Is Hyatt a luxury hotel?

Hyatt in and of itself is not a luxury hotel company. The hotel company has hotels across the spectrum from affordable hotels such as Hyatt Place to high-end hotels such as Park Hyatt.

What is the best Hyatt brand?

Hyatt has 18 hotel brands catering to different types of travelers. Alila, Andaz, Destination by Hyatt, JdV by Hyatt, Miraval, Park Hyatt, Thompson Hotels, and the Unbound Collection are hotels in the luxury hotel category.

Does Marriott own Hyatt?

Marriott does not own Hyatt. Marriott and Hyatt are 2 separate companies. Hyatt is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois while Marriott is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.

What brand owns Hyatt?

Hyatt Hotels Corporation is the parent company that owns the hotels in the Hyatt portfolio. The company is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Does Hyatt own Thompson Hotels?

It sure does. Hyatt acquired Thompson Hotels and continues to expand the Thompson hotel footprint, which is great news for travelers.

The 12 Best Hyatt Luxury Hotels To Book With Points [2023]

When evaluating the luxury brands within the Hyatt portfolio, one thing is apparent — the value members receive by booking expensive cash hotels with a relatively low number of points. That’s simply not the case with other brands when you’re talking about booking similar luxury properties.

This article is part of our “best ways to book luxury hotels” series. Not only are we covering Hyatt in this article, but we’ve also evaluated what’s offered by the Hilton Honors, IHG Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy programs in other articles in this series.

For this analysis, we made a few assumptions:

The travel dates are during peak travel time, confirmed by Google Travel, for the city that the hotel is in
We took the cash cost of the hotel during a weekend night from 2 separate months
We averaged the cents per point value from the 2 dates to come up with a value for the hotel during peak travel

The goal here is to evaluate the value a traveler would receive booking luxury Hyatt hotels. We value Hyatt points at ~1.6 cents per point and used a floor of 2.5 cents per point in value for hotels to make this list.

Cash rates will fluctuate throughout the year, so the value you receive will likely be different than what’s shown here. This guide is merely meant to provide ideas of hotels that could present value for your hard-earned Hyatt points.

With that out of the way, let’s start with one of the best ways to unlock value in the Hyatt program: that’s by being a cardholder of one of its co-branded credit cards. We’ll then dive into the luxury Hyatt hotels that made our list. From there, you’ll learn about how to earn Hyatt points via point transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Table of contents

World of Hyatt Co-branded Credit Cards

When you’re talking about co-branded hotel credit cards, there are several options. No matter your brand loyalty, each chain offers credit cards that entice you to spend on its cards.

For travelers loyal to Hyatt, the great news is that Hyatt offers a fantastic duo of co-branded credit cards in The World of Hyatt Credit Card and World of Hyatt Business Credit Card. These cards allow you to spend your way to elite status and earn points on everyday purchases, whether personal or business in nature.

Cardholders of both cards will earn 5x points as a World of Hyatt member and 4x points as a cardmember, resulting in up to 9x points at Hyatt.

The personal card also gets you a Category 1 to 4 free night certificate every anniversary year. Heavy spenders can earn additional benefits — with every $5,000 spent on World of Hyatt card, you earn 2 elite night credits. When you spend $15,000 in a cardmember year, you’ll receive a second Category 1 to 4 free night certificate.

Bottom Line: These Chase cards are subject to the Chase 5/24 rule. You’ll want to factor that into your credit card strategy.

Hyatt Award Chart

Hotel Category	Off-Peak	Standard	Peak	Peak Point Increase
Category 1	3,500	5,000	6,500	1,500
Category 2	6,500	8,000	9,500	1,500
Category 3	9,000	12,000	15,000	3,000
Category 4	12,000	15,000	18,000	3,000
Category 5	17,000	20,000	23,000	3,000
Category 6	21,000	25,000	29,000	4,000
Category 7	25,000	30,000	35,000	5,000
Category 8	35,000	40,000	45,000	5,000

Note that there are also different rates for club rooms, standard suites, and premium suites. Check out our guide to the World of Hyatt loyalty program for more details.

The 12 Best Luxury Hyatt Hotels

1. Alila Ventana Big Sur (Big Sur, CA)

Ventana Big Sur an Alila Resort — The views don’t get any better than those at Alila Ventana Big Sur. Image Credit: Hyatt

The California coast has some of the best ocean views, not only in the U.S. but around the world. When you throw in a minimally developed coastline that is flanked by forests, you know you’ve landed in Big Sur.

Alila Ventana Big Sur is a property located south of San Francisco that is now bookable through Hyatt with Alila joining the Hyatt portfolio. It’s an adults-only resort on Highway 1 in Big Sur that offers a perfect getaway for a quiet vacation.

Summer is peak travel time for this area with cash rates exceeding $2,500+ per night. While this hotel requires 35,000 to 45,000 points per night, you’re still receiving more than 8 cents per point in value.

Hot Tip: The Alila Ventana Big Sur is an adults-only property. For those with kids, we recommend using Google Hotels to find kid-friendly options in the area.

Category: 8

Points Required: 35,000 to 45,000 points per night

May to July Rate: $2,900 per night

Points Value: Up to 9.7 cents per point

2. Park Hyatt New York

There is a myriad of hotel options from all major brands in New York City. Whether you’re looking for a luxury, boutique, or more affordable property, the World of Hyatt program has you covered for your stay in the city.

In Midtown, you’ll find a well-known Hyatt hotel in the Park Hyatt New York. It’s a couple of blocks from Central Park and within walking distance of the world-class food and drink scene of the city. Madison Square Garden is also fairly close if you’re wanting to catch a show or Knicks or Rangers game.

As you’d imagine, cash rates for a luxury hotel in New York aren’t cheap, especially during peak travel time over the summer. The average cash rate is $1,000+ per night, with 35,000 to 45,000 points per night required for an award night. That said, 3.5 cents per point is a ton of value.

Category: 8

Points Required: 35,000 to 45,000 points per night

May to August Rate: $1,100 per night

Points Value: Up to 3.67 cents per point

Hot Tip: Park Hyatt New York is one of the best hotels within the Park Hyatt brand to book with points.

3. Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile

Chicago is one of the best U.S. cities to visit during the summer. Not only can you find incredible food and drinks, but there’s plenty to see and do. Places such as Millennium Park are always fun to walk around, and if you’re into sports, it’s hard to beat experiencing a pro game in the city.

On the Magnificent Mile, you’ll find a Hyatt Centric property boasting an incredible location — the Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile. It’s right on the Magnificent Mile and is within walking distance of many top-notch restaurants.

Cash rates during peak travel time for this hotel exceed $450 per night, and with only 12,000 to 18,000 points per night required, you’re almost guaranteed a solid value of around 2 to 2.5 cents per point.

Hot Tip: What’s also great about Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile is that you can use your Category 1 to 4 free night certificate that comes with the World of Hyatt card.

Category: 4

Points Required: 12,000 to 18,000 points per night

June to August Rate: $350 to $450 per night

Points Value: Up to 2.9 cents per point

4. Hotel Lincoln (Chicago)

With JdV by Hyatt joining the Hyatt fold, there’s another Chicago property that you can book with points. While not as convenient to downtown Chicago as The Talbott Hotel, Hotel Lincoln is just off Lincoln Park in the Old Town neighborhood.

Peak travel time for Chicago is over the summer when you’ll see prices of more than $400 per night. When you consider only needing at most 15,000 points per night, you’re looking at up to 3 cents per point in value during your stay in the Windy City.

For frequent Hyatt hotel guests, you can use the Category 1 to 4 free night certificate that you earn after staying at 5 different Hyatt brands.

Category: 3

Points Required: 9,000 to 15,000 points per night

June to August Rate: $419 per night

Points Value: Up to 3.49 cents per point

5. Carmel Valley Ranch (Carmel, CA)

Heading back to the West Coast, this time in Carmel Valley. If you’ve wanted to see this area of the U.S., why not book Carmel Valley Ranch and Ventana Big Sur on the same trip?

Carmel Valley Ranch is located just east of Monterrey and about 45 minutes north of Big Sur. Located in central California’s wine country, you can play championship golf, relax at the spa, and access an on-site creamery.

Like Ventana Big Sur, the cash rates during peak travel at Carmel Valley Ranch aren’t cheap. At more than $1,000 per night, this property would set you back some serious cash. However, that’s where points come in; 25,000 to 35,000 points per night are what you need to book this property, netting you more than 3 cents per point in value.

Category: 7

Points Required: 25,000 to 35,000 points per night

June to July Rate: $1,050 per night

Points Value: Up to 4.2 cents per point

6. Great Scotland Yard Hotel (London, England)

London has a multitude of sites to see and highly-rated restaurants to enjoy. It’s also home to some of the top cocktail bars in the world.

Located in the Westminster neighborhood, Great Scotland Yard, part of The Unbound Collection, is in a prime location for London. The hotel is within walking distance of the River Thames, St. James Park, Green Park, and Hyde Park. Its location is also convenient if you want to catch an Arsenal or Chelsea match.

You’re looking at more than $750 per night during peak summer travel dates. Yes, that’s a lot of cash to pay, but the good news is that you can use 21,000 to 29,000 points per night to receive more than 3 cents per point in value.

Category: 6

Points Required: 21,000 to 29,000 points per night

May to July Rate: $757 per night

Points Value: Up to 3.03 cents per point

Hot Tip: Looking for an entire trip on points and miles? Couple a London hotel booked with points and a flight to London booked with points, and you have yourself a great vacation for minimal cash.

7. Park Hyatt Sydney (Australia)

Park Hyatt Sydney Harbor View — Snag a room at the Park Hyatt Sydney overlooking the Harbor. Image Credit: Hyatt

One of the most popular Hyatt hotels to redeem points at is the Park Hyatt Sydney. This hotel continually receives rave reviews, and when you look at pictures of the property, it makes sense.

Overlooking Sydney Harbour is where you will find the Park Hyatt Sydney. Guests have an opportunity to book rooms that offer sweeping views of the harbor, including a view of the Sydney Opera House.

Guests will need 35,000 to 45,000 points per night to book the Park Hyatt Sydney. Cash rates are nearly $1,000 per night before taxes and fees, netting you nearly 3.0 cents per point in value.

Category: 8

Points Required: 35,000 to 45,000 points per night

December to February Rate: $1,025 per night

Points Value: Up to 3.42 cents per point

Bottom Line: If you want ultimate luxury in an incredible city, look no further than the Park Hyatt Sydney.

8. Alila Jabal Akhdar (Al Khutaym, Oman)

Alila Jabal Akhdar Pool View Overlook — Book a stay at the Alila Jabal Akhdar for your trip to Oman. Image Credit: Hyatt

Oman is a Middle Eastern country that has been made popular in recent years by #AvGeeks who have flown Oman Air business class. The capital city of Muscat, deserts, and oases are common places to see for travelers who visit this country.

The Alila Jabal Akhdar is a recent addition to the Hyatt portfolio. This beautiful hotel is an Alila property in the Al Hajar Mountains with sweeping views of the surrounding mountain range.

The average peak cash rate is $795 per night is the average cash rate, and that rate jumps to $920 when you include taxes and fees. The good news is that 21,000 to 29,000 points per night will get you a room at this hotel. When you take the cash rate and points per night required, you’re coming out with nearly 4 cents per point in value.

Category: 6

Points Required: 21,000 to 29,000 points per night

November to April Rate: $920 per night

Points Value: Up to 3.68 cents per point

9. Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch

When the rest of the U.S. is experiencing winter, Scottsdale, Arizona is in peak weather form. This city just north of Phoenix is flooded with resorts, golf courses, and hikes to keep you entertained during your stay.

The Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch is just 5 miles from Scottsdale Airport (SCF) and has 10 pools, tennis courts, a golf course, a spa, and so much more.

At 17,000 to 23,000 points per night, this property is one of the best-value hotels in Arizona to make our list.

Category: 5

Points Required: 17,000 to 23,000 points per night

January to March Rate: $800 to $1,000 per night

Points Value: Up to 4.7 cents per point

10. Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme (France)

Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome Entrance Sign — Make your trip to Paris luxurious with a stay at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome. Image Credit: Hyatt

Another international city that receives a ton of love is Paris. Yes, Paris can be touristy, but it is also one of the top food, art, and sightseeing destinations in the world.

The Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome is one of the most popular Hyatt point redemption hotels in the world. This Park Hyatt is in the heart of Paris and gives guests easy access to everything the city has to offer.

You will need to shell out some serious cash to book this hotel as it averages more than $1,300 per night during peak dates, including taxes and fees. A cost of 35,000 to 45,000 points per night lands you a room at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome, netting you around 4.5 cents per point in value.

Category: 8

Points Required: 35,000 to 45,000 points per night

May to July Rate: $1,335 per night

Points Value: Up to 4.45 cents per point

Bottom Line: Luxury plus location is what to expect when you stay at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome.

11. Park Hyatt Tokyo (Japan)

Park Hyatt Tokyo City View — Up your luxury experience in Tokyo with a stay at the Park Hyatt Tokyo. Image Credit: Hyatt

Tokyo continues to rise in popularity as a destination for U.S.-based travelers. With countless Michelin-starred restaurants, temples, public gardens, art, and shopping, it is no wonder why Tokyo is a city to experience.

Not only does the Park Hyatt Tokyo offer incredible views of downtown Tokyo, but hotel guests are also welcomed with a pool, fitness center, and on-property dining.

The Park Hyatt Tokyo is a category 7 hotel that requires 25,000 to 35,000 points per night. With cash rates hovering at $600 per night, you will receive around 2 cents per point in value.

Note that this 2 cents per point redemption value doesn’t meet the redemption value threshold listed in the introduction above, but we kept it in here because of the phenomenal redemption value pre-pandemic of more than 3 cents per point.

Category: 7

Points Required: 25,000 to 35,000 points per night

April to July Rate: $600 per night

Points Value: Up to 2.40 cents per point

Hot Tip: Due to the global travel restrictions from COVID-19, Park Hyatt Tokyo’s paid rates are significantly lower than pre-pandemic rates. For this reason, you will observe a lower redemption value than usual. As the world continues to reopen, we expect redemption values to increase at this property.

12. Park Hyatt Milan (Italy)

One of the classiest ways to stay in the fashion capital of Europe is at the Park Hyatt Milan. This high-end property oozes pure elegance with a fantastic location near the renowned attractions of the city.

Park Hyatt Milan is a 2-minute walk from the metro station, a 5-minute walk from Duomo di Milano, and less than a mile from a famous church.

At an average of $1,200 per night during the peak season, using points is a surefire way to get superb value. After factoring in taxes and fees, you’ll get almost 5 cents per point in value.

Category: 8

Points Required: 35,000 to 45,000 points per night

May to July Rate: $1,350 per night

Points Value: Up to 4.50 cents per point

Other Ways To Earn Hyatt Points

The World of Hyatt card offers one of the easiest ways to earn Hyatt points. When you add in the fact that World of Hyatt members earn 5x points per dollar spent, that results in up to 9x points during your stays at Hyatt.

Hyatt is also one of the most valuable travel partners of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, though it won’t deliver the enormous returns that are possible when transferring to airlines to book expensive business class flights.

However, Hyatt doesn’t require the gargantuan number of points that are required to book the same luxury-style properties offered by Hilton and Marriott. So while the cash rates are equivalent for luxury properties across Hilton, IHG, and Marriott, the number of Hyatt points required is significantly less, resulting in more value.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® are 2 of the best Chase credit cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Each offers high-earn rates in select categories and comes with travel benefits that make it worth holding on to the cards.

Business owners may find value in the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, which is also a Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card. Like the personal credit cards above, this card has high earn rates in select bonus categories that help you quickly earn Chase points that can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to Hyatt.

Final Thoughts

Now that luxury properties from Hyatt’s recent acquisitions are bookable online, the World of Hyatt program becomes even more valuable. When you add JdV by Hyatt, Alila, Destination by Hyatt, and Thompson to the Park Hyatt and Unbound Collection, World of Hyatt members have more options than ever before.

With all of these new properties and the overall value of Hyatt, we rank Hyatt number 1 in our list of hotel programs. Marriott is a close second followed by Hilton in third and IHG in fourth.

The big knock on Hyatt is its lack of a global footprint. While that’s still true when compared to Hilton and Marriott, the gap is closing. Hyatt is not only increasing its portfolio but is also adding unique luxury and boutique hotels around the world that make for interesting redemptions.

5 comments

Anna KC December 8, 2020

Michael, this is so well written and informative. Articles on this website are always so useful. Appreciate the time you spent on research and analysis and laid out such comprehensive summary plus hot tips! Keep up the good work!

Sherry Y. Smith December 28, 2020

Michael, thank you for this great article! Great job! You’ve sparked my travel bug for a stay at the Park Hyatt Syndey (Australia is on my bucket list) and the Park Hyatt Paris in France. Hoping to be able to do it all on points!

Robert February 19, 2022

Just booked three nights at Alila Big Sur for 95K points. I simultaneously checked the “best rate” for those three nights and it was $8578 including taxes. Am I calculating point value correctly that it is approx 9 cents per point? $8578 / 95000 = $0.09?

- Jarrod West February 19, 2022
  
  Hi Robert,
  
  Yes, your math is correct! Awesome redemption!
  
TM June 4, 2022

I have been to all the Park Hyatts mentioned. I still think the best Park Hyatt is Vienna.

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