Two Hyatt Properties are Going Up in Category Today

Unannounced award chart changes can be scary, and I was certainly nervous when I received an email from Hyatt titled “World of Hyatt Award Chart Changes” in my inbox this afternoon, bracing for the worst.

Though Hyatt has made plenty of positive changes to the World of Hyatt program over the last several weeks (such as points bookings now counting towards the elite nights requirement and a time-extension on free night awards), I’m hoping we are not seeing a new trend in award chart changes with virtually no notice.

Hyatt is making a couple additional award chart changes similar to those made late last year. Luckily, the changes announced today are extremely minor, only affecting two new properties.

Effective today, January 31, 2018 at 9:00pm CT, the following two properties will shift into a higher award category. Free night award redemptions booked after the change at these hotels will require additional World of Hyatt points.

Hyatt Place Knoxville / Downtown (currently a category 1, increasing to category 2) – Opened January 2018
Hyatt House Washington DC / The Wharf (currently a category 2, increasing to category 3) – Opened October 2017

a building with a fountain and a fountain

Hyatt House Washington DC / The Wharf. Photo credit: Hyatt

All free night award redemptions booked before the change will follow the current Award Chart, and those reservations will remain in place at the original point level.

Any changes made to existing reservations booked before January 31, 2018 on or after 9:00pm CT will follow the terms of the new Award Chart.

Bottom Line

In all honesty, I was relieved to see that only two properties are changing, but I’m definitely not a fan of no-notice award chart changes, period. Let’s hope Hyatt does not continue to make this a habit (this is the second time in the past 2 months).

If you have future plans to redeem points to check out either of these new properties, be sure to make your reservations by 9pm central time tonight.

What are your thoughts about these changes? Do you think Hyatt will continue to devalue their properties in small doses?