World of Hyatt members can earn Club Access Awards through the loyalty program’s Milestone Rewards.
Once earned, Club Access Awards provide eligible members with entrance to a hotel’s lounge, when available, which can be particularly valuable in some circumstances.
What Are World of Hyatt Club Access Awards?
Club Access Awards are perks that World of Hyatt members can select through the Milestone Rewards program.
Once earned, Club Access Awards can be redeemed to provide entrance to a hotel’s Club lounge for the entire length of a stay, up to a maximum of seven nights.
Club lounges at applicable Hyatt hotels feature perks like breakfast, snacks, and drinks throughout the day, and they usually also offer evening hors d’oeuvres.
These lounges can also be a great place to relax or to get some work done during the day.
It’s important to note that many Hyatt properties actually don’t have lounges; however, generally speaking, you can expect to find them at Hyatt Regency, Grand Hyatt, and Park Hyatt hotels.
If you’d like to make use a Club Access Award, you’ll want to check to make sure that the Hyatt hotel you want to book has a Club lounge, and that it’s open during your stay.
Unfortunately, Club Access Awards don’t provide any alternative benefits at properties that don’t have Club lounges, so they won’t be much use to you if you don’t tend to stay at properties with lounges.
As a reminder, two Club Access Awards are offered as a Milestone Rewards choice to World of Hyatt members who earn 20 qualifying nights in a calendar year, and again when members reach 30 qualifying nights, for a total of up to four awards per year.
Club Access Awards are valid for the remainder of the year in which they’re earned, plus an additional 14 months beyond that.
For example, if you choose two Club Access Awards after reaching 20 qualifying nights in May 2024, the awards won’t expire until February 28, 2026.
You can check how many Club Access Awards you have remaining and when they expire in the World of Hyatt app by navigating to the “Account” tab and selecting “Awards.”
How to Redeem World of Hyatt Club Access Awards
Notably, you can’t redeem Club Access Awards online, and instead, you’ll have to call World of Hyatt to apply the award while booking your stay or after you’ve made your booking.
Club Access Awards can only be redeemed for stays booked with World of Hyatt points, Pay My Way bookings, or an eligible cash rate, which includes Hyatt Privé bookings.
Unfortunately, you can’t apply a Club Access Award to a stay booked with a Free Night Award.
However, as of 2024, Club Access Awards can be gifted to another World of Hyatt member, which can be a great way to elevate someone else’s stay if you don’t otherwise have a use for the awards.
To transfer a Club Access Award to someone else, open the World of Hyatt app or login to your account online, select “Club Access Awards”, and then choose the one you’d like to gift.
From there, simply enter in the recipient’s World of Hyatt membership number and last name.
Once gifted, Club Access Awards can’t be regifted or returned, and the gifted Club Access Award keeps the original expiry date.
No matter how they’re used, Club Access Awards must be redeemed for stays with a check-out date on or before the award’s expiration date.
What Are the Best Uses of World of Hyatt Club Access Awards?
Club Access Awards can enhance a trip for World of Hyatt members, especially in hotels with particularly elaborate lounge offerings.
However, it’s worth noting that earning Club Access Awards comes at an opportunity cost, since you must choose them over other options.
At both the 20- and 30-night thresholds, you’ll be able to choose one of the following three benefits as part of your Milestone Rewards:
- 2 Club Access Awards
- 2K Next Stay Award
- $25 FIND Experience Credit
If you’re already a Globalist member, there’s not necessarily a strong reason to choose Club Access Awards over the other options, since lounge access is an ongoing benefit at the Globalist level.
As a Globalist, you could be better off selecting the 2K Next Stay Award or the $25 FIND Experience Credit, as long as you can make better use of them.
However, if you can’t make use of the 2K Next Stay Award or the $25 FIND Experience Credit, consider choosing the Club Access Awards and gifting them to friends or family.
On the other hand, if you don’t already enjoy lounge access as a Globalist member, then Club Access Awards are almost certainly the best choice to make for Milestone Rewards.
The awards provide a way for Hyatt Discoverist and Explorist members to enjoy complimentary breakfast and other offerings in lounges, which isn’t a regular benefit at their status levels.
In any event, you’ll be able to get the most out of Club Access Awards by saving them for longer stays, since you only need to redeem one Club Access Award regardless of whether you’ve booked one night or seven nights at a Hyatt hotel with a lounge.
Conclusion
If you plan on booking a stay at a Hyatt property with a lounge, Club Access Awards can elevate your stay with complimentary food and beverages.
Lounge access typically includes daily complimentary breakfast, evening hors d’oeuvres, and a quiet spot to work or relax during the day, usually with an array of drinks and snacks to boot.
When it comes time to pick your Milestone Rewards, consider choosing the Club Access Awards to elevate the next stay at a participating World of Hyatt hotel for yourself or for someone to whom you can gifted them.
This story originally appeared on princeoftravel
