Hyatt Globalist Guest of Honor Awards

World of Hyatt's Guest of Honor awards are being sold on online trading platforms, creating a black market for elite status benefits. The program feature, intended for gifting to friends and family, is now available for purchase on sites like Reddit, Taobao, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace, according to a report from LoyaltyLobby.

Selling Hyatt points and account-related awards violates the program's terms and conditions. Even trading them with other members in social media groups is considered a grey area where Hyatt could take action.

The Intended Use and a Popular Workaround

The awards were designed to allow Globalist members to share their elite status perks, such as suite upgrades and late checkout, with others. When a Guest of Honor award is used, the original Globalist member receives one elite qualifying night credit in their own account, regardless of the length of the stay booked by the guest.

One user cited in the report gives all their certificates to a single trusted friend. This avoids engaging in trades with strangers. For a Hyatt power user with many Guest of Honor and Suite Upgrade Awards, trading might make sense, but the source recommends doing so only within a trusted circle.

Unintended Consequences for Hotels and Members

The proliferation of sold awards has created significant issues. Obtaining suites for actual Globalist members has become more difficult, particularly at popular hotels. The report states that when "every shepherd and his dog can just buy a Suite Upgrade Award or a Guest of Honor," it complicates inventory management.

This situation forces hotels to play games with their suite inventory. The availability of benefits meant for a select group of loyal guests is now being accessed by a wider, paying audience outside the official loyalty structure.

For recipients, the awards are a powerful tool. They allow someone to receive all the benefits of Globalist status without having to complete the annual 60-night requirement. If maintaining status through nights becomes unsustainable, the report suggests some members might seek to obtain Guest of Honor awards from other sources for their own worthwhile stays each year. The final question posed is how often members gift their awards and whether beneficiaries still find the experience valuable.