Hyatt Award Chart Changes for 2015

Hyattt is going through their annual review of their award chart and making some changes for 2015. Overall, it is neither good nor bad. Some nice properties are going up a category (the bad), but then there are some nice properties also going down a category (the good). And then there are some hotels that absolutely should be valued at a higher category but staying the same (the good). There are 22 hotels moving up a category and 48 hotels moving down. Here is a list of all the hotels moving up and down, but here is my take on the good and bad moves:

The Good:

• Hyatt Regency Pier 66 – By no means the nicest hotel in Ft. Lauderdale Beach, but it is still walking distance to the beach and restaurant/bars (although a decent walk)
• Hyatt Regency Savannah is going from a category 4 to 3
• Grand Hyatt Washington is going from a category 5 to 4
• Hyatt French Quarter is going from a category 5 to 4
• Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa is going from a category 5 to 4 – This is a nice hotel on the West Coast of Florida and is a great value at a soon to be category 4 hotel!
• Park Hyatt Washington is going from a category 6 to 5

The Bad:

• Park Hyatt Maldives is going from a category 6 to 7 – This is by no means a surprise as it probably should have been a category 7 hotel to start with
• Andaz Amsterdam is going from a category 5 to 6
• Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar is going from a category 4 to 5 – This hotel isn’t even open yet and is already moving up a category! Although I am not surprised, as it probably should have been marked as a category 5 (or maybe even 6) to begin with. You can read more about this hotel here.
• Park Hyatt Seoul is going from a category 4 to 5
• Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Mediterranee is going from a category 5 to 6
• Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo is going from a category 3 to 4

Depending on where you are looking to stay over the next year, this could be either good or bad for you. I am very happy though that the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort in Costa Rica and Hyatt Escala Lodge Park City stayed at a category 4 hotel. While there are many great hotels to use your category 4 certificates, these stand out to be two of the best values! Related post. 

Fortunately though, you have until January 21, 2015 to book your hotel stay at the current award chart. On January 22, 2015, the new award chart will take place and for any hotel you already have booked that moved to a lower category you will receive the difference in points back to your account. In my experience, you typically need to call to get these points credited back.

Thanks to Pizza in Motion for sharing this change!