One of the best things about the Hyatt points program is its award chart. Unlike Hilton, Marriott, and IHG, which use dynamic pricing, Hyatt uses a chart so you always know how many points a free night will cost.
But with the latest award chart changes, some of our favorite Hyatt stays now require more points—reducing the value we get from them.
Sandra & I have gotten huge value from our Hyatt points over the years, staying at over 60 incredible hotels and all-inclusive resorts for free. Now that some of our best redemptions are getting more expensive, it’s more important than ever to optimize every Hyatt point redemption.
How Hyatt Points Compare to Other Programs
Most points & miles enthusiasts agree that different hotel rewards programs have varying point values. Here’s how they compare:
- Hilton: 0.5 cents each
- Marriott: 0.75 cents each
- IHG: 0.6 cents each
But most agree Hyatt points are worth much more—typically 1.7 to 2 cents each.
As a points & miles optimization expert, I’ve averaged 3.7 cents per Hyatt point over 65 properties since 2021. That means a Hyatt point is worth SIX TIMES what a Hilton point is worth to most people and FIVE times as much as a Marriott point!
Learn how we’ve been able to get more value from Hyatt points than most travelers!
Hyatt Points Devaluation: Annual Award Chart Changes
Every March for the past few years, Hyatt has updated their award chart, with some properties costing more points and some costing less.
Unfortunately, many of this year’s changes mean our Hyatt points won’t go as far as they used to. While some properties did decrease in price, the overall trend is an increase in points required—making this yet another example of Hyatt points devaluation.
There are plenty of blogs that give a comprehensive review of the changes, but this year, seven changes really stood out to me.
I’ll share my thoughts and some alternative options I’m considering.
Nashville Hyatt Properties
As Nashville locals, we’ve stayed at all of the full-service Hyatt’s in Nashville. Two properties in Nashville are changing.
Dream Nashville (Category 6 → Category 5)
Dream Nashville, the best Hyatt in Nashville for bachelorette parties, is dropping from a Category 6 to a Category 5. That means most nights will cost 20,000 points instead of 25,000.
I think this was a good move. After staying at more than 60 different Hyatt properties since 2021, Dream Nashville just seems more like a Category 5 than a Cat 6 hotel. We had a fun stay here but it’s a little more of a wild party than fits our style.
Hyatt Place Nashville/Franklin/Cool Springs (Category 1 → Category 2)
Unfortunately, this hotel is increasing from a Category 1 to a Category 2, meaning standard nights will go from 5,000 to 8,000 points. The main reason this is significant is that it was the only Category 1 Hyatt in the Nashville area.
Hyatt has been slowly eliminating its cheapest redemption options. The loss of the only Category 1 Hyatt in Nashville is just another step in the gradual devaluation of Hyatt points.
Grand Hyatt Baha Mar
The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is moving from a Category 6 (25,000 points) to a Category 7 (30,000 points).
This is a perfect example of Hyatt points devaluation in action—this same hotel now costs 5,000 more points per night. That’s an extra 35,000 points for a weeklong stay!
Zuzu & I had a fun trip to the Bahamas on a $966 total budget, but we didn’t think it was the best bang for the buck. Now that we know even more money-saving tips for Baha Mar, we were considering a return trip. But with this points devaluation, I’m not so sure.
Secrets Cap Cana
Secrets Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic is changing from a Category D (30,000 points) to a Category E (40,000 points per night).
This is a steep 33% increase, which means you’ll either need to earn more points or settle for a lower-category resort.
This was one of the best Secrets resorts we’ve visited. But it didn’t stack up against Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana, which is literally right next door on the same beach. Zilara shares a campus with the family friendly Ziva so there’s essentiall twice as much compared to Secrets CC.
Zilara Cap Cana is the best Hyatt Zilara (or Ziva) we’ve visited but I doubt we’ll return since it’s now a Category F: 50k points per night!
But comparing Secrets Cap Cana to Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana, Zilara is easily worth an extra 10k points per night over Secrets.
Alternative All Inclusives in Punta Cana
If you’re considering an all-inclusive in Punta Cana but don’t want to burn 40K+ Hyatt points per night, there are still great alternatives. Hyatt has some of the best all-inclusive resorts in the world. Here’s a couple we’d consider for our next trip to the DR:
- Breathless Punta Cana
- Only 20,000 points on most nights
- Adults only
- Dreams Cap Cana (opened in December 2024)
- 25,000 points per night
- Family friendly
Secrets Maroma Beach
Secrets Maroma Beach in Mexico is moving from a Category D (30,000 points) to a Category E (40,000 points).
We had an amazing time here, but for the same 40,000 points per night, I think the nearby Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen is a better deal. Moxché is newer, and while Maroma has a better beach, the pools at Moxché are just on another level. We’re “beach people” but we didn’t mind Moxche having a worse than average beach!
As another Secrets Maroma alternative, I also think the Category D Secrets Akumal would be a better option. Akumal is now 10,000 Hyatt points cheaper per night than Maroma.
Secrets Playa Blanca Costa Mujeres
Secrets Playa Blanca Costa Mujeres is also moving from a Category D to a Category E.
Fortunately, we already booked this new all inclusive resort for later this year. Our points price is locked in, so you might say we’ve saved 10,000 points per night compared to what others will soon pay for the exact same dates.
Breathless Montego Bay Resort & Spa
Breathless Montego Bay Resort & Spa is changing from a Category D to a Category E. This resort is part of a three-property complex in Jamaica, along with Secrets St. James and Secrets Wild Orchid.
One perk of being a Hyatt Globalist at all-inclusive resorts is getting free access to Secrets Preferred Club benefits. On our 2025 trip to Jamaica, that gave us access to the fantastic Altitude Rooftop Bar at Breathless. That dinner was the best part of our stay at Secrets St. James.
Even though Breathless doesn’t have direct beach access, I would have rather stayed there. It’s a much newer and nicer all inclusive resort than Secrets St. James or Secrets Wild Orchid.
But with this price increase, I think staying at St. James with Preferred Club access is now the sweet spot since it’s 10,000 points per night cheaper than Breathless.
Final Thoughts
Every year, Hyatt’s award chart updates bring both opportunities and challenges. Some properties become better deals, while others get way more expensive. If you have your eye on a Hyatt resort, the best thing you can do is book early before changes take effect.
Looking at these changes as a whole, the trend is clear: Hyatt points are being devalued, and award nights now require more points than before. If you’ve been holding onto points, don’t wait too long—your Hyatt points are likely to lose even more value in future updates.
Even with these changes, Hyatt points remain one of the best ways to book all-inclusive resorts for free. Want to see where you can still get the best value? Check out our all-inclusive resort guide for tips on booking luxury stays with points.
Share Your Thoughts!
What do you think? Are these Hyatt award chart changes a deal-breaker, or will you still book these properties? Let me know in the comments, and share which Hyatt redemptions you’re considering for this year!
I’ve held top status with Hyatt for over a decade. Hyatt showed me that my loyalty really meant something and that made Hyatt my hands down first choice whenever possible. In many cases I even arranged trips based on Hyatt locations, which is exactly what a compelling loyalty program is supposed to do – induce people to make irrational decisions in the company’s favor.
The past few years have been a lot more trying in my relationship with Hyatt. You mention good in your headline but for the third year in a row, every single hotel that I like that’s changing category is going up in price. The value proposition for Hyatt – while still better than competitors – is sharply worsening. I could cite you a laundry list from perpetual increase in categories while free night certificates remain category 1-4, to Hyatt allowing HR hotels to not have viable club lounges (when lounges exist at all), to fixating on acquiring all-inclusives while ignoring what made Hyatt successful in the first place, and more. In short Hyatt just seems to have lost focus. My Globalist status means little to nothing at most Hyatt Place and all-inclusive stays nowadays. Remember the last time Hyatt came out with a great promo? Something fun for guests? Me neither.