Hyatt expands award chart tiers, triggering major points devaluation

On May 20, Hyatt revised its World of Hyatt award chart, moving from three to five pricing tiers and adding 78 price levels across its 38 brands. The change has raised the points cost of many free‑night awards, with some hotels seeing increases of up to 67 percent. High‑end properties in Japan, Paris and other premium locations are especially affected; for example, Andaz Tokyo and Grand Hyatt Tokyo now require roughly 75,000 points per night versus 45,000 previously.

Senior Vice President of Global Marketing & Loyalty Laurie Blair warned that the May changes are only a preview and that “next year’s changes will be even bigger,” indicating further devaluations are expected in 2026. The program still offers elite status tiers—Member, Discoverist, Explorist, Globalist—and a promotion that grants free‑night awards for staying at multiple Hyatt brands, but the value of points for redemption has been substantially reduced.

Travelers and loyalty members are reacting strongly as the cost of redeeming points rises, while Hyatt maintains that the new pricing structure is fixed for the coming year.