Hyatt announced that they would be launching their new loyalty program on March 1, 2017, which will be called World of Hyatt and will have three elite tiers Discoverist, Explorist and Globalist.

Per Hyatt:

Benefits inspired by members

In the new program, members will receive more rewards as they advance through the three elite tiers based on Qualifying Nights or Base Points:

Discoverist                                                  10 Qualifying Nights or 25,000 Base Points

Explorist                                                      30 Qualifying Nights or 50,000 Base Points

Globalist                                                      60 Qualifying Nights or 100,000 Base Points

Among the many guest-driven benefits for World of Hyatt members:

• Base Points count toward tier status, including Base Points earned for dining and spa experiences
• Free night award for staying at five different Hyatt brands
• Confirmed suite upgrades at the time of booking for qualifying elite members

Rewarding empathy

World of Hyatt will also go beyond a traditional loyalty program in offering a platform to celebrate members and broaden their global view.

For example, World of Hyatt will honor the generosity of its members, celebrating the ways in which they use their points to make a difference in someone else’s life.

Seamless transition to a new program

The Hyatt Gold Passport program will remain in effect through February 28, 2017, at which time it will transition to World of Hyatt. Between now and then, members can continue to achieve and enjoy tier status in Hyatt Gold Passport and earn and redeem points as they always have. Qualifying activity beginning January 1, 2017 will also count toward earning status in World of Hyatt when the program launches on March 1, 2017.

When World of Hyatt launches, members will continue to earn five Base Points for every eligible U.S.

dollar spent. In addition, the hotels in each redemption category and the number of points required to redeem free night awards will remain unchanged.

Bottom Line

Hyatt’s new World of Hyatt has several changes compared to their current Gold Passport program, however I think many of these new changes are very customer friendly and am excited about them.

This Flyertalk thread has more details about the new program, which includes suite upgrades for Globalist at time of check-in, in addition to the confirmed upgrades at booking, as well as the ability to earn complimentary free nights each year. Other new changes include waived resort fees for top-tier members and free parking on award stays.

As a negative, the 1,000 point welcome amenity for top-tier members will be going away, as well as the 2,500 club lounge closure bonus.

I think overall these changes are quite positive. What are your thoughts on the changes from Hyatt?