Late last year I decided that 2019 would be the year of Hyatt Globalist. Previously, I never considered this highly-sought hotel elite status within reach, primarily because of the number of paid stays or nights required to attain Globalist (previously Hyatt Diamond).

But everything changed in 2018 when Chase and Hyatt launched the refreshed World of Hyatt credit card. All of a sudden, Hyatt’s highest elite status was within reach.

The Two Factors That Changed Everything

Under the old Hyatt program, you had two different avenues for attaining their top elite status: stays or nights. Most people opted for stays. Turns out 25 stays is much easier than 50 nights. Unless you were a true business road warrior and could easily achieve enough nights throughout the course of the year

It was also required that these were paid nights. Award nights did not count. However, Hyatt changed this rule when they rolled out the new World of Hyatt program. Now any and all award nights suddenly help you get that much closer to the next elite tier. They did up the requirement to 60 nights for Globalist (likely to compensate for this change).

That alone wasn’t enough to turn my head. However, the ability to earn elite nights by spending on the World of Hyatt Visa is. This, combined with the ability for award nights to count toward status, gave me a path. Suddenly Hyatt Globalist was within reach. With enough spending on the co-branded credit card, the earnings from which could be redeemed for free nights to get even closer to status, was a recipe for success.

Why Hyatt?

You may have noticed how popular the Hyatt chain and loyalty program is within the travel blogging sphere. It might be overly revered. Many folks have held Hyatt’s top elite status for years and will continue to do so because of the rich benefits they enjoy. It’s true that Hyatt puts much of the competition to shame with the benefits offered to their Globalist guests. Perks include confirmed suite upgrades, free breakfast for up to 2 adults and 2 kids in the same room, and waived resort and parking fees, among many others.

Not to mention their limited-service hotels are some of the best of the bunch. Both Hyatt Place and Hyatt House, the Hyatt brands at which I most often stay, are two of the best limited-service brands for families that you’ll encounter.

The only drawback to the program is their footprint. But with their recent partnership with Small Luxury Hotels, Hyatt is really upping their game in places where they previously had no coverage. Where you could not typically find a Hyatt hotel outside of a major European city center, there are now many more hotels from which to choose.

Current 2019 Progress

At the time of writing, I have accrued 40 elite qualifying nights. This puts me at just over halfway through the year, and at 66% of the necessary nights to qualify for Globalist. I’m right on track. My goal of attaining Hyatt Globalist without spending any money out of my own pocket is so far working as well. Here is a breakdown of how the nights have been earned:

  • 5 from holding the World of Hyatt Visa
  • 4 from work trips (reimbursed by my employer)
  • 4 award nights from a trip to Seattle and Boise
  • 3 award nights from a trip to South America
  • 3 award nights from a trip to Taipei and Xiamen
  • 5 award nights from a trip to Chicago and Detroit
  • 16 from spending on the World of Hyatt credit card (spend of $40,000)

My projection for the additional nights to earn Globalist:

  • 4 award nights from a trip to New Mexico
  • 2 award nights from a quick trip to Europe

I’m hoping work will kick in a few more nights so that I don’t have to make up all the rest by credit card spending. But thanks to reselling efforts, it should be doable.

a screenshot of a score

Conclusion

We already have some great uses for Hyatt Globalist that will ensure these efforts pay off. My daughter has a dance competition next spring that is at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara, and I’m hoping to use one of the confirmed suite upgrades to book us into a nicer accommodation ahead of time. The extra space would be fantastic.

Aside from that, I hope to enjoy the perks on all our travels next year, wherever they may take us!