World of Hyatt has launched a new points sale, which runs from now till 29 November 2022, 11.59 a.m SGT. During this sale, purchases of at least 5,000 points will receive a 25% bonus.
25% bonus on World of Hyatt points |
Buying points with a 25% bonus is equivalent to paying 1.92 US cents per point. That’s not as good as the last sale we saw, which offered a 30% discount (1.68 US cents per point). If you don’t need the points just yet, it might be worth waiting for a bigger sale to come along.
A maximum of 55,000 points (pre-bonus) 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.
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.
Category | Off-Peak | Standard | Peak |
1 | 3,500 | 5,000 | 6,500 |
2 | 6,500 | 8,000 | 9,500 |
3 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 15,000 |
4 | 12,000 | 15,000 | 18,000 |
5 | 17,000 | 20,000 | 23,000 |
6 | 21,000 | 25,000 | 29,000 |
7 | 25,000 | 30,000 | 35,000 |
8 | 35,000 | 40,000 | 45,000 |
World of Hyatt points expire after 24 consecutive months of inactivity.
What can you redeem World of Hyatt Points for?
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 recently made its annual hotel category adjustments, with the following properties now representing great value:
- Grand Hyatt Bali & Hyatt Regency Bali: 3,500-6,500 points
- Alia Ubud: 6,500-9,500 points
- Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit and Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok: 6,500-9,500 points
- Andaz Delhi: 6,500-9,500 points
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 from 35,000 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 starts from 25,000 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’ll 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 |
Citi Rewards Apply |
4 mpd | Cap of S$1K per s. month |
UOB Visa Signature Apply |
4 mpd | Min S$1K max S$2K FCY spend per s. month |
SCB Visa Infinite Apply |
3 mpd | Min spend S$2K per s. month |
UOB PRVI Miles Apply |
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
25% bonus on World of Hyatt points |
World of Hyatt is offering a 25% bonus on points purchases until late November. This isn’t the cheapest price we’ve ever seen, but could be good value if you’re looking to top off an account, or if revenue rates are disproportionately high for the period in question.
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.
Have recently used DBS Woman’s world card to purchase points for Alaskan miles, and I can confirm that the reason bonus points will not be awarded for purchases with Points.com are because they code as MCC 7399 which are for professional services (excluded category). One will get 3x points (due to foreign currency spend) but not the remaining bonus for online spend