What Am I Missing About The Hyatt Promotion?

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On Friday, Hyatt launched a promotion for their Chase co-brand credit card holders offering a 10% rebate on point redemptions. I’m figuring that you’ve already heard because not just one, two, three, four or five but a minimum of six different sites have written about it. So there’s no need for me to rehash the details.

If you want to sign up or read the official terms, here’s the link to the Hyatt website.

I’ve seen this promotion come and go but I never paid much attention because I wasn’t eligible. I didn’t have the World of Hyatt credit card, and applying for it so I could take part in a promotion isn’t my style. However, this year I finally have a Hyatt card – click here to read my review. Seeing the news of the promotion, I went to give it a closer look.

Maybe it’s just me but I don’t see what all the fuss is about.

If I stay at a Hyatt between July 1st and September 2nd, 2019 and pay for the stay with points or points + cash rate, I get back 10% of the points I spend.

I’m glad Hyatt provided a chart for those who can’t figure out what 10% is.

I’m not trying to play devil’s advocate here or just writing to be snarky. I’m a huge fan of saving points on redemptions. But for me, there are several things about this promo that make it not very exciting. Your Mileage May Vary.

Short Time Frame

The promotion only runs for two months, July and August, and starts in two weeks. If you’re a last-minute planner, you might be more likely to stay at a Hyatt hotel because of this promotion. I’ve already planned out much of our summer travels, which isn’t much. We tend to stay home while everyone else is sweltering outside in the summer heat. That is, except for our trips to Texas. The plans we have shone a light on one of Hyatt’s disadvantages.

Hyatt’s Limited Footprint

Where we are traveling this summer, there are no Hyatt hotels nearby. We’d have to drive an extra thirty miles to get to a Hyatt and that’s not worth saving 10% to me.

I Haven’t Officially Been Notified Yet

I’m sure that I’ll eventually get the same email that I’ve seen sent to others but as of right now, I haven’t been told about the promotion. I know about it because I follow other blogs but for most people, the only way they’ll know is when they get an email.

I Already Save 10% On Award Stays, At IHG Hotels Year Round

It’s a little hard for me to get worked up about a 10% rebate on award stays for just two months because I have the Hyatt credit card. The reason is I get the same 10% rebate for all my IHG award redemptions for having a card that has a lower annual fee.

You Need To Have All The Points Up Front

This one is my pet peeve about point rebates. You’re not able to get a better redemption than you would have otherwise. You need to have the full amount of points when you make the booking. Only after the stay will they credit the points back to your account. So I’d need to have the points or transfer them in from my Chase Ultimate Rewards balance to make the booking.

I don’t like to be a full-time Debbie Downer. There are certainly some bright spots in this promotion:

Easy To Understand

As Ed from Pizza in Motion points out “There are no properties excluded.  The promotion doesn’t start rewarding you on your second stay.  It doesn’t only reward you for staying on the 3rd Sunday of the month.”

The only thing you need to do is register by July 15th. However, I’d register now. It only takes a minute.

Good For Stays Already Booked

If you booked an award stay for this summer several months ago, you’re eligible. No need to cancel and rebook after registering for the promotion. I like when you don’t get punished for planning in advance. You’re being rewarded for loyalty because you booked before there was an award being offered.

10% Is 10%, Might As Well Take It

If you’re going to be staying at a Hyatt on points for those two months, might as well get 10% of your points back.

Final Thoughts

Since the 10% rebate is only on award stays or points + cash bookings, you still need to make sure the redemption makes sense. This offer isn’t going to turn a bad use of points into a good one. I typically get over 2 cents a point for my Hyatt redemptions. Don’t go and redeem 10,000 points for a room that only costs $100.

I don’t see this rebate as a reason to change stays to Hyatt Hotels from other bookings you might already have made. It’s not a big enough payoff to move the needle.

If you already have a Hyatt booked for July or August and paid for it with points. Congratulations, you hit the lottery. Well, maybe you got two numbers and won $20 and a free ticket but that’s better than nothing.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary