World of Hyatt announces 5-tier award chart – Top award nights jump by up to 66%

World of Hyatt is making major changes to its award chart in May 2026, expanding from three award tiers per category to five: Lowest, Low, Moderate, Upper, and Top. It’s not as bad as the debunked Reddit rumor of a mass devaluation. But top-tier awards are going up by as much as 66%.

Hyatt’s new five-tier award chart

The new five-tier system applies to all the standard, Miraval, and all-inclusive award charts. It also applies to all room types: standard rooms, club rooms, suites, and premium suites. The number of categories will remain unchanged, but the number of price points within each category will increase from three to five. 

Hyatt says this allows for “more precise alignment” with demand. But expanding the chart upward gives Hyatt more room to raise award rates during peak periods without formally re-categorizing hotels. 

During a call yesterday, the Hyatt team stated that not all hotels would be pricing out at the top-tier and some properties would be decreasing their award rates. Hyatt emphasized its commitment to a published award chart, positioning itself against competitors that have moved to dynamic pricing. 

Related: Hotel 50 Bowery: A Hyatt gem in the heart of Chinatown

Hyatt award prices are increasing at top-tier hotels

The expanded ranges are most noticeable in all-inclusive resorts and Miraval properties, where peak pricing jumps significantly. 

• At Category 8 Hyatt hotels, standard rooms can price out up to 75,000 points per night – that’s a 66% increase over the previous 45,000-point maximum.
• At Category F all-inclusive resorts, standard rooms can cost up to 85,000 points per night – a nearly 47% increase over the previous 58,000-point max.
• Miraval premium suites cost up to 160,000 points per night at the Top level – a nearly 17% increase over the current 137,000-point max.

Hyatt has confirmed that some hotels will begin moving select nights into the new Upper and Top levels starting in 2026, with broader use planned in future years. In other words, the highest prices may not appear everywhere right away, but the structure is now in place.

This is Hyatt’s first major award chart restructuring in five years, and it sets the stage for gradual, ongoing increases rather than the occasional category jump members have seen in the past.

Related: Why Hyatt Privé is a must for anyone without elite status

Some Hyatt awards are decreasing

The Hyatt award chart changes aren’t entirely negative. Some redemption rates are increasing by just a few thousand points (i.e. Standard Suite at Miraval Resorts going from 82,500 to 85,000 points).

In addition, a few select hotel categories are decreasing their “Lowest” redemption rates:

• Category 1 Hyatt Hotels are decreasing 3,500 to 3,000 points per night
• Category 2 Hyatt Hotels are decreasing from 6,500 to 6,000 points per night
• Category 3 Hyatt Hotels are decreasing from 9,000 to 8,000 points per night
• Category 5 Hyatt Hotels are decreasing from 17,000 to 15,000 points per night
• Category 6 Hyatt Hotels are decreasing from 21,000 to 20,000 points per night
• Category C all-inclusive hotels are decreasing from 21,000 to 20,000 points per night

This is good news for off-peak travelers who may be able to book properties like the Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta or Hyatt Regency Cape Town at lower rates than before. 

Related: The Complete List of Hyatt Prive Hotels

Other changes and new features

Hyatt also announced two upcoming program improvements that will take effect at a later date (TBD): Digital points sharing and early award access for elite members (Explorist and higher) and Hyatt credit cardholders. While Hyatt members currently have access to award inventory 12 months out, elite members and cardholders will get access 13 months out. 

Right now, transferring points to another member requires filling out a points combination request form and submitting it via email. It can take days or even weeks to process. So it’s actually a hugely positive development that Hyatt will move this process online. They already moved the Hyatt award transfer process online in 2024, so being able to transfer Hyatt points online is a welcome change.

Again, no dates announced, but it’s in the works and a massive upgrade over the current transfer process.

Annual category changes will continue

Hyatt will continue its annual category review process in April. Separately, several hotels are moving up categories immediately, including one property jumping two categories. As always, existing bookings will be honored, but future stays may cost significantly more.

If you’ve been saving up for a top-tier Hyatt award, now is the time to lock it in (if you have the points). If the rate drops on May 1, you can always cancel and rebook it.

Related: Why I paid my taxes with the Hyatt card

Final thoughts

This news is bittersweet (more bitter than sweet). On one hand, Hyatt will continue to be the only hotel loyalty program with a published award chart. That level of transparency is incredibly valuable, giving members a better sense of how many points to save up for an award night. The changes are also not as terrible as the ones on Reddit that whipped everyone into a frenzy last week. Still, the new redemption rates are largely negative, making it harder to earn free nights at Hyatt.

I remember when I got into this hobby, a top-tier Hyatt award night cost just 22,000 points. Now we’re looking at a potential 7X markup. That’s par for the course considering Hyatt’s vast portfolio expansion and the pricing of competitors like Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy. 

TLDR: Hyatt isn’t abandoning its award chart, but it is quietly devaluing points by raising the ceiling on what award nights can cost.