Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Chase Hyatt Visa Card Review


Chase has among the best credit cards in the industry and the Chase Hyatt card is no exception. Beginning with 2 free award nights at any Hyatt in the world (including category 6 properties such as the Park Hyatt Tokyo or the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome) after your first purchase, this card is definitely a big draw.

In addition, this card also gifts you complimentary Hyatt Platinum status as long as you have this card which is their mid-tier level and offers decent privileges such as room available upgrades, free internet, late checkout and point bonuses for stays etc.

As with most of the other Chase cards, this one comes with the no foreign transaction fees. And much like the Chase Marriott Premier card, you get a complimentary night upon account anniversary at a Hyatt Category 1-4 hotel which easily pays for the annual fee of $75. In fact, since Hyatt only has up to 6 categories at the time of this writing, Categories 1-4 are far more valuable than the equivalent Category 1-5 hotels out of 8+ (if you count Ritz Carlton) categories for Marriott.

As I had highlighted in this post, redeeming Hyatt Gold Passport points for free Hyatt night redemptions is a no-brainer as I find Hyatt points are extremely valuable, nipping closely at the heels of the Hilton HHonors program. And if you apply now, there is an offer here that gives you a $75 statement credit after your first purchase as well. To make this even more appealing, if you are already a platinum member, you can also get 2 suite upgrade certificates (only applicable on paid rooms) as well while diamond members get 2 free suite nights instead of just 2 free nights in a room!

This credit card offer comes with:
  • Free 2 nights at any Hyatt worldwide after first purhcase
  • 1 complimentary night each year at a Category 1-4 hotel
  • 3 points per $1 spend at Hyatt hotels
  • 1 point per $1 spend on everything else
  • Hyatt Gold Passport Platinum Elite Status
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $75 statement credit after your first purchase (covers the first year annual fee)
So, given all of these goodies, is it worth it to get this card? My answer is a resounding yes (assuming you have a good credit score and are responsibly paying off all your credit card balances on time). Essentially, you get 2 free nights at a minimum after your first purchase and the annual free night award more than balances out the $75 annual fee.

However, I would only suggest holding the card and not actually using it for your everyday spending as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card can earn you 2 points per $1 on regular dining and travel spending and is transferrable to the Hyatt program as well. The only situation where I could foresee using this card would be on Hyatt stays to earn the 3 points per $1, very much like the case with the Chase Marriott Premier Card.

Disclaimer: This card is only available to US residents.  Also, I am not paid by Chase to endorse their products.

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