Introduction
We all love being treated like royalty, don’t we? Well, with this special program, you can experience the glitz and glam of the VIP life without actually having any form of elite status with the hotel’s loyalty program.
Although, what you WILL need is good friends and/or family.
Say hello to the Hyatt Guest of Honor Program — a benefit available exclusively to World of Hyatt Globalist members.
Wait, what exactly is the Hyatt Guest of Honor Program?
Simply put, with Guest of Honor, World of Hyatt Globalist members can extend their elite perks to friends and families on award stays booked out of the Globalist member’s account. It allows them to extend their status privileges to another traveler without having to accompany them on the trip.
Now, if you are a Hyatt Globalist and are looking to jump on this perk to upscale your friend’s next stay, there are some things to be aware of:
- The Guest of Honor benefit is only available on stays booked with points (either outright point bookings or stays booked with free night certificates). It doesn’t apply to cash bookings or to Points + Cash bookings.
- The Guest of Honor elite credits would go to the account of the person actually staying, rather than the World of Hyatt Globalist member who is making the booking.
What Benefits Does a Guest of Honor Receive?
Through Guest of Honor bookings, the traveler you are booking for receives all of the Globalist benefits during their stay, including:
- Complimentary upgrades to standard suites
- Elite check-in
- Late checkout (can go up to as late as 4 PM)
- Free breakfast
- Club lounge access
- Waived resort fees
- Parking fees
This is valuable because, without the Guest of Honor program, one wouldn’t receive any of these benefits.
How To Make a Guest of Honor Booking
Making a Guest of Honor booking isn’t quite as simple as making a standard Hyatt booking. For starters, Guest of Honor bookings cannot be made online at Hyatt’s website.
You have 2 options when it comes to making a Guest of Honor booking:
- Call the World of Hyatt reservation line at 888-344-9288
- Email the Hyatt concierge
Since the Guest of Honor bookings can only be made on award stays, you’ll need to already have enough points available in your account to make the booking.
You’ll also need to keep handy the details of your guest, including the name of your guest, and their World of Hyatt account number.
Pooling Points and Points Transfer to Book a Guest of Honor Stay
It is key to note the fact that the Globalist member should have enough points to book a room for friends or family through their loyalty account.
Here are 2 ways points can be transferred to a Globalist member’s account to help you book your next luxury stay:
- Combining points between accounts
World of Hyatt lets you combine points between 2 Hyatt accounts at no cost, but here are some important things to note:
a.) You have to fill out a points combining request form.
b.) A World of Hyatt member can only take part in a points-combining request activity once every 30 days (this includes gifting or receiving points)
c.) You can only combine points “in order to have a sufficient number of points to redeem a particular award”. So, this method is possible only if the Globalist member doesn’t have enough points in their account to book that on their own. - Transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards
One of the most convenient features of Hyatt is the ability to transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards to the World of Hyatt loyalty program.
a.) The opportunity to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points directly into a World of Hyatt account that already boasts status is an invaluable asset.
b.) This feature enables you to utilize the transferred points for personal redemptions or generously treat your loved ones by redeeming points on their behalf.
Final Thoughts
Guest of Honor bookings allows your friends and family to receive the exact same treatment a Globalist would during their World of Hyatt stays. Although the downside is that this perk can only be used on award bookings, World of Hyatt does offer an easy way for guests to combine points.
Not only does this benefit provide a star-studded luxury stay for your guest, but it can also score you some serious brownie points with your friends and family!
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