Updated: March 23, 2026 Author: Skyler Erickson Data: 382,108 deduplicated rate comparisons across 1,288 core Hyatt properties (collected March 16, 2026) Gist: https://gist.github.com/4a9c625c6b05391327a09567ec528538
On February 25, 2026, Hyatt announced a sweeping overhaul of their World of Hyatt award chart, effective May 2026. The old three-tier system (Off-Peak / Standard / Peak) is being replaced with five tiers: Lowest, Low, Moderate, Upper, and Top.
We analyzed 382,108 deduplicated rate comparisons across 1,288 core Hyatt-branded properties — covering check-in dates from mid-March 2026 through early March 2027 — to project exactly how this will impact your points redemptions. Excluding Mr & Mrs Smith properties, boutique partner collections, and other non-category brands that follow separate pricing, the overall median redemption value is 1.83 cents per point (cpp). Looking at refundable rates only — the truest apples-to-apples comparison since points bookings are typically fully refundable — the median holds at 1.82 cpp. The verdict: most travelers will pay more under the new chart, but Hyatt still delivers strong value — especially at the lower and highest categories — if you know where to look.
Category │ Off-Peak │ Standard │ Peak
─────────┼──────────┼──────────┼────────
1 │ 3,500 │ 5,000 │ 6,500
2 │ 6,500 │ 8,000 │ 9,500
3 │ 9,000 │ 12,000 │ 15,000
4 │ 12,000 │ 15,000 │ 18,000
5 │ 17,000 │ 20,000 │ 23,000
6 │ 21,000 │ 25,000 │ 29,000
7 │ 25,000 │ 30,000 │ 35,000
8 │ 35,000 │ 40,000 │ 45,000
Category │ Lowest │ Low │ Moderate │ Upper │ Top
─────────┼──────────┼──────────┼──────────┼─────────┼────────
1 │ 3,000 │ 4,500 │ 6,000 │ 7,500 │ 9,000
2 │ 6,000 │ 7,500 │ 10,000 │ 12,000 │ 15,000
3 │ 8,000 │ 12,000 │ 15,000 │ 17,500 │ 20,000
4 │ 12,000 │ 15,000 │ 20,000 │ 22,500 │ 25,000
5 │ 15,000 │ 20,000 │ 25,000 │ 30,000 │ 35,000
6 │ 20,000 │ 25,000 │ 30,000 │ 35,000 │ 40,000
7 │ 25,000 │ 30,000 │ 35,000 │ 45,000 │ 55,000
8 │ 35,000 │ 45,000 │ 55,000 │ 65,000 │ 75,000
The "Moderate" tier — expected to be the most common pricing — compared to the old "Standard":
Category │ Old Standard → New Moderate │ Increase
─────────┼─────────────────────────────┼──────────
1 │ 5,000 → 6,000 │ +20%
2 │ 8,000 → 10,000 │ +25%
3 │ 12,000 → 15,000 │ +25%
4 │ 15,000 → 20,000 │ +33% ◄ largest mid-tier hit
5 │ 20,000 → 25,000 │ +25%
6 │ 25,000 → 30,000 │ +20%
7 │ 30,000 → 35,000 │ +17%
8 │ 40,000 → 55,000 │ +38% ◄ largest absolute hit
But the real pain is at the "Top" tier vs the old "Peak":
Category │ Old Peak → New Top │ Increase
─────────┼────────────────────┼──────────
7 │ 35,000 → 55,000 │ +57%
8 │ 45,000 → 75,000 │ +67% ◄ worst case
5 │ 23,000 → 35,000 │ +52%
2 │ 9,500 → 15,000 │ +58%
Before diving into the data, it's critical to understand that Hyatt's portfolio now includes several categories of properties that do not follow the standard award chart:
- Mr & Mrs Smith properties use a fixed(ish) redemption rate, not category-based pricing. These properties were acquired when Hyatt purchased the Mr & Mrs Smith platform and operate on their own pricing model.
- All-inclusive resorts (Secrets, Dreams, Breathless, Zoetry, Impression, Sunscape, Hyatt Zilara, Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Vivid) follow a separate all-inclusive award chart.
- Miraval properties have their own dedicated award chart.
- Boutique partner brands (Independent, Relais & Châteaux, and dozens of smaller collections) have varying pricing structures.
Our category-level analysis below focuses on the 1,288 core Hyatt-branded properties that follow the standard award chart. When we cite CPP figures, we use refundable rates as the benchmark — since points bookings are typically fully refundable, this is the fairest comparison.
Looking at refundable rates for core Hyatt-branded properties, our data breaks down by current nightly points cost:
Points Tier │ Median CPP │ Mean CPP │ Rates │ Properties
───────────────┼──────────────┼────────────┼─────────────┼────────────
1-5K pts │ 2.07 │ 2.26 │ 11,170 │ 210
5-10K pts │ 2.03 │ 2.19 │ 16,089 │ 583
10-15K pts │ 1.84 │ 2.06 │ 17,186 │ 413
15-25K pts │ 1.79 │ 1.97 │ 19,416 │ 450
25-40K pts │ 1.79 │ 2.00 │ 9,789 │ 240
40-60K pts │ 1.72 │ 1.99 │ 4,794 │ 113
60-100K pts │ 1.39 │ 1.65 │ 1,219 │ 44
100K+ pts │ 1.37 │ 1.31 │ 80 │ 12
The value curve is steep. At 1-5K points, you're getting a strong 2.07 cpp median on refundable rates. Through 40-60K points, the median stays above 1.7 cpp — a healthy redemption. But anything priced at 60K+ drops to ~1.4 cpp, approaching break-even for a Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer at 1:1.
Note: The standard award chart caps at 45,000 points per night. The 60-100K and 100K+ tiers in the table above likely reflect club rooms, suites, and premium room types that price above the standard room award — these can cost up to 90,000 points per night.
Using median refundable cash rates for each category's properties, here's what the new chart does to your redemption value:
Old Standard New Lowest New Moderate New Top
─────────── ────────── ──────────── ───────
Category 1 2.0 cpp 3.4 cpp 1.7 cpp 1.1 cpp
($101/night median)
Category 2 1.6 cpp 2.2 cpp 1.3 cpp 0.9 cpp
($130/night median)
Category 3 1.4 cpp 2.2 cpp 1.2 cpp 0.9 cpp
($173/night median)
Category 4 1.5 cpp 1.9 cpp 1.1 cpp 0.9 cpp
($226/night median) ▲ still OK ▼ loser ▼▼
Category 5 1.6 cpp 2.1 cpp 1.2 cpp 0.9 cpp
($311/night median)
Category 6 1.5 cpp 1.9 cpp 1.2 cpp 0.9 cpp
($374/night median)
Category 7 1.7 cpp 2.1 cpp 1.5 cpp 0.9 cpp
($520/night median) ▲ strong OK ▼
Category 8 1.8 cpp 2.1 cpp 1.3 cpp 1.0 cpp
($722/night median) ▲ strong ▼ declining ▼
The 1.7 cpp baseline. Most points experts — including TPG and others — consider 1.7–1.8 cents per point to be the threshold for a "good" Hyatt redemption. Under the old Standard pricing, Categories 1, 7, and 8 meet or exceed this threshold at the median refundable rate. Under the new Moderate tier, only Category 1 just barely holds at 1.7 cpp. At the Top tier, no category delivers 1.7 cpp at the median property.
However, these are medians — many individual properties far exceed them. The best redemptions have always been about picking the right property, not the right category, and that remains true under the new chart.
Here's how the core Hyatt brands stack up on refundable rates (excluding Mr & Mrs Smith, all-inclusive brands, and boutique partner collections):
Brand │ Median CPP │ Mean CPP │ Properties
────────────────────────────┼────────────┼──────────┼────────────
HYATT house │ 2.06 │ 2.37 │ 124
Joie De Vivre │ 1.98 │ 2.11 │ 28
Destination Hotels │ 1.96 │ 2.04 │ 13
Hyatt Regency │ 1.93 │ 2.13 │ 220
Hyatt Place │ 1.87 │ 2.07 │ 407
Andaz │ 1.85 │ 1.92 │ 24
Hyatt Centric │ 1.84 │ 2.00 │ 57
Grand Hyatt │ 1.83 │ 2.01 │ 59
Park Hyatt │ 1.81 │ 2.22 │ 42
Hyatt Hotels │ 1.80 │ 1.94 │ 116
Thompson Hotels │ 1.70 │ 1.77 │ 17
Alila │ 1.63 │ 1.90 │ 14
The Unbound Collection │ 1.59 │ 1.90 │ 22
Hyatt Residence Club │ 1.71 │ 1.80 │ 10
The takeaway: On refundable rates, HYATT house leads at 2.06 cpp, followed by Joie De Vivre (1.98) and Hyatt Regency (1.93). Most core brands cluster around the 1.8 cpp range, with only Thompson Hotels and Alila dipping below. Park Hyatt's mean of 2.22 cpp (vs median of 1.81) shows the significant upside at select properties — the top Park Hyatts deliver exceptional value that pulls the average well above the median.
These properties deliver outstanding value today but face the steepest CPP declines once the new chart takes effect. If any of these are on your bucket list, lock in the current pricing before May 2026.
These iconic properties are the biggest losers in absolute terms. Refundable rate CPP data:
| Property | Refundable Cash | Current CPP | New Moderate CPP | New Top CPP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Hyatt Kyoto | $2,172/nt | 5.4 | 3.9 | 2.9 |
| Park Hyatt Paris - Vendôme | $1,698/nt | 4.2 | 3.1 | 2.3 |
| Park Hyatt Milano | $1,653/nt | 4.1 | 3.0 | 2.2 |
| Park Hyatt New York | $1,330/nt | 3.3 | 2.4 | 1.8 |
| Alila Ventana Big Sur | $1,076/nt | 2.7 | 2.0 | 1.4 |
| Park Hyatt Zurich | $1,094/nt | 2.7 | 2.0 | 1.5 |
| Andaz Maui at Wailea | $1,128/nt | 2.8 | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Even at Top tier pricing, Park Hyatt Kyoto (2.9 cpp), Park Hyatt Paris (2.3 cpp), and Park Hyatt Milano (2.2 cpp) still deliver excellent redemption value above the 1.7 cpp baseline. These $1,500+ per night properties remain strong points plays.
Category 4 has the largest percentage increase at the Moderate tier and is often overlooked in the outrage over Category 8. These are workhorse properties — the Grand Hyatts, Hyatt Places, and Alila properties that business and leisure travelers actually book regularly.
| Property | Refundable Cash | Current CPP (Std) | New Moderate CPP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyatt Regency Bellevue | $617/nt | 4.1 | 3.1 |
| Hotel Figueroa (Unbound Collection) | $521/nt | 3.5 | 2.6 |
| Property | Refundable Cash | Current CPP (Std) | New Top CPP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park Hyatt St. Kitts | $1,044/nt | 3.5 | 1.9 |
| Park Hyatt Vienna | $1,063/nt | 3.5 | 1.9 |
| Park Hyatt London River Thames | $951/nt | 3.2 | 1.7 |
| Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa | $878/nt | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Alila Kothaifaru Maldives | $805/nt | 2.7 | 1.5 |
For Categories 1–3, 5, and 6, the new Lowest tier costs fewer points than the old Off-Peak:
Category │ Old Off-Peak │ New Lowest │ Savings
─────────┼──────────────┼────────────┼────────
1 │ 3,500 │ 3,000 │ -14%
2 │ 6,500 │ 6,000 │ -8%
3 │ 9,000 │ 8,000 │ -11%
4 │ 12,000 │ 12,000 │ 0%
5 │ 17,000 │ 15,000 │ -12%
6 │ 21,000 │ 20,000 │ -5%
7 │ 25,000 │ 25,000 │ 0%
8 │ 35,000 │ 35,000 │ 0%
If you're flexible with dates and can target shoulder-season stays, the Lowest tier delivers excellent refundable CPP: 3.4 cpp for Category 1, 2.2 cpp for Categories 2 and 3.
Categories 1 and 2 have the highest CPP value across the board and are least impacted by the changes. Even under the new chart, the refundable rates at these categories consistently beat the 1.7 cpp baseline.
Best Category 1 refundable values:
| Property | Refundable Cash | CPP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyatt Place Saltillo (Mexico) | $356 | 8.5 | Outstanding |
| Hyatt Regency Wichita | $313 | 6.3 | |
| Hyatt Regency Cape Town | $299 | 6.0 | |
| Hyatt Place Monterrey Valle (Mexico) | $241 | 5.7 | |
| Hyatt Place Houston-North | $269 | 5.7 | |
| Hyatt House Monterrey (Mexico) | $236 | 5.6 | |
| Hyatt Place Nairobi Westlands | $167 | 5.4 | |
| Hyatt Regency Schaumburg Chicago | $189 | 4.3 | |
| Hyatt Regency Rochester | $185 | 4.2 | |
| Hyatt Place Moncton (Canada) | $176 | 4.2 |
Best Category 2 refundable values:
| Property | Refundable Cash | CPP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyatt Regency Columbus | $423 | 5.8 | Exceptional |
| Hyatt Regency Lexington | $323 | 4.8 | |
| Hyatt Centric Las Condes Santiago | $332 | 4.7 |
If you can book a Category 8 property at the new Lowest tier (35,000 points — same as the old Off-Peak), properties like Park Hyatt Kyoto (6.2 cpp), Park Hyatt Paris (4.9 cpp), and Park Hyatt Milano (4.7 cpp) deliver extraordinary value on refundable rates. The question is how rare Lowest-tier nights will be at these properties.
Hyatt's all-inclusive properties follow their own award chart and face their own increases. Here are the standout refundable values from our data:
Best All-Inclusive Refundable Values:
| Property | Refundable Cash | CPP | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secrets St. Lucia | $698 | 3.4 | 25,000 |
| Secrets St. James Montego Bay (Jamaica) | $952 | 3.2 | 30,000 |
| Breathless Montego Bay (Jamaica) | $1,180 | 3.0 | 40,000 |
| Secrets Maroma Beach (Mexico) | $1,159 | 2.9 | 40,000 |
| Impression Isla Mujeres (Mexico) | $1,468 | 2.8 | 50,000 |
| Secrets Huatulco (Mexico) | $547 | 2.7 | 20,000 |
| Dreams Sands Cancun (Mexico) | $537 | 2.7 | 20,000 |
| Zoetry Curaçao | $546 | 2.5 | 25,000 |
| Secrets Vallarta Bay (Mexico) | $546 | 2.2 | 25,000 |
| Impression Moxché (Mexico) | $1,037 | 2.1 | 50,000 |
Jamaica and Mexico dominate the top of the list, with Secrets St. Lucia leading at 3.4 cpp on refundable rates.
All Mr & Mrs Smith properties in the Hyatt portfolio do not follow the standard award chart. Instead, they use a fixed(ish) redemption rate that operates independently of the category system.
At a median of 1.40 cpp on refundable rates, Mr & Mrs Smith properties deliver below-baseline value for points transfers. Their inclusion in the Hyatt portfolio significantly impacts portfolio-wide statistics (the overall median CPP drops from 1.82 to 1.56 on refundable rates when you include M&MS), but they won't be affected by the May 2026 award chart changes in the same way core properties will.
If you're evaluating M&MS redemptions, the calculus is straightforward: check the cash rate, divide by the points cost, and decide if the cpp justifies the transfer. Don't compare them against the category chart.
Hyatt remains the best hotel loyalty program for points enthusiasts, but the new chart narrows the margin. Here's what to do:
-
Book Category 7 and 8 properties now — they deliver 1.7–1.8 cpp at current Standard pricing on refundable rates, but drop to 0.9–1.0 cpp at Top tier. The top Park Hyatts (Kyoto, Paris, Milano, New York) are the crown jewels — book them before May.
-
Target Categories 1 and 2 for ongoing value — the everyday Hyatt Places and Hyatt Regencies in the 3K-8K range deliver 2.0+ cpp on refundable rates and remain strong redemptions even under the new chart.
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Be flexible on dates — the new Lowest tier at Categories 1-3, 5, and 6 is genuinely cheaper than the old Off-Peak. If you can travel in shoulder season, you'll get better value than today.
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Watch the May 2026 category refresh — some properties currently sitting in lower categories with high cash rates will likely get bumped up. Lock in current pricing while you can.
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Know which chart your property is on — Mr & Mrs Smith properties don't follow the standard award chart. All-inclusive and Miraval properties have their own category-based award charts that differ from the standard chart. Make sure you're referencing the right chart for your property.
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Categories 3-5 are the toughest spot — median refundable CPP drops below 1.7 even at Standard pricing. These mid-tier properties require careful property selection to justify points transfers.
Methodology: Data from Gondola's hotel rate monitoring pipeline, collected March 16, 2026. 382,108 deduplicated rate comparisons across 1,288 core Hyatt-branded properties (excluding Mr & Mrs Smith, Independent, and Miraval). Refundable rate analysis based on 82,155 refundable observations across 1,212 properties. Deduplication keeps one row per property per night, retaining the lowest points cost. Forward-looking dates only (March 17, 2026 through March 9, 2027). CPP = (cash rate including taxes and fees) / points cost × 100. Category assignments inferred from minimum observed points costs mapped to the old off-peak chart.