How to Share or Enjoy Top-Tier Globalist Benefits with World of Hyatt's Guest of Honor Awards
- Noboundlife
- 6 days ago
- 8 min read
World of Hyatt’s Guest of Honor perk is one of my favorite benefits in any hotel loyalty program. In this post, I’ll examine how this program works, as it’s one of the rare opportunities in the hotel industry to share elite benefits with others.
Table of Content
The Basics of Hyatt Guest of Honor
World of Hyatt Guest of Honor awards are part of the Milestone Rewards program, allowing members to enjoy Globalist perks during their stays. These awards provide significant flexibility—you can use them for your own stays or gift them to others.
As a Globalist member, I appreciate this concept, as it promotes a long-term relationship with the hotel loyalty program rather than a purely transactional interaction.
Anyone who travels frequently understands that certain stays hold more significance than others. For many, the most meaningful trips are those spent with loved ones. Sometimes, I even find myself caring more about trips my family takes without me, as I want to ensure they have a wonderful experience.
With Guest of Honor, you can share nearly all of your elite benefits with anyone you choose, which is truly remarkable. I believe this feature also serves as an excellent marketing tool, as it demonstrates the value of higher-tier elite status and may motivate others to strive for it as well.
How do you get Guest of Honor Reward
Guest of Honor awards can be earned by World of Hyatt members through the Milestone Rewards program:
You receive one Guest of Honor award when you earn 40 elite nights or 65,000 base points.
You earn two Guest of Honor awards when you achieve 60 elite nights or 100,000 base points.
You receive one Guest of Honor award for each additional milestone at 70, 80, 90, 110, 120, 130, and/or 140 elite nights.
Lifetime World of Hyatt Globalist members automatically receive five Guest of Honor awards annually, in addition to any earned through Milestone Rewards.
There’s no opportunity cost associated with selecting Guest of Honor awards; they are automatically deposited into your World of Hyatt account. Here’s a breakdown of how many awards you can earn in a year:
A "standard" Globalist earning 60 elite nights in a year would receive three Guest of Honor awards.
A non-lifetime Globalist can earn up to 10 awards per year by achieving 140 elite nights.
A lifetime Globalist can earn up to 15 awards per year with the same 140 elite nights.
Guest of Honor awards are typically valid for the year they are earned, plus an additional 14 months. For instance, a Guest of Honor award earned in January 2025 would generally be valid through February 2027.
You can also directly get Guest of Honor coupon from Nobound Life directly, without the need to meet the above requirements.
What are the benefits of Guest of Honor coupons
Each Guest of Honor award allows you to offer World of Hyatt Globalist perks for a specific hotel stay:
Guest of Honor awards can be used by the member who earned them or gifted to others.
They can be applied to stays booked with cash or points, provided the booking is made directly with Hyatt and falls under an eligible rate. The only exception is that these awards cannot be used for free night award redemptions.
A Guest of Honor award is valid for a consecutive stay of up to seven nights at a single property.
You cannot combine award types; for example, you cannot stack a suite upgrade award with a Guest of Honor award.
Here are three scenarios where a Guest of Honor award can be particularly beneficial:
Explorist Status: If you have World of Hyatt Explorist status and earn a Guest of Honor award at 40 elite nights, you can treat yourself to Globalist status for a stay, enjoying additional perks.
Expiring Globalist Status: If your Globalist status is expiring, you can use Guest of Honor awards to maintain Globalist perks on select future stays, as the awards may have longer validity.
Enhancing Friends’ Stays: Regardless of your status, you can use Guest of Honor awards to enhance the travel experiences of loved ones and friends, sharing the benefits of Globalist status with them.
What Globalist benefits apply with Guest of Honor?
Guest of Honor awards provide World of Hyatt Globalist benefits during a stay, allowing recipients to enjoy nearly all the perks associated with Globalist status. Here’s a summary of the benefits offered:
Suite Upgrades: Subject to availability, you can enjoy complimentary upgrades to suites.
Free Breakfast: Start your day with a complimentary breakfast.
4 PM Late Check-Out: Enjoy extended check-out time at non-resort properties.
Waived Resort and Destination Fees: Save on additional charges during your stay.
Free Parking: If redeeming points, parking fees may be waived.
The only exception is that you won’t receive the 30% points bonus that Globalist members typically earn on eligible stays. For a comprehensive breakdown of Globalist status perks, you can refer to my detailed guide.
Who earns elite nights for Guest of Honor awards?
When a World of Hyatt member stays using a Guest of Honor award, they earn the same number of elite nights as they typically would.
Here’s an exciting twist: if you gift your Guest of Honor award to someone else instead of using it yourself, you’ll receive one bonus elite night for each qualifying Guest of Honor stay. This means you earn one elite night per stay, not per night.
For example, if you are a Globalist member and gift three Guest of Honor bookings in a year, you would earn three bonus elite nights. This feature not only enhances the experience for your friends or family but also provides a strong incentive for gifting these perks.
Keep in mind that you will only earn the elite night after the recipient completes their eligible stay, not when you book or transfer the award. This adds an extra layer of excitement and motivation to share the benefits!
How to redeem Guest of Honor Award
It’s possible to handle most aspects of Guest of Honor directly through Hyatt’s website or app. The process differs depending on whether you plan to use a Guest of Honor award for yourself, or want to gift it to someone else.
If you want to use a Guest of Honor award for someone else, the process is that you transfer that award to the other person, and then they make the booking directly. To do this, go to hyatt.com and log into your World of Hyatt account. Then click on the “Awards” section, and click the three dots next to the award you want to transfer, and click “Gift Your Award.”
Then enter the last name and World of Hyatt number of the person you want to transfer the Guest of Honor award to, and then it’ll be instantly deposited in their account.
Then to actually redeem your Guest of Honor award, just go through the process of searching for a hotel stay you’re considering. On the page that shows the available rates, you should see an “Eligible Awards” section. If you want to apply a Guest of Honor award, you’ll want to click the button reflecting that.
If you already have Globalist status that’s supposed to be valid over the intended stay, you’ll see a message indicating that “your current tier status already includes these award benefits.”
The process is virtually the same through the Hyatt mobile app. The only situation in which you’d need to pick up the phone is if you want to apply a Guest of Honor award to an existing booking.
World of Hyatt Guest of Honor FAQs
What rates aren’t eligible for Guest of Honor awards?
Guest of Honor awards can be used for any cash stay booked directly with Hyatt, but they cannot be applied to free night awards when using certificates. Eligible stays must be booked directly with Hyatt, including Hyatt Privé bookings. However, bookings made through third-party sites do not qualify. This allows you to enjoy Globalist benefits during your eligible stays! If you have more questions, feel free to ask.
Can you apply suite upgrade awards to Guest of Honor bookings?
Suite upgrade awards are offered as part of the Milestone Rewards program, and allow you to confirm a suite upgrade at the time of booking for a single stay of up to seven nights. While suite upgrade awards can be transfered to others, unfortunately you can’t combine suite upgrade awards and Guest of Honor awards, as different award types can’t be stacked.
Can you use Guest of Honor awards for multiple rooms?
Each Guest of Honor award offers Globalist perks for a single room on a consecutive stay of up to seven nights, so couldn’t be applied to multiple rooms. However, if you have multiple Guest of Honor awards, you can apply those to multiple rooms over the same period without issue.
Are any hotels excluded for Guest of Honor awards?
Guest of Honor bookings are valid at Hyatt-managed properties but not at Hyatt Vacation Club properties or any brands not managed by Hyatt, such as Mr & Mrs Smith properties. If you have any further questions, just let me know!
Who can you transfer your Guest of Honor awards to?
World of Hyatt allows you to transfer your Guest of Honor awards, as well as other awards like suite upgrades, club access, and free night awards, to any other World of Hyatt members, including family and friends, with no restrictions.
How does the bonus elite night for Guest of Honor awards work?
To incentivize sharing your Guest of Honor awards with others, World of Hyatt is offering one elite night for every Guest of Honor award shared with someone else. You only receive that bonus elite night after the person who you gifted your award to completes their stay, and the elite night should post automatically.
In my experience, this usually posts within a few days of them completing their eligible stay. There’s no limit to how many bonus elite nights you can earn this way (beyond the limit on how many Guest of Honor awards you can earn), and you don’t receive a bonus elite night if you redeem this for yourself.
How do you maximize Guest of Honor awards?
Since Guest of Honor awards are limited, it's wise to use them strategically. If you have more potential uses than awards, consider prioritizing:
Longer Stays: Aim for stays close to seven nights for maximum value.
High-Value Benefits: Choose hotels where you can receive significant Globalist benefits, like great upgrades or exceptional breakfast options.
Special Fees: If paying cash, use Guest of Honor for properties with resort or destination fees. If redeeming points, consider it for stays with high parking costs.
Additionally, remember that club access awards are now transferable. For stays at properties with club lounges, it may be better to use a club access award instead of a Guest of Honor award if your supply is limited. If you have more questions, feel free to ask!
Bottom line
World of Hyatt’s Guest of Honor feature is one of the standout perks in any loyalty program. These awards are earned through the Milestone Rewards program and allow you to enjoy Globalist benefits for hotel stays of up to seven nights. You can use them for friends, family, or even for yourself, even if you haven't achieved Globalist status.
This unique offering truly sets World of Hyatt apart in the industry, as no other hotel loyalty program provides a benefit quite like this. If you have any more questions or need further information, just let me know!
