Apr 30, 2026
Episode Description
Hyatt used to be the easy button for a lot of points and miles travelers. Transfer Chase points, book Hyatt, chase Globalist and enjoy the perks. That strategy is getting harder to defend after Hyatt’s five-tier award chart and another round of category changes.
In this episode Shawn and Mark talk through the real cost of Hyatt’s latest moves, why Globalist status may not pencil out the way it used to, and how hotel loyalty strategy changes when no single program deserves all of your stays.
Episode Guide
- 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel
- 0:21 Hyatt’s latest changes hit hard
- 3:23 The low-end value disappears
- 5:02 Hyatt grows up and shifts priorities
- 6:02 Is Globalist still worth chasing?
- 8:29 Why being a free agent makes more sense now
- 11:20 Goodbye to the category one gems
- 13:06 Chase points, free night certificates and Hyatt bright spots
- 15:31 Building a new hotel strategy beyond Hyatt
- 18:44 Breaking the Hyatt habit
- 20:25 Guest of Honor and milestone rewards
- 21:21 What other programs offer that Hyatt does not
- 23:28 The properties that really hurt
Links
- Travel Freely
- Miles to Memories
- MTM Travel on YouTube
- Hyatt Category Changes - https://milestomemories.com/hyatt-reveals-hotel-category-changes-for-2026/
- Is Hyatt Status Worth It? https://milestomemories.com/is-hyatt-globalist-status-worth-it/
- Life After Hyatt - https://milestomemories.com/my-favorite-hotel-programs/