There have been a myriad of blog posts and travel industry articles since early 2016 as each hotel loyalty program unveiled its book direct member discount room rates. I have stayed out of writing much on that topic.
Like most Californians, who rely on a personal auto for daily transportation because most of the state does not offer effective 21st century public transportation, I have spent most of my adult life as a AAA road club member. I have not found any discounts at Hyatt brand hotels in the USA with the new MyRate member only discount rate that exceeds, or in most cases, even matches AAA discount rates.
Hyatt Gold Passport My Elite Rate 2014
Hyatt Gold Passport launched its My Elite Rate in early 2014 with a 20% discount on room rate for some hotels available to HGP Platinum and Diamond members. Anyone with a Hyatt Visa card is automatically Platinum elite. This deal beat AAA rates in many cases.
Hyatt Gold Passport discontinued My Elite Rate at the end of 2014.
I was sorry to see it go. Hyatt’s My Elite Rate was an authentic hotel rate discount.
Loyalty Traveler – Tutorial Hyatt My Elite Rate 20% off
Loyalty Traveler – Hyatt drops My Elite Rate and 5,000 points Bed Type Guarantee (Dec 11, 2014)
Hyatt Hotels MYRATE Member Discount rates return January 2016
The latest craze in member discount rates introduced for loyalty members in Hilton HHonors, IHG Rewards Club and Marriott Rewards this year seems to have been sparked by Hyatt Gold Passport with their roll out of new Hyatt Gold Passport benefits in January 2016. A new Hyatt Gold Passport member rate, available to all loyalty program members and not limited to elites, introduced MYRATE special offer code for Hyatt Gold Passport for hotel bookings in 2016.
Hyatt’s MyRate discount is generally 5 to 10% off Hyatt Daily Rate or BAR.
BAR = hotel industry term for standard room rate with most lenient flexible cancellation policies. This is in contrast to Prepaid or Advance Purchase rates which are generally nonrefundable from the moment of booking.
Two examples of Hyatt MYRATE member discount
Grand Hyatt San Francisco June 3-6, 2016
- Standard Rate = $269
- Member Discount MyRate = $256 (5% discount off BAR).
- AAA rate = $243 (10% discount off BAR)
Multiply the AAA 10% discount room rate over 3 nights and the extra 5% off the MyRate Hyatt Gold Passport elite member rate adds up.
3-night total rate for June3-6, 2016 Grand Hyatt San Francisco stay after tax.
- $847.32 AAA rate
- $894.23 MyRate Hyatt Gold Passport elite member rate
- $941.14 Hyatt Standard Rate (BAR)
Hotels where there are Hyatt MyRate Discounts
AAA discount rates do not apply at many international hotels. This is where you will likely find a better deal using Hyatt’s MyRate special offer code.
Park Hyatt Melbourne, Australia June 3-6
- Standard Rate = $285 AUD
- Member Discount MyRate = $257 AUD (10% discount)
- AAA rate = not offered
Hyatt’s Member Discount is an incentive to book direct with the hotel chain’s websites rather than an online travel agency. For most readers this is probably not even an issue.
The irony for me is the Member Discount campaigns being run by all the major hotel chains to promote Direct Booking coincides with legal rulings in Europe allowing online travel agencies (OTA) when marketing discount rates to their own opt-in members to undercut the hotel chain’s own website rates. I receive far more OTA member discount offers by email in 2016 than ever before.
Booking Direct with the Hotel Chain is Most Sensible, except…
For years I have been a strong advocate for booking direct with hotel chain websites, claiming that any lower rates found through an online travel agency will generally allow you to file a best rate guarantee claim for an even bigger room rate discount.
Now, in 2016, I find myself booking more room nights through OTA channels than in previous years as hotel chain’s have made it more difficult to get a legitimate best rate guarantee claim approved.
As a so-called expert in hotel loyalty programs and bookings, I can say with authority that often times the deals you see through online travel agency sites are truly the lowest rates you will find. But unless you find windfall savings with an OTA rate, like I have found a couple of times this year, then booking through the hotel’s website for points and benefits is generally the best deal.
Next up is Hilton’s ‘Stop Clicking Around’ member discount rate campaign.
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