Today, April 17th, is the first day of the World of Hyatt promotion with Bilt Rewards. If you signed up by April 1st, your Hyatt account should show you as an Explorist member. That status will last until July 16th.
If you want to keep that status or upgrade to top-tier Globalist, Hyatt offers a shortcut.
- Complete 10 qualifying nights during the trial period to keep Explorist status through February 2025.
- Complete 20 qualifying nights during the trial period to earn Globalist status through February 2025.
Having World of Hyatt Globalist status is something I’ve wanted but knew I’d never have. We’re only away for about 30 nights during a typical travel year. Those are spread over several hotel chains, using our free night certificates or staying on points. Explorist status requires 30 nights at Hyatt, and Globalist requires 60 nights. That is not going to happen with how we typically travel.
There are ways to earn stay credits without staying at a hotel. The World of Hyatt personal co-brand card offers 5-night credits every year, and both the personal and business card allows you to earn night credits based on your purchases.
But I’m not going to do that either.
That makes this promotion the best way I’ll ever get World of Hyatt status. But should I do it?
Go for Globalist?
Let’s look at Globalist first, since it’s regarded as the most valuable hotel status. Globalist members get these benefits:
- Unlimited complimentary suite upgrades
- Confirmed suite upgrades (earned as a reward)
- Free breakfast
- Guaranteed 4 PM checkout (except at resorts)
- Guest of Honor bookings (where you can let others use your status benefits)
- Waived resort fees on ALL stays
- Waived parking fees on award stays
I’ll eliminate the confirmed suite upgrades since you only get those after staying 60 nights. Fast-track Globalists won’t have the ability to confirm upgrades.
Is it worth 18 nights of mattress running to get Globalist status thru the beginning of 2025? Most of our travel plans for 2023 are already in the works and we’re not going anywhere where we’d be able to take full advantage of the Globalist perks.
We’d have to plan our 2024 trips to places where there are Hyatt resorts. However, many of these places aren’t cheap and I’d be using a boatload of points to book 18 nights of category 1 or 2 rooms.
I want to get Globalist status but Hyatt’s rules make it less appealing than it looks on paper. You can use your World of Hyatt points to book or upgrade to a suite. We paid 8,000 extra points a night at the Grand Hyatt Kauai for a Club room with an excellent ocean view and access to the Hyatt Club.
What about Explorist?
Explorist members get extra perks with Hyatt but miss out on some of the best benefits reserved for Globalist members:
- Premium internet
- Bottled water
- Preferred room upgrade (excluding suites and club rooms)
- Elite check-in
- 2 PM late checkout
- 20% bonus points on eligible charges
These benefits alone wouldn’t be worth paying for or using points for 8 hotel nights I don’t need. However, one perk of World of Hyatt Explorist could make it worthwhile.
Match to MGM Gold
Explorist members can match their status to MGM Gold. If you’re planning a trip to Vegas, this is an excellent perk because MGM Gold members get the resort fees waived.
MGM Gold status is also one of the on-ramps to the casino and cruise match Ferris wheel. You can’t use the trial status to match MGM, but if you earn 10-night credits with the Bilt promotion. The subsequent Explorist status will work.
What should I do?
I already decided I won’t do the 20 nights to earn Globalist. The cost is too high, and there are other ways I can get many of the same benefits for our stays.
I’m still thinking about going for Explorist status. It might be worth it for MGM Gold status. Sharon can take advantage of the casino matches because she has Caesars Diamond from the Wyndham Earner Business card. But this way, we’ll both have status and can go casino hopping to get all the benefits.
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