These Are the Best Ways To Use a Hyatt Category 1-4 Free Night Certificate

Key Takeaways

• You can earn a Category 1-4 free night certificate by staying at 5 different Hyatt brands, holding The World of Hyatt Credit Card, or having 30 qualifying nights in a calendar year.
• Some of the best Category 1-4 Hotels you can book with your certificate include Andaz Savannah, Park Hyatt Mendoza, and Hyatt Regency Mexico City.

The World of Hyatt program is a favorite among many award travelers, and for good reason. The program offers great benefits and perks in addition to great value for award redemptions. It is also a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards, making it very easy to acquire the points needed for a redemption.

Compared to other hotel programs like Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy, you require fewer points to book a hotel room relative to the cash price for the same room, so you can receive solid value with the points you use.

Another reason travelers like World of Hyatt is that they can earn free night certificates from their hotel stays or credit card spending. Hyatt provides its members with these avenues to earn free nights, so why not take advantage of them?

In this article, we’ll show you how to earn a Category 1-4 free night certificate and the best hotels worldwide where you can redeem it.

How To Earn a Hyatt Category 1-4 Free Night Certificate

With the World of Hyatt program, you have 3 main ways to earn Category 1-4 free night certificates.

The first way to earn a free night certificate is to stay at 5 different Hyatt brands (known as the 5-Brand Free Night Award or Hyatt Brand Explorer). There are 33 brands in the Hyatt portfolio (and even a couple more that participate in the Brand Explorer program), so you have the opportunity to earn several free-night certificates in this manner. Hyatt brands include:

Staying 30 qualifying nights or earning 50,000 Base Points in a calendar year is the second way to earn a free Category 1-4 certificate.

Members can earn qualifying nights anytime they stay at a Hyatt property and pay an eligible rate. Meanwhile, they can earn Base Points when paying for eligible charges for hotel stays and related Hyatt charges. Base Points are the only points that count toward tier status.

Another way to earn a free night is to stay at Hyatt properties for 60 qualifying nights or earn 100,000 Base Points in a calendar year. The free night that you earn this way is actually a Category 1-7 night instead of only a Category 1-4 night.

The last (and easiest) way to earn a free Category 1-4 night certificate is to hold the World of Hyatt card, which actually gives you 2 ways to earn a free night.

The first is simply to be a cardmember. You earn a Category 1-4 free night certificate every year you pay the annual fee. The second is to spend $15,000 on the card in a year, as hitting this threshold earns you an additional Category 1-4 free night certificate!

Hot Tip:

The World of Hyatt card is an excellent way to earn elite status with Hyatt. World of Hyatt members earn 2 qualifying night credits toward tier status for every $5,000 spent on the card. They earn a Category 1-4 free night certificate after spending $15,000 within a calendar year.

World of Hyatt Award Chart

Unlike most hotel programs nowadays, Hyatt still uses an award chart for redemptions. However, Hyatt does use off-peak, standard, and peak pricing for award redemptions.

Fortunately, you can use your Hyatt Category 1-4 free night certificate up to the maximum allowed category, even in peak season.

It’s also important to note that there are not set dates for peak, standard and off-peak. Instead, each hotel sets these categories individually, and you can view the points calendar for any given property on its website.

Best Category 1-4 Hotels To Book in the U.S. and Canada

We first categorized the hotels in this article by region, then took a sample of prices throughout the year for each hotel. By taking an average of the sampling pricing, we can now see what the average cent-per-point value would be for each of these stays.

The way to extract the most value is to book these U.S. and Canadian properties when the cash price is high.

1. Andaz Savannah (Georgia)

Heading south to Georgia, there is the Andaz Savannah. This hotel would be an ideal place to explore the city’s antebellum architecture and historic district, as it’s within walking distance of many of Savannah’s popular attractions, including the riverfront and Forsyth Park.

The Andaz Savannah is a Category 4 hotel that averages $367 per night, giving you 2.4 cents per point in value.

2. Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile

The Second City is a popular travel destination, and the Magnificent Mile is the place you want to be when staying in Chicago. The Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile is one of the best Chicago hotels to book on points, with an average cash cost of $318 per night. As a Category 4 Hyatt hotel, this gives you around 2.1 cents per point.

The Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile can be a great home base for your Chicago trip. Its convenient location is central to many of the best things to do in Chicago.

JdV by Hyatt Locations

Fortunately, many JdV by Hyatt hotels in the U.S. and Canada are Category 1-4, including expensive ones in big cities like Toronto and Chicago:

• The Anndore House, Toronto, Ontario (Category 4)
• Avante, a JdV Hotel by Hyatt, Mountain View, California (Category 3)
• Hotel Lincoln, Chicago (Category 3)
• Hotel Nyack, Nyack, New York (Category 3)
• The Pell, Middleton, Rhode Island (Category 4)
• tommie Austin, Austin, Texas (Category 4)
• The Walper Hotel, Kitchener, Ontario (Category 3)
• Wild Palms Hotel, Sunnyvale, California (Category 2)

Honorable Mentions

Here are a couple more intriguing hotels at which you can use your Category 1-4 free night certificate:

• Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, Lake Buena Vista, Florida (Category 4; $297 per night, 1.9 cents per point)
• Hyatt Regency Seattle, Seattle (Category 4; $282 per night, 1.8 cents per point)

Bottom Line:

The U.S. and Canada provide an incredible number of opportunities to book a Category 1-4 hotel. 

Best Category 1-4 Hotels To Book in the Caribbean and Latin America

1. Park Hyatt Mendoza (Argentina)

For those looking to experience the wine region in Argentina, the Park Hyatt Mendoza is the place to stay. It is in the heart of the country’s wine region, known for its malbecs.

The Park Hyatt Mendoza is a Category 4 hotel that averages $260 or 15,000 points (standard) per night, netting you 1.7 cents per point.

2. Hyatt Regency Mexico City

In the upscale Polanco neighborhood in the heart of Mexico City, the Hyatt Regency Mexico City is close to shops, restaurants, and art galleries.

The cash costs for this Category 4 hotel average $273 per night or 15,000 points (standard), giving you 1.82 cents per point in value.

Best Category 1-4 Hotels To Book in Europe

Using a Category 1-4 free night in Europe is tougher than in other regions. There aren’t many properties where the value is more than 2 cents per point, but there are still great hotels worth considering.

1. Andaz Vienna Am Belvedere (Austria)

In Austria’s capital, Vienna, there’s an Andaz property worth watching. The Andaz Vienna Am Belvedere is a Category 3 property just outside Vienna’s Old Town and would be an excellent place to use your Category 1-4 free night certificate.

The Andaz Vienna is a Category 3 hotel that averages $218 per night, providing 1.8 cents per point in value.

2. SCHLOSS Roxburghe

With Hyatt partnering with boutique hotels around the world, it’s opened up opportunities for some unique stays. One of these is the Schloss Roxburghe, a luxury castle and resort in the Scottish borders. The resort features a championship golf course, outdoor heated infinity pool as well as a range of outdoor activities.

We priced a sampling of rooms on different nights at an average of $505 per night, which included both estate rooms as well as castle rooms. As a Category 4 Hyatt hotel, it would cost 15,000 points per night during the standard season, giving you a value of 3.37 cents per point.

Best Category 1-4 Hotels To Book in Africa and the 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.

1. Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla (Jordan)

Hyatt has 2 properties in Jordan, and the Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla hotel is the one to check out. 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 Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla averages $228 or 12,000 points per night, so you should be able to receive about 1.9 cents per point in value.

2. Hyatt Regency Casablanca (Morocco)

If you want to check out the marvels of Morocco, the Hyatt Regency Casablanca is a great property to pick. Casablanca is a French-colonial port city with beautiful architecture, beachfront cafes, bars, hotels, and restaurants.

This Category 3 property in Casablanca averages $201 or 12,000 points (standard) per night. As a result, you can get about 1.7 cents per point in value.

3. Grand Hyatt Kuwait Residences

The Grand Hyatt Kuwait Residences is a 33 floor hotel with fully furnished apartments. There are 82 luxurious three-bedroom units measuring 220 square meters. These sea-view apartments feature outstanding views of the Persian Gulf. You are also close to luxury dining and shopping experiences.

The cash price at the Grand Hyatt Kuwait Residences had an average nightly price of $365, giving you a value of 2.43 cents per point.

Best Category 1-4 Hotels To Book in Asia

Asia is another region where you can use your Hyatt free night certificates for great value.

1. Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin

Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin is in the New Territories section of the city near the racecourse, science park, and mass transit, making it easy to get around. Guests get modern decor, a fitness center, a pool, and gardens.

Rooms here average about $218 per night, giving you a 1.5 cents per point value.

Hot Tip:

Hong Kong is one of the world’s premier destinations. Check out our in-depth guide on the best ways to fly to Hong Kong using points and miles.

2. Grand Hyatt Taipei (Taiwan)

Hop over to Taiwan to find the Grand Hyatt Taipei. Taiwan’s largest city is known for its night markets, the National Palace Museum, the 509-meter, bamboo-shaped skyscraper Taipei 101, and many other incredible sights and experiences.

To stay at this hotel, you have to pay $220 or 15,000 points per night, which results in about 1.5 cents per point in value.

3. Alila Ubud

Purchased by Hyatt in 2018, the Alila brand is one of Hyatt’s standalone luxury brands and the Alila Ubud is one of Alila’s best hotels. Nestled in the Ayung River valley in Bali’s central foothills, this Indonesian hillside retreat offers spacious terraces and private gardens.

Nights at the Alila Ubud average $214 per night, giving you a value of about 1.43 cents per point.

Best Category 1-4 Hotels To Book in Australia and the Pacific

Rounding out the list of Category 1-4 properties lands you in the Australia and Pacific region. Although these regions are somewhat limited in the properties available, there are still fantastic sweet spots.

1. Hyatt Centric Melbourne (Australia)

Hyatt Centric Melbourne is a modern hotel inspired by the local food scene. Centrally located, this Category 3 hotel has an average price of $285 per night, giving you 1.7 cents per point in value. However, we found many nights that cost well over $400, offering a value of over 2.5 cents per point!

2. Grand Hyatt Melbourne (Australia)

The Grand Hyatt Melbourne is within walking distance of many of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. This luxury hotel has lots of dining, a fitness center, a rooftop tennis court, and a pool.

This Category 4 hotel averages about $254 per night, giving you a value of about 1.7 cents per point.

Hot Tip:

The Hyatt Regency Sydney is now a Category 4 property, making it another hotel worth considering if you’re visiting the city.

Final Thoughts

Though smaller in footprint than bigger chains like Hilton and Marriott, World of Hyatt has elite members who return to the brand repeatedly for its consistent recognition of their loyalty and its amazing redemptions, including the ones featured on this list.

Hyatt is working hard to expand its presence, but even in its current state, there are plenty of hotels across the globe worth redeeming your Category 1-4 free night certificates. Refer to this list when you have a certificate to use and want to score great value for it!