I know this has been posted before but wanted to be sure this wasn't missed. For $75 you can get a Hyatt Visa card which comes with 2 FREE nights and 2 upgrades good for a year. Just used them at the Park Hyatt in Sydney for Kangaroo. That is a hugh savings. Worth about $600 to $700 a night. Very easy to do.

you also get an upgrade to platinum status for as long as you have the card. Too bad the two free nights don't renew every year but for those of you on KANGAROO $75 for a stay at the Park Hyatt sydney is fantastic!

Be aware that the Park Hyatt Sydney is scheduled to close for renovation for about 1 year starting in March 2011.

I'm the Hyatt forum moderator over on Flyertalk so do know more about details of Hyatt's program than I really care to know.

But for people getting the credit card - the perks vary according to the level you are at with the Hyatt program before you get the card.

Gold (Basic members) - get 2 free nights
Platinum (1st Tier Elite) - get 2 free nights + 2 suite upgrades on revenue stays
Diamond (Top Tier Elite) - get 2 free nights in suites

These are good for 1 year after your first use of the credit card - so time your application and card usage carefully (knowing that most here plan cruises way ahead of time).

While Platinum status doesn't really get you much in terms of upgrades and other perks, the one valuable perk that is given to Platinum (and Diamond members) is free internet.

we will be there is February. This is a hotel that you can't beat the view and sevice. Have stayed there twice and love the ability to easily walk around the waterfront.

We signed up for the VISA today too. Will use the suite upgrades for Sydney (DINGO) and the free room in Moscow. Worth the $75.

Make sure you read the terms and conditions clearly. You will have to wait about 10 days to get your card, use the card and then wait another 10 days before the free nights are posted. You cannot use the free nights and suite upgrades at the same time. Peter's notes are correct.

Andi - the suite upgrade won't apply to Sydney since the way that you booked is not an "eligible" rate. Also, there are 4 properties that do not participate in these confirmed suite upgrades: Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, Park Hyatt Sydney, Hyatt Regency Kyoto, Hyatt Regency Paris Madeleine.

Thanks Peter. You are a wealth of info! I hope it can be used in Moscow...at least the free nights. I am a platinum.

Free nights are valid at any property - we believe it comes from the same inventory as regular points award nights which is the same inventory as the "base entry" room for the property - so you can get it on awards if the "base entry" room is available for revenue booking. You should be fine for Moscow for TSAR since you're way out for now (and it was available last week when I exchanged emails with Doug).

Like I said, I know too much about the Hyatt program - more than many of their Customer Service Reps.

I applied a couple of days ago, so Andi you're ahead of us in the Moscow queue! I don't think we'll have problems booking this far ahead of time; if there was something going on in Moscow I bet the Park Hyatt would already be sold out.

Peter, do you know if you have already booked a suite upgrade using points on a future reserevation if you can have the points credited back and use these upgrades instead?

Leslie - if you're referring to using like 6,000 points for a suite upgrade for up to 4 nights, you should be able to get back the points and use these certs for (valid up to 7 nights) instead. However, many Hyatt Customer Reps are rather poorly trained these days, so you might get one that says you can't. In that case, just hang up and call back (I find the best agents to be working late on weekday evenings Eastern Time - which is counter intuitive).

I've never tried this personally, but I would think the procedure is the same as converting existing award reservations on points to Faster Free Night (or whatever they choose to call "new" versions - when they are running) redemption. Many phone reps will tell you it can't be done.

Another alternative to get an agent that is knowledgable would be to Private Message the Gold Passport Concierge over on Flyertalk - at least there are people who keep them "trained" aside from the official training.

Yes, talking about the 4 night, 6k point upgrade. So, each of these Visa upgrade certificates will be good for a stay up to 7 nights? That's terrific!

Hi Peter,

Do you recommend using upgrade points for use (if it even can be done) for Sydney? If so, should we try for a suite or a regency club?

Leslie, if you use it in Moscow for seven nights, you'll be paying 7000 (albeit in a suite). I'm just going to use the two free nights there!

Not referring to Moscow!!! Yes, just the two free nights there!

We have a four night reservation at the Park Hyatt in Saigon in February that I used the 6k point upgrade on.

I didn't realize you were going to Viet Nam...lucky you. I have a great tour guide there if you need one. Absolutely the best.

Andi - no confirmed upgrades possible at Park Hyatt Sydney - they are specifically excluded from the suite upgrade program and they don't have a Club. Your booking is not eligible for any confirmed upgrades anwyays. The vast majority of the rooms have a harbor / opera house view anyways - try to avoid rooms with a very low (less than 5 or so) or very high (in the 40s) room numbers if I recall correctly since those won't have a harbor view. It's the celebrity hotel in Sydney - when we were there Cate Blanchett was having breakfast a couple of tables over and Mark ran into Sting coming off the elevator on our floor.

Leslie - I believe that these 2 Visa upgrade certificates are the same as the 4 Diamond upgrade certificates that was introduced last year - yes they are good for up to 7 nights each.

Thanks Peter! Confirmed upgrades can be taken ahead of time, am I correct? Do you think that they will upgrade to a suite with these certificates if room is available since I am a Platinum level...before the card? Probably not, but I figure you'd know!

Confirmed upgrades can be done at time of reservation - but you have to have the electronic certificates in your account since it is taken out of your account upon confirmation - this applies even to Diamond members.

Thanks again, Peter!

The Hyatt Goldpassport Concierge on Flyertalk is very helpful and very responsive. I've found tons of good info over on Flyertalk (not to mention Peter is an awesome moderator)

I didn't know Peter was the moderator! I have always been afraid to post there but knowing a "regular" would make it easier!

It's certainly nowhere near as friendly over there as it is here but there is quite a bit of expertise. Peter moderates the Hyatt forum, I'm not sure about any others. I read mostly and don't ask questions unless I've done a search first, but my experience has been mostly good. That's where I found out about the Hyatt card in the first place.

I didn't know that there were hotels on the site. To know Peter is the moderator means I will certainly visit.

Well the airline forums can be brutal - even I'm reluctant to post a question sometimes. I moderate Hyatt, National Car Rental, and GLBT.

What is GLBT? Thanks

Gay Lesbian Bi-sexual Trans - etc. - not sure what the politically correct term is these days.

Peter is obviously a nice and very smart FT moderator and happy to see he moderates 3 boards...lucky boards :hug: :hug: PS know this to be true

Just received the card today.

Peter, once you use the card for the first time do they issue the certificates for the free nights and upgrades directly into your account or do you have to call and request them?

My free nights posted to my account about one week after first use of the card. I didn't have to do anything!

Great - Thanks Lauri!

Got my card today, too. Ten minutes later, drove a mile to run a couple of errands, and it worked both times. Do you have to wait until the NIGHTS are "posted" rather than the first charge, to make a reservation?

I don't usually read the fine print with these cards, but when I was looking for info earlier about the 2 free nights and suite upgrades I made a note of all the benefits that come with this card.

Some we get through AMEX etc. but some of these look unique, especially the trip cancellation/interruption, lost luggage and baggage delay.

no foreign transaction fee - (now I can cancel the Capital One card)
Auto collision damage waiver
travel accident - $500,000
travel baggage delay $500
lost luggage - $3,000
trip cancellation & interruption - $5,000
Trip delay - $300
Price protection - 90 days - $2,500
purchase protection - 90 days - $500
return protection - $500 - 90 days
identity theft - $5,000

Yes - you do - since it has to hit your Hyatt account (transmitted over from Chase). To see if it's posted - log in to your Hyatt account and go to "My Awards" - that's where it should show up (presumably - since I don't have this card yet).

Peter is correct, the nights show up in My Awards after about a week after first use of the card. Strangely, both of mine didn't show up at the same time. One appeared in the morning, the other in late afternoon. I already had reservations before I got the card but Hyatt couldn't change them to award nights until the free nights showed up in my account.

Note: having a reservation in place on revenue (or stay certificates) doesn't mean that they can be changed to use these award nights (or any other award nights either). If you had a reservation made with points, you "should" be able to change them to use these credit card awards.

Thank you Peter! Even though on our last "cruise" we had way too little time!

This is such a great promotion!

I just booked our confirmed upgrade to a Grand Suite for 5 nights at the Grand Hyatt in Berlin for our post Russian River cruise stay; I previously booked the 2 night free stay at the Park Hyatt Moscow for the pre-cruise. One suite upgrade left to go.

Card fee - $75
savings so far - approx $2,750 - more if taxes aren't included

Once you use your card and points post, is there any expiration date for when you need to use your 2 free nights ? I got Tom a card too and he hasn't used his yet. We're using my free nights in Sydney.

I believe you have one year from the time the nights are awarded to use them.

Thanks Lauri. I was considering using Tom's nights in Montreal next Oct. for CANADA pre-cruise. Have no idea if it's in a good location or not ? Maybe our Canadian LCT friends will know.