World of Hyatt: An Overview of Earning Status

If you are considering becoming a World of Hyatt member, or if you’re an existing member and need a refresher course on the different tiers of the program, then this is the overview you’ve been waiting for. In this article, we’ll go over the different tiers of the World of Hyatt program as well as the ways by which members can earn Base and Bonus points.

We’ll also mention a few of the partnerships that World of Hyatt holds with others in the travel industry, and we’ll give you an idea of how you can maximize the benefits of those partnerships.

Overview of the World of Hyatt Program

First of all, let’s go over the four different tiers of the World of Hyatt program: Member, Discoverist, Explorist and Globalist. Each tier comes with a different set of benefits (which we’ve outlined below) and different opportunities to benefit from in-hotel services and external partnerships.

For example, World of Hyatt is partnered with Exhale, a health and wellness center that provides a convenient blend of fitness classes and spa treatments. Depending on the membership tier, World of Hyatt members are entitled to earn benefits at participating Exhale locations.

Additionally, World of Hyatt is connected with Small Luxury Hotels of the World, American Airlines and more. Different tiers are entitled to different cross-benefits between these partnerships, making it simpler to earn status and rewards across partnerships as you move up the tiers.

Here’s a brief outline of the benefits offered by each World of Hyatt tier. After outlining those benefits, we’ll go over the different ways by which you can move up and earn more points.

Member

This is the bottom tier of the World of Hyatt program, and it’s free to join. As a Member, you’ll immediately start earning points and enjoy Member benefits right away. These benefits include:

• Earn 5 Base points per $1USD spent on eligible purchases
• Save up to 10% with Member Rates at participating properties
• Waived resort fees at participating locations on Free Night Awards
• Earn 10 Base points per $1USD spent on eligible purchases at participating Exhale locations
• Enjoy 5 Base points per eligible $1USD spent, plus extra benefits when you book with Small Luxury Hotels of the World

Discoverist

As a Discoverist, you are entitled to all of the benefits that accompany Member status with the following upgrades:

• 10% Bonus points on all eligible purchases
• Receive Pearl status with M Life Rewards
• 10% Bonus points on all eligible purchases with Small Luxury Hotels of the World
• Complimentary Premium Internet
• Daily bottled water
• Complimentary room upgrade at participating locations, as available at check-in
• Elite check-in and expedited service
• Late Checkout extended to 2PM
• 1 Bonus point for every $1USD spent on qualifying American Airlines flights, in addition to the AAdvantage Miles you would already earn

Explorist

At the Explorist level, you will earn all the benefits of a Discoverist with the following upgrades:

• 20% Bonus points on all eligible purchases
• Week of Wellbeing at participating Exhale locations, which includes a week of unlimited Barre, Cardio, Yoga, and HIIT classes as well as 25% off spa therapies and 15% off boutique purchases
• Receive Gold status with M Life Rewards
• 20% Bonus points on all eligible purchases with Small Luxury Hotels of the World
• Guaranteed availability at participating locations up to 72 hours in advance, blackout dates apply

Globalist

As a top-tier member, you will enjoy all of the aforementioned benefits with the following upgrades:

• 30% Bonus points on all eligible purchases
• Waived resort fees at participating locations on Eligible Rates
• Complimentary classes at any Hyatt hotel when paying an eligible rate
• 30% Bonus points on all eligible purchases with Small Luxury Hotels of the World
• Complimentary room upgrade as available, including Suites and rooms with Club Lounge access
• Late Checkout extended to 4PM
• Guaranteed availability at participating locations up to 48 hours in advance, blackout dates apply
• Choose between Club Lounge access which includes continental breakfast and hors d’oeuvres daily, or a complimentary full breakfast daily
• Free parking during Free Nights, at locations where parking can be charged to your room
• Priority access to available rooms during early check-in
• Gift your eligible in-hotel benefits to a chosen Guest of Honor

Milestone Rewards

Earning rewards with World of Hyatt is not something that begins only after you hit a certain tier; Milestone Rewards are available to every rewards member and are kept separate from Elite Status. These rewards start to pay off after staying 20 qualifying nights or earning 35,000 Base points; whichever comes first.

If you stay 20 to 60 qualifying nights (or earn 35,000 to 100,000 Base points) you’ll earn rewards like access to the Club Lounge, Free Nights, extra Bonus points, Hyatt gift cards, Suite upgrades or access to My Hyatt Concierge. If you stay between 70 and 100 qualifying nights, you’ll be able to earn either Suite upgrades or even more Bonus points along the way.

Again, these rewards are unattached to your status and are put in place to celebrate different milestones you achieve as you continue to stay at Hyatt hotels and/or earn Base points by making qualifying purchases.

Earning Elite Status During 2021

Earning Milestone Rewards is great, but it is also important to know how to move up the tiers of the World of Hyatt rewards chart.

Note that due to COVID, World of Hyatt recognizes that many rewards members cannot travel as often and they have relaxed their earning criteria through 2021. If you are in a situation where you need to travel this year, then this presents an excellent opportunity to qualify for elite status as the status requirements have been reduced by 50%. Additionally, any elite status you held on March 31, 2020 has been extended through February 28, 2022 without any necessity to re-qualify.

As of right now and through 2021, these are the current qualification requirements:

• Discoverist status requires 5 Tier-Qualifying nights or 12,500 Base points (regularly 10 Tier-Qualifying nights or 25,000 Base points)
• Explorist status requires 15 Tier-Qualifying nights or 25,000 Base points (regularly 30 Tier-Qualifying nights or 50,000 Base points)
• Globalist status requires 30 Tier-Qualifying nights or 50,000 Base Points (regularly 60 Tier-Qualifying nights or 100,000 Base points)

Earning Through Credit Cards

Earning Base points and bonus points through staying at Hyatt properties or making qualifying purchases is one traditional way to build your status with World of Hyatt, but to expedite your Bonus point earning potential it might be a good idea to open a line of credit partnered with Hyatt.

The welcome bonus on the The World of Hyatt Credit Card varies, but if you take advantage of the bonus, you’ll end up with enough points to book a couple of free nights.

If the goal is to earn Bonus points as fast as possible, then opening  The World of Hyatt Credit Card is certainly the quickest way to do it. Especially if you aren’t traveling much during COVID, you’ll still have the opportunity to earn Hyatt points on everyday purchases. Note that earning Bonus points cannot earn your Milestone rewards or tier status — only Base points do that — but Bonus points can be redeemed on Hyatt stays and experiences.

Don’t forget — World of Hyatt is linked with American Airlines, and folks with elite status through both programs can dual-earn benefits through both entities. That means that holding an American Airlines AAdvantage credit card doesn’t hurt; if you don’t have room in your wallet for the World of Hyatt credit card but you have an AAdvantage card, it makes sense to use that card on Hyatt purchases and earn extra AAdvantage miles in addition to the Hyatt Bonus points that you would earn anyway.

Bottom Line

Working your way through the World of Hyatt tier system is extra accessible this year, and Milestone Rewards are available to all members from the start. If you haven’t already, sign up to be a World of Hyatt Member today.