Hyatt recently announced their award category changes for 2019, which consisted of a number of properties going up in price, but the same number dropping. Overall, I don’t really consider it a devaluation. However, the angst surrounding the changes are mainly focused on a number of properties that represented excellent value when redeeming your Hyatt Category 1-4 free night. Here are the seven to consider:
Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo
The blog posts I’ve read have raved about this property. I really wanted to enjoy a couple nights away with my wife at the tail end of our adoption trip to Costa Rica, but things just didn’t work out. It would have been way too early to leave the kids, and taking everyone on a 5-6 hour drive from San José sounded like a whole lot of effort for just a couple nights. We’d already spent three nights out in Cahuita, on the Caribbean (SEE: El Colibrí Rojo Review), and that was enough of an adventure.
If you’re eyeing the Andaz with your certificate in hand, book now!
Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf
San Francisco is obscenely expensive. Burning points at an airport or city hotel is always painful, but typically still not as painful as cash prices. I am fortunate to consistently have a place available in the city for free through work, but if I had to burn points or a free night certificate anywhere, it would be at the Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s wharf. This is the last Hyatt property in SF that still costs 15,000 Hyatt points. But not for long. Book by Monday if you want to lock it in.
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui
An extremely popular option for the Hyatt free night certificate among the blogosphere, this property will be sorely missed. If I’d have had my free night available and the bonus points from my wife’s new Hyatt card (they posted too late), we probably would have ended up here instead of the Hilton Garden Inn Hong Kong Mongkok. However, given the value of the hotel we did stay at, I’m not sure it wasn’t for the better. But if you’re headed to Hong Kong and love Hyatt, lock this in before it’s too late.
Hyatt at Olive 8
Seattle is being hit hard by these changes. The Grand Hyatt and Hyatt House are both going up in price, as well as the Hyatt at Olive 8. I’ve read excellent things about this property, so I’m sure this is a major bummer to many people. I looked at staying here when my older son and I were recently in Seattle, but I opted for the Hyatt House instead. The Hyatt House location is amazing, and, well, it has free breakfast. I ain’t Globalist (yet), so the value of the Hyatt at Olive 8 simply wasn’t as good for us.
Hyatt Place Nashville Downtown
Spending 20,000 points on a Hyatt Place seems a little obscene. Yet this is what the Hyatt Place Nashville Downtown will cost after Monday. So if you’re interested in visiting Music City, better lock your rate in now. There is little to no chance I’d spend 20,000 points at a Hyatt Place. We’ll have to figure out something else, Nashville.
Grand Hyatt DFW
In the same vein as the Hyatt Place Nashville Downtown, it seems crazy that an airport hotel would ask 20,000 points per night. Yet that is what the Grand Hyatt DFW will cost soon. If you have any airport nights on either end of a trip, or maybe an overnight layover, to book, better lock it in with your certificate. This is your last chance.
The fact that the Grand Hyatt DFW is going up to 20,000 points as a Category 5 property makes me think my prediction for the Grand Hyatt SFO will not probably be wrong.
Park Hyatt Hamburg
This is the final Category 4 Park Hyatt in Europe. It looks like a beautiful downtown hotel. Hamburg has not been on my travel radar, but if you’re planning a visit to Germany, consider locking this property in while you can.
Conclusion
So there you have it. There are several more properties making the change from Category 4 to Category 5, putting them out of reach of your certificate. So take a look while you can. I’m honestly a bit more interested in the Small Luxury Hotel properties these days, given their unique character at the amenities offered to all Hyatt guests (SEE: 5 fabulous picks from another 57 SLH properties bookable with Hyatt points).
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
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