In our “Using Hyatt Points” series, we’ve shared how non-elite members can redeem extra points to reserve a suite on an award stay. In addition, we’ve shared how you can get exceptional value for Hyatt points through a suite or club room award on a paid stay. In this using Hyatt points post, we’ll share details on the “other” non-hotel reward options including Dining & Spa, converting points to other programs, and car rental rewards.

I’ve stayed at quite a few Hyatt hotels as of late, and am happy to report I’ve maxed out the Hyatt Possibilities promotion with 44,000 Hyatt points. Hyatt offers a Diamond challenge after only 12 stays so I went ahead and took the challenge for the recent run at Hyatt hotels. Keep an eye out for upcoming trip report series on Hyatt hotels in the New York area.

Using Hyatt Points For Travel Rewards

• Booking a suite at Hyatt using points
• Upgrading to a suite on a paid stay at Hyatt using points
• Other redemption options

Dining & Spa Redemption

While this option is nice to have for gifts, it does not particularly offer a great redemption value. The redemption value increases with the amount of Hyatt points you waste use for Dining & Spa award redemptions. In all seriousness, it couldn’t hurt to splurge while on a vacation to enjoy some free Spa days or dining options. You may get enjoyement out of this redemption option, which is the point, but you will not get the best value out of your Hyatt points this way. The best redemption value you can receive is $0.008 by redeeming a whopping 120,000 Hyatt points.

This award can be redeemed at participating restaurants and spas. You can even use these certificates at Kozue at the Park Hyatt Tokyo. Alex is working on finishing his Tokyo trip report, so we’ll see if he used this redemption option or not.

Car Rental Rewards

Car rental rewards can be redeemed at Avis and Sixt car rental locations. Using 6,000 Hyatt points will get you a free intermediate-size car for only one day. It is important to note that 6,000 Hyatt points can also be used to upgrade a paid stay to a suite or two upgrades to a club level room for up to four nights. At Points, Miles & Martinis, our preference is to use points for higher value awards, so we’d select the suite upgrade awards over this option.

Convert Points To Other Programs

Hyatt points convert to most airline partners at a 5:2 ratio. If you convert 50,000 points at a time, you’ll receive a 5,000 point bonus. There are a few exceptions to the conversion ratios which can be seen in the picture below. Hyatt redemption rates can be made with Aeromexico, LAN Airlines, Air China, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Qantas, and Southwest.

Overall Hyatt is clearly trailing SPG (which converts at a 1:1.25 ratio with a transfer of 20k points) in the hotel points conversion to airline miles.

Transfer Partners include the following airlines:

Travel hackers, can you spot any gems with these redemption partners?

Bottom Line

Knowing all the ways you can redeem Hyatt points for an award will help you maximize your point redemption. Using a free instrument for a suite upgrade is an amazing value. Regency Club room and suite upgrades require only a few thousand points but offer great value for up to four nights. The other redemption gimmicks can add value to particular situations, but the value is clearly in the first two options.

If you are looking for free nights at a Hyatt hotel, consider the Hyatt Visa Credit Card. With this offer, you will receive two nights at any Hyatt around the world. These nights are even good at top tier hotels like the Park Hyatt Paris, Park Hyatt and Buenos Aires. You’ll also receive Hyatt Platinum status for as long as you have the card and an anniversary free night (up to category 4) that will more than cover the $75 annual fee. There is a Hyatt card offer that provides 2 suite upgrades for current Platinum members.

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