When Hyatt first announced its 2026 award category changes, many of us immediately braced for the worst. If you’ve been in the points and miles world long enough, you dread hearing anything about a change to this wonderful hobby. And yes, there are definitely some losses this year. But after digging through the changes, we actually came away feeling . . . relieved?

Could it have been better? Sure. But it also could have been way worse. Are we feeling calmer right now? Absolutely. Could this be the calm before the storm? TBD.

 

Positives

One of the biggest positives is that Hyatt didn’t completely destroy the value of its program. We’re still seeing incredible redemption opportunities, especially compared to other hotel programs where award pricing can feel impossible to predict. Hyatt still gives families and travelers a realistic shot at aspirational stays without needing millions of points.

A few things we’re feeling good about:

• Many favorite properties stayed put at the same points levels they were before
• Some increases were smaller than expected—so far we’ve seen very few 75K nights at aspirational properties!
• Free-night certificates still have strong value
• Hyatt points are still easier to stretch than most hotel currencies
• Off-peak pricing can still create amazing deals—if you have the flexibility to travel, you will always find great values.

 

Diversification

The biggest lesson here is why diversification matters so much. If this scare has taught us anything, it is that.

For years, many of us leaned heavily into Chase Ultimate Rewards® because Hyatt was such an incredible transfer partner. That still makes sense. But these changes are also a reminder that no program stays perfect forever. Having points across programs like Capital One, American Express Membership Rewards®, Citi ThankYou® Points, and Chase gives you flexibility when changes happen.

This is also why we’re always talking about earning and replenishing points before you need them. The people feeling the least stressed right now are those who have already booked trips, transferred points earlier, or have a healthy stash ready to go.

And remember: if you booked before the changes took effect, you locked in the current pricing. Even better? If you later cancel an award stay, Hyatt returns the points to your account. That gives you some flexibility if plans change.

 

Real Life Examples

Jess and I both booked the Park Hyatt Tokyo at 45K points per night before the changes. Those stays will now cost 65K points per night. We’re so glad we booked early.

We all love the Hyatt Regency Maui and the Grand Hyatt Kauai, and expected them to take a huge hit as they are both so popular. We were so excited to see that the Hyatt Regency Maui had a lot of low pricing, even this summer. The Grand Hyatt Kauai was hit with more 55K-point nights, but we saw some 45K-point nights too.

 

 

Jess and I both have the Andaz Papagayo booked for this coming year at 45K points per night. Those prices are still available since the award chart changes!

 

The Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile, a squad favorite, still has rooms available with a good redemption rate. Paris in the spring for 20K points per night—amazing!

 

 

 

Bottom Line

At the end of the day, Hyatt is still one of our favorite hotel programs. The sky didn’t fall. We’re still booking Hyatt stays. We’re still transferring points. And we’re still finding outsized value that helps families travel better for less.

But yes, I still hate the new five-tiered-category approach to redemptions. That just hurts my brain! 🤯 Was that really necessary, and will that come to hurt us more in the future? Time will tell. In the meantime, I am feeling good about being in a good spot with Hyatt, at least until the next chart changes!

 

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