With some of the most valuable hotel points and benefits like waived resort and parking fees, a complimentary (full) breakfast for up to two adults and two children per room, lounge access and suite upgrades, it's no wonder World of Hyatt connoisseurs are big fans of Globalist status.
In 2020 and 2021, Hyatt offered fast tracks to Globalist status by offering double elite nights and reduced elite status requirements. But while Hyatt's status thresholds reverted back to pre-pandemic requirements this year, you don't have to sleep in a Hyatt property 60 nights each year to qualify for Globalist status. With credit card elite qualifying nights and the current promotions, you can customize your path to Globalist status.
Also, award nights (think Hyatt stays booked on points or free night certificates) earn elite nights toward Globalist status.
In this guide, we'll discuss a few ways to qualify for Globalist status at a fraction of the price it would cost to book 60 nights on cash.
How to qualify for Globalist status
There are three ways to qualify for Globalist status each year:
- 60 qualifying nights.
- 100,000 base points.
- 20 qualifying meetings/events.
Most World of Hyatt members will likely qualify for Globalist status by earning 60 qualifying nights; however, it's worth noting the other two ways to qualify for Globalist status.
Since World of Hyatt members earn 5 base points per dollar on eligible rates, 100,000 base points would require $20,000 of qualifying spending at Hyatt properties. World of Hyatt only counts base points toward elite status, as bonus points (Globalists are eligible for a 30% bonus on eligible stays) are not considered in qualifying for elite status.
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Planning events and organizing meetings can help you qualify for Globalist status. To qualify as an eligible meeting or event, Hyatt's terms specify that each meeting or event you host must have a minimum of 10 paid guest rooms for at least one night. Attendees can still pay for their rooms and earn their own points.
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World of Hyatt credit cards
World of Hyatt offers two credit cards: the World of Hyatt Credit Card and the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card.
World of Hyatt Credit Card
The World of Hyatt Credit Card offers a 30,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first six months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
But it gets better than that.
By holding the card, you automatically get five tier-qualifying nights each year. You're also eligible to earn two additional tier-qualifying night credits for every $5,000 you spend on the card. Put another way, if you plan on putting a decent amount of spending on the card anyway to hit the full sign-up bonus, you'll likely earn several elite night credits along the way.
Let's assume you spend $20,000 on qualifying purchases on the card. Here's what you'd earn:
- Five elite nights annually for being a World of Hyatt cardmember.
- Eight elite nights from $20,000 of annual spending (two elite nights per $5,000 spent on qualifying purchases).
- One free night certificate valid at any Category 1-4 property (for spending $15,000 in a single calendar year), in addition to the free night certificate you earn just for keeping your account open.
With 13 elite qualifying nights, you've already earned more than 20% of the 60 elite nights required for Globalist status.
Other perks of the card include an annual free night certificate at a Category 1-4 Hyatt property every account anniversary, automatic Discoverist status and more.
World of Hyatt Business Credit Card
The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card offers 60,000 Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening.
The card offers five elite nights for every $10,000 that you spend on the card annually. High-spenders who charge $120,000 on the card each year will earn 60 elite nights, enough for Globalist status without staying in a hotel once.
Other benefits of the card include an annual $100 Hyatt credit and Discoverist status for you and up to five employees who are authorized users on the card.
Related: 'One of the most valuable hotel cards': A review of the World of Hyatt Credit Card
Category 1 Hyatt redemptions
With Category 1 Hyatt properties starting at just 3,500 points per night, you can quickly accrue elite qualifying nights without spending too many points. While most Category 1 Hyatts in the United States are roadside Hyatt Places and Hyatt Houses, if you travel overseas, most Category 1 Hyatts can offer more amenities. In fact, the posh Park Hyatt Chennai in India is a Category 1 property, which prompted TPG's Katie Genter to stay there on points. Likewise, the Story Hotel Signalfabriken is a great Category 1 JDV property in Stockholm.
While it would be difficult to find 60 nights at 3,500 points per night, if you went this route, you could spend just 210,000 World of Hyatt points to earn the 60 elite qualifying nights required for Globalist status.
If you're short on Hyatt points, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points from cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred Card to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio. These transfers should process instantaneously. Bilt Rewards points can also be transferred to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio.
Booking lots of discount award stays can be a great way to earn Globalist status with no credit cards or cash out of pocket. A full list of Hyatt Category 1 properties can be found here.
Related: Sweet Spot Sunday: Book a suite at the Grand Hyatt Bali for just 10,000 points per night
Booking staycations
Continuing with the theme of discount Hyatt stays, you can book a Hyatt staycation without hitting the open road (or skies). This can be another great way to earn elite qualifying nights. In 2021, TPG's Summer Hull and Victoria Walker, along with several TPG Lounge members, booked cheap stays close to home.
About a year ago, Summer, based in Houston, booked a Hyatt Place in Houston for about $60 per night plus taxes and fees. Summer even wiped out the entire cost of her stay with fixed-value credit card points, so she paid no cash out of pocket.
While some people treat these stays as mini-getaways, others use the rooms as offices, enjoying the hotel's amenities, such as a pool and gym. Remember, Hyatt's policy requires you to physically arrive at a hotel at check-in and complete the stay. Violating those rules could cause you to forfeit your points and elite night earnings.
Additionally, a hotel may check you out early if they notice you're not using the room. So, make sure to actually use the room.
Related: Do you need to physically show up at a hotel to check-in?
Securing lower rates than what's on hyatt.com
As a part of Hyatt's guarantee, if you find a lower publicly available rate for the same stay within 24 hours of booking the stay directly with Hyatt, Hyatt will not only match the rate but give you either 20% off the rate you found, or 5,000 bonus World of Hyatt points awarded 72 hours after checkout. As we value 5,000 World of Hyatt points at $85, we recommend opting for the 20% discount on your room rate if your reservation is for more than one night.
Even if the rate you find is only a couple of dollars cheaper per night, you could get an extra 20% discount this way.
To submit a Hyatt best-rate guarantee claim, fill out this online claim form or call 877-247-3909 within 24 hours of making your reservation. Once your claim is submitted, a Hyatt representative will review your claim. If they can independently verify the lower rate and it meets their terms and conditions, your claim will be approved, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars.
Related: The state of the hotel best-rate guarantee
Consider a status match or challenge
Hyatt tends to be on the conservative side with status matches and challenges. However, it does pretty consistently offer two fast-track opportunities.
First, if you're an elite member of MGM Rewards, the loyalty program of MGM Resorts, you can match your status to World of Hyatt elite status. This is an outright match, so you won't need to complete any nights with Hyatt to enjoy your status. MGM Rewards Pearl matches to World of Hyatt Discoverist, while MGM Rewards Gold, Platinum and Noir match to World of Hyatt Explorist.
Second, Hyatt sometimes has "fast track" offers for American Airlines AAdvantage elite members, including right now. The challenge requirements generally vary from one promotion to the next. Here's the scoop on the current promotion, which expires on Nov. 30.
American Gold and Platinum members enjoy World of Hyatt Explorist status for 90 days after registering. To have your status extended until February 2024, you must stay 10 elite qualifying nights within 90 days of registering. Meanwhile, Platinum Pro, Executive Platinum and Concierge Key members have a route to Globalist status: After registering for the status match, you'll be given Explorist status for 90 days. If you stay 10 elite qualifying nights within 90 days of registering, you'll extend your Explorist status through February 2024 — but the real crown jewel is if you stay 20 elite qualifying nights within 90 days of registering, you'll have Globalist status through February 2024.
As a reminder, to participate in the current promotion, you must register by Nov. 30 — and then complete the qualifying activity within three months.
Related: How a successful status challenge rekindled my love affair with Hyatt
Bottom line
While earning 60 elite qualifying nights can be daunting, most TPG staffers will tell you that World of Hyatt Globalist status is worth it. From lavish free breakfasts to waived resort fees and suite upgrades, there's a lot of love about this coveted elite status tier.
By maximizing elite qualifying nights from World of Hyatt credit cards, finding hidden gems in World of Hyatt's award chart and securing lower rates from price matches, each Globalist member chooses their own path to status.
If you need a few more elite nights to push you over the 60-night requirement before the end of the year, check out our guide to last-minute strategies for earning Hyatt status.
Additional reporting by Benji Stawski.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
