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Tl;dr – Today, March 25, Hyatt goes live with its 2025 changes to its award charts. As such, I wanted to highlight some properties that could be great redemptions with a category 1-4 Free Night Award Certificate.
Each year, Hyatt shakes up its portfolio and adjusts the redemption costs at some properties, moving some up a category and others down a category. Points and miles fans, Hyatt loyalists in particular, often bemoan these changes, as inevitably, several popular properties shift to higher categories, making them more expensive point redemptions. To me, it’s much ado about nothing – Hyatt’s a fast-growing hotel chain with a thirst for acquisition and on a mission to win the ‘luxury traveler.’ Thus, there’s always going to be new properties coming into the portfolio that represent solid redemptions. Additionally, there’s a lot of skin on the bone, particularly at the lower-level hotels – properties tagged in categories 1-4. If you’re like me and love finding a ‘value gem’ – a hotel that punches above its weight or otherwise presents a unique opportunity – say, for its convenient location, you’ll enjoy the list I’ve set out below. I listed compelling Hyatt category 1-4 properties offering outsized value. Why 1-4, you ask? Well, those are the category ranges you can book with Hyatt’s base-level Free Night Award (FNA).Â
Before diving into the list, a few things to keep in mind. Free Night Awards are much easier to come by nowadays, mainly since Hyatt made all of its awards transferable. In the past month alone, I’ve accumulated three FNAs for an upcoming stay by trading other awards that I value less – Club Access Awards and Guest of Honor certificates. Don’t underestimate how a few savvy trades and a winning search on your favorite hotel award tool can result in a few free hotel nights at a fabulous property.Â
Of course, you won’t find every category 1-4 hotel here. I’ve cherry-picked these properties for several reasons: some for their location, others for the outsized value they offer compared to the cash rate, still others as they represent a premium option in an otherwise lacking hotel market, and finally, some for the ‘bucket-list’ factor. I’ve grouped them into four regions: Asia and Oceania, Europe and Africa, North America, and South American/Caribbean/Central America. I’ve split the list into four parts, and this fourth and final part focuses on properties across South American/Caribbean/Central America.
And, YES! These properties all should still be bookable with a FNA 1-4 after Tuesday.Â
Finally, if you’re wondering how to acquire or trade for awards, many social media groups are dedicated to safely exchanging Hyatt awards – I even created one here. Join the group and feel free to start trading awards with your fellow Hyatt members.
Ok, let’s jump into it!
7 Category 1-4 Hyatt Hotels in South American, the Caribbean and Central America
The Caribbean
Central America
Hyatt Centric San José Escazú
South America
Hyatt Centric Las Condes Santiago
Conclusion
And that’s a wrap on the Caribbean, South America and Central America. I’ll post the master list of all properties through this four part series tomorrow. 😀
