Hyatt Place’s breakfast policy: Here’s how to eat for free

04/26/2021

Many travelers who stay at Hyatt Place hotels become members of the World of Hyatt rewards program in order to be eligible for extra benefits like the free breakfast. While this perk recently became available to all guests due to the pandemic, the hotel chain could eventually revert back to its policy of only offering it to rewards club members who book directly with the hotel.

Prior to COVID-19, the free breakfast was available to rewards members who booked a room directly through Hyatt. This included those who booked a Point + Cash rate or an award night, or who used points for an upgrade, although there aren’t many meaningful upgrades available at Hyatt Place hotels. If you need more Hyatt points, check out our complete guide on all the ways you can earn them.

After the free breakfast became available only to Hyatt loyalty members in 2018, Hyatt saw quite a bit of backlash, yet the chain stuck to its guns and carried through with the new policy. In the event it reverts back to this policy post-pandemic, we want to make sure you know how the changes work and how they affect you.

Restrictions on who qualifies for free breakfast

Every sane traveler loves a free breakfast.

Pre-COVID-19, the Hyatt Place menu had been elevated, with higher-end ingredients and recipes that were local to the region where each hotel was located. The different regions were Atlantic, South, Southwest, Heartland, and West Coast. The breakfast buffet also featured items such as cage-free eggs, all-natural bacon, all-natural skinless sausage, and artisanal breads and pastries.

For now, what you can expect to find any morning at most Hyatt Place hotels are prepackaged foods like muffins, cereal, fruit, yogurt, and hot sandwiches, as well as the zucchini spice bread that has gained a bit of popularity.

If Hyatt reverts back to its previous policy after the pandemic, to enjoy free breakfasts guests would need to:

Be a World of Hyatt member (it’s easy to sign-up)
Book your room directly with Hyatt

The first qualification shouldn’t be any trouble. If you’re reading this, you’re earning points for your stays as a Hyatt member, anyway. All tiers qualify, so no elite status is necessary. Hyatt even allows you to sign-up easily upon check-in at the hotel to receive free breakfast.

The second qualification is a bit more troubling. While I usually do book directly with the hotel on most occasions, there are times when it makes more sense to book through a third-party.

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For example, I may want to book through the Chase Travel Portal to pay for my stay with Chase points. This reservation would not qualify for free breakfast. The stipulation can be troubling for those who use various travel portals, and it very well may be reason enough to consider another hotel brand if complimentary breakfast is important for you and your travel companions. Read our guide to all the hotels with free breakfast if you’re one such traveler.

Bottom line

There are several benefits to booking direct with Hyatt. You get elite night credits, hotel points that you can use for free nights, and bonus rewards when you use a hotel credit card like World of Hyatt Credit Card, and free breakfast at Hyatt Place.

As of November 2020, breakfast at Hyatt Place hotels has been available for all guests. However, as travel picks up as more folks become vaccinated against COVID-19, the chain may revert to its policy of only offering complimentary breakfast to World of Hyatt members who book their stay directly through Hyatt.

No one knows how long the chain will continue offering all guests the free breakfast, and it was reported recently that it was piloting a tiered offering with both free and paid options at 20 of its hotels. As such, it would be wise to check the policy at any given hotel location before you book, especially if you are not a World of Hyatt member and don’t plan to book directly with Hyatt Place.

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