Hyatt has been my go-to hotel program for a few years running now, and I’ve continued to push to earn Globalist status each year. During the pandemic, it was easy. Status was either rolled over, or requirements were scaled back. But with things back to normal, it’s now tougher. The upside is that I’m hitting all the Hyatt Milestone rewards along the way. And this year I changed my mind on the value of the Hyatt 40-night milestone value, yet again.
Hyatt 40-Night Milestone Value: Which Is Best?
Hyatt milestone rewards start at 20 elite nights, and you earn a new one for each 10 additional elite nights you earn. Elite nights earned through stays, bonus offers, and credit card spend on a cobranded World of Hyatt Visa cards all count toward milestone rewards. Hyatt offers three choices when you hit the 40-night milestone:
- $100 Hyatt gift card, good at participating properties in the Americas
- 5,000 bonus World of Hyatt points, instantly credited to your account
- $150 FIND experience credit
At face value, the FIND credit appears to be the best choice. It’s the highest value after all. However, unless you’re already looking at a specific FIND experience that you want to purchase, you’re unlikely to come out ahead. I don’t value $150 in FIND credit at face value.
The $100 Hyatt gift card is a better option. If you have paid Hyatt stays, you receive face value. For many, it’ll be the most valuable choice.
However, the 5,000 bonus points could potentially offer the best Hyatt 40-night milestone value among the three choices. If you can get 2 cents per Hyatt point or more, it’s the winner. But that’s not guaranteed. In general, I’d expect this to be worth ~$75-90. But there is another reason I think it’s an ideal choice.
Simplicity Beats Maximization
The fact that the Hyatt points are instantly credited to my account is the reason I went with them this year. Points are easy to spend, and they are aggregated with all the other points I already have. I don’t have to worry about spending a certificate, and I don’t run the risk of completely forgetting to use it. Then I’d get $0 in value!
The reality is that I have very few paid Hyatt stays, anyway. I’d have to make sure I use it during one of the few each year where I do pay cash. And that headache doesn’t seem worth it. Points it is.
Final Thoughts
I really like Hyatt’s milestone rewards system. Hitting milestones like 30 nights (Category 1-4 free night award), 40 nights, and especially 60 nights (Category 1-7 free night award) are amazingly lucrative. What reward do you think offers the best Hyatt 40-night milestone value?
I go for the $100 e-gift card, if I have a use for it right away. It was a little funny at the HR Phoenix last week because they clearly don’t get them very often and had to call in the manager to process it.
I know a lot of people who do. If you have paid stays, it makes the most sense.
Likewise, I had a bit of trouble actually applying it when I used mine a couple years ago.
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