US High-Value Hyatt Category 1-4 Certificate Properties
- Adam Garrett
- Jan 3
- 7 min read
Updated: Jan 5
Below I'll go over some examples of ways to use category 1-4 Hyatt certificates, particularly for those wishing to only stay 1 or 2 nights. I'll focus almost exclusively on domestic US options.
Above example w 2 adults and 2 kids:
Image courtesy Hyatt.com
Caveats & Tips
It's best to explore yourself, not just rely on the below examples, since only a very small sampling of options are present, I did not research as much as I could have to determine average values, or otherwise. The below should demonstrate that while category 4 will typically get you the highest value, in some cases, even a category 2 could be worth more than a category 4 hotel. In rare cases, even category 1 properties can be over $400/night. Value potential is based on a small sampling.
"cat" stands for category when used
Example of Options with >$900 Value Potential
In the absence of status benefits or other awards factoring in like a suite upgrade award (which can't be combined with a free night certificate), over $900 in value is rare below category 5, but I saw an example in IL: Hyatt Place Chicago/Downtown - The Loop - cat 4 - 4.5/5 weekend in October where the Friday and Saturday night rates were similar.
Examples of Options with >$800 Value Potential
FL: Hyatt Regency Orlando - Category 4
IL: Hyatt House Chicago/Evanston - Cat 4 May $1765.07 for 2 nights
VA: Hyatt Place Blacksburg/University can go for over $800/night for a home game during football season, but finding availability with a certificate can be tough at those times.
Examples of Options with >$700 Value Potential
CA: Hyatt Regency Long Beach - Category 4
DC: Hyatt Washington DC/Convention Center - Category 4 Category 3 (inauguration w 2 adults and 2 kids)
IL: Ambassador Chicago (JDV) - cat 4 - 4.5/5
IL: Hyatt House Chicago - Medical/ University District - Cat 4 - 4/5
NY: Hyatt Place Long Island City/New York City - Cat 4 (NYE) 4.5/5
VA: Hyatt Centric Old Town Alexandria - Category 3 (inauguration w 2 adults and 2 kids)
WA: Hyatt Regency Lake Washington at Seattle's Southport- cat 3 - 4.5 (no club lounge) July 4th weekend
Examples of Options with >$600 Value Potential
CA: Hyatt Regency Sacramento - Category 3
FL: Hyatt Place Gainesville Downtown - Category 3
IL: Hyatt Place Chicago/Wicker Park - Cat 4 - 4.5/5
IL: Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile - Cat 4 - 4.5/5 ($1399.98 example)
NC: The Carolina Inn - Category 4
NJ: Hyatt House Jersey City - Cat 4 (NYE)
NJ: Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson - Cat 4 (NYE)
NY: Hyatt Regency JFK Airport at Resorts World New York - Cat 4 (NYE) w Club Lounge if you have globalist status 4.5/5
VA: Hyatt Centric Arlington - Category 3 (inauguration w 2 adults and 2 kids for $1368.72)
VA: Hyatt Place Arlington/Courthouse Plaza - category 3 (inauguration w 2 adults and 2 kids)
VA: Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Regan National Airport - Cat 3 (inauguration w 2 adults and 2 kids & also during cherry blossom festival in March)
WA: Hyatt Regency Bellevue on Seattle's Eastside - cat 4 - 4.5 (no club lounge)
WI: Hyatt Place Milwaukee Downtown - Cat 3 - 4.5/5
Examples of Options with >$500 Value Potential
CA: Hyatt Place Santa Cruz - Cat 4
CA: Hyatt Regency Newport Beach - Cat 4
CO: Hyatt Place Keystone/Dillon - Cat 4
DC: Hyatt Platce Washington DC/National Mall - Cat 4 - during time of Cherry Blossom Festival in March
FL: Hyatt Place West Palm Beach/Downtown - Cat 4
FL Hyatt Regency Sarasota - Cat 4
FL: Hyatt Place St. Petersburg/Downtown - Cat 4
FL Hyatt Regency Coral Gables - Cat 4
GA: Hyatt Regency Atlanta - Cat 3
IL: Hyatt Place Chicago/River North
IL: Hyatt Place Chicago-South/University Medical Center - Cat 4 - 4.5/5
IL: Hyatt Regency McCormick Place Chicago - Cat 4 - 4.5/5 (no club lounge)
IL: Hyatt Regency Chicago - Cat 4 w Club Lounge if you have globalist status
IL: Hotel Lincoln (JDV) - Cat 3
NC: Hyatt House Raleigh North Hills - Cat 3
VA: Hyatt Place Harrisonburg (on football weekend)
Examples of Options with >$400 Value Potential
CA: Hyatt Centric the Pike Long Beach
CO: best Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center - Category 4
DC: Hyatt Place Washington DC/Georgetown/West End - Cat 4 ($983.66 midweek for 2 nights during Cherry Blossom Festival w 2 adults and 2 kids)
DC: Thompson Washington D.C. - Cat 4 (midweek in mid-late march)
FL: Hyatt Place Delray Beach - Cat 4
FL: Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport - Cat 4
FL: Hyatt Place Lakeland Center - Cat 2
FL: Hyatt Place Sarasota/Lakewood Ranch - Cat 2
FL: Grant Hyatt Tampa - Cat 3
FL: Hyatt Place Tampa Airport/Westshore - Cat 2
NC: Hyatt Place Raleigh-Durham Airport - Cat 1
TX: Hyatt Place Dallas/Arlington - Cat 2
TX: Hyatt Place Fort Worth Historic Stockyards - Cat 4 4.5
TX: Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk - Cat 3 4.5 of 5 w/ Club Lounge if you have globalist status
Va: Hyatt Place Virginia Beach Town Center - Cat 3
VA: Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center - Cat 4 (cherry blossom festival midweek in March)
WI: Hyatt Regency Green Bay - Cat 2 - $891.66 for 2 nights during football season on a weekend
Examples of Options with >$300 Value Potential
CA:
Hyatt Regency La Jola at Aventine (San Diego) - Category 4
Hyatt Place Sacramento/Roseville - Category 3
Hyatt House San Diego/Sorrento Mesa - Category 3
Hyatt Place Pasadena - Category 4
Hyatt Place Glendale/Los Angeles - Cat 4
CO:
Hyatt Place Boulder/Pearl Street - Cat 3
FL:
Hyatt Place Sarasota/Brandenton Airport - Cat 2
MD:
Hyatt Regency Bethesda - Cat 3
NC: Hyatt House Raleigh Durham Airport - Cat 1
Hyatt Place Greensboro/Downtown - Cat 3
NM: Santa Ana Pueblo
Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa - 2 night example in May for $784.78
TX: Hyatt Place Lubbock - Cat 2; 2 night example for $793.55. 4.5/5
TX: Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk 4.5/5 (no club lounge)
VA: Hyatt Regency Reston - Cat 3 $770.88 for 2 nights during inauguration w 2 adults and 2 kids
VA: Hyatt Place Charlottesville - Cat 2 $790.49 for 2 nights during football season weekend.
VA: Hyatt Place Chesapeake/Greenbrier - Cat 2
WA: Hyatt Regency Seattle - Cat 4 - 4.5/5 no club lounge
International Examples
While these are numerous, since most readers are US-based, and since category 1-4 certificates, one of the top reason why someone would be looking for category 1-4 options, are often used for 1 night only, it doesn't make much sense to focus on them.
As reported by some like TPG, Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile, a Category 4 hotel rated 4/5, is a great option, but availability is weak likely in part due to publications like that of TPG (& due to a much lesser degree due to limited visibility, publications like this one)
London has a few good options that are high value with some category 3's and 4's, but availability is rough.
Tokyo has a 5/5 rated Hyatt House Tokyo Shibuya (category 4) that tends to price high, but availability is rough. Hyatt Regency Tokyo (category 4) is rated 4.5/5, but availability also is weak. Grand Hyatt Fukuoka (category 4, rated 4.5/5) seems to have better availability, as does category 3 Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay (rated 4/5/5), as does 4.5/5 rated category 4 Hyatt Regency Yokohama, and all 3 have a club lounge if you're globalist or can otherwise gain access.
Hotel Maps
Here's a category 4 map
In case you want to narrow to locations that would allow an upgrade (if space is available at check in) up to a standard suite for those receiving globalist benefits if there is space availability at time of check in, here's a map.
In case you'd only like to consider brands that frequently but not always have club lounges or free minibars (excluding alcoholic beverages, which are fee based) at some of the hotels, here's a map.
Drivable Options from SE VA Where You Can Stay
With a category 1-4 free night certificate, you'd be able to stay in standard rooms at any of Hyatt's >1000 category 1-4 properties around the world. That said, I'd generally recommend one of their category 3-4 properties that would be a <4 hr drive or flight(s). For instance, here are some drivable options & options by train outside of Hampton Roads other than the Carolina Inn (filtering by category without ensuring that the certificates could be used with each case, but to give you an idea):
In January (low season) during the week:
In January (low season) on a weekend (which tend to have lower rates than during the week in DC):
During inauguration in DC:
Midweek in mid-late March (Cherry Blossom Festival):
On a May Weekend:
Images courtesy Hyatt.com
On an October weekend (football season):
Chapel Hill Hotels for a Drivable Visit
The US News & World Report top rated and 3rd top rated hotels in Chapel Hill, NC, are available with these same certificates:
Image courtesy https://travel.usnews.com/hotels/chapel_hill_nc/
Image courtesy https://travel.usnews.com/hotels/chapel_hill_nc/
Low-Cost Direct Flight from SE VA Options Where You Can Stay
There are plenty of direct flights out of SE VA, from Newport News, Norfolk, or Richmond. See my article on finding cheap flights if desired.
It's a good idea to check Google flights to look for options across a broad range of dates.
Here's a map of some of those direct flights available at least as of the time of the map creation. In many of those cases, there are category 3-4 options for a stay.
Time
For a 1 night stay, I'd generally recommend leaving early in the morning and getting back at night in an ideal world. I'd also generally recommend travel that would be less than 4 hours each way. If you leave at 8 AM, get to a location at 12 PM, and then return at 5 PM, you'd have a full 24 hr day plus an afternoon at a destination. In some cases, you may want to make stops or take detours along the way if driving.
Value
While it may be tempting to pick the first destination that comes to mind where a category 1-4 property is available, I suggest only choosing a destination where you'd be getting high value. If you only pick a category 1 hotel property just because it's the only hotel when you want and where you want it, you'll likely be leaving a lot of value on the table.
Additional Costs
When considering a 1 night stay, be sure to keep in mind additional costs like:
Parking Fees
Rental Car Costs if flying or going by train and you don't plan to use another form of transit
Baggage fee costs for transit, if applicable
Meal costs
If you have a Bank of America credit or debit card, and especially if others in your party have one as well, consider timing your visit to go on a Museum's On Us weekend (the first full weekend of every month) in a city with an attraction that you'd like to visit.
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