Is the World of Hyatt card worth it?
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TLDR; Hyatt Place Kyoto offers great value with points and a prime location above a subway station. It's a convenient and affordable base for exploring the city, especially for groups.
I knew that I wanted to plan my trip to Japan a few months before. When the Chase Sapphire Preferred released its best-ever introductory offer (~April 2025, now expired) of 100,000 points after spending $5,000 within the first 3 months of account opening, I immediately jumped onto the offer.
A critical factor that makes Chase points valuable is their ability to be transferred to Hyatt points. Hyatt is well known for providing high-value redemptions with their points, and they didn’t disappoint with the Hyatt Place Kyoto. I will note that I made this booking prior to Hyatt's massive upcoming devaluation as of May 2026, so I would say I got pretty lucky here.
For my five-night stay in 2025, which was during the Obon holiday (one of the busiest times to travel in Japan), it only cost me a grand total of 43,000 points to book a single room for three people.
This would’ve cost me about $900 to book out of pocket with cash, meaning that I was able to redeem my Hyatt points at a value of more than 2 cents per point, highlighting just how powerful Hyatt points can be.
Another major factor in why I chose to stay at the Hyatt Place Kyoto is because of its prime location. The hotel is centrally located in Kyoto, as its situated in Nagakyo, known as the central capital ward of the city.
Additionally, the hotel is located right above a subway station: Marutamachi, located on the Karasuma subway line. By following the signs to exit number 6, you don’t even need to go outside to get to the hotel, as there is a covered path that leads straight from the subway station to the hotel entrance.
Since the hotel is located so close to a subway station and is centrally located in Kyoto, I didn’t find any difficulty in getting around Kyoto to all the popular sightseeing spots. Higashiyama District was just a 20-minute bus ride away, and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest was less than an hour's train ride away.
Since I booked a room that had a capacity of three people, I was given a room with two twin beds, as well as a sofa bed. If you book this room for two people, it normally doesn’t come with the sofa bed set up.
However, when I walked into my room, I was greeted with a pleasant surprise as the sofa bed was all set up with sheets and pillows to sleep comfortably.
The room is a little small, considering how much room all three beds take up. As there are three of us traveling with multiple suitcases, you can imagine how cramped it can get. Luckily, we were able to manage with the space.
The bathroom is typical of Japanese standards, as there is a toilet with a bidet that automatically flushes and has a heated seat. Additionally, the shower and bathtub are separate from each other, as expected.
The Hyatt Place Kyoto comes with a number of amenities available to guests to elevate your stay, most notably washing machines and a breakfast service.
Since I booked my stay with a Guest of Honor award, I was gifted Hyatt Globalist benefits, which included free breakfast for three people, as well as 4 pm late checkout. While the breakfast selection was quite good, with selections such as Japanese omelette, smoked salmon, açai bowls, and rice, I found that they served the exact same food every day I went for breakfast.
I would’ve appreciated it if there were some variety with the breakfast selections. Nonetheless, the breakfast was good considering that it was free, and I was easily able to fill my stomach with food I liked every morning.
Even though the hotel has washing machines, they aren’t free. It costs 600 yen to do a 3kg full load of washing and drying, and the whole cycle takes roughly 2 hours.
I didn’t particularly enjoy my experience with the washing machines. At the end of the cycle, all my clothes were still damp, especially my jeans. I had to haul my clothes to the nearest laundromat a few minutes down the street, and I paid an additional 300 yen to dry my clothes for half an hour.
Overall, the Hyatt Place Kyoto proved to be a solid choice for my five-night stay during one of the busiest travel periods in Japan. Its unbeatable location right above a subway station made getting around Kyoto seamless, while the ability to book a room for three people at around 8,000 to 9,000 Hyatt points a night was an outstanding redemption.
The room was a bit tight for three travelers with luggage, but it was clean, functional, and thoughtfully prepared. Breakfast was convenient and filling, though it lacked variety, and while having on-site laundry was helpful, the washer-dryer combo machines didn’t perform as well as expected.
If you’re looking for a centrally located hotel in Kyoto that balances comfort, convenience, and excellent value through Hyatt points, the Hyatt Place Kyoto is a strong contender, especially for those traveling with family or friends.
During the Obon holiday, one of Japan's busiest travel periods, a five-night stay in a room for three guests cost just 43,000 Hyatt points total in 2025, coming out to roughly 9,000 points per night. That redemption comes in at over 2 cents per point, which is well above average for hotel points.
However, with the upcoming devaluations in May 2026, that price is subject to change significantly.
Yes, Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio, so a card like the is a great way to fund a stay. Once transferred, you can apply those points directly to a Hyatt Place Kyoto booking through the World of Hyatt program. If you're considering earning Hyatt points directly, check out our guide on whether the World of Hyatt card is worth it.
The hotel sits directly above Marutamachi Station on the Karasuma subway line. Follow the signs to exit number 6 and you can walk from the platform straight to the hotel entrance without stepping outside. From there, spots like Higashiyama District are about a 20-minute bus ride away.
Guests with Hyatt Globalist status, or those booked under a Guest of Honor award, receive complimentary breakfast. The spread includes options like Japanese omelette, smoked salmon, açai bowls, and rice, though the selection stays the same each morning.
