World of Hyatt offering best-ever 30% discount on points purchases

It’s been a while since I last wrote about a World of Hyatt points sale, because I didn’t see anything that really grabbed my attention.

But Hyatt has just launched one of the best sales I can recall, which runs from now till 31 December 2021, 12.59 a.m SGT. During this sale, all purchases of at least 5,000 points will receive a 30% discount. 

30% off World of Hyatt points

A maximum of 55,000 points can be purchased in a calendar year, but you can combine points across accounts during redemptions, so you and your spouse/traveling companion could each buy points and pool them if necessary.

Buying points with a 30% discount is equivalent to paying 1.68 US cents per point. That’s even cheaper than the largest public bonus we typically see offered of 40% (1.71 US cents per point)

World of Hyatt has now introduced peak pricing after delaying its implementation several times, so here’s how much you can expect to pay for a standard room redemption depending on time of year. 

Peak/off-peak pricing only applies to stays from 1 March 2022, so any stays before that will follow standard award costs. 

World of Hyatt points expire after 24 consecutive months of inactivity, but Hyatt has temporarily paused all expiry until 31 December 2021. 

What can you redeem World of Hyatt Points for?

Depending on when and where you’re travelling, it may sometimes make sense to buy points and redeem them for hotel nights, instead of paying cash rates. 

Here’s some ideas of how much hotels in popular VTL destinations will cost (remember, peak/off-peak pricing only applies to stays from 1 March 2022).

• London
  • Great Scotland Yard Hotel: 21,000-29,000 points/night (US$353-487)
  • DUKES London: 21,000-29,000 points/night (US$353-487)
  • St James’ Hotel & Club: 21,000-29,000 points/night (US$353-487)
  • Flemings Mayfair: 21,000-29,000 points/night (US$353-487)
• New York City
  • Andaz Wall Street: 17,000-23,000 points/night (US$286-386)
  • The Beekman: 21,000-29,000 points/night (US$353-487)
  • Andaz 5th Avenue: 21,000-29,000 points/night (US$353-487)
  • Park Hyatt New York: 25,000-35,000 points/night (US$420-588)
•  Seoul
  • Andaz Seoul Gangnam: 17,000-23,000 points/night (US$286-386)
  • Grand Hyatt Seoul: 12,000-18,000 points/night (US$202-302)
  • Park Hyatt Seoul: 21,000-29,000 points/night (US$353-487)
• Sydney
  • Hyatt Regency Sydney: 17,000-23,000 points/night (US$286-386)
  • Park Hyatt Sydney: 25,000-35,000 points/night (US$420-588)

You’ll typically find redeeming points to be better value during peak periods when revenue rates go through the roof, although the introduction of peak pricing offsets the value somewhat. 

World of Hyatt has also been busy acquiring smaller chains, and over the past few months we’ve seen Destination Hotels, Alila Hotels, Joie De Vivre and SLH get folded into the portfolio. This means more unique places to redeem your points, like Ventana Big Sur, an Alila Resort. It’s often in the shadow of the better-known Post Ranch Inn, but still an amazing property in and of itself, nestled deep within the natural beauty of Big Sur. Rooms here cost upwards of US$1,100 per night during peak period, but can also be redeemed for 30,000 points a night. 

Otherwise, buying Hyatt points is a way of accessing some of the portfolio’s top tier properties like the Park Hyatt Maldives, a Category 7 property which costs 30,000 points a night. Given that revenue rates here can be upwards of US$880 a night including taxes, there are deals to be had by buying points instead.

Park Hyatt Maldives

It’s not just the top tier properties which have great redemption opportunities- even the lower category World of Hyatt hotels can be good choices. For instance, the Studios at Alila Seminyak is a Category 1 hotel that costs just 5,000 World of Hyatt points a night. If you purchase points during this sale, you will pay much less than the US$130 rates you’d normally find during busy periods.

What cards should I use to buy World of Hyatt points?

World of Hyatt points purchases are processed by Points.com and are charged in USD. This means they do not code as hotel spending for the purposes of credit card bonuses. 

Here’s the best cards to maximize the miles earned on your purchase:

Card	Earn Rate	Remarks
OCBC 90N Visa Apply here	4 mpd	Cap of S$2.5K per c. month
Citi Rewards Apply here	4 mpd	Cap of S$1K per s. month
UOB Visa Signature Apply here	4 mpd	Min S$1K Max S$2K FCY spend per s. month
SCB Visa Infinite Apply here	3 mpd	Min spend S$2K per s. month
UOB PRVI Miles Apply here	2.4 mpd	No cap
S. Month= Statement Month | C. Month= Calendar Month

Remember, you can always pair the Citi Rewards Card with the Instarem Amaze Card to earn 4 mpd on Points.com purchases, without foreign currency transaction fees. 

I generally don’t advise you to use the DBS Woman’s World Card, as past data points have indicated there are issues with getting the bonus points credited. 

Conclusion

30% off World of Hyatt points

World of Hyatt’s current sale represents the lowest price we’ve seen for Hyatt points in quite a while, and now with the VTLs and year-end travel, it’s well worth taking a look at. 

As a general rule, you should never buy points speculatively. Only buy if you have a definite plan in mind, and burn them as soon as you can.