Best Ways to Use a Hyatt Category 1-4 Free Night Certificate
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The World of Hyatt is a fan favorite of many award travelers — in particular, those who earn Ultimate Rewards points because Hyatt is a direct transfer partner of Chase!
And why do travelers like Hyatt you ask? The primary reason is because of the value you can receive when booking Hyatt hotel rooms with Chase points.
Compared to other hotel programs like Hilton and Marriott, the points required to book a hotel room relative to the cash price for the same room are low, so you can receive solid value with the points that you use.
Another reason travelers like the Hyatt program is because you can earn free night certificates from your hotel stays or with your credit card spending. (There are also lots of ways to earn Hyatt points and top-up your balance, quickly)
Hyatt provides its members these avenues to earn free nights, so why not take advantage of them?
In this article, I’ll outline how to earn a category 1-4 night certificate as well as the best hotels to redeem the certificate at around the world.
Table of contents
Table of Contents
How to Earn a Free Category 1-4 Night
Having been invested in the Marriott program the past several years while also having friends rave to me about Hyatt, I can see firsthand how valuable a free night certificate is.
With the World of Hyatt program, you’ve got 3 main ways to earn category 1-4 free night certificates.
First, after staying at 5 different brands, you’ll earn a category 1-4 certificate that can be redeemed for a free night.
Hyatt brands include:
- Park Hyatt
- Miraval
- Exhale
- Grand Hyatt
- Hyatt Regency
- Andaz
- Hyatt Centric
- The Unbound Collection
- Hyatt Place
- Hyatt House
- Hyatt Zilara
- Hyatt Ziva
- Hyatt Residence Club
The second way to earn a free category 1-4 certificate is to stay 30 qualifying nights or earn 50,000 Base Points in a calendar year.
For those members looking to move up from Discoverist to Explorists status, earning a free night after your 30th stay is yet another perk of this elite status.
Staying at Hyatt properties for 60 qualifying nights or earning 100,000 Base Points in a calendar year is another way to earn a free night certificate. In this case, you’ll be earning a higher tier certificate that’s valid for a free category 1-7 hotel stay.
The last methods for earning a free category 1-4 certificate are limited to those who have the World of Hyatt credit card.
Hot Tip: The World of Hyatt credit card actually provides 2 ways to earn a free night! See directly below for more details.
The first way to earn a free night with the World of Hyatt credit card is to simply be a cardmember. Every year that you hold the card, you’ll earn a free category 1-4 certificate.
Spending $15,000 on the credit card in a calendar year is the second way to earn a free night through the World of Hyatt credit card. By hitting this threshold, you’ll earn yet another free category 1-4 certificate.
Bottom Line: The World of Hyatt program has quite a few ways to earn a free category 1-4 category certificate that you can use to book towards a hotel stay. For more about the World of Hyatt credit card, you can check out our Hyatt credit card review.
Hyatt Award Chart
The World of Hyatt program has several award charts, so you’ll want to reference the one shown below when redeeming your free night certificate.
| Free nights | ||||
| Hotel Category | Standard Room Points Per Night | Regency/Grand Club Points Per Night | Standard Suite Points Per Night | NEW: Premium Suite Points Per Night |
| 1 | 5,000 | 7,000 | 8,000 | 10,000 |
| 2 | 8,000 | 12,000 | 13,000 | 16,000 |
| 3 | 12,000 | 17,000 | 20,000 | 24,000 |
| 4 | 15,000 | 21,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 |
| 5 | 20,000 | 27,000 | 32,000 | 40,000 |
| 6 | 25,000 | 33,000 | 40,000 | 50,000 |
| 7 | 30,000 | 39,000 | 48,000 | 60,000 |
| 8 | 40,000 | — | — | — |
Best Category 1-4 Hotels to Book by Region
For the list of hotels I’ll cover in this article, I went through all of the properties by region on the Hyatt website.
From there, I selected 4 random dates throughout year to provide a range of prices that I’d expect to pay if I were to book a trip.
I then averaged the 4 prices and divided that number by the amount of points required for a free night to give a cents per point value.
Here’s the list of properties that you could use your category 1-4 free night certificate at, broken down by region.
United States & Canada
Kicking off our list of category 1-4 hotels are properties within the U.S. and Canada that many of you may be familiar with.
Hyatt Regency Boston
Within walking distance of downtown Boston and Boston Common (a 50-acre urban park), the Hyatt Regency Boston is well-located for a trip to Boston.
The hotel averages $458 or 15,000 points per night, netting you right at 3 cents per point — an incredible value!
Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco
Those looking to book a trip to San Francisco, take note! The Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf is close to where you can grab delicious crab and clam chowder with a backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.
The Hyatt Centric averages $444 or 15,000 points per night, meaning that you’re receiving nearly 3 cents per point in value.
Hyatt Centric French Quarter New Orleans
Your first trip to New Orleans (aka the “Big Easy”) isn’t complete without a stroll down Bourbon Street in the French Quarter.
What’s nice about this hotel is that you’re walking distance from not only the Quarter, but also all of the great food this city has to offer.
What makes this redemption great is that the hotel also averages $444 or 15,000 points per night, so you’ll be able to extract almost 3 cents per point in value.
Honorable Mentions
I’d be remiss if I didn’t include a few additional properties I found that are worth checking out.
Hyatt Regency Cambridge
The Regency Cambridge, another Boston hotel, averages $369 or 15,000 points per night, providing just under 2.5 cents per point in value.
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa
If you have kids, Coconut Point needs to be on your radar — it averages $359 or 15,000 points per night, meaning you’ll receive more than 2 cents per point in value.
The Confidante Miami Beach
Whenever I plan my first trip to South Beach, the Confidante will be on my list! You’re looking at an average of $334 or 15,000 points per night, for a value of 2.2 cents per point.
Bottom Line: The U.S. and Canada is one of the best regions in terms of the number of opportunities to book a category 1-4 hotel.
Caribbean & Latin America
Moving south from the U.S. and Canada, we have our next group of properties that are within the Caribbean and Latin America region.
Park Hyatt Mendoza
I’m looking to make a trip to Argentina, and this Mendoza property is likely where I’ll stay — in the heart of the country’s wine region known for its Malbecs.
This Park Hyatt averages $253 or 8,000 point per night, which is an absolute steal giving you more than 3 cents per point in value.
Hot Tip: This property has one of the best values for your points, with an average of more than 3 cents each!
Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort
Andaz Papagayo is likely the most talked about property outside of the U.S. on this list. Nestled on Culebra Bay in northwest Costa Rica, you’ll be in paradise when you set foot inside this resort.
Papagayo averages $429 or 15,000 points per night, meaning you’ll be sitting on nearly 3 cents per point in value.
Grand Hyatt Bogotá
This Grand Hyatt smack in the middle of Bogotá would be a great place to start your trip off in Colombia. From Bogotá, you can make your way up to Medellín, Cartagena, and Barranquilla.
The hotel averages $183 or 12,000 points per night, so the value is only 1.5 cents per point. It may make sense to pay cash if you can’t earn more than 2 cents per point.
Bottom Line: The Papagayo Resort easily gets the most coverage, but the Mendoza should be on your list if you’re looking to check out wine country.
Europe
Compared to other regions, using a category 1-4 free night in Europe is going to be tough. There aren’t many properties where the value is more than 2 cents per point.
Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile
Just north of the Arc de Triomphe, you’ll find the Paris Étoile property. What I like about this hotel is that some rooms have incredible views of the Eiffel Tower, making any trip to Paris that much better.
The Étoile averages $347 or 15,000 points per night — a 2.3 cents per point in value for your free night certificate.
Hyatt Regency Chantilly
If you’re venturing outside of Paris and need a place to stay, check out the Chantilly property. At right under an hour north of Paris, you can stay at the Regency Chantilly and be surrounded by the largest racehorse-training community in France.
Hyatt Regency Chantilly averages $291 or 12,000 points per night. At that rate, you can receive almost 2.5 cents per point in value.
Hyatt Regency Amsterdam
A trip to the Netherlands isn’t complete without a stop in Amsterdam. From its architecture to its canal system, narrow houses, museums, and cycling community, this city is perfect to add to your Europe itinerary.
The Regency Amsterdam averages $287 or 15,000 points per night, which means you’re looking at nearly 2 cents per point in value for your free night certificate.
Bottom Line: Europe wouldn’t be the first region I’d go to when looking to redeem a category 1-4 free night certificate.
Africa & Middle East
This region, like Europe, is another that’s not well represented with category 1-4 properties that offer valuable redemptions.
With that said, there are a few hotels that may be worth considering if you’re in Africa or the Middle East.
Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla
Hyatt has 2 properties in Jordan, and the Aqaba Ayla hotel is the one you’ll want to check out.
Situated in the port city of Aqaba, this Hyatt Regency is home to an ancient fort, archaeological museum, beaches, windsurfing, water sports, and scuba diving.
The Aqaba Ayla averages $317 or 12,000 points per night, so you should be able to receive more than 2.5 cents per point.
Hyatt Regency Casablanca
Morocco is on my travel list for next year, and the Hyatt Regency Casablanca is a property I’ll likely book. Casablanca is a French colonial port city with beautiful architecture, beachfront cafes, bars, hotels, and restaurants.
This property in Casablanca averages $292 or 12,000 points per night. As a result, you can get nearly a 2.5 cents per point in value.
Hyatt Regency Dar es Salaam
For those looking to climb Kilimanjaro, why not tack on a side trip to Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam to see the beaches in eastern Africa?
You can expect to pay $260 or 12,000 points per night for the Dar es Salaam, meaning you should be able to net more than 2 cents per point in value if you book this hotel.
Bottom Line: Much like the Europe region, Africa and the Middle East don’t have a vast selection of category 1-4 hotels that offer more than 2 cents per point.
Asia
In addition to the U.S. and Canada, the Asia region is where you should focus your attention because of the sheer number of properties that you can extract value from.
Without a doubt, Asia has the most opportunities to redeem points for more than 2 cents each!
Hyatt Regency Tokyo
The Hyatt Regency Tokyo in Japan is one I plan on staying at for my first trip to the city. Check out the many izakayas (pubs) throughout the city, the Toyosu fish market, and the amazing food scene.
You can expect to pay $387 or use 12,000 points per night — your points will provide you with more than 3 cents of value each for your stay!
Hot Tip: This Hyatt Regency is typically expensive and doesn’t require that many points, so I’d keep it on your list if you’re visiting Tokyo!
Hyatt Regency Naha Okinawa
Staying in the country of Japan but moving south, you’ll run into the Naha Okinawa property. The island has several remaining fortresses, a museum paying tribute to victims of WWII, snorkeling, and an aquarium.
The Hyatt Regency Naha averages $296 or 12,000 points per night, so you’re looking at nearly 2.5 cents per point in value for this redemption.
Grand Hyatt Taipei
Island hop over to Taiwan and you’ll find the Grand Hyatt Taipei. Taipei is known for its night markets, the National Palace Museum, and 509-meter bamboo-shaped skyscraper Taipei 101.
You’ll need to pay $333 or 15,000 points per night to stay at this hotel, so you can still land more than 2 cents per point in value.
Honorable Mention
Park Hyatt Saigon
I’m still kicking myself for not booking this property when I visited Saigon/Ho Chi Minh in 2015! Ho Chi Minh has beautiful French landmarks, food stalls in the Bến Thành Market, a tunnel network at Củ Chi, Independence Palace, and the Saigon Zoo.
More than 2 cents per point in value is within reach, as this property averages $308 or 15,000 points per night.
Bottom Line: The Asia region is absolutely loaded with category 1-4 hotel redemption opportunities, and would be the first region I’d look to use my free night certificate!
Australia & Pacific
Rounding out our list of category 1-4 properties lands us in the Australia and Pacific region.
All in all, this isn’t a region with a ton of sweet spots, so keep that in mind when you’re looking to redeem your category 1-4 free night certificate.
Hyatt Regency Saipan
Head to the south Pacific and you’ll find the Hyatt Regency Saipan on the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands. Saipan is known for its beautiful beaches, mountains, golf courses, diving, snorkeling, and hiking.
The Saipan property is one of the top-value properties on this list because it averages $260 or 8,000 points per night — a value of more than 3 cents per point!
Hot Tip: With such a low point requirement, you’re almost guaranteed to receive a ton of value with your points at this Hyatt Regency.
Hyatt Regency Guam
A 40-minute flight south to Guam will give you the opportunity to stay in another Hyatt Regency property. Guam also has tropical beaches, a wildlife refuge, bars, shops, an oceanarium, diving, hiking, and golf.
The Hyatt Regency Guam averaged $288 or 15,000 points per night, so you can receive nearly 2 cents per point in value if you stay at this property.
Grand Hyatt Melbourne
Continuing our move south to Australia, we have another Grand Hyatt property. The coastal city of Melbourne has a selection of bars and restaurants along the river to complement its shopping market, food stalls, cafes, galleries, and boutiques.
This property will run you $264 or 15,000 points per night, meaning you’ll receive just over 1.5 cents per point in value if you book this hotel.
Bottom Line: The Australia and Pacific region is another weaker region that doesn’t offer a ton of category 1-4 hotels.
Final Thoughts
Hyatt is a major hotel operator that continues to compete against the big brands of Hilton and Marriott.
Many Hyatt elites appreciate having their status rewarded by being able to tap into the redemptions on this list.
Though Hyatt gets a bad rap for not having property coverage in many parts of the world, this list confirms that you have plenty of free nights available worldwide — just not always at a phenomenal value.
So when the time comes to redeem your category 1-4 free night certificate, make sure to leverage this list to receive top value for your Hyatt free nights.
Featured Image: Courtesy of Hyatt.com
