Hotel Travel Hack – Stay at a Five-Star Hotel Completely Free

People who know me well know that I’m a Hyatt Enthusiast. Ever since the beginning of 2021 when I obtained Hyatt’s Globalist status , Hyatt’s elitist status, I have been trying to stay at Hyatt properties whenever I travel. Once you have a taste of how well Globalists are treated at Hyatt properties, there is no going back.

Back in 2021, Hyatt had made it easy for its basic members to obtain its Globalist status due to COVID and travel restrictions by slashing elite night staying requirements from 60 nights to 30 nights. And by getting its co-branded credit card with Chase, I automatically obtained 5 elite night credits. On top of that, Hyatt also had a Double Elite Night promotion during the first quarter of 2021 that gave you double counts of the nights you stayed at Hyatt properties. With the help of all these promotions I became a Globalist by the end of February 2021.

World of Hyatt ‘s Globalist status comes with a world of great perks. Here are the top 5 benefits I truly enjoy:
1. Free resort fees – Globalists get hotel’s resort fees waived and it doesn’t matter whether you book it with points, with Free Night Award, or as a paid stay.
2. Free parking on free nights – Globalists get complimentary self parking (sometimes valet parking) when booking with points or Free Night Award.
3. Guest of Honor – This benefit is unique to the Hyatt program where Globalists can make reservations for anyone making them “the guest” so the person can enjoy all the benefits Globalists enjoy at Hyatt properties. I have used Guest of Honor plenty of times for my friends and family and it’s as easy as making a phone call.
4. Club access or breakfast – When comparing hotel elite members’ access to hotel lounges, Hyatt tops it off with allowing access for 2 adults and 2 kids. This benefit is more prominent when staying at high-end Hyatt properties where there is no club, it is then a Globalists can get a complimentary breakfast at a designated restaurant with enough credit for 2 adults and 2 kids. Last year I stayed at Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad and we were treated with free breakfast buffets at Ponto Lago with an abundance of delicious breakfast options to pick from.

5. Use of Suite Upgrade Award – And the last but not least, is the ability to use Suite Upgrade Award at the time of booking and ensure its availability ahead of time. You get 2 SUAs when you accrue 50 elite nights and another 2 when you reach 60 nights. This benefit comes in handy when you want to splurge during your stay at a fancier Hyatt property and not take the chance of not being able to get upgraded upon arrival. Unlike Marriott’s Upgrade Award that is only good for 1 night, each SUA is good for a stay of up to 7 consecutive days. At the morning of arrival, you can even contact the hotel directly to see if upgrading from a standard suite to a premium suite is an option.

In order to appreciate all these Globalist perks, it is beneficial to accrue Hyatt points fast. I started accruing my first batch of Hyatt points by obtaining its co-branded credit card, which currently gives you 60,000 just by applying for the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card and meeting all the requirements**. 60,000 points are good for at least 2 nights at the Park Hyatt Aviara pictured above. Another way of accruing Hyatt points is obtaining Chase points. And Chase is constantly offering good welcome offers by applying for one of its credit cards**.

** Credit card offering terms and conditions are constantly changing. Please refer to the most current offers on bank’s official website for accuracy.