I hate that sinking feeling when something good is slipping away. That’s how I felt in late 2024, as I realized my World of Hyatt Globalist status would be expiring soon. For Canadians, Hyatt might not be top of mind since their status is harder to achieve compared to Marriott. But once you’ve experienced Hyatt’s hospitality and its great Globalist perks, you may not want to go back.
The good news? I discovered a way to keep my status longer than usual without meeting the usual stay requirements. Fair warning though: this isn’t one of those free tricks. You’ll need to spend some cash upfront and it really only makes sense if all-inclusive resorts are your thing. If so, read on…
Understanding World of Hyatt Status
Before we get into how I extended my status, let’s just review the usual requirements to achieve World of Hyatt status and what makes Globalist status stand out.
World of Hyatt has four status tiers:
- Member (entry level, no requirements)
- Discoverist (10 qualifying nights/year)
- Explorist (30 qualifying nights/year)
- Globalist (60 qualifying nights/year)
Each tier builds on previous benefits, with Globalist offering the most valuable perks. The perks I’ve come to appreciate the most are:
- Room upgrades, including up to standard suites
- Waived resort fees on paid and award stays
- Waived parking fees on award stays
- Club access (when available) or free breakfast for 2 adults and 2 children
- 4 PM late check-out
- Milestone awards including Guest of Honor Awards, Suite Upgrade Awards, Club Access Awards that can be shared with family and friends
World of Hyatt status runs on a calendar year basis, with status earned in one year lasting through February of the second year following qualification. For example, regardless of when you earn status in 2025, it will last through February 2027.
Earning Hyatt Globalist Through Status Challenges
Before 2020, I was a Marriott loyalist. With hotels everywhere and easy-to-earn Platinum status that came with perks like room upgrades, complimentary breakfast, and lounge access, it was a no-brainer.
I’d heard amazing things about World of Hyatt and had my eye on some fabulous properties, like Alila Villas Uluwatu in Bali or the Miraval properties in the US, but earning Hyatt points and achieving 60 qualifying nights to give me the same benefits as my Marriott Platinum status was simply not feasible.
Or so I thought until World of Hyatt launched a fasttrack Explorist and Globalist elite tier offer in 2020 – stay 10 nights within a 90-day period to earn Explorist or 20 to get Globalist. I enrolled in the offer at the end of 2020 and with a bit of help, achieved my 20 nights in early 2021 which granted me Globalist status until February 2023.
Shortly after my status expired in 2023, Bilt Rewards launched a Hyatt Status Challenge. Like the previous challenge, staying 20 nights within a 90-day period would earn Globalist status. Through some strategic bookings in Las Vegas, I achieved Globalist status valid through February 2025.
Be sure to look out for these status challenges if Hyatt status appeals to you. World of Hyatt has historically offered similar challenges for employees of selected companies so It’s definitely worth checking if you qualify. FoundersCard has also offered the same challenge to its members in the past.
As 2024 drew to a close, I was facing the end of my Globalist status. With only 30 qualifying nights, I was set to drop to the Explorist tier. While you can experience Globalist perks through receiving a Guest of Honor award from a friend, I don’t have many Globalist friends and with several Hyatt stays each year, that would be a lot of favors to call in.
As luck would have it, another opportunity came by just in the nick of time.
Unlimited Vacation Club and Hyatt Relationship
If you’ve never heard of the Unlimited Vacation Club (UVC), you’re not alone. It’s a vacation membership program for all-inclusive properties run by AM Resorts, located across Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and Europe.
Unlike traditional and more popular timeshare programs like Marriott Vacation Club or Hilton Grand Vacations, UVC works differently. Members pay an upfront fee to unlock future perks like guaranteed discounted stays, room upgrades, and special rates at their resorts.
The program includes popular all-inclusive brands like Secrets, Dreams, Breathless, Zoëtry, and Sunscape.
Here’s where Hyatt comes in: They bought Apple Leisure Group in 2021, which owns AM Resorts and runs UVC, bringing all their properties under Hyatt’s “Inclusive Collection.”
As Hyatt members, you can now earn and redeem points, receive elite benefits, and book these all-inclusive resorts right directly through Hyatt.
Back in 2023, these properties were a steal on points. I booked the Impression Moxché by Secrets for just 29,000 points per night. Now you’re looking at 42,000-58,000 points for the same room that goes for $1,000-$1,500 (USD) a night.
The UVC Sales Pitch
During our stay at the Impression Moxché by Secrets, they offered us some spa credits to sit through their membership sales presentation. Having done this before, there was nothing surprising about the presentation. It involved a sales agent trying to convince us that we could return to similar all-inclusive properties at a guaranteed discount.
What’s interesting was that with their new partnership with Hyatt, some of their higher-tier packages came with Hyatt status as a perk. With those hefty price tags, it definitely wasn’t worth the investment and I’m not a typical all-inclusive type of traveller, so we passed.
My husband was more fond of the concept, and by the end of our trip, I could see its appeal for short stays. More importantly, we could see ourselves returning again for a few days at a time, and so we did.
Late last year we stayed at the Secrets Tulum for an amazing rate of 18,500 points per night. Unfortunately, the rates have now increased to 25,000-35,000 points for a room that costs around $500 (USD) per night.
Once again, we signed up for a sales presentation in exchange for some spa credits. We were travelling with our friends and surprisingly, they allowed us to attend the sales presentation together, as a group of four.
During the sales presentation, they once again presented a range of packages at different prices. Each time we said no, they countered with a more affordable option by modifying various elements, like adjusting the number of complimentary nights we would receive, the amount of flight credits they’d throw in, or extra RCI (Resorts Condominiums Internation) vacation weeks, etc.
Though I hadn’t planned to purchase anything, I was open to entertaining a good deal, especially since my husband really taking an annual all-inclusive vacation, even if only once a year. My friend shared similar sentiments.
Finally, they did offer us something that was affordable and extremely reasonable from a value perspective. Recalling my previous UVC presentation experience, I took the opportunity to inquire about Hyatt elite status as a package offering.
The representative offered to extend my current status for two additional years beyond its expiration date! Theoretically, attending a presentation early in the calendar year, prior to the February status expiration, could result in nearly three years of extended status benefits.
Why We Bought the Package
Several factors aligned to create a compelling opportunity. Most notably, the representatives permitted my friend and I to divide the package cost, which halved an already reasonable cost. The Globalist status was the cherry on top.
Though contractual obligations prevent me from disclosing specific package details, the math made sense; we’d break even with just one 2-3 night all-inclusive stay per year over the next five years. Given our established pattern of similar stays, this requirement seemed very achievable.
The guaranteed room discount can be shared with family and friends travelling with you, and Hyatt points can be earned for your stay and theirs (up to a maximum of 3 rooms) since these resorts are a part of Hyatt’s World of Hyatt program.
Mexico has a mandatory five-day cooldown period during which you can cancel a contract after signing which gave me some time to do more research. No timeshare company has a spotless reputation, and UVC is no different. Skimming reddit and Facebook groups, people have had their issues with the program, however, others really love it.
The general sentiment is if you actually use it and learn how to maximize the benefits, you’ll come out ahead. The potential savings increase substantially the more or longer you stay and if you can share the benefits with family and friends.
As a current member, I can confirm substantial discounts can be had, with promotional rates varying throughout the year. UVC’s pricing includes a guarantee that rates will be at least 25% below publicly advertised prices, with a great price-matching policy.
Conclusion
I don’t believe in chasing elite status, but when a good opportunity presents itself and the numbers make sense, why not take advantage? In my case, securing discounted annual all-inclusive stays with complimentary flights aligns well with my travel patterns, particularly since I can extend these benefits to my family and friends. The Globalist status extension was the cherry on top.
If you can’t earn Hyatt status through regular stays or credit card spending, and status challenges aren’t an option, but you love all-inclusive resorts, the Unlimited Vacation Club might also be your ticket to achieving or maintaining Globalist status.
If you pursue this path, do the cost analysis to ensure the vacation package makes sense for you, and don’t be afraid to keep negotiating for something better. There are reports of some members receiving lifetime Globalist status, but such packages likely require a substantially higher financial commitment.
Lastly, if none of those paths work for you, then try befriending some Globalists. If you’re looking to connect with some, our membership community is a good place to start.
This story originally appeared on princeoftravel
