5 ways to book Hyatt award stays without enough points in your account

Although there are plenty of World of Hyatt enthusiasts at TPG, the megachain recently announced that it will increase the number of points you'll need to stay at some 214 properties.

We've compiled a list of 15 of our favorite properties that are affected by the new award categories, but as these changes go into effect March 28, there's still time to book an award stay at the existing rates — even if you don't have enough points in your account.

Here are five ways to book World of Hyatt awards just in time.

Transfer points from a partner program

Let’s start with an easy solution: Transfer points from another program.

Since transferable points give you the flexibility to send your travel rewards wherever you please, it's no wonder they are among the most valuable points and miles. If you don't have enough Hyatt points to book a stay before rates increase this month, transferable points can come in handy. You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards points to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio.

(Note: TPG founder Brian Kelly is a Bilt adviser and investor.)

Transfers from Chase and Bilt are generally instantaneous, though we recommend confirming award availability before transferring points, as you can't transfer points back to Chase and Bilt.

If you're short on Chase or Bilt points, consider opening the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or Bilt Mastercard®. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 of purchases in the first 90 days of card membership, while the Bilt Mastercard comes with no annual fee and double points (outside of rent) on the first day of each month.

Once you complete your transfer and have enough points in your account, you can make your reservation right from your World of Hyatt account.

Related: The ultimate guide to redeeming Hyatt points

Transfer points from another member’s account

If you have a friend or family member with a healthy stash of World of Hyatt points, they can transfer points to your account for free.

There is no minimum or maximum number of points you can combine, though you can only transfer or receive points once every 30 days.

Transferring points between Hyatt accounts is an antiquated — but worthwhile — process. Hyatt requires you to fill out this form (PDF file) with a clear signature and email it to worldofhyatt@hyatt.com. Generally, these forms are processed within several days, though it can take longer if there is high demand.

Related: ‘One of the most valuable hotel cards’: A review of the World of Hyatt Credit Card

Book a ‘Guest of Honor’ reservation

If you have a friend or family member with Hyatt Globalist status, you can have them book a “Guest of Honor” stay. This perk allows Globalist members to book an award stay for another person — even if the Globalist isn’t traveling — and share their elite status benefits.

This will allow you to use someone else’s points and receive complimentary breakfast, waived resort and parking fees, lounge access, a space-available room upgrade and even apply a Globalist's suite upgrade.

The Globalist member can book their reservation as they normally would but will need to call the Hyatt Globalist line to add the guest to their reservation. Even though points are being redeemed from the Globalist account, the member who is staying at the property will receive the elite night credits and points from incidental purchases.

Using the point combination request form, you can reimburse your Globalist friend or family member for the points they redeemed.

Related: What is World of Hyatt elite status worth?

Book a points-advance reservation

Although an unpublished benefit, you can book a points-advance reservation if you have Globalist status. This allows you to lock in an award stay even if you don't have enough points in your account. A Hyatt spokesperson provided TPG with the following comment regarding points advance:

Globalists in good standing can use the Points Advance feature to book a reservation with insufficient funds for a future date—to do so they should work with their My Hyatt Concierge to make the reservation. Members must have earned/have the correct balance of points in their account by the eighth day prior to arrival otherwise we will change the booking to the Standard Rate.

If you earn 60 elite nights or accrue 100,000 base points in a calendar year — and subsequently qualify for Globalist status — you have access to the My Hyatt Concierge, a single point of contact for any matter related to Hyatt. You can also call the My Hyatt Concierge line at 888-544-9288.

There’s no official limit to the number of points-advance reservations you can make, but you must have enough points to cover the entire stay by the eighth day before arrival, or your rate will move to the then-standard rate.

Related: 5 easy ways to qualify for Hyatt Globalist status

Buy points

Buying at least 5,000 Hyatt points can unlock a 25% discount through March 25. This brings the purchase rate of Hyatt points down to 1.8 cents apiece, which is slightly more expensive than TPG's value of 1.7 cents apiece.

While this isn't quite as generous as Hyatt's 30% discount last year, this option is worth considering since all World of Hyatt members receive waived resort/destination fees on award stays, while Globalist members also receive complimentary parking on award stays. So even though you're paying more for points, you might still save money on your total stay.

Related: Here’s how to quickly stock up on Hyatt points for your next vacation

Bottom line

If you want to book an award stay at a Hyatt property and don’t have enough points in your account, there are still ways to lock in a reservation before the new award chart goes into effect.

As long as you book your stay by March 28, you won’t be charged more points if the property goes up in points.

Additional reporting by Kyle Olsen.

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For rewards and benefits of the Bilt Mastercard, click here