Review: Chase World of Hyatt Card

The Chase World of Hyatt Card is a great credit card for all types of travelers. While Hyatt doesn’t have the large hotel portfolios that Hilton and Marriott have, they do have lots of excellent properties around the world. Fortunately, World of Hyatt Card has been playing catch up to Marriott and Hilton through the acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality. Hyatt’s partnership with Small Luxury Hotels is also a huge help.

Despite its $95 annual fee (NOT waived the first year), the World of Hyatt Card has a plethora of earning opportunities and perks that are great for all kinds of travelers. For some, this card can be a substitute for a premium Chase credit card like the Sapphire Preferred.

Is the World of Hyatt card right for you?

Earning

Regular Purchases

The World of Hyatt Card earns 2x Hyatt points on the following categories:

• Airfare (purchased directly from the airline)
• Dining
• Gym Memberships
• Local Commuter Transit

One standout feature of this card’s earning structure is the gym memberships category. Gym memberships might not be useful for many because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the World of Hyatt Card is one of the only credit cards in the industry to have a dedicated category for it.

World of Hyatt Purchases

Furthermore, the World of Hyatt Card earns 4x Hyatt points per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels. Plus, extra Base Points can be earned when staying at Hyatt properties. All points count towards earning higher status and free nights.

You will earn 5x extra Base Points on stays, dining, spa services and more at participating hotels. Plus, you will earn 5x extra Base Points on room rates at participating Small Luxury Hotels.

But that’s not all! The World of Hyatt Card earns 10x extra Base Points for every eligible dollar spent on FIND experiences. These food, health, and fitness related experiences can make a vacation even more fun. Base Points can also be earned for qualifying activity at participating M Life Rewards destinations.

And instead of Base Points, you can even earn miles with Hyatt’s airline partners for stays at participating Hyatt hotels and resorts. Your mileage may vary with earning partners’ points. But it could be worth it with the right redemption.

Sign-Up Bonus

Additionally, Chase is currently offering a two-part sign-up bonus with the World of Hyatt Card. First you can earn 25,000 points after spending $3,000 within the first three months. Then, you can earn 25,000 more points after spending $6,000 total within the first six months.

Burning

Hyatt points can be redeemed at the following brands:

• Alila
• Andaz
• Hyatt Centric
• Destination Hotels
• Exhale
• Grand Hyatt
• Hyatt House
• Hyatt
• Joie De Vivre
• Miraval
• Park Hyatt
• Hyatt Place
• Hyatt Residence Club
• Thompson Hotels
• The Unbound Collection
• Hyatt Regency
• Hyatt Zilara / Ziva

Free Nights & Room Upgrades

Unfortunately, Hyatt switched to a dynamic pricing structure in late 2019. This pricing structure made determining how many points are required for a free night more complicated. The required amount of points depends on the type of room and whether you are using straight points or points + cash.

The Points + Cash option lets you combine points and cash to redeem for room rates. Moreover, this option could be useful if you’re short a few points or want to save points for another stay.

You can also redeem points for room upgrades. This can be useful if you want a more luxurious stay for the price of a regular stay, especially if you’re staying at a higher category hotel. This redemption option can also be useful for those who are short on points but want to stay in the lap of luxury.

Other Options

Points can also be used at restaurants, for spa services at the hotel, and other in-property services. Redeeming this way is not recommended because you can get more value for free nights.

Hyatt also has transfer partners like Chase, Citi, and American Express. Unfortunately, Hyatt points transfer to all partners at a terrible 5:2 ratio. That means every 5 Hyatt points that are transferred are worth 2 partner points, a value of 0.4 cents per point.

Benefits

The Chase World of Hyatt Card comes with a load of perks to justify its annual fee and provide value to cardholders.

Discoverist Status

You will receive Hyatt Discoverist Status for as long as your card is active. Perks that come with Discoverist status include the following:

• Free Wi-Fi
• Complimentary continental breakfast
• Early (starting at 12 pm, local time) check in
• Late (until 2 pm, local time) check out
• One free bottle of water per day

Normally, you would have to stay at least 10 nights per year to earn Discoverist Status organically. But getting it automatically with the World of Hyatt Card is less expensive and easier.

Qualifying Night Credits

You will receive five qualifying night credits toward your next level of status each year you have the card. You will also earn two qualifying night credits towards your next level status for every $5,000 spent on the card. This is fantastic, especially for Hyatt loyalists who want to earn Explorist or Globalist status, which give you more perks and points.

Preferred Room Upgrades

Preferred room upgrades is one of the perks that comes with Hyatt Discoverist Status. The value of a room upgrade can easily justify the World of Hyatt Card’s $95 annual fee. However, room upgrades are limited to the same room type as you booked for those with Discoverist Status. For example, if you booked a standard room with two queen beds, your upgrade will be to another standard room but with a better view or location within the hotel.

Free Nights

The World of Hyatt Card offers one free night every year after your cardholder anniversary. In other words, you will get a free night after every 12 months you hold the card. This free night is limited to Category 1-4 properties.

You will also receive another free night after spending $15,000 per anniversary year. This means that you need to have your card for one year and then spend $15,000 to get the second free night.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

Like many of its counterparts, this card does not have any foreign transaction fees. Therefore, you will save 3% on any international transactions.

Rules & Regulations

The 5/24 rule states that you will not be approved for most Chase cards if you were approved for five or more new accounts in the last 24-months. An increasing number of Chase co-branded cards also fall under this rule as well. Unfortunately, the World of Hyatt Card is no exception.

Similar Cards

Here are some alternatives to the Chase World of Hyatt Card in case it’s not right for you.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is an excellent alternative to the World of Hyatt Card for those who want to earn transferrable points. In fact, the Sapphire Preferred Card earns 5x UR points on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. It earns 3x UR points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery expenses. It also earns 2x UR points on general travel expenses and just one point for all other purchases.

Plus, Chase is offering a sign-up bonus worth 80,000 UR points. This bonus can be earned by spending $4,000 within the first three months. Like the World of Hyatt Card, the Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee. Neither card’s annual fees are waived the first year.

The Sapphire Preferred is the better card if you’re not loyal to Hyatt or any other hotel brand. It’s also the better card for those who want to redeem points for airfare.

However, the World of Hyatt Card is better if you are a Hyatt loyalist and can use its benefits. Plus, the World of Hyatt Card is better if you do not have (or want) any Chase UR point-earning credit cards. In the latter case, the World of Hyatt Card can be a substitute for the Sapphire Preferred or any Chase UR point-earning credit card.

American Express Hilton Surpass Card

Hilton loyalists would love the Hilton Surpass Card more than the World of Hyatt Card. The Surpass Card earns 12x Hilton Honors points at Hilton properties (not including Hilton membership and Gold Status points bonuses). It also earns 6x points for Dining, Groceries, and Gas. All other purchases earn 3x HH points.

Plus, Amex is offering a public sign-up bonus worth 130,000 points. This bonus can be earned after spending $2,000 within the first three months. This bonus comes in one part unlike the two-part Hyatt bonus. It also has a significantly lower minimum spend, making it more attainable for more people.

Like the World of Hyatt Card, the Surpass Card has a $95 annual fee. But it comes with valuable Hilton Gold Status and other nice perks to justify the fee. The better option depends on which hotel chain you prefer.

Final Draw

Hyatt loyalists are in for a big treat with the Chase World of Hyatt Card. It has a plethora of opportunities to earn valuable Hyatt points and great benefits to boot. The World of Hyatt Card can be considered a long-term keeper card for Hyatt loyalists and many other travelers.

What’s especially impressive is how much Hyatt offers with Discoverist Status, which comes with the World of Hyatt Card. You can really get loads of value especially when compared to comparable statuses from other hotel chains. Hyatt’s Explorist and Globalist statuses are also more attainable when you use the World of Hyatt Card.

Apply Today: Chase World of Hyatt Card