Hyatt Suite Upgrade Awards: You Earned Them—But Can You Actually Use Them?

If you’re a loyal Hyatt traveler, you know that hitting 40, 50, and 60 nights a year comes with some seriously valuable perks. One of the most exciting? Suite Upgrade Awards—those magical certificates that promise a suite upgrade at the time of booking, rather than hoping for one at check-in.

But here’s the catch: Not every Hyatt hotel lets you use them.

Yep, even though you’ve put in the nights, spent the money, and played the points game like a pro, some properties simply won’t honor these awards. Sometimes it’s because they don’t have suites. Other times, they have so few that they’d rather sell them outright. And in some cases, they just choose not to participate.

So, before you start planning your suite-filled getaway, let’s talk about where you can’t use your Hyatt Suite Upgrade Awards—and why.

How Hyatt Suite Upgrade Awards Work

These awards are meant to guarantee an upgrade to a Standard Suite at the time of booking on either a paid stay or a points redemption. The key advantage? No last-minute surprises at check-in.

However, not all Hyatt hotels play along. Some have limited suite inventory, while others—especially all-inclusive resorts and select Hyatt brands—don’t offer suite upgrades at all.

Hotels That Don’t Accept Suite Upgrade Awards

If you’re dreaming of a guaranteed suite upgrade, you’ll want to avoid these properties, because no matter how many awards you have, they simply don’t participate.

Luxury Hotels With Limited Suites

Some of Hyatt’s most high-end properties have very few suites available, making them tough to upgrade into. Instead of offering them for awards, these hotels prioritize paid bookings.

• Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa

• Park Hyatt Sydney

• Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa

• Park Hyatt Johannesburg

• Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills

• Andaz Lisbon

Major City Hotels That Can’t Keep Up With Demand

In high-traffic cities, hotels often have low suite availability and high occupancy rates, making upgrades difficult.

• Hyatt Regency Kyoto

• Hyatt Paris Madeleine

• Hyatt Herald Square New York

• Hyatt Key West Resort and Spa

• Hyatt City of Dreams Manila

• Hyatt Centric South Beach Miami

• Hyatt Centric Midtown 5th Ave

Resorts & Vacation Destinations That Don’t Offer Suite Upgrades

Some properties have villas instead of traditional suites, while others have so few suites that they don’t release them for awards.

• Spirit Ridge at NK’MIP Resort

• Cheyenne Mountain Resort

• Hyatt Regency Newport Beach West

• Grand Hyatt Kuwait Residences

• Numu Boutique Hotel San Miguel de Allende

• Thompson Hollywood

• Thompson Seattle

Hotels That Simply Don’t Have Suites

Many of Hyatt’s budget and select-service brands aren’t designed for luxury stays and don’t have suites at all.

• Hyatt Place hotels

• Hyatt Studios hotels

• Me and All Hotels properties

• Caption by Hyatt hotels

All-Inclusive Resorts Where Suite Upgrades Don’t Work

At all-inclusive properties, room categories are pre-determined packages, so traditional suite upgrades aren’t an option.

• Ventana Campground

• Dreams Aventuras

• Dreams Royal Beach

• Now Emerald Cancun

• Sunscape Sabor Cozumel

• AluaSoul Alcudia Bay

• AluaSoul Menorca

• Alua Leo

• AluaSun Far Menorca

• AluaSun Mediterráneo

• AluaSun Cala Antena

• Alua Boccaccio

• AluaSun Lago Park

• AluaSun Doblemar

Newly Acquired Lindner Hotels That Aren’t Participating Yet

Hyatt recently acquired Lindner Hotels, but these properties don’t currently accept Suite Upgrade Awards.

• Lindner Hotel Frankfurt Hochst

• Lindner Hotel Dusseldorf Seestern

• Lindner Hotel Frankfurt Sportpark

• Lindner Hotel City Plaza Cologne

• Lindner Hotel Nurburgring Ferienpark

• Lindner Hotel Nurburgring Motorsport

• Lindner Hotel Nurburgring Congress

• Lindner Hotel Bratislava

Why Can’t You Use Suite Upgrade Awards at These Properties?

There are three main reasons:

1. The hotel doesn’t have suites. Some brands, like Hyatt Place and Caption by Hyatt, simply don’t offer suites, so there’s nothing to upgrade into.

2. There aren’t enough suites to go around. Luxury hotels, like Park Hyatt Sydney and Andaz Tokyo, have a very limited number of suites. They’re often booked far in advance or sold at premium rates, so they don’t get released for awards.

3. The property doesn’t allow suite upgrades. Many all-inclusive resorts and vacation rentals have strict room categories, so Suite Upgrade Awards just aren’t part of their booking structure.

How to Avoid Disappointment

If you’re planning a stay and hoping for a suite upgrade, here’s what you should do:

• Check before booking. If a property is on this list, don’t expect to use your Suite Upgrade Awards there.

• Call Hyatt to confirm. Even if a hotel isn’t on the list, availability isn’t always guaranteed.

• Be flexible. Some properties will release suite inventory closer to your stay, while others never will.

Final Thoughts

Suite Upgrade Awards are a powerful benefit for Hyatt loyalists, but only if you know where you can actually use them.

Before you get excited about a confirmed suite stay, double-check that your dream hotel even participates. Otherwise, you might end up holding an award with nowhere to use it—while someone else checks into the suite you thought you had.

Have you ever tried to use a Suite Upgrade Award and been told it wasn’t available?