Hyatt Off-peak Pricing Is Working Out Nicely for My Family (So Far)

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As most of you are aware, Hyatt has recently introduced a new way of pricing hotel awards. You no longer have a set rate all year, but one that varies depending on the season or day of the week.

Many blogs have done an in-depth analysis, pointing out the fact that this change amounts to a (modest) devaluation of Hyatt program. I agree with that, especially if you are a person who only travels during peak season or major holidays. Those folks will most certainly end up paying more due to this “enhancement.”

That said, some will also end up benefiting, and so far, I’m firmly in that camp. My family lives in Florida, and we often end up doing Hyatt weekend getaways during off-season. The crowds are much thinner, and the weather is usually decent. I personally like doing beach getaways in November, before the week of Thanksgiving. Early December in our neck of the woods is pretty nice too.

Of course, I realize that it’s not something most families can pull off due to school schedule and the hassle of flying+renting a car. But out of three Hyatt award reservations I have for next year, two went down in price. Sweet!

One reservation that hasn’t changed in price is for Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. We are supposed to go there next summer with my cousin-in-law and her kids, and the rate for our weekend is in the “standard” category, as in 12k points per night. I don’t plan to reschedule it, at least not due to points rate.

Recently, I booked a suite in Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa. I paid 64k points for a weekend stay in the fall of 2022. Looks like our reservation falls during the off-peak dates, so I should be getting a refund of 6k Hyatt points. Not much, but every bit helps.

We also have a tentative reservation in Hyatt Regency Tokyo during an early summer of 2022. It’s a category 3, so a room costs 12k points during standard season, 9k points during off-peak. I’ve booked a suite for my family and a room for my in-laws. And once again, it is priced at off-peak rate.

So, if all goes well, I should get a refund of 24k points. Obviously, I have no idea if we will even be able to enter Japan in 2022, but it’s a nice surprise. I was prepared to pay a regular rate, so can’t complain. If we have to rebook our Japan trip for 2023, I’m hoping that this rate will again apply to our dates.

Speaking of, where is the refund?

According to Hyatt announcement, folks are supposed to get an automatic refund if the rate for their stay happens to go down. That hasn’t happened for me so far. I’ve reached out to Hyatt via chat, and the rep has assured me that they are working on it, and that all members will get their refund within the next few days. We’ll see, I guess, though Hyatt is generally good on stuff like that.

Bottom line

It’s entirely possible (and even likely) that this new method of Hyatt award pricing will not always be advantageous for my travel patterns. But so far, I’m quite pleased. A nice thing about having various hotel currencies and certificates, is that you can adjust your travel plans to get the most value.

For example, when a desired Hyatt property is priced at peak rates, I can simply use Wyndham points and book a condo via Vacasa instead. Unlike Hyatt,Wyndham rates don’t vary depending on the season.

Another plus is that Hyatt renewal certificates are still redeemable for Cat. 1-4 properties, and peak pricing has no bearing on it. All in all, this one is a win for me, but I may be singing a different tune after the next (inevitable) Hyatt category adjustment.

Readers, how is this new Hyatt pricing method working out for you?

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