If you’re a Hyatt loyalist like many are in this hobby, you’ve no doublt already heard the news: The new Hyatt award changes are out for 2025 and will go into effect on March 25.
While some properties are going down in price, there are plenty more that are getting pricier which means our points are going to be getting less useful after that implementation date.
Does this spell the end for the value of Hyatt points??! (Spoiler: nahhhhh)
What You Need to Know
Every year, Hyatt adjusts its award chart which dictates how many points are required for a free night at its various properties. These adjustments can mean some hotels become more expensive, while others become less so.
The last few years have been pretty tough on us points and milers with their All-inclusive collection prices skyrocketing, as well as other upscale properties around the world. We’ve gotten lucky on a few places here and there that represent pretty significant value, but let’s face it, most of us want opulence and high-end, not “value” when we’re taking these once-in-a-lifetime style vacations.
This year has been another somewhat tough year, but I’m happy (ish) to say that the gross majority of the All-Inclusives were untouched this time around!
Up, Down, Left, and Right: Some Major Changes
I scanned through the changes posted to the Hyatt website earlier today and identified a few themes that I’d like to highlight. That said, you should absolutely read through the list yourself and start thinking about how you’re going to strategize your upcoming schedule of stays beginning March 25.
Basic Details
- There were 118 properties that went UP in pricing this year, and only 33 that went DOWN in cost.
- Several fan-favorite Category 1 hotels across the globe are moving to category 2, hurting our ability to earn status quicker with cheap mattress runs.
- None of the Hyatt-branded AI’s haven’t changed this year, but there are a handful of increases for the acquired Secrets, Dreams, and Zoetry properties in the Caribbean.
- Several hotspots in CA, FL, and HI in the USA went up for us leisure travelers.
- Indonesia and Japan got absolutely massacred.
- Surprisingly, the St Lucia Zoetry decreased from a Category F to a Category E for all inclusive properties. That’s a win in my book, as I’ve been wanting to visit but couldn’t justify the cost.
Your Next Steps
The upside of having a new award chart published before it goes into effect is that it gives us the opportunity to plan.
Have you started thinking about your travel plans for the next 13 months yet? Well, now’s the time to start.
If you book your Hyatt award night before the new pricing goes into effect, you’ll lock in that price for your trip even if the vacation happens after the change date. That’s a pretty nice give from Hyatt when announcing these kinds of devaluations, and one we should all be taking advantage of.
Tip: when booking your stays, book single nights rather than a block of nights for your whole stay. Why? Your plans may change, or you may want to take off a night or two before your actual trip. If you have single nights booked you can just cancel those nights, but if you have the whole 5-night trip booked as a single reservation you’ll need to cancel and rebook the whole thing which forces new pricing for each night.
Getting to the Point(s)
I never like seeing these annual changes, as it usually means our points are about to get devalued. That was true in this case, but certainly not to the extent they were devalued in previous years.
My personal takeaway here is to always be thinking ahead and having trips planned out and ready to book at a moment’s notice just in case something changes. It also forces me to actually use the the points I accrue rather than just let them sit and devalue.
Hopefully this basic overview helped get you thinking about your next steps, and where you want to visit next. On that note, post in the comments below where you’re planning on using your points before the March changes!
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