Discoverist is the lowest elite tier in the World of Hyatt program, and I’ve never considered it especially valuable. Most of its benefits are easy to overlook—until you stay without them.
That happened during one of our Hyatt stays, when a small difference between our two accounts made me rethink how much even entry-level status can matter.
Using Two Hyatt Accounts
My wife Sharon and I both have World of Hyatt accounts, and we sometimes alternate which account we use for a stay.
One reason is Hyatt’s Brand Explorer promotion. After staying at five different Hyatt brands, a member earns a free night at a Category 1-4 hotel. Once I earned my first Brand Explorer award, it made sense to start putting some stays under Sharon’s account so she could work toward one as well.
That strategy was easy enough, but there was a difference between the accounts at the time. I had Discoverist status through the World of Hyatt Credit Card, while Sharon was still a regular World of Hyatt Member.
Most Discoverist benefits aren’t particularly exciting. They include:
- Premium internet
- A preferred room within the category booked, when available
- Access to an elite check-in area
- 2 p.m. late checkout
- A 10% bonus on eligible points
- Complimentary bottled water
None of those would convince me to plan a trip around earning status. However, one of them became much more noticeable when we didn’t have it.
The $6 Bottle Of Water
We checked into The Grayson in Manhattan at around 1 a.m. after a long day of travel.
The reservation was under Sharon’s account, which did not have elite status at the time.
We received a room upgrade anyway, which was a nice reminder that upgrades can sometimes happen even without status. The room was comfortable, and we had no complaints.
Then I reached for one of the bottles of water on the nightstand and noticed the card next to them:
“Bottled water is complimentary for World of Hyatt elite members. For Members or non-members, bottled water is $6 per bottle.”
Six dollars. Per bottle.
It wasn’t a major problem. New York City tap water is perfectly drinkable, although the room only had small highball glasses, which made getting enough water slightly annoying.
Still, it made me think about how often I had taken that simple Discoverist benefit for granted. When bottled water is complimentary, you grab a bottle without thinking. When it costs $6, suddenly the benefit seems more useful.
Why We Both Have Discoverist Status
Sharon and I now both have Discoverist status, so it no longer matters which account we use for a Hyatt reservation.
My status comes from the World of Hyatt Credit Card, while Sharon receives hers through the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card.
That means we can continue dividing stays between our accounts to work toward Brand Explorer awards without giving up the basic elite benefits.
Would I pay a significant amount for Discoverist status? No. I also wouldn’t complete ten Hyatt nights solely to earn it.
However, I no longer dismiss it as meaningless.
A preferred room, faster internet, late checkout and a couple of bottles of water won’t transform a hotel stay. They can still make the stay a little easier and remove a few minor annoyances.
In this case, we were happy to give up a couple of $6 bottles of water while working toward a free night worth considerably more.
But the experience made me appreciate Discoverist status more than I had before. Sometimes it takes losing one tiny hotel perk to notice that it was useful all along.
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