Hotels are often the most pricey expense you'll undertake when planning a trip, second only to airfare. The workaround for making airfare cheap is to book with points and miles … as for hotels, you won't always get the same value from your points.
Hotel programs like Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, and IHG One Rewards have moved to a dynamic pricing model for their award redemptions, where the points price is loosely tied to the cash cost of the room. That means you'll often find nights costing an exorbitant amount of points to book.
Fortunately, that's not the case everywhere. The World of Hyatt program still uses an award chart to determine what a given night will cost. And that means, there are incredible hotels all around the world bookable for just 5,000 points per night … or less! Whether you're earning points directly with Hyatt or transferring them from Chase or Bilt, your hard-earned points will go far with Hyatt.
Let's take a look at some of our favorite Hyatt hotels you can book on the cheap.
Hyatt's Award Chart
Before we dive into some of our favorite, budget-friendly Hyatt hotels, let's take a look at how Hyatt prices its hotels when using points.
Unlike many other hotel programs, Hyatt still uses an award chart that spells out exactly what a free night at a particular property will cost. And that’s a good thing – at least most of the time. If you want to book a standard room at a Hyatt Category 1 hotel, for example, it'll cost you 5,000 World of Hyatt points per night.
But with peak- and off-peak pricing, the timing of your stay could change that rate to be slightly more … or less. And since every property sets those dates individually, working out the best (and worst) time to book a stay can be tough.
With Hyatt's cheapest, Category 1 hotels, the price varies anywhere from 3,500 points per night for an off-peak stay, to as high as 6,500 points per night on a peak night.
Here’s a look at Hyatt’s full award chart:
If your travel dates are flexible and you're looking for the absolute cheapest stay, there's an easy way to pinpoint the dates that are considered off-peak.
When searching for hotels using Hyatt points, you can access each property's “Points Calendar.” With that tool, you can quickly click through the entire calendar to see how many points each night will cost you. That doesn't mean that a room will be available at that rate … but it is useful if you've got some flexibility in your schedule.
Knowing which days are peak and off-peak could save you a few thousand points per night by simply shifting your check-in date a couple of days either way.
Read more: A Complete Guide to World of Hyatt: Free Nights, Credit Cards & More
Our Favorite Hyatt Hotels Under 5K Points
Hyatt Place Frankfurt Airport
With a cash cost averaging around $120 a night, you can instead use points to book a night at the Hyatt Place Frankfurt Airport for as low as 3,500 points. Being able to stay here for cheap could be useful no matter if you're transiting through Germany or visiting Frankfurt outright.
And since it's a Hyatt Place, you get free breakfast every day of your stay. This is one of my favorite benefits of staying at Hyatt's low-cost, Hyatt Place brand.
Wild Palms Hotel
Another low-cost gem in Hyatt's portfolio, is the Wild Palms Hotel. This is a boutique hotel that I've been keeping an eye on for a quick trip to the Bay Area. Cash rates typically run around $100 a night, but often climb upwards of $150. Instead, you could book a cheap night here for as low as 3,500 Hyatt points.
Before Hyatt's most recent program revamp, many of my go-to properties were low-cost Category 1 properties. While they are getting harder to come by, I'm thankful sub-5,000-point redemptions like this one still exist.
Caption by Hyatt Namba Osaka
One of the cheapest points hotels in all of Japan can be had for as low as 3,500 points per night! The Caption by Hyatt Namba Osaka is just one of a handful of Caption by Hyatt hotels in the entire world. If you're unfamiliar, Caption is Hyatt's trendy, new(ish) brand geared more towards millennials and Gen Z guests.
Booking accommodations in Japan can get expensive in a hurry. And this hotel is no different, regularly going for upwards of $150 a night. This makes just 3,500 Hyatt points per night look like a bargain in comparison.
Lindner Hotel Prague Castle
You can save hundreds of dollars by booking a cheap stay at the Lindner Hotel Prague Castle for as few as 3,500 points a night!
Located in the historic center of the Czech Republic's largest city, you'll be in a great location for checking out the Charles Bridge, the Petrin Tower (Prague's “Eiffel Tower”), and of course, Prague Castle.
Rates range from as low as $100 to upwards of $200. Regardless, it's always better to book free nights with points.
Grand Hyatt Hefei
One of the most affordable Grand Hyatts in the world is the Grand Hyatt Hefei, located in China. As a Category 1 hotel, redemptions here go for as low as 3,500 points a night – a bargain compared to the $100 or more per night you'd pay in cash.
Never heard of Hefei? It's a city of nearly 10 million people located due west of Shanghai. Stay on the 43rd floor or higher for sweeping views of the Hefei skyline.
Hyatt Place Dubai Jumeirah
Booking a trip to Dubai just sounds expensive … but it doesn't have to be. The Hyatt Place Dubai Jumeirah is an affordable option located within a short drive of Dubai International Airport (DXB), but also close to Old Dubai and many other top attractions.
With cash rates ranging anywhere from $80 to over $200 a night, booking a stay for 3,500 points a night is an absolute steal.
Hyatt Regency Houston Intercontinental Airport
Whether you have a short overnight in Houston or simply have a short stay here, take advantage of the free shuttle between the airport and the Hyatt Regency Houston Intercontinental Airport or take an Uber downtown to partake in local festivities.
From just 3,500 Hyatt points per night for a standard room, you're getting at least $100 (or more) in value with your points here. If you book a Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal out of Houston, you could take a positioning flight and stay here for dirt cheap before catching your long-haul international flight.
Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha
If you've got an overnight connection in Doha (DOH), or even if you're planning a longer stay, the Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha is an excellent choice. A night here typically costs $100 or more, making a mere 3,500 points look like a bargain!
We spent a quick overnight at this property on the way home from the Le Méridien Maldives and thought it was a great use of points. If you've got Hyatt's top-tier Globalist status, you'll get access to the club lounge and have a decent chance at getting an upgraded room, too.
Park Hyatt Chennai
Saving the best for last, a night at a property within Hyatt's top luxury brand could be yours for as few as 5,000 points a night. Known to be pricey to stay at any of the brand's properties, it's exciting to know that a stay at the Park Hyatt Chennai in India could be incredibly affordable when using points.
Earning Hyatt Points
There are lots of ways to earn the Hyatt points needed for a free night at one of these properties. From earning points on paid stays, to co-branded credit cards, and bank transfer partners, here's how it's done.
Staying With Hyatt
Yes, of course you earn points when you stay with Hyatt. Call it the old fashioned way.
You'll get five base points for every dollar spent. If you've got elite status, you can earn up to a 30% bonus on your paid stays, helping rack up the points a bit faster.
Paying for your stay with a co-branded Hyatt credit card will earn you an extra four points per dollar, too.
Swiping a Co-Branded Credit Card
While there are more lucrative ways to get Hyatt points, you can also earn more of them by using a World of Hyatt credit card for your day-to-day spending. There's both a personal and a business version to choose from, each with their own unique set of benefits.
Full Benefits of the World of Hyatt Credit Card
- Welcome Offer: WoH Bonus Offer
- Earn 4x points for every $1 spent at Hyatt hotels.
- Earn 2x points for every $1 spent on dining, airfare (purchased directly with the airline), local transit, and fitness club & gym memberships.
- Earn 1x points for every $1 spent on all other card purchases.
- Receive one free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort each year after your cardmember anniversary date (beginning in your second year).
- Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year.
- Get complimentary Hyatt Discoverist status.
- Includes trip interruption and cancellation insurance, secondary rental car coverage, lost or delayed luggage reimbursement, and purchase protection.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Annual fee: $95
All information about the World of Hyatt Credit Card has been collected independently by Thrifty Traveler and has not be verified by the issuer.
Learn more about the World of Hyatt Credit Card (for full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link).
Full Benefits of the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card
- Welcome Offer: *WoH Business Bonus Offer*
- Earn 4x points for every $1 spent at Hyatt hotels.
- Earn 2x points for every $1 spent in your top three spending categories each calendar quarter through Dec. 31, 2024.
- Eligible spending categories include: Dining, shipping, airfare (purchased directly with the airline), local transit, social media and search engine advertising, car rentals, gas stations, and internet, cable, and phone services.
- Earn 2x points for every $1 spent on fitness club & gym memberships.
- Earn 1x points for every $1 spent on all other card purchases.
- Get up to $100 in Hyatt credit each year: Spend $50 or more at any Hyatt property and earn a $50 statement credit up to two times each anniversary year.
- 10% point redemption bonus: Spend $50,000 in a calendar year and get 10% of your redeemed points back for the rest of the year, on up to 200,000 points redeemed.
- Get complimentary Hyatt Discoverist status for the main cardholder and up to five employees.
- Spend your way to higher elite status: Earn five tier-qualyfing night credits for every $10,000 in purchases each calendar year.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Annual fee: $199
Learn more about the *world of hyatt business*.
Transfer from Chase Ultimate Rewards
With several great Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning credit cards on the market like the *chase sapphire preferred* – or even the small business version, the *chase ink preferred* – you may very well have a way to get a bunch of Hyatt points and not even realize it.
Hyatt is a Chase transfer partner – and arguably its very best one. Sending your Chase points over to Hyatt to book free nights is one of the best ways to use those points.
Transfer from Bilt Rewards
While initially targeted toward renters, the *bilt rewards card* is an extremely well-rounded travel rewards credit card that can also help you earn Hyatt points. And if you've got a stash of points from any of Bilt's Rent Day promotions, Lyft rides, or Neighborhood Dining program, you can also transfer them to Hyatt – even if you don't have a Bilt Mastercard.
Bottom Line
While these are a far cry from the top-of-the-line properties we send throughout Thrifty Traveler Premium Hotel Alerts, these are still worthwhile properties to book that could score you some major savings on accommodations for your next trip.
Curious about how our hotel alerts work? Read all about it!
Lead image courtesy of Hyatt
