Guide to World of Hyatt Guest of Honor Awards

World of Hyatt is widely regarded as one of the most rewarding hotel loyalty programs, thanks to the generous range of benefits offered to elite members. In recent years, it has also become a stronghold for points enthusiasts seeking shelter from the relentless devaluations seen in programs like Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors.

Top-tier Globalist members receive Hyatt’s most extensive benefits, including free breakfast, suite upgrades, waived parking and resort fees, and more. Additionally, starting at 40 qualifying nights, members also earn Guest of Honor Awards through the Milestone Awards program. These awards can be used by the member or gifted to friends and family, allowing others to enjoy full Hyatt Globalist status privileges for a single stay.

This guide will walk you through how Guest of Honor Awards work; how to earn them, the benefits you will receive, and a few tips to help you make the most of these awards.

What Is A World of Hyatt Guest of Honor Award?

Guest of Honor Awards are a transferable award that grants Globalist status benefits to yourself or others for a stay of up to seven consecutive nights. You can earn Hyatt Guest of Honor awards through World of Hyatt’s Milestone Awards program, starting at 40 qualifying nights. Guest of Honor Awards can be redeemed on any cash or points stay made directly with Hyatt. 

Because Guest of Honor awards are transferable, you can apply these awards toward your own stay or gift them to a friend or family member, allowing them to enjoy all the perks associated with Globalist status for a single stay.

Guest of Honor awards earned through Milestone Rewards are valid for the remainder of the year in which they’re earned, plus an additional 14 months.

World of Hyatt Guest of Honor Benefits

Whenever you redeem Hyatt Guest of Honor Awards, you’ll receive nearly all of the benefits of Globalist status for the duration of the stay. This includes:

• Room upgrades (up to a standard suite)
• 4:00 PM late checkout
• Free breakfast
• Lounge access
• Waived resort and destination fees
• Free parking (on award stays only)

The only benefit not included with Guest of Honor is the 30% bonus points on eligible spending that Globalist members normally earn.

Additionally, members who gift a Guest of Honor Award will earn 1 elite night credit toward their own status once the recipient completes their stay.

How to Earn World of Hyatt Guest of Honor Awards

Guest of Honor Awards are earned through the World of Hyatt Milestone Rewards program and are awarded when members reach specific stay thresholds or accumulate a certain number of base points within a calendar year.

Upon completing the following requirements, members will be automatically awarded one or more Guest of Honor Awards:

• One Guest of Honor Award after earning 40 qualifying nights or earning 65,000 base points
• Two Guest of Honor Award after earning 60 qualifying nights or earning 100,000 base points
• One Guest of Honor Award after earning 70, 80, 90, 110, 120, 130, and 140 qualifying nights
• Lifetime Globalist members are issued 5 Guest of Honor Awards at the beginning of each year

As a non-lifetime Globalist member, you can earn up to 10 Guest of Honor Awards per year if you reach the final Milestone Award at 140 qualifying nights.

If you have access to U.S. credit cards, along with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), and have established some U.S. credit history, the Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card is a solid option for expanding your hotel loyalty outside of Canada. The card awards 2 qualifying nights for every US$5,000 spent, which count toward both elite status and Milestone Awards.

Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card

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Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card

The Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card offers World of Hyatt Discoverist status and an annual free night at a category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort.

BONUS
25,000 Hyatt points

MINSPEND
$12,000

EST. VALUE
$425+

ANNUAL FEE
$95

FOREX FEES
No

EXPIRY
–

How to Redeem World of Hyatt Guest of Honor Awards

To see all the awards currently available on your account, log in to your World of Hyatt account at Hyatt.com. Then, click on the “Awards” section to view your awards.

The awards page will list all your awards along with their respective expiration dates.

Using a Guest of Honor Award is simple and can be completed online when making your reservation. Simply search for your preferred property and dates, and on the room selection page, you’ll be presented with the option to apply any eligible awards to your reservation.

Select the Guest of Honor Award you want to use, then continue with the booking process as usual. On the final confirmation page, you’ll see that the award has been applied, and you’ll receive all the benefits of Globalist status for the entire stay.

This process for redeeming a Guest of Honor Award works the same way in the World of Hyatt mobile app. To apply a Guest of Honor Award to an existing reservation, you’ll need to contact World of Hyatt reservations by phone.

You’ll also need to be aware of a few restrictions when using a Guest of Honor Award:

• Guest of Honor Awards are not valid at Hyatt Vacation Club properties 
• Guest of Honor Awards can only be used for paid stays or points bookings and cannot be combined with other awards. For example, you can’t use a Guest of Honor Award together with a Category 1–4 Free Night Award on the same reservation.

Maximizing World of Hyatt Guest of Honor Awards

Since the number of Guest of Honor Awards you can earn each year is limited, and these awards can unlock a significant amount of value, it’s important to use them wisely.

Each Guest of Honor Award covers up to seven consecutive nights, so using them for longer stays maximize their value, as every additional night multiplies the overall benefit you receive. This is especially true for family vacations, as Globalist perks apply to every registered guest in the room, which includes up to two adults and two children. This can result in some massive savings on breakfast alone. 

Another excellent scenario to use a Guest of Honor Award is at luxury resorts that are known to tack on extra charges, such as resort and parking fees.

If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii and considering a stay at Grand Hyatt Kauai, you’d normally pay a daily resort fee of US$55 plus tax. However, when you use a Guest of Honor Award, that resort fee is waived for your entire stay.

Likewise, if you’re heading to Maui, where renting a car is almost a necessity, and redeeming for a stay at Andaz Maui, you’d be subject to a daily parking fee of US$59 plus tax. Again, by using a Guest of Honor Award, you’ll receive all the Globalist benefits, which includes free parking on award stays.

Along with what I’ve already mentioned, the bottom line for maximizing a Guest of Honor Award is to use them at Hyatt’s higher-end properties, which tend to have a large number of suites, and thus improving your chances of a complimentary upgrade. 

These awards also shine at resorts known for exceptional breakfasts, as buffet offerings at luxury properties are often very expensive when paying out of pocket. I’d particularly recommend redeeming Guest of Honor Awards in Europe or Asia, where elite status is often recognized more generously than in North America.

For example, I had excellent experiences using Guest of Honor Awards at both Andaz Bali and Park Hyatt Bangkok, where we received generous room upgrades and enjoyed a memorable complimentary breakfast each morning.

Conclusion

Guest of Honor Awards are among the most valuable benefits in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. These awards offer great flexibility and can be earned and shared with other members, giving friends, family or even yourself access to Globalist benefits for stays of up to seven nights.

With benefits like complimentary breakfast, room upgrades, and waived resort and parking fees, Guest of Honor Awards are a fantastic way to elevate a stay, especially for those who haven’t yet reached Globalist status themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions