Financial Friday: $79.99 For $100 Check Certificates For Hyatt Hotels

Financial Friday: $79.99 For $100 Check Certificates For Hyatt Hotels
by Alice Shaffer

About two weeks, I received an email from Kim P, a professional nanny and Regarding Nannies follower, telling me that she was in Costco and found they sell Hyatt Check Certificates in the value of $100 (two $50) for $79.99.  She said she wanted to let the Financial Nanny asap!  I was floored!  The INA Conference is at the Hyatt Fisherman's Wharf and we got an awesome rate of $115 a night plus 15.5% tax.  Could I honestly save another $20 a night with these Hyatt Check Certificates?   I called the hotel numerous times and spoke with various people including Ivy the assistant manager and Sang a front desk staff member..they both confirmed that the check certificates that are purchased from Costco can be used for our conference rates.  I even scoured the internet and message boards.  I found one called Flyertalk that has 64 pages devoted to the Hyatt check certificates.


How can you be a part of this $20 savings?


You will need to find a local Costco near you and call and ask them if they have any Hyatt $100 Check Certificates for $79.99 (Costco item 485271) . These are paper certificates on an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. Let me know if you can't find them. If you don't have a Costco Membership they are $50 a year. You can share with one other person. Maybe you can split the cost with another nanny or family member.


Some things to consider when you want to use these Check Certificates.

1. You will NOT receive change from them.  Make sure you spend more than you have in certificates. Pay the remaining balance in cash or with a credit card.
2. They may not be accepted on prepaid rates...check with the hotel before your stay. Speak with the manager.
3. You should call the hotel or the hotels you want to use them at and double check with them that they accept them. Make sure to tell them you have a conference rate for your stay.
4. You need to turn them in at the beginning of your stay when you check in. This is what Sang told me on the phone.  
5. You can apply these check certificates to things charged to your hotel room. Such as parking ($45 a night) or restaurant charges. Again double check.
6. Here is the back of the certificate with the Terms & Conditions .
7. As always get the name of the person you speak with and make note of it in case there is a problem.

I am a Hyatt lover.  I normally go to the Hyatt Summerfield Suites two to three times a year to scrapbook and stamp with friends. I have a Gold Passport Card. Make sure you go and sign up for the card.   Apparently you can also upgrade to the Platinum or Diamond level as well according to the Loyalty Travel blog. Here is something more on the Elite Card Program. This gets you several different things for joining and so forth.


The Hyatt Hotel and Resorts group includes the following branded hotels:  Grand Hyatt™, Hyatt Regency™, Park Hyatt™, Hyatt Place™, and Hyatt Summerfield Suites.  A list of participating properties in the Hyatt Check Certificate program can be found on the Hyatt Hotel and Resorts website.

This is such a great way to save/make money for myself and hopefully for yourself.  I have the American Express Blue Card that gives you cash back.   Costco takes American Express, Cash & Checks only. The purchase for the five sets of Gift Certificates was  $399.95 and I will get back $6.00 from my AMEX Blue. I was not a member of Costco before this week. I did join along with a friend who is splitting it with me.  I love that Costco takes AMEX as that is my credit card of choice.  I did spend $50 to save money.  I however will get my $50 back in the trip to the INA Conference as I am staying for 6 nights for a savings of $120. I will also get cash back on my AMEX.


This is the breakdown of using some check certificates for your upcoming INA Conference stay or your vacation stay.

• Room rate is $115 a night plus 15.5% tax making it $132.83 a night. 
• In reality though with the $100 check certificates you will be paying $112.83 a night. 
• For a three night stay that would be $338.49 a savings of $60.00. 
• That is a dinner or two while you are in San Francisco, souvenirs or a Tour Pass. 
• But remember you will only need to buy THREE sets of $100 check certificates, then pay the remaining $38.49 in cash or credit card.

Remember again to please call the hotel and confirm for yourself this information. No one wants to be disappointed in their stay at a Hyatt that won't take their check certificate.