The World of Hyatt Guest of Honor Award is replacing the World of Hyatt Guest of Honor program. Here is a quick summary of how the new World of Hyatt Guest of Honor Award works.
Steve, a blog reader and one of my travel buddies, emailed asking,
I think I understood the old system. I could make an award booking, using my points, for another person and call and make it a Guest of Honor (GOH) booking.
Now I get certificates. So can I give a cert to a friend, he makes a booking using his points and/or cash and he applies it? I get 1 elite night after he completes his stay. Is that the way it is going to work?
Guest of Honor Award
The World of Hyatt Guest of Honor (GOH) will become a Guest of Honor Award (GHA). You can use points or cash to book a GHA. Under GOH you would only use points.
Being able to pay with cash for a Guest of Honor Award is a nice feature. It allows the recipient to earn more base points for their stay.
On Jan 1, 2024, existing Globalists will be given 5 Guest of Honor Awards. It’s no longer an unlimited allowance, probably to prevent fraud as too many folks were abusing the system.
Pro-tip: Current Globalists can use unlimited legacy GOH for points only bookings until February 28, 2025.
You can earn more Guest of Honor Awards as part of the new milestone awards.
As part of the milestone awards, you no longer need Globalist status to earn and use a Guest of Honor Award.
Reservations booked with a GHA get Globalist perks and benefits even if you aren’t currently a Globalist.
You can give a GHA to another World of Hyatt member. But you have to make the reservation for that person using cash or points similar to how the Guest of Honor process is now.
As of January 1, 2024, Hyatt added the ability to give a GHA via the app. You can now gift a Guest of Honor award to another member without having to call.
Simply open your app and click on the Awards. Click on Guest of Honor Awards, click on an award, click on gift. Enter the recipient’s WOH number and last name and click gift. The award will show up on their account.
The same restrictions on use apply. For example, GHAs can only be used at participating World of Hyatt hotels and are not valid at Hyatt Vacation Club hotels.
Earn 1 Elite Qualifying Night
After the stay, you will earn 1 elite qualifying night regardless of how many nights the Guest of Honor Award reservation is. The GHA recipient will earn elite nights based on the length of the stay.
Pro-tip: Consider saving your GHAs until later in the year in case you need the extra bump of 5 days to reach Globalist status. This way you can avoid a last minute mattress run or be tempted to make a second guest reservation.
Conclusion
Starting January 1, Guest of Honor Award replaces Guest of Honor. The new program allows non-Globalists to make and give a Guest of Honor Award to another World of Hyatt member.
That member receives Globalist perks for their stay and the giver earns one elite qualifying night.
Unlike the GOH program, GHAs are limited. So use yours wisely.
Stay tuned for an indepth look at the Guest of Honor Award program.
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