World of Hyatt is my favorite hotel loyalty program, and I’ve loved redeeming my World of Hyatt points over the years on everything from cheap and cheerful Category 1 airport hotels to luxurious bespoke properties on idyllic Greek islands.
I knew that the program had expanded the ways to redeem points beyond hotel stays to experiencesthought, assuming the value (or the experiences themselves) wouldn’t be that great
So, when Hyatt recently invited me to an event that it sponsors, the Laver Cup tournament at London’s The O2 arena, I jumped at the chance to go as a tennis enthusiast. I’d been to The O2 countless times for concerts and thought I knew the venue pretty well. But Hyatt was auctioning off a luxury experience in the ultra-VIP Legends Club, a space I didn’t even know existed that turned out to be on a completely different level of luxury, in part due to its courtside seats for watching the action.
Seeing how few Hyatt points the winning bids went for, especially given this impressive level of premium hospitality and access, I came to the realization that this might just be the most valuable way to redeem World of Hyatt points.
Here’s why.
What are Hyatt Find experience auctions?
Find is World of Hyatt’s experiences platform, where members can book everything from fitness workshops and chef’s table dinners to Broadway tickets, paying with either cash or World of Hyatt points. You don’t need to stay at a Hyatt hotel to take part, though some experiences include accommodations.
Most Find experiences are advertised with a fixed price — and that’s where you might struggle to get outsize value. When TPG travel writer Rachel Craft tested a fixed-price Find dining package in Denver, it delivered less value than TPG’s valuation of World of Hyatt points at the time, and she concluded that members would probably get more value redeeming their points for hotel stays.
Auctions work differently. A small number of limited-time experiences, often tied to Hyatt’s sports sponsorships, go to the highest bidder, with members bidding in points rather than paying a set price.
Before you bid, it’s worth knowing the rules:
- Bidding is open to World of Hyatt members, who must sign in to their accounts to place a bid.
- Opening bids vary by listing. The auction for the Saturday-night Laver Cup package, which included the session I attended, started at just 8,000 World of Hyatt points (though sold for a lot more than that).
- Every bid is binding once placed and cannot be retracted, modified or canceled. If you win, the experience is noncancelable and nonrefundable, so make sure you can attend the experience you are bidding on.
- If you don’t use an experience you’ve won, you forfeit it, and Hyatt won’t return your points.
- Each listing has its own dates, eligibility rules and deadline for completing the purchase with points. It’s a good idea to read all the terms before bidding.
How to locate and bid on these experiences
Auctions are usually only a small portion of the Find options available at any one time, so here’s how you can find them:
- Sign in to your World of Hyatt account on Hyatt’s Find experiences website.
- Head to the limited-time experiences section, which shows each auction’s current bid and how much time is left.
- Sort by time left to find auctions that are closing soon or by bid to spot ones that still have low current bids.
- Look out for new auctions around Hyatt’s sports sponsorships, such as the Laver Cup and the Audi Revolut F1 Team.
- Read the full listing, including the dates, exactly what’s included and what you’ll need to pay for yourself (such as flights), before you bid.
- Enter your bid, making sure you have enough points in your account to cover it.
- Keep an eye on the final minutes, when the price can jump quickly.
Why these auctions can be such a valuable way to redeem World of Hyatt points
The Laver Cup packages were a savvy example of just how much value a Find auction can deliver.
Each of the three packages Hyatt auctioned included:
- Two single-session Legends Club tickets for the Laver Cup, including courtside seats
- Two nights in a River View room with a king-size bed at the Park Hyatt London River Thames
- Round-trip transfers between the hotel and The O2 and between the airport and the hotel
- A hotel food-and-beverage credit of 300 British pounds (about $400), excluding alcohol, taxes, service and incidental charges, third-party venues and gratuities
- A “Back to Brilliance” 60-minute massage for two, subject to availability and advance booking
Inside the Legends Club
Starting with priority, fast-track entry to the venue, the Legends Club was a significant step up in luxury from anything else I’ve seen at The O2. It even surpassed my impression of the Virgin Red Room, a corporate suite at The O2 that can be booked with Virgin Red points.
The two-level hospitality suite (usually hidden behind the stage at traditional concerts) was huge and opened onto the arena, with a perfect view down the baseline.
Before the play started, there was even a Q&A with tennis legend Andy Murray, which isn’t something you get with a regular ticket.
Premium food and drinks were included from 90 minutes before the session until the final ball, and the Champagne kept flowing the entire time.
When it was time for the tennis, I headed down to my own courtside seat in the second row. I was so close to the current No. 3 player in the world, Carlos Alcaraz, that I could almost have reached out and touched him.
I didn’t stay at the Park Hyatt this time, but having toured the hotel, I can see why it would make the package even more appealing, with spacious rooms, marble bathrooms, views over the Thames and a 65-foot indoor pool.
Running the numbers on redemption value
Published all-in prices for a single Legends Club ticket ranged from $1,329 to $2,652 for Friday night and from $1,461 to $2,916 for either Saturday session, depending on the seat.
Standard rooms started at $633 per night when TPG reviewed the Park Hyatt, and the hotel’s 60-minute “Back to Brilliance” massage cost $279 per person. Add the two-night stay and hotel credit, and I estimate each package was worth between $5,000 and $8,000 before assigning any value to the transfers.
A search engine index of Hyatt’s official Find homepage shows Hyatt auctioned off three Laver Cup packages with Legends Club single-session tickets and Park Hyatt accommodations (plus the above-mentioned inclusions) with winning bids of 81,583, 120,560 and 160,000 points, although the closed listings are no longer visible on the live page.
TPG’s October 2026 valuations assign a value of 1.65 cents to every World of Hyatt point. By that valuation, the winning bids were worth about $1,346, $1,989 and $2,640, respectively. Even using the low end of my estimated package value, those redemptions delivered about 6.1, 4.1 and 3.1 cents per point, respectively, or roughly 1.9 to 3.7 times TPG’s valuation, a spectacular result.
Put another way, the Category 8 Park Hyatt London River Thames costs 35,000 to 75,000 World of Hyatt points per night for a standard room, so two nights can cost 70,000 to 150,000 points. The two lower bids were below the 150,000-point threshold required for two standard award nights on top-priced dates, while the highest bid was only 10,000 points higher.
Of course, not every auction will deliver this much value. Popular experiences, such as Formula One races, can attract plenty of competition, and you have no control over where the bidding ends. However, you can decide up front what an experience is worth to you and stop bidding if the price goes past that amount.
How to earn World of Hyatt points
World of Hyatt members earn points on eligible Hyatt stays and Find bookings paid for with cash, but a credit card can be the quickest way to build your balance for an auction.
You can choose between two cobranded cards:
- World of Hyatt Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn up to 60,000 points: 30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening and up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2 bonus points total per dollar spent in the first six months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 point, on up to $15,000 spent.
- World of Hyatt Business Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 70,000 bonus points after spending $7,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Or, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt from the following cards:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees): Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees): Earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Chase Ultimate Rewards points held in Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business accounts transfer to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio.
Points held in Chase Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred accounts transfer at a 4:3 ratio, meaning 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points become 750 World of Hyatt points.
Bilt Points currently transfer to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio through Dec. 31, 2026. The ratio will drop to 4:3 on Jan. 1, 2027.
Bottom line
Fixed-price Find experiences still would not usually tempt me away from a hotel redemption, but auctions are a different story.
This was easily the most luxurious sporting experience I have ever attended, from the VIP entry to the spectacular views and the hospitality of the Legends Club, which offered everything I could imagine, including proximity to some of the world’s best tennis players.
Factor in the accommodations, transfers, food-and-beverage credits and other perks, and it’s clear this is an exceptional way to redeem World of Hyatt points. You’ll potentially considerably exceed our valuation of these excellent hotel points by redeeming them this way.
The 2027 Laver Cup will be played at the Intuit Dome near Los Angeles from Sept. 24 to 26, 2027. As the official hotel partner, look out for Hyatt Find experiences and auctions for next year’s tournament.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Source: thepointsguy.com
