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Hyatt Acquires Playa Hotels & Resorts for $2.6 Billion
Hyatt is doubling down on the all-inclusive market. The hotel giant has struck a deal to acquire all Playa Hotels & Resorts for $2.6 billion. Playa has a variety of high-quality, all-inclusive resorts in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.
This move cements Hyatt’s position as a dominant player in the luxury all-inclusive sector, following the Apple Leisure Group acquisition in 2021 and a 50/50 stake in Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts last year.
This should be good news as there are more properties, more redemption opportunities, and (hopefully) more options to use World of Hyatt points. Playa Resorts already operates several Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara locations, and now Hyatt will own and manage them fully.
Many Playa Resorts properties fly the flag of Hyatt’s biggest competitors—Hilton, Marriott, IHG, and Wyndham. Hyatt will most likely rebrand these under its Inclusive Collection, which includes Ziva, Zilara, and Dreams Resorts.
I imagine there will be a quiet phase-out of Hilton Rose Hall in Jamaica, Marriott’s Luxury Collection resorts, and the Kimpton Tres Rios in Mexico.
Earn Up to a 45% Bonus on Marriott Bonvoy Points Purchases and Gifts.
Marriott Bonvoy has launched a new points offer. Until 30th March 2025, you can get up to a 45% bonus when you buy or gift points.
Bonuses start when you purchase 2,000 points or more, but the 45% bonus applies to purchases of 20,000 points or more.
Marriott are quite stingy when it comes to these types of offers which typically range from 40% to 60%. Most other hotel brands regularly have offers with up to 100% bonus.
It’s a shame because I was hoping for a strong Marriott points offer this spring so I could book the Gritti Palace in Venice on points.
The maximum number of points you can purchase is 150,000, up from 100,000 in 2024. 150,000 points cost $1875 (£1490.40), and you will get 217,500 points, which scales down to 0.86 cents (68p) per point. This substantial value is just over 31% lower than the usual purchase price of $1.25 (99p) per point.
This is a valuable offer if you plan to redeem your points for high-value stays. It is also good if you are short of the points you need for a points + cash stay or under the minimum threshold to transfer your points to another programme.
If you purchase 10,000-19,000 points, you will get a 40% bonus. This works out at 0.89 cents (71p) per point.
When you buy 2,000-9,000 points, you will get a 35% bonus. This works out at 0.93 cents (74p) per point.
It’s worth noting that your Marriott Bonvoy account needs to be at least 90 days old to purchase points or 30 days with qualifying activity such as a previous hotel stay.
Gifting points is simple. You just need to fill in the recipient’s details.
Things to Note
- This offer is valid only for Points purchased through the promotion’s Buy Points and Gift Points pages.
- Points will be posted to the Member’s Account within 72 hours after completing the transaction.
- In 2025, you can purchase or receive as a gift a combined maximum of 150,000 Points per calendar year through our Buy Points and Gift Points pages.
Preferred Hotels Double Points Offer
January is shaping up to be a great month for hotel points promotions! Preferred Hotels is running a double points promotion until 30th April 2025.
You must register for the promotion before 31st March 2025.
You will earn 10 base points + 10 bonus points per $1 (79p) spent, but keep in mind that the double points apply only to base points. If you are a Gold (20%) or Titanium (50%) member, your regular bonuses remain unchanged.
Preferred hotels run over 600 hotels. Under the Preferred Hotels name are Connect, Legend, L.V.X., Lifestyle, and Preferred Residences. The majority of the hotels are in Europe and North America, but there are hotels worldwide.
Redemption nights start from 15,000 points per night. With this offer, you would need to spend $750 (£595.97) for 15,000 points!
You should register for this promotion if you enjoy staying at Preferred Hotels. You never know when unexpected travel may arise.
If you haven’t already signed up, the Preferred Hotels loyalty programme is well worth it, with benefits similar to major hotel chain reward programmes. You can earn room upgrades, early check-in and late check-out, food and drinks vouchers and more.
Things to Note
- You must book directly from Preferred Hotels
- Bonus points earned will not count towards tier upgrade qualification.
