Chase Sapphire Cardholders Gain Path to Hyatt’s Mid-Tier Explorist Status Through Spending

Updated: March 31, 2026, 12:16pm CDT

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Sapphire Cardholders Can Spend to Hyatt Explorist Status
What Does Hyatt Explorist Status Offer?
Final Thoughts

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Those with the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® and Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ now have the ability to spend their way to World of Hyatt Explorist status, the program’s middle elite tier.

The spending requirement to earn Explorist status isn’t cheap, to be clear, but for those using their cards frequently throughout the year, there’s now an additional hotel benefit tied in.

What is Explorist status, and how does this new benefit work? Let’s take a closer look.

Sapphire Cardholders Can Spend to Hyatt Explorist Status

Chase Sapphire Reserve Business card and Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders can unlock the middle tier of World of Hyatt status through spending each year.

If you spend at least $75,000 on purchases with your card in a calendar year, you’ll unlock Explorist status through the end of that year plus the following calendar year. To keep earning Hyatt status in future years, you’ll need to spend $75,000 on purchases with your card again — or earn it though stays.

Qualifying for Explorist status requires 30 nights at Hyatt hotels annually. It’s also possible to qualify by earning 50,000 base points from spending at hotels.

Regency Suite bedroom at Hyatt Regency LAX — Image Credit: Ryan Smith

Unfortunately, you can’t combine the 2 paths to status. For example, spending $37,500 on your Sapphire-branded card and staying 15 nights with Hyatt won’t give you Explorist status.

What Does Hyatt Explorist Status Offer?

Explorist is the middle tier of Hyatt elite status, sitting between introductory Disocverist status and top-tier Globalist status.

Explorist members enjoy several benefits during hotel stays:

20% bonus points on paid stays
Complimentary bottled water each day
Room upgrades at check-in (based on availability)
2 p.m. late checkout
72-hour guaranteed availability
Milestone Reward redemption options for AAdvantage benefits
Waived resort fees on award stays

While Explorist status doesn’t offer any jaw-dropping benefits, late checkout, room upgrades, and bonus points can add tangible value to your stay.

Hot Tip:

Our guide to Hyatt elite status benefits can tell you more about the perks of Explorist status, which will enhance your upcoming stays.

Final Thoughts

This is yet another hotel-related perk on the Chase Sapphire Reserve Business card and Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

Cardholders who spend $75,000 on purchases in a calendar year can get World of Hyatt Explorist status, and that’s on top of other perks attained at this spending level: IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite status, Southwest Airlines A-List status, a $500 Southwest crdit for Chase Travel bookings, and a statement credit for The Shops at Chase.