Diplomatic Suite at Hyatt Hotel Canberra: 24,000 points
All images on this page courtesy Hyatt.com.
Booking Hyatt suites with points can be hugely rewarding. I already picked a “winner” in each 1-4 category in my previous installments. As a reminder, here are the best values I’ve found (just scroll down to the Best Category “X” Hyatt suite redemption section):
- Best Category 1 Hyatt suite redemption: Hyatt Regency Belgrade suites
- Best Category 2 Hyatt suite redemption: Hyatt Regency Osaka
- Best Category 3 Hyatt suite redemption: Park Hyatt Siem Reap
- Best Category 4 Hyatt suite redemption: Grand Hyatt Jeju
Plus, here is my previous 5th installment:
But of course there are more good values in suites than I’ve posted so far. Considering the outrageous cash rates hotels usually charge for suites, you’ll often find great deals by redeeming Hyatt points instead (when they let you, which isn’t always, by the way).
Here are honorary suite mentions by category.
Hyatt Category 1 honorary mentions
Standard suites: 8,000 points; premium suites: 10,000 points.
Mexico
- Hyatt Regency Merida
Merida is a beautiful colonial city on the Yucatan peninsula and totally worth visiting from what I’ve heard on multiple occasions.
Malaysia
- Hyatt Regency Kinabalu Malaysia Waterfront (Regency Club access)
- Hyatt Regency Kuantan Resort, Malaysia (Regency Club access)
Kinabalu in northern Borneo is a better-known travel destination, but Kuantan has the distinction of lying just 3 hours by car or train from Kuala Lumpur. And from what I’ve read it’s a nice enough resort with clean and beautiful beaches — not the worst place to spend a few lazy days.
Hyatt Category 2 honorary mentions
Standard suites: 13,000 points; premium suites: 16,000 points.
Mexico
- Hyatt Regency Andares Guadalajara (Regency Club access)
Sweden
- Story Hotel Riddargatan, part of JdV by Hyatt
While Story Hotel Riddargatan in Stockholm is already a great deal for 8,000 points, I’d argue that redeeming 13,000 for a 600 square feet suite with a separate living room, sleeper, and two balconies is an even better bargain.
UAE
- Hyatt Regency Dubai (Regency Club access)
Qatar
- Andaz Capital Gate, Abu Dhabi
South Africa
- Hyatt Regency Johannesburg (only standard suites are available for redemptions: Regency Club access)
Indonesia
- Grand Hyatt Bali (standard Grand and premium Club suites are the same whopping 1,500+ square foot suites but Club suites include access)
Hyatt Category 3 honorary mentions
Standard suites: 20,000 points; premium suites: 24,000 points.
Mexico
- Hyatt Regency Mexico City (Regency Club access)
Turkey
- Grand Hyatt Istanbul
What’s interesting is that I haven’t found any outstanding suite values for European Hyatt Category 3 hotels. Not in Venice, not in Dublin, not anywhere else. I wouldn’t spend more Hyatt points on getting just a slightly better accommodation, but feel free to disagree. 🙂
Tanzania
- Hyatt Regency Dar es Salaam, The Kilimanjaro (Regency Club access)
Dar es Salaam is not a prime travel destination unless you intend to climb or rather walk to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. However, should your travels take you there anyway, just know that this is one of those rare Hyatt hotels where you can book top premium (Presidential and Royal) suites with points. What’s funny: it seems Hyatt doesn’t sell premium suites for cash, but award booking is freely available. I recommend a whopping 1,600 square foot Royal Suite with a harbor view. Like I said, I was unable to find cash booking prices for premium suites, but a standard Regency Executive Suite often goes for ~$450. I would expect the Royal Suite to command at least twice as much.
Indonesia
- Alila Ubud, Bali
- Standard (20,000 points) and premium (24,000 points) suites are available (Regency Club access)
I didn’t include this resort in the first part of this post (there are plenty of cheap awesome resorts in Ubud), but the suites at Alila are another matter. The suites here are actually villas, and they look like tranquility.
- Pool Villa is a standard suite (20,000 points).
- Terrace Tree Villa is a premium suite (24,000 points).
Thailand
- Hyatt Regency Hua Hin
- Standard (20,000 points) and premium (24,000 points) suites are available
I didn’t include this hotel in the “room” part of this post, but suites here look like a good value, and I especially like that booking a suite gets you a free daily massage! I would go for the premium, 1,500 square foot Premier View Suite.
Mariana Islands
- Hyatt Regency Saipan (Regency Club access)
Guess which suite I’d go for. I mean, the bigger 1,200+ square foot suite is “just” 4,000 more points. 🙂
Australia
- Hyatt Hotel Canberra – A Park Hyatt Hotel
This is yet another Hyatt that allows you to book its top premium suite on points. And, gee, what a suite it is! I mean the standard Park Suite is nothing to sneeze at, but the premium Diplomatic Suite has a monstrous footprint: 2,500 square feet to be exact! That just makes it a must for me if I ever find myself in Canberra (and if Hyatt hasn’t jacked up the redemption price, which it will, probably 🙂 ).
Hyatt Category 4 honorary mentions
Standard suites: 24,000 points; premium suites: 30,000 points.
France
- Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile Suites: photos / videos
There is no access to Regency Club, but standard and some premium suites at Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile have a separate living room with a Murphy bed, which make them a solid choice for a larger family.
If you’re willing to pay 30,000 points, you have a choice between a smaller, 500 square feet suite with an Eiffel Tower view or a larger and more upscale 780 square feet suite. In fact, the Eiffel Tower suite seems identical to a standard suite — only with the view of the Tower.
Germany
- Grand Hyatt Berlin (Regency Club access)
- Hyatt Regency Dusseldorf (Regency Club access)
Spain
- Hyatt Regency Hesperia Madrid
If you’re willing to splurge — get a premium Ambassador Suite with an outdoor Jacuzzi!
PIC
Japan
- Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay (Regency Club access)
Only standard rooms are available here (what I could find anyway), and the best available ones are Regency Terrace Suites. Not a bad value for 24,000 points.
Korea
- Grand Hyatt Seoul (Regency Club access)
Premium (Grand Executive) suites are rarely available for redemptions, but from what I’m seeing standard Grand Suites might even be better value-wise.
To recap
My own experience booking Hyatt suites with points is slim, so I wasn’t sure what I’d discover when I started working on this series. Well, I’m happy to report that it seems to be a terrific way of adding value and enjoyment to your travel even if you don’t have the top Globalist elite status. While there are programs that also allow you to book a suite with points (Hilton Honors and Radisson Awards) the value is not even in the same league. I wouldn’t hesitate booking a suite on points for family travel or when there is a special occasion, or if I just feel like it, LOL.
What do you think about redeeming points for Hyatt suites? Have you booked them in the past and are you going to in the future? Please share in the comments.
