As a new parent, managing stress has become a frequent challenge for me. Being a points and miles enthusiast, I’m constantly seeking ways to maximize my favorite rewards programs.
Thankfully, I discovered a great method to tackle both of these goals after welcoming our first child last year.
Here’s how I utilize my credit card points to navigate the challenges of parenthood while preserving my elite status with my preferred hotel program.
The Value of Hyatt Explorist Elite Status
I’ve maintained Explorist status with World of Hyatt for several years. Although I anticipated a decrease in travel due to our new baby, I was determined not to lose my elite status. Explorist ranks in the middle tier of Hyatt’s three-level elite hierarchy, and you can achieve it through the following:
- Discoverist: Stay 10 nights, book three meetings and events, or earn 25,000 base points (approximately $5,000 in spending). You can also obtain automatic status by holding a World of Hyatt Credit Card (see rates and fees).
- Explorist: Stay 30 nights, book 10 meetings and events, or earn 50,000 base points (around $10,000 in spending).
- Globalist: Stay 60 nights, book 20 meetings and events, or earn 100,000 base points (about $20,000 in spending).
While not as generous as the Globalist level, I’ve been very satisfied with the benefits of Explorist status, including a free night award, a 20% bonus on earned points, guaranteed room availability for paid stays, and complimentary upgrades to the best available room (excluding suites) upon check-in.
Although Discoverist status offers decent perks, I’ve experienced significantly more noteworthy upgrades and heightened hospitality ever since achieving Explorist. As my status level is based on last year’s activity, I was committed to reaching 30 qualifying nights in 2024 to retain my Explorist status.
Related: Understanding World of Hyatt elite status and how to earn it
Redeeming Points for “Staycations”
The great thing about points and miles is that they’re not just for luxury vacations. Credit card rewards can also simplify your daily life.
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Many parents will agree that the first year of parenthood brings immense joy but also numerous challenges. Key to navigating this journey is finding ways to avoid burnout and supporting each other during stressful moments.
With this in mind, my wife and I developed a gradual staycation plan, referred to as a “mattress run,” during our first year as new parents. In 2024, we planned one-night stays at our local Hyatt Regency, alternating who would take a break from parenting to enjoy a night of relaxation downtown.
Maximizing Points When Not Traveling
Earlier this year, I realized I’d fall short by about 10 to 12 nights of reaching the 30 qualifying nights required for Explorist status, so we decided to book monthly stays at our local Hyatt.
Fortunately, our city features a lovely Category 1 Hyatt hotel. A standard room at these entry-level properties typically costs 5,000 points per night, or 3,500 points during off-peak nights. The World of Hyatt program is one of the few that still provides a published award chart, allowing you to see standard, peak, and off-peak rates in advance.
Each month, we’d assess our plans and the award rates at the Hyatt Regency Rochester, enabling us to book most nights at the off-peak rate. With my Explorist status, we could always count on upgrades to higher floors with scenic views of the city and Lake Ontario.
Choosing the Right Card
What I take pride in most about this arrangement is that I didn’t even need to deplete my Hyatt points to make this “new parents staycation” a reality.
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), I cover most of our everyday expenses, including groceries (exclusions apply), dining, and select streaming services (earning 3 points per dollar). As a result, we earn around 3,600 Chase Ultimate Rewards points monthly. Plus, I can transfer these points 1:1 into my World of Hyatt account, effectively generating enough points for our staycation nights through regular spending.
Pro tip: Now is an excellent time to consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, as it currently offers 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first three months. This is one of the best offers available and one of our top recommended travel cards. That bonus alone could cover nearly 28 nights at the Hyatt Regency Rochester.
Conclusion
By the end of 2024, I had redeemed 47,000 Hyatt points for 14 nights (12 completely free nights and a couple at the Points + Cash rate). Had we paid cash for these stays, it would have exceeded $2,100.
Saving $2,100 through the right spending choices is a great advantage for anyone, particularly for a young family. And maintaining sanity as a first-time parent? Well, that’s invaluable.
Additionally, I successfully secured my Explorist status through February 2026, meaning the whole family can enjoy room upgrades at Hyatt.
