In response to my recent Maui Planning in Progress post, reader Jill reached out asking if I could further explain the procedure for requesting a Hyatt Diamond trial.
With all of the recent program devaluations we’ve been hit with this past month (including Hyatt), I feel that many readers might be in the same boat and want to “maximize” the redemption potential of their current balances in their Hyatt accounts before the new redemption rates come into play early next year.
Before getting into requesting the trial, let me first explain some of the benefits of Hyatt Diamond status and why it might be attractive to your travel plans (and even save you money too). I bolded my favorite perks. Full details about these benefits can also be found here at Hyatt.com.
Hyatt Diamond Benefits
- Achieve rewards even faster with a 30% point bonus when choosing points
- Enjoy the best room available upon arrival, excluding suites
- Receive exclusive access to the Regency Club or Grand Club lounge featuring complimentary continental breakfast and evening hors d’oeuvres2. Enjoy daily complimentary full breakfast in hotels without a club lounge
- Treat yourself to a suite upgrade at the time of reservation four times annually on eligible paid nights
- Receive a special welcome point bonus or food and beverage amenity during each stay
- Receive a nightly room refresh
- Receive the confirmed bed type at check-in
- Stay connected with complimentary in-room Internet access
- Expedite check-in at a dedicated area for elite members
- Ensure a room is always available with our 48-hour guarantee1
- Extend your stay until 4:00 p.m. with a late check out request
- Book reservations through an exclusive Diamond line
Hyatt Diamond status is naturally attainable by completing 25 stays (or 50 nights) in a year. The Diamond trial that they offer for elites in competing programs currently grants complimentary Hyatt Diamond status for 60 days, with the option to extend it for a full year by completing a “12-nights within a 60 day period” challenge. You will also receive 1000 bonus points on your first six eligible nights within 60 days, up to a maximum of 6000 bonus points
Since I’ll soon be spending 3 nights at the new Andaz Maui at Wilea, I thought this would be the perfect property to truly dive in and indulge with the help of the status (considering the fact that breakfast is $45 a person alone. Did I mention I heard it was spectacular?).
Here’s How to Do It:
- First off, you’ll need a Hyatt GoldPassport account (duh), and you do need to prove you have existing status with a competing loyalty program. At the moment, here are the other competitor status levels they are currently accepting: Hilton Gold/Diamond, Marriott Gold/Platinum, Starwood Platinum, and IHG Platinum. If you don’t have any of those status levels, do know that you can receive free Hilton Gold Status for being a Citi Hilton Reserve or American Express Platinum cardholder. IHG Rewards Visa cardholders get IHG Platinum status with card membership.
- Next, send an email to goldpassport@hyatt.com asking for a Diamond trial. In the email, be sure to include your GoldPassport number along with a screen shot proving your existing top-tier competitor status.
- In my experience, I received a response a few hours later that same day. You will have to reply back to the email to “accept” the Diamond trial offer. My account was updated to reflect the Diamond status that same day.
Some Tips:
- Don’t start the Diamond trial until you know you have upcoming stays/nights planned ahead, since you’ll only have the status for 60 days (starting at your enrollment date).
- Completing the 12-night challenge to maintain the Diamond status for a year later (in my case it was until February 2015) might be worth it. Sure, it sounds ambitious, but if you value having top-tier status, it’s a fast-track to not having to stay the full 25 stays it normally takes to qualify. There are plenty of less-expensive Hyatt options that qualify for a stay credit, including in Las Vegas with the new MGM partnership.
- Some people have reported results that this is a “one-time-offer” kind of deal, meaning you can only request a Diamond trial once in the lifetime of your account. Others have had success with the trial on multiple occasions. YMMV, so plan accordingly.
- If you’re traveling with family or a spouse, consider only having one GoldPassport account apply for the trial. Save the other accounts for future requests, if needed.
I’m looking forward to sharing my experience as a Hyatt Diamond during my upcoming stay in Maui!
Feel free to share your experiences with the Hyatt Diamond trial. Have you ever requested one? Did you end up completing the challenge or just using the perks during a particular stay? Would love to hear!
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This might be a stupid question, but do award night stays count towards the 12 stay criteria?
@Jon: Usually no, but I have heard mixed accounts – those who have had room charges on their award stays sometimes have had those stays credit. I’ll let you know once I check out of Andaz Maui (that’s an award stay).
So what hotel chain do you hold top tier status Angelina? So your saying hyatt will give u a diamond trial if u only have hilton gold?
Is there a minimum number of nights required to qualify as a “stay”? I just signed up for the Diamond Trial today, but the Hyatt across the street from the client site where I’m working seems to always be sold out for one of the three nights per week I need it. So I’m wondering if a single night would count as a “stay” toward meeting the requirement in 60 days…..
@Troy: I currently have Club Carlson Concierge, HHonors Gold (from credit card), SPG Gold (from AmEx Platinum), IHG Platinum (from IHG credit card), and Marriott Platinum. Yes, Hyatt will give Diamond trial to Hilton golds.
@Melanie: Yes one night does count as a stay – and it’s even better that way. If the Hyatt hotel you’re referring to always sells out for one of the 3 nights consider this strategy: book separate 1 night stay at Hyatt for night one, night 2, stay somewhere else, and night 3 stay at the Hyatt again. If you don’t mind switching hotels every night, you can easily get 2 stays taken care of that way. :)
The Diamond trial is actually nights and not stays, so it is easier to attain. I had multi-night stays for all but one night of my trial. I love the Diamond benefits and I used 2 of the suite upgrades while completing the trial.
@smitty06: you’re right – I just reread the email and it’s 12 nights. Thanks for pointing that out – I’ll make corrections!
I tried the process submitting my Hilton Hilton Honors info, but they asked for more information including number of stays in Hilton. Since I had few< I did not respond.
Great post……..highly recommend the helicopter ride………..only real way to get a true sense of the islands……….
And I have a 6 night stay at the Paris Vendome for D-Day anniversary in June……..can’t decide if I want to share my Hilton Diamond photo to Hyatt “just for the perks of the Paris stay” when I know I won’t spend 12 nights after a 3 week trip…………if I knew the upgrades dues to Diamond would be over the top there and I knew I could pull out another challenge in a couple of years I would fax it on a moment’s notice…….decisions…..decisions….
@Angelina
I was thinking it last night, then you came up with this in your blog, what a coincidentce. I am thinking to do it early next year. I would like to know after I qualify it with my 12 nights early next year, do these 12 nights count for the 25 stays for the qualification of 2015? Basically, I will need to stay either 25 stays (with these 12 nights) or 50 nights with them to qualify for 2015?
Just booked a stay there for next April. I don’t know much about Hyatt. Do they treat Diamonds well in awards? Any differences if the nights you stay in are the Visa complimentary nights?
You must have some stays in addition to status at another hotel chain to qualify for the Diamond trial. Stay 12 nights (any of those nights can be consecutive) within 60 days, paying a qualifying rate (any rate on the Hyatt website) & you will remain Diamond for at least one more year. I’m doing the challenge right now – the suite upgrades, lounge access & free breakfasts are definitely worth it.
@JustSaying – the breakfast benefit alone at Vendome makes the challenge worthwhile. For 2 people, your savings will be greater than $1000/day. That is an incredible property.
@Angelina – are you certain about the MGM M Life stays in Vegas counting toward Diamond status?
@Just Saying – correction: that was supposed to read $100/day.
A $600 trail benefit is not bad but the question will then be am I marked forever by Hyatt to ever try again……
@Joe: My request was approved with only 2 stays with Marriott Platinum… I would have given it a go for I were you – doesn’t hurt!
@JustSaying: Thanks for the helicopter ride recommendation, will look into it! I also agree with JakePB – totally worth it to have Diamond status for PH Vendome! I heard the breakfast and treatment for being a Diamond alone is an experience in itself… plus, you never know – you can always have your spouse or a family member do a trial in the future. I’d go for it!
@Charles: If you complete your 12 nights during a challenge now, you will have the status until Feb 2015. Great value!
@TravelBloggerBuzz: I have been reading the FlyerTalk thread about Andaz/Diamond treatment and it seems they go above and beyond for Diamonds – some have gotten great welcome amenities and complimentary upgrades. Plus, the breakfast is spectacular I’m hearing.
@CJ: Correct, you do need stays – not sure how many as I only showed 2 on my Marriott Platinum during my request. Awesome that you’re doing the challenge – has me inspired to go for it too!
@JackPB – Yup all paid MLife nights count (not casino play comps, of course).
I wouldn’t count on MLife stays counting for the Diamond Challenge- I emailed JPG and they said that they do not count. The Park Hyatt Paris had a beautiful breakfast but there were no other notable benefits for Diamond – I wasn’t happy with my first floor room hearing garbage trucks each morning, and they did not have any other rooms available.
darn autocorrect! HGP (Hyatt Gold Passport), not JGP.
If I book 2 rooms simultaneously (5 nights each) at the Andaz Maui would that count as 5 or 10 nights towards the Diamond Challenge?
If I had a handful of stays already booked and I requested the diamond challenge right before those stays, would the previously booked stays count towards the 12 night requirement?
Hi, I want to try this challenge and I have a large family trip coming up where I needed to book three rooms for 3 nights in two locations. Would that could at 18 nights or 6 nights as far as the challenge is concerned.
thanks
One night per night for any number of rooms.
Previously-booked stays count, it’s the date of the stay that matters.
do you happen to know if the trial works if I have the hyatt card, but my husband has hilton diamond?
@Eli: Yes your 5 consecutive nights at Andaz Maui would could in the challenge.
@Jon: Yes your previously booked stays would also count.
@Sourabh: Hyatt will register stays under your GP account at one location per night (meaning, you, the Diamond status holder can technically only be at one physical location at once). In other words, you can’t physically be “present” in two places at once.
@mish: if your husband has Hilton diamond, then the challenge would have to be done under his name and GoldPassport Account. You can use your Hyatt Credit Card at the property though to earn points.
You and Frequent Miler convinced me………..I’ve just changed my FTU Seattle hotel to a Hyatt for 3 nights and I am doing a 9 night mattress run @ $71 per night where I’ll actually be in the room for 4 of the nights………it was the 21,000 bonus miles and the AMEX open discount did it for me…….and I am cautiously optimistic that Milepoint will have a Premium offer soon to get the 10% off a Hyatt gift card…….we’ll see on that one but never the less the Paris breakfast will be free after I essentially buy points at 2.4 cents during the trial………….
Hi Angelina,
Does one get the suite upgrades perk during the challenge? If so, how many? Can the suite upgrades be applied to award stay?
if i do the hyatt challenge now in early 2014, i know that i’ll have diamond status thru feb of 2015. but will my 12 nights for the challenge count towards status for 2015? meaning, if i stay 13 more nights in 2014 for 25 total, will i also have diamond status through all of 2015? thanks!
I think you’re mistaken in stating that holding the American Express Platinum card gives you free Hilton Gold status.
Sorta moot point anyway……we all HATE HILTON!
I have 4 nights booked on points only in a Hyatt property. Can I use the suite upgrade if I change one of those four nights to points + cash while keeping the other 3 nights points only?
do cash & point rates count?
if I were to find a category 1 hyatt (normally 5,000 pts or 2500 pts + $50 cash) and book 12 straight nights there, i would be out of pocket $600 and 30,000. do you know if this would qualify?