World of Hyatt Globalist elite status can be earned by staying at any Hyatt (or affiliated) hotel for at least 60 nights each year. When comparing this elite tier with elite tiers at Marriott, Hilton, and IHG, there is no question that Hyatt Globalist is literally the best hotel elite status you can have. No other chain provides as many benefits and guarantees as Hyatt does when you have Globalist status.
Hyatt Globalist is hard to earn – Hyatt doesn’t quite have the global reach of Marriott or Hilton and sometimes Hyatt hotels are priced higher. However, when it comes to actually delivering benefits and providing excellent customer service, Hyatt outshines the competition by miles. World of Hyatt Globalist elite status includes a number of incredible hotel benefits, but I’d like to highlight my top 5 favorite benefits of this amazing top-tier elite status.
Free Breakfast for Hyatt Globalist Members
World of Hyatt Globalist elite members receive complimentary breakfast for the member +1 guest – you will find that many hotels in the Middle East and Asia will sometimes offer free breakfast to everyone registered to the room (something you’d never get in Europe or the Americas). Best of all, Globalist members don’t have to select breakfast over any other benefit and are automatically guaranteed it.
Suite Upgrades for Hyatt Globalist Members
Hyatt has the best elite member recognition and actually honors elite-level perks – Globalist members are entitled to complimentary, space-available standard suite upgrades upon check-in. If there is a standard suite left for sale when you check-in, you are entitled to that suite. Out of all of the hotel chains, I find that Hyatt hotels play the fewest “games” with elite members – for example, Marriott hotels frequently deny elite members suite upgrades and love to make up excuses why that suite is not available. Hilton doesn’t guarantee upgrades.
Hyatt also lets you confirm suite upgrades at the time of booking if you have a suite upgrade certificate and a standard suite is available – which is an incredible perk whereby you can lock in a suite for stays that matter the most to you.
4PM Late Check-Out
Hyatt Globalist comes with guaranteed 4PM late check-out, which can really make a huge difference at hotels where the standard check-out time might be 11AM, for example. Marriott also guarantees 4PM check-out to select elite members, but just like with suite upgrades, Marriott loves to play games with this perk as well. Again, Hyatt shines and I’ve never had a problem with my late check-out benefit even when the hotel was sold out.
Waived Resort and Parking Fees
World of Hyatt Globalist elite members don’t need to pay any resort or parking fees on award stays – how amazing is that?! No other hotel chain has this benefit for top-tier members. This comes in handy and can save you a ton of money in some places (like Hawaii, where the resort fee and parking fee are usually around $50+tax each, per night).
Just like with all of your other standard benefits, you don’t have to argue with the front desk agent to honor this perk as Hyatt hotels have the highest rate of compliance with the terms and conditions of World of Hyatt, unlike Marriott and Hilton that love to make up their own rules.
There’s An Award Chart!
This isn’t elite-specific, but Marriott and Hilton have gotten rid of their award charts a long time ago – while Hyatt still has one and that means that members know how much a night will cost at a hotel if there is a standard room available. Hyatt also has peak and off-peak pricing, which means you can pay as few as 3,500 points for a one night stay (these hotels are usually priced around $80 per night – so that’s a great use of points).
It is really easy to redeem Hyatt points for free nights around the world, and as with most hotel chains, you will find that you get the best elite recognition and service in Asia and the Middle East – and basic/average service in North America/Europe.
All in All
Hyatt Globalist status is hard to earn – with 60 nights each year being required. However, it is possible to get elite nights from either having the credit card or perhaps other promotions that Hyatt runs time to time (which could include bonus points or bonus elite nights). Not only that, but Hyatt also lets you share you elite perks through certificates that you can gift to anyone else – so they can experience a more luxurious stay. If you are considering switching to Hyatt, I’d jump on that sooner rather than later – the beginning of the year is a great time to do so.