World Of Hyatt Adds 700+ Mr & Mrs Smith Boutique Hotels

Hyatt loyalty program has recently integrated the Mr & Mrs Smith travel club platform into its system (part of a $67 million deal) allowing members to earn and redeem points at more than 700 luxury hotels and boutique properties.

This helps to fill gaps in the network of hotels already in the World of Hyatt system, which includes everything from select-service and extended stay to luxury hotels and all-inclusive resorts. World of Hyatt is adding more properties in batches as each one becomes aligned with the Hyatt system.

If you’re wondering about the unusual name, it’s a cheeky nod to the oft-used nom de plume of illicit stays a century ago, given to the collection by founders James and Tamara Lohan. The couple formed the hotel group after experiencing a series of average stays in their own travelers and decided it was time to build a group of top boutique hotels they could trust. They found the name to be a playful way to refer to this new, high-end collection.

The addition of this travel club to World of Hyatt brings the hospitality group to new destinations. Now members can earn and redeem points in Fiji, Namibia, the British Virgin Islands and more than a dozen other countries and territories that are new to Hyatt. More hotels are being added on a quarterly basis with over 1,000 expected to be part of the Hyatt partnership by the end of the year.

According to Marrion Barrere, director of curation at Mr & Mrs Smith, they would like to add more hotels in parts of Africa noting that there are some magical hotels that would be a perfect fit. The goal is to add several dozen hotels to the network each month. While there are nearly 2,000 hotels in the platform, not all of them will be part of World of Hyatt.

For example, there are several Six Senses properties in Mr & Mrs Smith that won’t participate in World of Hyatt since they already participate in IHG’s loyalty program. Other familiar names in the network include Rosewood and Aman, but they have to opt into the World of Hyatt program, which is yet to be seen.

The average property in the program only has 42 rooms, an indication of the boutique experience that this brand brings. There are tree houses in Finland, animal sanctuaries in Mozambique and stately manors in England. These types of unique stay opportunities are not the norm for a global hotel loyalty program.

Among the elegant options are Thyme, a family-owned, working farm and stately haven in the Cotswolds of England that has drawn models for wedding buyouts and foodies for its cooking school, and historic Cowley Manor on 55 acres of nearby land in a protected building. Japanese ryokan-style properties are also in the mix like Azumi Setoda in Hiroshima and Beniya Mukayu in Kanazawa in the lush Yamashiro Gardens.

Members will earn points in the same way they do with most other World of Hyatt properties (5x point per dollar spent). Elite members will also earn tier bonuses between 10-30% relative to their category. Spending on incidental items on property will not be eligible for Hyatt points, however. Stays will count toward elite night credits, one of the metrics Hyatt uses to achieve elite status, and its Milestone Rewards perks.

These hotels will also participate in World of Hyatt’s promotions, although if using a World of Hyatt credit card, there will be no bonus points (typically, cardholders receive 4x bonus points when spending at Hyatt properties). Members that have linked their American AAdvantage accounts with Hyatt will receive bonus American miles, a popular double-dip opportunity.

One major difference between these properties and other World of Hyatt hotels is that they will not be part of the award chart. Hyatt is one of the only hotel brands that still provides clarity to members with a chart letting them know how many points they would need for a redemption night.

Other programs rely strictly on dynamic pricing, which uses supply and demand to determine then points rate (typically, tied in some way to the cash rate). Mr & Mrs Smith will follow the latter pricing policy, which means it is not clear to know how many points will be needed for a redemption until you know the date.

Members will be glad to know, however, that if there is a room for sale, then they can also redeem their points for it. With other redemptions, there usually needs to be a standard room available when redeeming points. Other benefits for members redeeming points is that if there is a resort fee, it would be waived at these properties. A welcome perk is available to all members, regardless of elite status, which is dubbed the “Smith Extra.” It can include arrival snacks, cocktails or on-property perks like late checkout.

Globalist members, who receive free breakfast when staying with World of Hyatt properties, will not be eligible for that perk at Mr & Mrs Smith although some properties already include breakfast in the rate. They may, however, be offered an upgrade if one is available, at the property’s discretion.

There has been a lot of movement between major loyalty programs and niche brands that complete the larger picture for a well-rounded hospitality brand. Hilton Honors is integrating Small Luxury Hotels of the World into its loyalty landscape after World of Hyatt ended its partnership with the boutique hotel group.

Marriott Bonvoy is bringing aboard MGM Hotels into the fold, another former World of Hyatt partner. But, it is Hyatt’s move to bring Mr & Mrs Smith (formerly tied up with IHG One Rewards) into its network that is the biggest move of all with more than 1,000 hotels eventually participating in the partnership (more than double what it is replacing).

Savvy travelers know the mix of brands that participate in each program although it can be hard to keep up with so many new brands being added to each one. World of Hyatt takes a playful approach to educating customers by awarding them with free night redemptions for every five brands they stay with as a member. Dubbed Brand Explorer, members can track their progress online or in the World of Hyatt app to learn more about the nearly 30 brands in the program.

This connection between Hyatt and Mr & Mrs Smith is part of a major growth effort to boost its luxury and lifestyle hotels and resorts, which has doubled in the past five years and now covers 40% of the portfolio. This is good news for the hospitality brand and World of Hyatt members, both of which stand to benefit, and there’s even more to come.

 

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