But even World of Hyatt’s transparency is adjusted regularly. Each year, it changes its award chart, moving some hotels to a higher category (charging more points) and dropping others to a lower category (requiring fewer points for an award redemption).
These changes take effect May 20, 2026, so you’ll need to act fast if you want to get these good deals before they require more points. Here are some of the popular properties that are going to higher categories and charging more points for a redemption stay.
1. Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort, Orlando
After May 20, you’ll need 15,000-35,000 points for a standard room.
2. Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino
Undergoing a full renovation, this wilderness resort is changing from a Category 5 to a Category 6 (20,000-40,000 points) property. It’s a great home base for a Lake Tahoe vacation, especially if you want to hit the casino or relax in the property’s spa. Other activities at the resort include guided hikes, arts and crafts, and yoga sessions.
3. Andaz 5th Avenue, New York
Heading to the Big Apple? Plan on spending more World of Hyatt points if you are staying at Andaz 5th Avenue. That’s because this hotel is moving from Category 7 to Category 8 (35,000-75,000 for a standard room) tier. This hotel is ideally located for great shopping and dining and has rooms overlooking the New York Public Library.
4. Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa and Casino
This resort is shifting from a Category 7 to Category 8, making an island vacation a bit more expensive in points. Category 8 is the top redemption category on World of Hyatt’s award chart.
The hotel has two pools, waterfalls, a casino and full-service spa, all on Aruba’s popular Palm Beach. Other activities at the property include cooking classes, yoga and a waterslide at the pool.
Part of The Unbound Collection, this traditional hotel has an ideal location between the Louvre Museum and the Opéra Garnier. It is changing from a Category 7 to a Category 8 property (an award night costs 35,000-75,000 points), which means a visit to the City of Lights will cost more if you want to redeem points with World of Hyatt. But this hotel is worth it here: some rooms have small balconies overlooking the neighborhood.
6. The Standard Ibiza, Spain
Ready to party? This Spanish island is a favorite for its beautiful beaches, but you will need more World of Hyatt points to redeem points for a stay there. It is climbing from a Category 6 to a Category 7 hotel, which means you will need 25,000-55,000 points for an award night redemption.
If you’re willing to pay the new price, you can bask in the sun of the rooftop pool, socialize at the bar or enjoy farm-to-table cuisine at its Jara restaurant.
7. Park Hyatt London River Thames
This new London hotel opened in 2024, and it has already jumped from Category 7 to Category 8 (35,000-75,000 points) on the World of Hyatt award chart. Its skyline views of the River Thames and London’s landmarks are hallmarks of the hotel. Another highlight of the hotel is its spa and indoor swimming pool, which take up an entire floor.
The rooftop pool of this Athens hotel is the perfect place to relax after a day of sightseeing. And from the top floor, guests have great views of the Acropolis in the distance. This hotel has always been a great redemption as a Category 3 property, but it will move up a notch to Category 4 (12,000-25,000 points).
It’s not all bad news. There are a lot of properties going down a category. These include popular hotels like Andaz West Hollywood, Andaz Macau, The Standard Singapore and Park Hyatt Sanya Sunny Bay Resort in China.
Still, most of the changes involve redemptions requiring more World of Hyatt points for a free stay. At least, World of Hyatt still uses an award chart so you have a better idea of how many points you need to save for a travel redemption.
How to maximize your rewards
About the author
Ramsey is a freelance travel journalist covering business travel, loyalty programs and luxury travel. His work has appeared in Travel+Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Reader’s Digest, AFAR, BBC Worldwide, USA Today, Frommers.com, Fodors.com, Business Traveler, Fortune, Airways, TravelAge West, MSN.com, Bustle.com and AAA magazines. As someone who flies more than 450,000 miles per year and has been to 173 countries, he is well-versed in the intricacies of credit cards and how to maximize the associated perks and services.
