The World of Hyatt Credit Card Review: A World of Valuable Perks to Improve Your Hyatt Experience

For those who enjoy staying at Hyatt hotels, The World of Hyatt Credit Card provides a fast track to free nights. This credit card, offered by Chase and Hyatt, includes a sign-up bonus, high rewards rates on a variety of purchases, and a free night award. With those perks, it's no surprise that there's an annual fee. Find out if you should apply or if you're better off checking out other credit cards in our The World of Hyatt Credit Card review.

This credit card is a good fit for: People who stay at Hyatt properties and want to get free nights (as well as other valuable benefits) at the hotel chain.

Top perks

The World of Hyatt Credit Card has valuable benefits for frequent guests.

Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points

Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.

It's a more complicated welcome offer than what most hotel credit cards have, and it requires a lot of spending. Still, this is one of the more valuable sign-up bonuses from a hotel credit card.

SEE MORE: Best Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses

Up to 9 points per $1

The World of Hyatt Credit Card earns:

• 4 points per $1 on purchases at all Hyatt hotels
• 2 points per $1 at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, local transit and commuting, and memberships at fitness clubs and gyms
• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases

World of Hyatt members earn 5 points per $1 on Hyatt purchases. You can combine that rate with the 4 points per $1 offered by this card to earn an impressive 9 points per $1 on all your Hyatt spending.

Up to two free nights per year

You get one free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after your cardmember anniversary. In addition, you can get another free night if you spend $15,000 during your cardmember anniversary year.

Free night awards are one of the most valuable perks the best hotel credit cards offer. Most Hyatt hotels cost at least $95 per night, so this benefit alone makes up for the card's annual fee. If you use it at an expensive hotel, it could save you $300 or $400. And if you spend enough on this Hyatt credit card, you can get another free night every year.

Complimentary elite status

The World of Hyatt Credit Card includes World of Hyatt Discoverist status, the first elite status tier in the hotel's loyalty program. Perks of this status tier include:

• Complimentary premium internet
• 2 p.m. checkout when available
• Expedited check-in at participating locations

You'll also receive five qualifying night credits every year and another two qualifying night credits every time you spend $5,000 with your card. Those credits make it easier to progress to higher status tiers.

No foreign transaction fees

Like just about any of the best travel rewards cards, The World of Hyatt Credit Card doesn't charge an extra fee for foreign transactions.

Travel and consumer protections

If you use this card for travel or shopping purchases, it offers several helpful protections. Here are the protections that apply to eligible purchases:

• Baggage delay insurance
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance
• Purchase protection against damage or theft
• Auto rental damage collision waiver

What could be improved

There are a couple drawbacks to note about this hotel card.

Spending requirement for sign-up bonus

To earn the full 60,000-point sign-up bonus, you need to spend $3,000 in the first three months and $15,000 in the first six months. Those are both doable, especially if you plan to put most of your purchases on your Hyatt credit card. But it's more spending than many of the top credit cards require.

Annual fee

The World of Hyatt Credit Card costs $95 per year. That's something to consider before applying, but the card provides well over $95 in annual value if you can use its benefits.

The free night benefit at a Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort can easily save you hundreds of dollars. There's also this card's rewards rate, complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status, and the opportunity to earn another free night by spending $15,000 per year. All those perks more than justify the annual fee, assuming you can use them. If not, check out more credit card reviews to find a better fit.

Fewer properties than other hotel chains

Hyatt certainly isn't a small hotel chain, but it doesn't have nearly the footprint of certain competitors. It has over 900 properties, whereas IHG® and Hilton have over 6,000, and Marriott International has well over 7,000. You won't have nearly as many places where you can redeem Hyatt points compared to points from one of those other hotels.

RELATED: Best Credit Cards for International Travel

A FICO® Score of at least 670 is recommended to apply for The World of Hyatt Credit Card. It's aimed at consumers with good credit, and while you could be approved with a lower score, it's less likely.

In addition to your credit score, another factor that can determine whether you're approved is the number of credit cards you've opened in the last 24 months. This is a cobranded credit card offered by Chase and Hyatt. Chase usually denies applicants who have opened five or more credit cards within that time frame.

LEARN MORE: A Guide to Chase's 5/24 Rule

The World of Hyatt Credit Card is a must-have for anyone who stays at Hyatt hotels on a regular basis. It will earn you bonus points on all your Hyatt purchases. It charges an affordable annual fee, and its free night alone should mean you come out ahead. There's a lot to like about this card and no major drawbacks. If you are a Hyatt fan, The World of Hyatt Credit Card will improve your stays and save you quite a bit of money.

Our credit card methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.