How to Get Complimentary Breakfast at Hyatt Hotels

For some travelers, breakfast may not even be a second thought when it comes to selecting their accommodations while on vacation. However, for those of us here at Frugal Flyer, the availability and quality of breakfast can often be the key factor in our decision. By maintaining one or more hotel loyalty statuses, you can ensure you’ll receive a complimentary breakfast each morning, regardless of your destination.

In this guide, we’ll cover all the various approaches to enjoy a free breakfast at World of Hyatt properties. We’ll highlight which brands offer complimentary breakfast to all guests and which provide it exclusively to elite members. Additionally, we’ll explore other methods to secure a free breakfast at Hyatt hotels, even if you don’t have the necessary status.

Breakfast Benefits for World of Hyatt Members

Among points and miles enthusiasts, the World of Hyatt loyalty program is generally regarded as having the most generous breakfast benefit for its elite members. However, this benefit is reserved for only those with World of Hyatt’s top-tier Globalist status, which is a challenging elite status to earn. 

Earning World of Hyatt Globalist status requires meeting one of the following criteria:

• Stay 60 nights in a calendar year (paid or award stays)
• Earn 100,000 base World of Hyatt points in a calendar year. This equates to US$20,000 in spending at Hyatt hotels.

Needless to say, these are rather demanding requirements, making them inaccessible to most Hyatt members. The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that unlike Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt does not issue a credit card that grants automatic status to receive Globalist status, and in turn, there isn’t an easy path to complimentary breakfast benefit. However, many World of Hyatt Globalist members seem to prefer this approach, as it helps maintain the exclusivity of Globalist status. After all, if everyone is elite, then no one truly is.

There are a few strategies to help mitigate the hefty requirements for earning Globalist status by holding a World of Hyatt co-branded credit card. Chase issues two such cards in the U.S. that can streamline the process of reaching the necessary 60 nights. 

For instance, the personal Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card grants Discoverist status for as long as the account is open and provides five qualifying nights towards the next status tier each year. Additionally, cardholders earn two more qualifying nights for every $5,000 in spending on the card.

Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card

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Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card

The Chase World of Hyatt credit card earns Hyatt points and gives cardholders one annual free night at a category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort.

BONUS
30,000 World of Hyatt

MINSPEND
$3,000

NET VALUE
$415+

ANNUAL FEE
$95

FOREX FEES
No

EXPIRY
–

The World of Hyatt breakfast benefit is reliably consistent and applied universally across all Hyatt brands. You won’t need to worry about the specific brand, region, or have to contend with a food and beverage credit. With World of Hyatt Globalist status, you’re entitled to complimentary breakfast during effectively every stay, which includes a full daily breakfast at the hotel restaurant or club lounge (where available).

World of Hyatt defines its breakfast benefit as one entrée or standard breakfast buffet, plus juice and coffee. This benefit applies for up to two adults and two children registered to the same room. The breakfast benefit is not valid for in-room dining or at any Hyatt Vacation Club timeshare or residence property. 

Finally, even if you’re not a World of Hyatt Globalist member, the program offers lower-tier members several pathways to enjoy free breakfast during their stay, which I’ll outline later on.

Breakfast Policies at Different World of Hyatt Hotel Brands

The World of Hyatt breakfast benefit is extremely straightforward. Outside of its timeshare properties, World of Hyatt Globalist members are entitled to free breakfast during every Hyatt stay, with no exceptions—properties have virtually no option to opt out of offering this perk to Globalists. 

If you don’t hold Globalist status, several Hyatt brands still provide complimentary breakfast to all guests as part of their brand amenities, regardless of status.

With the above two scenarios in mind, let’s have a look at how each of these works in practice.

World of Hyatt Brands Which Offer Free Breakfast to All Guests

The World of Hyatt brands that offer complimentary or included breakfast are either its all-inclusive resorts or its budget-friendly and extended-stay brands.

When booking a stay at any of the following World of Hyatt all-inclusive properties, members will typically have all their food and beverages, including breakfast, covered in the nightly rate on both cash and points bookings. The vast majority of Hyatt’s all-inclusive brands are located in Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean. The brands below are part of World of Hyatt’s all-inclusive portfolio:

• Alua Hotels & Resorts
• Breathless Resorts & Spas
• Dreams Resorts & Spas
• Secrets Resorts & Spas
• Impression by Secrets
• Miraval
• Sunscape Resorts & Spas
• Hyatt Vivid Hotels & Resorts
• Hyatt Zilara
• Hyatt Ziva
• Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts

World of Hyatt positions its all-inclusive brands as luxury properties within the all-inclusive segment. These properties are subject to a separate all-inclusive award chart that differs from Hyatt’s standard award chart. Additionally, some of these brands may only include all food and non-alcoholic beverages in the nightly rate, while alcoholic drinks may incur an additional charge.

The final two Hyatt brands that provide free breakfast to all guests are part of Hyatt’s family-friendly and extended-stay brands. These properties offer a daily complimentary breakfast, but to take advantage of this benefit, guests must be World of Hyatt members and book their stay directly through World of Hyatt channels, such as the World of Hyatt app or website. 

The World of Hyatt Terms & Conditions state that breakfast at the following two properties may not be equivalent to the full daily breakfast offered at Hyatt’s full-service hotels. Generally, it’s reasonable to expect a more limited breakfast offering at properties that offer breakfast to all guests. The following Hyatt brands provide complimentary breakfast to all guests: 

• Hyatt Place
• Hyatt House

There are a few exceptions to note regarding the two brands mentioned. The free breakfast benefit for all guests is only available at properties located in North America. Hyatt House and Hyatt Place locations in the Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia are not obligated to offer a daily complimentary breakfast to all guests; instead, this is left to the discretion of each individual hotel.

However, many of these properties outside of North America do offer complimentary breakfast, but you’ll need to check with the hotel to confirm if breakfast is included in the daily rate.

Globalist members staying at a Hyatt Place or Hyatt House that doesn’t offer breakfast for all guests will still enjoy a full complimentary breakfast, just as they would at any other Hyatt brand.

World of Hyatt Brands Which Offer Free Breakfast to Globalist Members

At all World of Hyatt properties, excluding Hyatt’s timeshare and vacation club properties, Globalist members will enjoy a daily complimentary breakfast in either the hotel restaurant or club lounge (where applicable) at no extra charge. Certain properties may choose to extend the free breakfast benefit to include room service, but this is at the hotel’s discretion and is not a mandatory offering. 

The following brands will offer a daily complimentary breakfast to Globalist members:

• Alila
• Andaz
• Caption by Hyatt
• Destination by Hyatt
• Grand Hyatt
• Hyatt
• Hyatt Centric
• Hyatt Regency
• JdV by Hyatt
• Park Hyatt
• Thompson Hotels
• The Unbound Collection by Hyatt

At Caption by Hyatt properties, the breakfast benefit varies from the standard complimentary breakfast offered at other brands. Globalists will instead receive one “elevated” coffee and one “small plate” option per registered guest in the room, up to a maximum of two adults and two children.

Additionally, several of the brands listed above feature club lounges. World of Hyatt Globalist members receive complimentary access to the club lounge as part of their status benefits. At locations with a club lounge, Globalist members and up to three additional guests (including one adult and two children) are entitled to breakfast in the club lounge.

If a property does not have a club lounge or if the lounge is closed, breakfast will be served in the hotel’s restaurant instead.

World of Hyatt Brands Which Offer Free Breakfast Through Club Lounge Access

Most Hyatt brands do not offer club lounges as an amenity. Typically, you’ll only find them at Hyatt’s upscale locations in major cities that cater to high volumes of business travelers. Club lounges at these brands usually provide a morning breakfast buffet, afternoon tea and snacks, and an evening appetizer spread.

Although not every location of the following brands will have a club lounge, you can generally expect to find a lounge at these brands:

• Grand Hyatt
• Hyatt
• Hyatt Regency
• Park Hyatt

The quality and scale of the food and beverage options can differ significantly based on the hotel brand and its location. In Europe or Asia, Hyatt Club lounges typically provide a broad range of meal services throughout the day. In contrast, club lounges in North America often offer more limited options.

The easiest way to determine if a Hyatt property has a club lounge is by checking the cash rates for “Club Access” rooms.

World of Hyatt Brands Which DO NOT Offer Free Breakfast to Any Guests

Hyatt’s timeshare and vacation rental properties are the only World of Hyatt brands that do not provide free breakfast to any guests. These brands focus on offering residential-style, standalone accommodations, which means they don’t offer many of the traditional hotel amenities.

The following Hyatt brands do not provide complimentary breakfast to any guests:

• Hyatt Vacation Club
• Destination by Hyatt Residences

Hyatt Hotel Brands – Breakfast Benefit Summary

Here’s a reference chart summarizing the breakfast benefits available at each brand (in alphabetical order):

Note: All-inclusive brands are not listed on this chart as all food and beverages are covered for each guest as part of the hotel’s meal plan.

Other Ways to Get ‘Free’ Breakfast at Hyatt Hotels

Milestone Rewards

Through World of Hyatt’s Milestone Rewards program, members can earn incremental rewards for every 10 elite qualifying nights, beginning at 20 nights and continuing up to 150 nights.

Several of these awards can be used to provide a lower-status member with some of the benefits typically reserved for Globalist status. This includes perks such as club access or the full range of Globalist benefits for a single stay.

While earning these awards for yourself can certainly be a worthwhile endeavor, the real strength of these awards lies in the fact that they are shareable among all other World of Hyatt members. Not only can you share all World of Hyatt awards, including Free Night Awards, but you can also receive Milestone Awards and Free Night Awards from other members. There’s even a Facebook group for those looking to trade their Free Night Awards and Milestone Rewards between members. 

Milestone Awards are valid for a stay of up to seven consecutive nights and can be applied to both cash and points bookings. However, multiple awards cannot be combined. For example, you cannot use both a Free Night Award and a Guest of Honor Award for the same stay.

Additionally, World of Hyatt members have the option to redeem extra points on redemptions for club access. While this can come at a significantly increased cost, it can be beneficial in certain situations.

Redeem World of Hyatt Points for Lounge Access

When making a points redemption, World of Hyatt members who do not hold Globalist status can choose to redeem for a higher category room type to receive club access during their stay. Depending on the category of the hotel, you can expect to pay between 5,000 and 10,000 additional points per night to upgrade to a club access room. 

For instance, as a World of Hyatt Category 5 hotel, Grand Hyatt San Francisco requires 20,000 points for a standard free night. If you would like to upgrade to a club access room, it costs an additional 7,000 World of Hyatt points per night.

Given the high value of World of Hyatt points and a sizable 35% increase in the nightly cost over a standard room, I would recommend using this option only if you are traveling with a party of two or more people to maximize the value.

Club Access Awards

World of Hyatt members have the opportunity to earn up to four Club Access Awards each year. After completing 20 and 30 qualifying nights, you’ll have the option to select two Club Access Awards as part of your Milestone Awards. These awards can be applied to your own stays, gifted to a friend, or received from other World of Hyatt members.

Each Club Access Award grants access to the hotel club lounge for up to seven consecutive nights during a single stay. These awards are valid for the year they are earned, plus an additional 14 months. To redeem a Club Access Award, you need to call World of Hyatt to apply it to an existing booking, as this award cannot be redeemed through your online World of Hyatt account.

Redeeming a Club Access Award for a stay is a fantastic way to save a lot of money. It grants you and up to three additional guests registered in the same room access to breakfast in the club lounge each morning for up to seven days.

Guest of Honor Awards

Guest of Honor Awards function similarly to Club Access Awards, with the key difference being that they provide the full range of Globalist benefits throughout an entire stay. These awards are valid for stays of up to seven consecutive days. You can start earning Guest of Honor Awards after 40 qualifying nights, and these awards can also be shared with or obtained from other World of Hyatt members.

When applying a Guest of Honor award to a stay, you will receive nearly all of the benefits associated with Globalist status for the entire duration of your stay. This includes suite upgrades, complimentary breakfast, lounge access, 4 PM late checkout, waived resort and destination fees, and free parking when redeeming points.

Conclusion

The World of Hyatt loyalty program is widely regarded as one of the most rewarding in the hotel industry, particularly for top-tier Globalist members. These members enjoy exclusive perks, such as a complimentary full breakfast each morning in the hotel restaurant or club lounge at nearly every Hyatt property in the world. This benefit can add a significant value to each stay, especially at luxury hotels and resorts where food & beverages can be quite costly.

For those who haven’t achieved Globalist status, the program still offers several avenues to enjoy similar benefits. World of Hyatt members can take advantage of the program’s unique award-sharing feature, which allows them to share or receive awards from other members. 

This flexibility can provide lower-tier members access to free breakfast or the full array of Globalist benefits for a single stay. These features make the World of Hyatt program appealing to a wide range of travelers, even those who haven’t yet achieved the highest tier of status.

Frequently Asked Questions