Best in the Biz: Using Hyatt’s Guest of Honor Program

You might be tired of hearing about my obsession or fandom of Hyatt’s top tier elite status Hyatt Globalist, but the program is a gift that just keeps on giving. Last week, I took advantage of the wonderful Guest of Honor program for Globalist members to book a wonderful 5 night stay at the Park Hyatt Washington DC for my parents. Here is a quick breakdown on the program, how I made the booking, and benefits included(dare I place a dollar value on each benefit?)

Park Hyatt DC Lobby Photo from Hyatt’s Official Website

What is Hyatt Globalist Guest of Honor?

Guest of Honor is a special program for top tier Hyatt elite members to make award bookings for friends and family, thus gifting them Globalist benefits for the duration of the stay. Guest of Honor bookings can be only made using Hyatt Points. You can earn these points serval ways including on the World of Hyatt Credit Card, paid nights, or by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points. This makes the program extremely advantage if you have a family member who is already earning Chase points.

The Guest of Honor program gift Hyatt Globalist to the party and includes the following perks: free water, free parking, room upgrade if available, complimentary breakfast(best when there’s NO club lounge), and late checkout. Free parking and breakfast while also having resort fees waived is worth well over $100 per day if traveling with at least one other person.

Booking

Unfortunately Guest of Honor bookings cannot be made over the phone. To make this booking, I called into the Hyatt Globalist number and the agent promptly took information, the traveler’s information, and within a few minutes I received an email confirmation. In the week before the stay, I received a reminder email for the reservation even though it wasn’t for me.

The Stay and Experience

Since this is not my first hand account, I can only go off my parents experience. They flew into the Washington DC area around 4pm on a Saturday, grabbed their rental car, and was well on their way to the hotel. Upon arrival, the hotel only has valet parking (a feature that is becoming more and more popular with luxury hotels) so my parents handed of their car and checked in.

My parents were given a suite upgrade from the basic king room to a junior suite. The suite had a separate living room area and sleeping area, topped off with a massive bathroom that included a separate tub and shower. Of course the room also had a Nespresso machine, a must have for any luxury brand.

Overall, the room was very spacious, offering a taste of modern luxury in an area rife with history. My parents took full advantage of the complimentary opting for items such as steak and eggs, avocado, or waffles. They said the food was excellent and the orange juice was indeed freshly squeezed.

Overall Value from Using Guest of Honor for a 4 Night Stay

Daily Complimentary Breakfast – $80 ($320)

Valet Parking -$40 ($160)

Complimentary Upgrade to a Junior Suite – $60 ($240)

Total Saved: $720

My Thoughts

Hyatt does an amazing job where other brands falter. With their Guest of Honor program, top tier elites can share their benefits on awards stays for friends and family. What makes this program exciting is that Hyatt is a transfer partner for Chase Ultimate rewards. Leveraging this partnership allowed me to take Chase points from my parent’s accounts to book them this reservation! Have you ever tried to use Guest of Honor as a Hyatt Globalist? Let me know how your experience went.

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