World of Hyatt Credit Card Review

Hotel cards are generally underrated.

While I don't think anyone should get a hotel card as their first credit card, they are awesome to start considering once you have strong transferable point cards in your arsenal.

What is the World of Hyatt Credit Card card's welcome offer?

With the World of Hyatt Credit Card, you can earn up to 5 free nights. These free nights can be redeemed at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort worldwide.

You'll get 3 free nights after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months from opening the card.

You can then earn 2 more free nights after spending $15,000 on purchases within the first 6 months.

The 3 free nights after spending $3,000 in 3 months is a decent offer. However, the second part of the offer is a bit more difficult to obtain. In order to earn the additional 2 free nights, you would have to spend $15,000 in 6 months—not a reasonable amount for most folks with credit cards.

What are the features & benefits of the World of Hyatt Credit Card ?

• Annual Free Night Certificate: With the World of Hyatt Credit Card, you will receive a free hotel stay every year you have the card. The certificate is applicable at a Category 1-4 Hyatt property. This is the card's strongest perk and helps completely justify its annual fee: if you can book one hotel night that costs more than $95, you'll break even on the investment
• Elite Status: You get Discoverist status with the World of Hyatt Credit Card which includes perks like late checkout, preferred rooms and a 10% points bonus on certain purchases. You will also receive five elite nights in your account each year.
• Elite Nights: Just by having the card, you get 5 elite qualifying nights. For people chasing Globalist status, this can be a pretty significant boost. My friends who have Globalist all have this card—and for good reason.

What are the earning rates?

The World of Hyatt Credit Card has some pretty good earn rates especially for Hyatt spending:

• 4 points per dollar on all Hyatt spending
• 2 points per dollar at restaurants, direct airfare purchases, local transit and gym memberships
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

Does the World of Hyatt Credit Card have an annual fee?

Yes. The World of Hyatt Credit Card has a $95 annual fee.

However, despite the annual fee, the card is a relatively easy "keeper" card: the annual free night certificate for a Category 1–4 hotel alone more than offsets the $95 annual fee.

As a proxy, here are some Hyatts I've stayed at where I've been able to use the Category 1–4 certificate & save significant money:

• Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina: ~$300/night
• Hyatt Centric Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco: ~$200/night
• Hyatt Centric Center City Philadelphia: ~$200/night
• Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile: ~$300/night

As you can probably tell, each of these certificates can more than easily net the value of a single hotel stay.

Does the card have foreign transaction fees?

No. The World of Hyatt Credit Card does not have foreign transaction fees. It's a nice little plus as you can still earn solid points back at Hyatts abroad and a variety of other categories.

Do you receive DoorDash benefits with the World of Hyatt Card?

Yes! You can get complimentary DashPass for 12 months upon getting the World of Hyatt Credit Card. With DashPass, you will receive unlimited $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible orders of $12 or more from a variety of vendors on DoorDash.

This is a solid benefit for anyone who frequently delivers food from restaurants or grocery stores. You can feel better knowing that you are getting good deals on delivery and not getting bombarded with fees.

You will also get $10 off every quarter on non-restaurant orders on DoorDash. This benefit is not half-bad either but I like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® non-restaurant order benefits better. With my Chase Sapphire Reserve®, I get two $10 off non-restaurant orders on Doordash per month. Now obviously it's a more premium card but had to mention it.

What are the travel protections on the World of Hyatt Credit Card?

The World of Hyatt Credit Card has some pretty decent insurance for a card with a $95 annual fee.

• Baggage Delay Insurance: You will get reimbursed for essential buys like clothes or toiletries for baggage delays for each passenger (that has a bag) up to $100 per day for five days
• Trip interruption and Trip Cancellation Insurance: If your trip is canceled or cut short, you get sick, there’s severe weather or another covered situation, you can get reimbursed up to $5,000 per person and $10,000 per trip for your non-refundable, prepaid travel bookings.
• Auto Rental Damage Collision Waiver: You will receive coverage for theft and collision damage for a majority of cars in the US and abroad.
• Lost Luggage Reimbursement: If you or an immediate family member has luggage that is damaged or lost by the carrier, you are covered up to $3,000 per passenger.

I always love a card with good Trip Interruption and Trip Cancellation insurance as I travel often and don’t want to be stuck with a nonrefundable trip.

Who is the World of Hyatt Credit Card best for?

The World of Hyatt Credit Card is best for those who frequently stay at Hyatt or those who want to become Hyatt loyalists. When you spend $15,000 on the card, you will get an additional annual free night certificate. And besides the 5 annual elite nights deposited into your account, you also get 2 more elite nights in your account for every $5,000 spent. And don’t forget the Discoverist status you earn that includes a 10% points bonus, preferred rooms and late check out options.

All of these benefits are appealing to a Hyatt loyalist as you get benefits for the now and for the future. The Hyatt Credit Card along with the money you spend on the card can get you closer to Hyatt Globalist status. You will receive 30% points bonus, club lounge access including free breakfast, late checkout and complimentary premium internet where it's available. These are all great benefits to work for starting with the World of Hyatt Credit Card.

World of Hyatt Credit Card vs Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card—How are they different?

The World of Hyatt Credit Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card can be considered to be similar cards as they are both hotel cards and have a $95 annual fee but there are some differences.

I have a Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card card myself and I was able to snag the 5 free night certificates for hotel stays costing 50k points or less after spending $5,000 in the first three months from the account opening (offer now expired). Although this offer is expired, there is an active offer of 3 free night certificates for hotel stays costing 50k points for less after spending $3,000 in the first three months from the account opening.

The Boundless free night awards function a bit differently. While they can be very valuable at certain properties, you lack flexibility—you're always getting 3 free nights (up to 50k points per night) no matter how cheap/expensive the redemption is. Additionally, the free night certificates expire in 12 months, which can be annoying.

If you have specific redemptions in mind that cost 35-50k Marriott points/night, I would recommend the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card as you’ll get incredible value especially with the welcome bonus. If you have more flexibility in your stays or want to pursue Hyatt Globalist status, then the Hyatt card is going to be an undisputed winner.

Final Remarks

The World of Hyatt Credit Card is a great card for the right person. If the vacation spots you frequent have Hyatts you like or only have Hyatts available, then this is the card for you. It’s also the card for you if Hyatt is your favorite brand of hotels and you are hoping to achieve status.

The welcome offer is decent but if you are getting this card, it's primarily not for the welcome offer. The card itself is a "keeper" card given its annual free night certificate.