World of Hyatt Elite Status is Much Easier to Earn in 2021

The World of Hyatt loyalty program is cutting in half the number of nights needed for its elite status tiers in 2021.

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The World of Hyatt loyalty program is among my favorite. It offers a solid package of benefits, including a unique set of Milestone Rewards like free nights and club upgrades. Best of all, it’s relatively easy to earn status with a combination of stays and the World of Hyatt credit card.

The World of Hyatt program has three status tiers, which its members reach after earning credit for a minimum of 10 nights:

• Discoverist — 10 nights or 25,000 base points
• Explorist — 30 nights or 50,000 base points
• Globalist — 60 nights or 100,000 base points

But in 2021, World of Hyatt elite status will be a lot easier to earn. Hyatt is cutting in half the number of nights (or points) needed to qualify for each of these three tiers. That’s not all. Hyatt has also added a couple of great promotions that just might help you earn elite status even faster.

2021 Hyatt Elite Status Minimums

Let’s start with what you need to earn in order to earn elite status with Hyatt during 2021.

• Discoverist — 5 nights or 12,500 base points
• Explorist — 15 nights or 25,000 base points
• Globalist — 30 nights or 50,000 base points

I’ve earned Explorist status the last couple of years without much trouble, using a combination of actual nights stayed and nights earned through credit card spending. That’s a nice perk of the World of Hyatt credit card, one we’ll explore in a moment.

In 2020, I’ve earned credit for 38 nights through a combination of stays and spending. That’s good for another year of Explorist status. But in 2021, the same level of activity would earn Hyatt’s top-tier Globalist status. That unlocks a few additional benefits, such as free breakfast or Club access, and better room upgrades (up to standard suites). Nice!

Hyatt Rolls Out the Promotions

Hyatt didn’t just lower its elite status requirements for 2021. The company has also rolled out some promotions that will make it much easier to earn credit for nights stayed.

World of Hyatt Credit Card

If you stay with Hyatt even occasionally, it’s a good idea to keep the World of Hyatt credit card in your wallet. It’s one of my favorites. For its $95 annual fee, Chase gives card holders an annual free night certificate valid at any Category 1-4 hotel. We spend a lot of nights each year in New Orleans, and that certificate gets us a room at any Hyatt in the city. (Our favorite is the Eliza Jane, a Category 4 property in Hyatt’s Unbound Collection). It’s easy to get a $200 value for that certificate, and we often get much more value than that. This one perk alone justifies the card’s annual fee.

Chase also gives World of Hyatt card holders credit for 5 nights at the beginning of each year, giving customers a head start on elite status. But if you don’t yet have the World of Hyatt credit card, you’re in luck. Simply apply for the card by the end of this year, and you’ll earn credit for 10 nights in 2020 and 2021 — not the usual 5. That leaves you with just 5 more nights to earn mid-tier Explorist status and 20 for top-tier Globalist in 2021.

The card offers some other nice perks, as well:

• A second free night certificate for a Category 1-4 hotel after spending $15,000 each year, currently from the anniversary of card membership.
• Credit for 2 nights toward elite status with every $5,000 spent on the card.
• 4x points on Hyatt stays, in addition to the typical 5x points earned with Hyatt directly.
• 2x points on local public transport and ride-share, restaurants, airline tickets booked directly with the carrier, and fitness/gym memberships.
• Entry-level Discoverist status with Hyatt
• No foreign transaction fees

Nights Count Twice with Bonus Journeys

Hyatt has another great promotion if you plan to be traveling at all between now and February 28, 2021. The Bonus Journeys promotion (register) gives members 3x the usual points on every qualifying stay, up to 150,000 points. World of Hyatt credit card members can get 4x points on resort stays, as well.

But the big news, at least as it applies to Hyatt elite status in 2021, all nights count twice for everyone — once when they’re earned, and again in 2021. If you check out of a Hyatt between January 1st and February 28th, you’ll earn double the nights toward elite status. Let’s say you spent five nights at a Hyatt, checking out on January 15, 2021. You’ll get the usual credit for 5 nights. And then, Hyatt will give you credit for 5 more nights, for a total of 10 nights.

This is a solid promotion, but one that requires you to register and travel by February 28, 2021. But with Covid-19 cases spiking once again, it is not a great time to travel.

Award Stays Earn Credit

Whether you’re paying cash or staying on points, most Hyatt stays earn credit toward elite status. Remember those free night certificates you get with the World of Hyatt credit card? Yup, those free nights count toward elite status.

And with Hyatt lowering its elite status requirements in 2021, Globalist is attainable without spending a lot of money on hotels.

A Globalist Elite Strategy for 2021

If you don’t yet have the World of Hyatt credit card, this is a good time to apply. Once approved, you’ll receive credit for 10 nights toward elite status in 2020. That’s handy if a few extra nights could put you over the top toward the next elite status tier or a Milestone Reward.

But more important, you’ll get credit for 10 nights in 2021. If you are already a World of Hyatt card member, no worries. You’ll still start the year with 5 nights in your account. I’ll be among those starting the year with 5 nights, and that’s a great start when just 30 nights are needed to reach Globalist.

Here’s what my year with World of Hyatt might look like:

• 5 nights credit for being a World of Hyatt cardmember
• $15,000 annual spend on the card, which earns credit for 6 nights (2 nights for each $5,000) and a free night certificate
• Earn credit for 2 nights when redeeming the 2 free night certificates earned with the World of Hyatt credit card — one just for having the card, the other for spending $15k.
• Earn credit for 1 night when redeeming another free night certificate in my account. I’d gotten this Milestone Reward in 2020, after getting credit for 30 nights.
• Earn credit for 10 nights when staying 5 nights between January 1st and February 28th, thanks to Bonus Journeys. These can either be qualifying cash rates or free night award stays.
• Earn credit for 6 nights when staying 6 nights between March 1st and December 31st. These can either be qualifying cash rates or free night award stays.

That would give me credit for 30 nights, which is good for Globalist status in 2021 — and continuing status through February 28, 2023. I’d earn Globalist with just 14 nights at a Hyatt hotel during the year, and no more than 11 paid nights.

It’s hard to know what Covid-19 will do to our 2021. The early part of the year could be problematic for travel, making Globalist tough to attain regardless.

But if you have enough points in your World of Hyatt account (or earn enough), it would be relatively easy to earn Explorist or even top-tier Globalist elite status in 2021 without spending much of anything on hotel stays. Use free night certificates and points, and use the World of Hyatt credit card to boost your qualifying night totals with everyday spending.

Final Thoughts

Hyatt is making it much easier to earn elite status in 2021, even its top-tier Globalist status. They are cutting the number of nights (or points) needed to qualify for each status tier. And they are making those nights easier to earn, at least at the front end of 2021.

If you like Hyatt (as I do), this is a good year to elevate your status. You’ll get all the benefits of status for half the nights. One important caveat, though: Hyatt is not cutting the number of nights/points needed to earn its Milestone Rewards. Those will start at 20 nights (2 Club upgrades), as always, with additional rewards for every 10 additional nights. Still, elite status is nice. Top-tier status is even better. Assuming a vaccine helps to ease the pandemic, I’m hoping to get back to travel. And hoping to reach Hyatt’s Globalist elite status in 2021.

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All photos via Shutterstock