Hyatt has announced many changes lately to their Gold Passport loyalty program, including a new award tier, some higher award prices, and new Points + Cash awards (which can be upgraded and earn elite status). We heard about potential changes to their gift card offerings well over a year ago at Star MegaDO 4, but now we have some details.
Beginning January 8, Hyatt is eliminating its Hyatt Stay Certificates — as well as Weekend and Spa varieties — to replace them with Hyatt Nights Certificates. Stay Certificates were somewhat confusing since they served a very similar role as gift cards but were only valid at participating properties in a range of categories. Sort of like award nights but not really. And they weren’t eligible for elite status. About the only good thing was that they often provided remarkable value before the categories were reshuffled and brought much closer to the regular cost.
The new Hyatt Nights Certificates will only be available to registered businesses and for use as corporate incentives, auctions, credit card programs, etc. (Perhaps also a sign of changes to the Hyatt Visa? No news there…) My verdict is that anything that was lost was lost a while ago, and this new change is not one to worry about.
Second, Hyatt is adding a new kind of gift card, an eGift Card that is delivered instantly and valid at all Hyatt hotels in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. This will be in addition to existing physical gift cards and Hyatt Check Certificates, which can be used at more international properties. It’s a small improvement of convenience but, again, not something to get worked up over.
Note that you still have the option to get a 10% discount on Hyatt Gift Cards. Although the limit is $7,000 in purchases, the first $2,000 in opportunity runs out at the end of this year. Learn more about which properties accept each form of payment.
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