Saving $140 on breakfast in Miami is why I remain loyal to Hyatt
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Last week, I spontaneously decided to take a quick getaway to Miami. I hadn't been to the city since before the pandemic, and while I had some hesitations, I wanted to soak up the last days of summer someplace warm before it gets cold here in New York City.
It's no secret that I'm a World of Hyatt loyalist, even though the chain has significantly fewer properties than other chains I also hold elite status with, such as Marriott and Hilton.
There are a couple of Hyatt properties in the area, but I wanted to be on the beach, so I settled on Confidante Miami Beach by Hyatt, where my colleague Benji Stawski stayed in 2020. As a Hyatt Category 4 property, award nights cost 15,000 points per night. If you have the World of Hyatt Credit Card, as I do, you can redeem your annual free-night certificate here because the certificates are valid for stays at Category 1-4 properties.
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The hotel was alright, even though I didn't get a suite upgrade even as a Hyatt Globalist because the hotel was booked solid for a college football game.
Hyatt Globalist status usually requires 60 qualifying nights spent in a Hyatt property per year, but with the reduced requirements for 2021, you can achieve it with 30 nights. That number drops to just 13 nights if you pick up the World of Hyatt card, which is how I earned Globalist status by the middle of February. What's even better is that I'll be able to keep my Globalist status through the beginning of 2023.
I stayed at the Confidante with my friend from New York, Jamal. He didn't hold Hyatt elite status, and he wasn't exactly sure why I was so giddy about all of the benefits I'd receive while he waited for me at check-in. In addition to getting an upgrade to a semi-ocean view room, I also received a nice hand-written note welcoming me to the hotel and got two free drink tickets (worth about $32).
But the highlight of the stay, aside from the gorgeous pool, was getting to use my Globalist breakfast benefit to shave off a significant amount of my bill. World of Hyatt Globalists receive free (full) breakfast daily, which is good for up to two adults and two children per room.
Breakfast started at 7 a.m. daily, and Jamal and I were typically downstairs, ready to eat around 8 a.m. The Confidante's breakfast is located in a restaurant called Ambersweet, and it was among the best I've had in recent months. Unfortunately, several hotels have cut breakfast service altogether or reduced it to a "grab-and-go" selection during the pandemic.
Breakfast included warm, freshly-baked pastries, mini Belgian waffles (my favorite), as well as staples like eggs, bacon and oatmeal. Breakfast also included drinks like coffee and fruit juices. The food was delicious, and the service was great. We were also in good moods, so we decided to add a bottomless mimosa option to our meal (which is a separate charge and isn't included with free breakfast). We ate, drank, went for seconds and ate some more.
But this is Miami, and like everything else, breakfast isn't cheap. Jamal found this out when the server dropped our bill on the table. Breakfast for two came out to roughly $70 without the 20% service charge and tip. Because the hotel is located in an area popular with tourists, there weren't many places around to grab a cheap breakfast. In fact, some options are even pricier.
Without even looking at the total, I signed my name, room number and included a tip.
"Breakfast was great, but I'm sure it was expensive. I don't even want to look at the bill," Jamal said.
No worries, I replied. Breakfast was on me -- courtesy of my elite status. And even better, we could do it all again and get free breakfast the next morning. Jamal is now considering Hyatt elite status after taking advantage of my Globalist status for a weekend.
After checkout, I received my bill with the breakfast charges removed, which would have amounted to around $140 for breakfast for two days.
Bottom line
To be fair, other chains also offer free breakfast for elite members. But -- and this is my opinion -- Hyatt generally has had far better options for breakfast. The food is usually warm, tasty and, most importantly, filling.
And while $140 may not seem like a significant amount, we were able to use the money we would've spent on breakfast to reserve a cabana on the beach to relax and read. The best part of having elite status, to me, is ultimately saving money to use for experiences. Breakfast is a small thing that can add up. I'm glad I could save on breakfast with my Globalist status and use that extra cash to enjoy my stay.