Hyatt has announced its hotel category changes for 2023, and the new categories will take effect on March 28, 2023. Hyatt hotels are now priced by category as well as off-peak, standard, and peak dates. If a hotel moves up in category, it will require more Hyatt points to redeem; if it moves down, it will require fewer. Honestly, you hardly even need to look: the popular hotels with the best redemption value are the ones getting bumped up, while the ones fewer people redeem are moving down. Somehow, every change just makes things worse.
What you should do:
- If you already booked a hotel with points, and your stay is after March 28 and the hotel is moving up in category, it’s best not to make any changes. If the category goes down, Hyatt will automatically refund the points difference, so there’s no need to worry.
- If you haven’t booked yet, check whether it’s better to book before or after the changes take effect.
In addition, these category changes will also affect Hyatt free night certificate usage. Pay special attention to hotels around Cat 4 in the linked lists.
