The World of Hyatt Credit Card Review [2024]: Earn Free Nights at Hyatt Hotels

The World of Hyatt Credit Card can be a great choice for those who stay at Hyatt properties even a few times a year. Not only can you benefit from one automatic free night at a Category 1-4 Hyatt resort each year you’re a cardholder, you’ll also earn an additional free night once you spend at least $15,000 during the year.

As a cardholder, you can also earn bonus points for Hyatt purchases and for purchases in other select spending categories, along with being eligible to earn a generous welcome offer.

While the card lacks some of the perks of more full-feature hotel credit cards, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, it’s a great mid-tier hotel card that makes earning free nights quick and easy.

Big bonus points on Hyatt stays

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

4.8

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

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Current Offer

Earn up to 60,000 bonus points: 30,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening, plus up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2 points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 bonus point, on up to $15,000 spent

Annual Fee

$95

Rewards Rate

up to 9X points on stays at Hyatt hotels (4 bonus points plus 5 base points as a World of Hyatt member); 2X points on restaurants, airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships; and 1X points on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Earn up to 60,000 bonus points: 30,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening, plus up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2 points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 bonus point, on up to $15,000 spent
• Up to 9X points on Hyatt hotels (4 bonus points plus 5 base points as a World of Hyatt member)
• 1 free night every year
• Automatic elite status

Drawbacks

• $95 annual fee
• No intro APR on purchases or balance transfers

Card Details

• Earn up to 60,000 bonus points: 30,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening, plus up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2 points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 bonus point, on up to $15,000 spent
• up to 9X points on stays at Hyatt hotels (4 bonus points plus 5 base points as a World of Hyatt member); 2X points on restaurants, airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships; and 1X points on all other purchases

Who should get the World of Hyatt Credit Card?

If you plan to stay at a Hyatt property at least once per year, the World of Hyatt Credit Card may be worth it for you.

The annual fee should just about be covered by the free night in a Category 1-4 Hyatt Hotel resort that you earn each cardmember anniversary year. If you spend at least $15,000 annually on your Card, the second free night makes it an especially good deal.

The free night at Hyatt hotels isn’t the only perk you get. You also benefit from automatic elite status in the World of Hyatt membership program at the Discoverist level. This status gets you benefits like free Wi-Fi and a free bottle of water daily at participating Hyatt hotels.

Card basics

World of Hyatt Credit Card benefits & perks

• Generous sign-up bonus: Earn up to 60,000 bonus points: 30,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening, plus up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2 points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 bonus point, on up to $15,000 spent.

• Bonus points: Earn up to 9X points on stays at Hyatt hotels (4 bonus points plus 5 base points as a World of Hyatt member); 2X points on restaurants, airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships; and 1X points on all other purchases of account opening.

• Free hotel stays: Get one free night award on your cardmember anniversary at a Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort. Earn an extra free night at a Hyatt hotel or resort after spending $15,000 on your card during the year.

• Automatic World of Hyatt elite status: As a World of Hyatt card member, you get automatic Discoverist status in the World of Hyatt membership program. This status comes with perks such as free Wi-Fi and a free bottle of water each day you stay at a Hyatt property.

• Opportunities to earn a higher status in the World of Hyatt program: Cardholders receive five qualifying night credits to help move up to a higher World of Hyatt membership tier each year as well as an additional two qualifying night credits toward your tier status every time you spend at least $5,000 on your card. Higher statuses come with additional perks, such as late checkout, room upgrades, and free breakfasts.
• DoorDash benefits: Receive a complimentary 12-month DashPass subscription if you activate by Dec. 31, 2024. DashPass benefits include $0 delivery fees for orders over $12.
  

Drawbacks to the World of Hyatt Credit Card

• Annual fee: The World of Hyatt credit card comes with a $95.
• Hyatt's footprint: Hyatt has fewer properties than other big-name hotel chains like Marriott and Hilton. There are 900 Hyatt properties worldwide, compared with 6,900 Marriott and 5,500 Hilton properties.
  

Earning & redeeming World of Hyatt points

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your points can add up with the World of Hyatt Credit Card. To calculate these values, we used a point valuation of 0.01.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

First-year earnings: $1,883

Second-year earnings: $1,173

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which takes a look at points earned via spending, the welcome offer, and the annual fee.

Keep in mind that these values account for general purchases, and do not include the up to 9X you could earn on Hyatt hotels (4 bonus points plus 5 base points as a World of Hyatt member), and also does not account for the travel purchases you could make at that elevated rate. 

If you're a loyal Hyatt guest and you use your card to book your hotel stays and for travel purchases, you're likely to see a larger return on your spending. It's also important to note that you get a free night's stay each year on your cardmember anniversary, and the value of that free night is not considered in the amounts above.

Best ways to earn

The best way to earn World of Hyatt points is to use your card to shop for purchases that net you bonus points.

The chart below shows how many points you can earn per dollar spent in select categories as a World of Hyatt cardholder.

Maximizing your redemptions

To get the most bang for your buck, you’ll likely want to redeem your World of Hyatt points for stays at participating hotels.

While your points can be transferred to airline partners or redeemed for experiences at Hyatt hotels (such as spa services), redeeming your points for hotels is usually the best approach for maximum value.

Free nights at Hyatt hotels start at just 5,000 points, so it won’t take long to earn enough points for a free stay.

World of Hyatt Credit Card FAQs

Other cards to consider

The World of Hyatt Credit Card offers great value for anyone who stays at a Hyatt hotel at least once per year. However, if Hyatt isn’t your go-to property, it may not be the best hotel credit card choice. Instead, it makes sense to consider what other rewards credit cards have to offer.

Depending on where you’re more likely to stay, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card make for great alternatives with locations around the world.

Aside from their generous welcome offers and rewards point-earning flexibility, these hotel cards are packed with a slew of valuable benefits and features that could earn you free nights in no time — without paying a cent more in annual fees.

Big bonus points on Hyatt stays

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

4.8

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

4.8

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Why We Like It

Earn up to 60,000 bonus points: 30,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening, plus up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2 points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 bonus point, on up to $15,000 spent

See how these cards compare:

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

• Earn 3 Free Night Awards after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening (each night valued up to 50,000 points)
• up to 17X points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
• 3X points at grocery stores, gas stations, and dining on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year
• One free night each year at account anniversary
• No foreign transaction fee

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

• Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months
• 12X points at eligible purchases at participating Hilton hotels or resorts
• Free Night Reward after spending $15,000 in a calendar year
• No foreign transaction fee
• $150 annual fee. Terms apply.
• See rates and fees | Terms Apply