bonus categories No foreign transaction fees	Limited redemption options No pathway to higher elite status

World of Hyatt Credit Card welcome offer

The World of Hyatt card is currently offering five Category 1-4 free night award certificates after spending $4,000 in the first three months from account opening.

The welcome offer provides five free nights, which can be used in different ways. They can be used for Category 1 hotels, which would cost 3,500 points per night; however, you’ll maximize the certificates by using them at Category 4 hotels, which can cost up to 18,000 points per night.

TPG’s October 2024 valuations peg Hyatt points at 1.7 cents each, so if you maximize the free night certificates by using them at Category 4 hotels on peak dates, the sign-up bonus is worth up to $1,530.

Daily Newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter

Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

As always, note the restrictions: You won’t be eligible to earn those bonus points if you’ve earned a sign-up bonus on a Hyatt card within the past 24 months. And since this is a Chase card, it’s subject to the infamous 5/24 rule. You’ll want to ensure you’re eligible for the card and its bonus before applying.

World of Hyatt Credit Card benefits

The World of Hyatt Credit Card comes with some notable perks:

Annual free night certificate

The best ongoing benefit from the World of Hyatt card is the annual free-night certificate at a Category 1-4 Hyatt property, which you’ll receive every account anniversary. You’ll also get a second free night after spending $15,000 in a calendar year.

You can get some incredible value from this certificate both domestically and abroad. Here’s what TPG senior editorial director Nick Ewen, has to say about this perk:

I love earning Category 1-4 certificates on my World of Hyatt credit card. There are so many great options at this award level, as I’ve used it to stay at the Hyatt Centric Fort Lauderdale, Andaz Savannah and even the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay after a Taylor Swift concert — when rates were going for more than $900 per night! But my most frequent spot to use these certificates is the Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport. When I have an early-morning flight (or late-night arrival) with my family, it’s so great to have a place to stay right in the terminal.

Regardless of your destination, your free night certificate alone provides enough value to justify the $95 annual fee.

Elite status

You’ll get automatic Discoverist status simply by having the card, which includes benefits such as late checkout, preferred rooms and a 10% points bonus on eligible purchases. The late checkout perk is invaluable to me, especially when I have a late evening flight and want to freshen up beforehand.

Beyond that, you get five elite nights deposited to your account each year, and then you’ll also earn additional nights with spending — two for every $5,000 spent on the card. In other words, by holding the card and spending $15,000 in a year to snag that second Category 1-4 certificate, you’ll get 11 nights of credit — nearly 20% of the way to top-tier Hyatt Globalist status.

Travel protections

Chase issues the World of Hyatt card, so you’ll receive many of the travel protections we’ve come to expect from Chase credit cards, including:

Baggage delay insurance: Reimburses you for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing for baggage delays over six hours by passenger carrier up to $100 a day for five days.
Lost luggage reimbursement: If you or an immediate family member check or carry-on luggage damaged or lost by the carrier, you’re covered up to $3,000 per passenger.
Trip interruption and trip cancellation insurance: If your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather and other covered situations, you can be reimbursed up to $5,000 per person and $10,000 per trip for your pre-paid, nonrefundable travel expenses, including passenger fares, tours and hotels.
Auto rental collision damage waiver: Coverage is provided for theft and collision damage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad. In the U.S., coverage is secondary to your personal insurance.

Again, this benefits list isn’t as extensive as on some other more premium hotel cards, but it offers value well beyond the card’s $95 annual fee.

Earning points on the World of Hyatt Credit Card

Cardholders will earn 4 points per dollar on purchases at all Hyatt properties, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and on direct airfare, local transit and commuting (including ride-hailing services) and gym membership purchases, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Earning 4 points per dollar on Hyatt stays is more than you’ll earn with any other card, and it’s worth noting that you’ll earn an additional 5 points per dollar on Hyatt purchases as a Discoverist member in the World of Hyatt program, making this category particularly lucrative. Plus, this is one of only a few cards that earn bonus points on gym membership purchases.

Still, you’ll be better off using the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® for your dining and general travel purchases. You’ll earn more bonus points to transfer to Hyatt or any of Chase’s other 14 airline and hotel partners.

Redeeming points on the World of Hyatt Credit Card

By far, the best use of Hyatt points is for award nights. Redemptions for standard rooms start at 3,500 points for an off-peak night at a Category 1 property and go as high as 45,000 points for peak dates at a Category 8 property.

TPG credit cards writer Chris Nelson was able to get outstanding value by redeeming three nights during peak season over a busy summer weekend at the Story Hotel Riddargatan in Stockholm for just 12,000 points.

You also have the option to book Points and Cash awards and pay half the normal points price and half the standard cash rate.

Additionally, you can upgrade paid stays with points. Redeeming points for free nights tends to be a better deal, but upgrading paid stays can be worth it and won’t bankrupt your point reserves.

You can also transfer points to several airline partners, but the transfer ratio is 2.5:1, which is less than ideal. Hyatt also allows you to redeem points for dining, spa visits, Lindblad Expeditions and other experiences, but you’re almost always better off using points for hotel rooms.

Which cards compete with the World of Hyatt Credit Card?

If you don’t stay at Hyatt properties enough to get good value from the World of Hyatt Credit Card, one of these might be a better fit:

For additional options, please see our list of the best hotel rewards credit cards and best travel credit cards.

Bottom line

The World of Hyatt Card is a must-have for Hyatt loyalists as it’s the hotel chain’s only personal cobranded credit card currently accepting sign-ups and the only card that helps you earn elite status within the World of Hyatt program.

You’re likely to get more than enough value from the card to make the $95 annual fee worth paying. And since the card is a Visa with no foreign transaction fees, you won’t have any problem using it around the world.

However, if you stay more frequently at properties within another hotel brand or want more flexible rewards, you’ll likely want to go with a different card.

Apply here: World of Hyatt Credit Card

Source link