World of Hyatt Credit Card Review

This card is a great choice for people who stay at Hyatt hotels while on vacation or for business. You don’t even need to be a frequent traveler—even if you stay in a Hyatt hotel as little as once per year, this card can pay for itself. The fact that you’ll earn extra points on local transportation, restaurants, and fitness facilities is the icing on the cake.

Pros Explained

• Generous new-cardholder bonus: This card has the most valuable points of any hotel credit card we’ve evaluated, which makes the large, two-part sign-up bonus competitive and easy to earn (more on this below).
• Many ways to earn points: Like many hotel cards, on an ongoing basis, you’ll earn the most bonus points for Hyatt purchases. However, unlike with competing cards, you also earn bonus points for spending on fitness clubs, restaurants, and local transportation.
• Free annual hotel stay: Each year on your cardholder anniversary you’ll get a certificate for one free night. You’ll get a second one if you spend at least $15,000 on your card during the year. 
• Automatic Discoverist elite status: Discoverist perks include premium in-room internet access, and late checkout. Plus, you’ll get five qualifying night credits per year to get you to the next status level, and you’ll earn an additional two qualifying night credits for every $5,000 you spend on your card with no limits. 

Cons Explained

• Annual fee: This card does have a $95 annual fee, and it isn’t waived during the first year.
• Confusing rewards program: You earn two types of reward points through this program: bonus points and base points. Deciphering the difference between the two can be a little difficult at first.

World of Hyatt Credit Card Bonus for New Cardholders

The World of Hyatt Credit Card comes with a two-tiered welcome offer. On the first level, if you spend at least $3,000 within the first three months of opening the card, you’ll earn 30,000 Bonus Points worth $564 toward free hotel stays, based on our valuations. Plus you'll earn 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent on purchases that earn 1 Bonus Point up to $15,000 in the first 6 months of account opening.

Earning Points & Rewards

Any points you earn from spending with this card are transferred to the World of Hyatt program, which is the rewards program for Hyatt hotels. This program is a little confusing at first, but we’ll break it down. 

When you use your card to make purchases from Hyatt properties, you’ll earn 5 Base Points and 4 Bonus Points, for a total of 9 rewards points per $1 spent. 

You can also earn 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent on the following things:

• Fitness clubs and gym memberships
• Restaurant purchases
• Airline tickets you buy directly from the airline
• Local transportation, such as bus tickets, taxis, Lyft, or Uber

Every $1 you spend on purchases outside of these categories will earn 2 Bonus Points up to $15,000 spent in the first six months of account opening. 1 Bonus Point per $1 spent afterward.

Redeeming Rewards

The most valuable redemption option for World of Hyatt points is free stays and upgrades at Hyatt hotels and resorts. The Balance analyzed Hyatt points and found they are worth 1.88 cents each, on average, when redeemed for stays at Hyatt properties.

You can also book stays at Miraval, MGM Resorts Destinations, and Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Each property falls into one of eight categories depending on how fancy it is, and the reward night reservation cost will vary by category. If you don’t have enough points to get a free night, you can combine points with cash to pay.

In 2021, Hyatt plans to introduce peak and off-peak point redemption programs. This allows you to stretch your reward points even further by taking advantage of less popular travel times.

Hyatt points are also good for spa services and restaurant purchases at certain Hyatt locations, and car rentals at certain Avis locations. 

To see how the World of Hyatt Credit Card’s points stack up, check out our in-depth analysis of what credit card points are worth.

How to Get the Most Out of This Card

Spend $3,000 within the first six months after opening this card to earn the sign-up bonus. Then, since this card offers points on such a wide variety of purchases, use it as often as you can to rack up points faster.

Don’t forget to use your free night each year, and redeem your points for premium Hyatt hotel stays when possible to get the best value. Stay within the Hyatt network to earn the most hotel points and take advantage of all the perks Hyatt gives cardholders.

World of Hyatt Credit Card’s Excellent Perks

This card comes with several exceptional perks that might come in handy throughout your travels. Besides automatic Discoverist status and free annual hotel stays, you’ll also get:

• Insurance coverage for trip cancellation, interruption, or delay: If a trip you paid for with your card is canceled or interrupted due to certain circumstances such as foul weather, you and your family members could be reimbursed for up to $5,000 and for up to $500 if your trip is delayed.
• Insurance coverage for lost or delayed luggage: You’ll get up to $3,000 if you or your family member’s luggage is lost or damaged while on a trip you paid for with your card. You’ll also be reimbursed for incidentals for up to $100 per day for five days if your luggage is delayed. 
• Travel accident insurance: If you or a family member die or become permanently disabled while on a trip you paid for with your World of Hyatt card, this insurance policy will reimburse you or your beneficiaries for up to $500,000.

World of Hyatt Credit Card’s Other Feature

• Auto rental collision damage waiver

Customer Experience

Chase is ranked about in the middle, in terms of customer satisfaction, according to a 2020 J.D Power study. It ranked fourth out of 11 card-issuing banks surveyed and scored 809 points out of 1,000 possible. The industry average was 810.

Chase gives cardholders—or anyone, for that matter—access to its Credit Journey tool. This free service provides a credit score update, limited credit monitoring, and a credit score simulator to show how your financial decisions may impact your credit score.

Security Features

Chase offers industry-standard security features, such as encryption, two-factor authentication, and alerts if the company notices suspicious account activity. You can also lock your card from your phone to block new purchases if you’ve misplaced your card, and unlock it if you find the card.

World of Hyatt Credit Card Fees

This card comes with pretty standard fees compared to other hotel credit cards, most of which can be avoided with smart card use and on-time payments. Just note the $95 annual fee.