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I just found a bug in the Hyatt website and I wanted to make sure you knew about it because it can result in your reservation costing you a few hundred more dollars.
Hyatt has a Diamond Guarantee Rate. Â That means that (aside from a few blacked out date) you are guaranteed a reservation at hotels. Â But you aren’t guaranteed a reasonable rate–so these can get pretty expensive.
Hyatt also has a limited amount of rooms available for points. Â These rooms can sell out even if the hotel is sold out.
But Hyatt’s guarantee rate apparently doesn’t always know the difference.
Here’s a search for the Hyatt in the Orlando Airport for tomorrow 2/28/2014. Â I first did this search yesterday and it had availability. Â It still has availability today.
The rate is $234.
The website tells me that the points option is sold out. Â This means the free night certificate is also sold out (that uses point-allocated rooms), but let me try to book one anyway.
I go through the booking portal for Hyatt’s Free Night Certificates and I see:
The website lets me know the hotel is “fully committed” and offers me the Diamond Guarantee rate of $369.  $135 more than what I could book it for under the regular rate.  I attempted to book it the regular way immediately after and received the $234 rate.  Today, I still receive the $234 rate.
This problem won’t turn up for non-diamonds, but for those who are–don’t trust the non-main areas of the site if it tells you it is sold out. Â It may just be sold out of the points rooms. Â In a new tab, search for your preferred dates, and see if it gives you a better price option.
I haven’t actually found a hotel where I can use the free night certificate. I checked a few hotels that are cat 2 that I have upcoming flexible stays in and there wasn’t a single date in the next 5 months that either of them had a room available for the free night stay, yet there were points options and all other options available for many of the nights.
Makes me think something is fishy with these free night stays.
Why in the name of god would you use free night awards at category 2 hotels?
I also ran into a ton of issues booking with points. It would show every room type available for (as an example) cheap off season rates but if you try and book with points?
Nothing available.
I called the diamond line and they said the rooms show available on their end for points and they would be happy to book a room for me.
Yes. There is something wrong with this booking portal for Hyatt’s Free Night Certificates. I was trying to book one night by using the free night I received from the Endless Possibilities Promotion. Nothing seemed available. I called the customer service and was able to book the hotel I wanted right away.