Hyatt is one of our favorite hotel chains. Its World of Hyatt loyalty program, now with more than 60 million members, offers some excellent redemption options, as it still uses a fixed award chart.
Hyatt has partnered with Chase for years now and is further enhancing that partnership with some exciting news.
Select top-spending Sapphire cardholders will earn World of Hyatt Explorist status starting in the middle of next year. Additionally, Hyatt has announced it will be adding more properties to The Edit by Chase Travel℠ and expanding its cobranded card portfolio.
Here are the details you need to know.
Complimentary Hyatt status for high-spending Sapphire cardholders
From mid-2026 (exact date unknown), Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) and Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees) cardholders will earn Explorist status after meeting an annual spending requirement each year. The spending requirements will be:
- Sapphire Reserve cardholders must spend at least $75,000 in a calendar year.
- Sapphire Reserve for Business cardholders must spend at least $120,000 in a calendar year.
Once you meet this spending requirement, you will have Explorist status from that date until the end of the following year. So, if you spend at least $75,000 or $120,000, respectively, in 2026, you’ll receive Explorist status through the end of 2027.
Explorist status is Hyatt’s midlevel status tier, sitting between entry-level Discoverist and top-tier Globalist status. It requires staying 30 nights or earning 50,000 base points and provides perks like:
- 2 p.m. late checkout (subject to availability)
- Room upgrades (subject to availability)
- 20% bonus points
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Related: Maximize your Hyatt points: 5 smart award redemption strategies
Note that these are the same spending requirements that unlock other perks with each card. So by meeting these thresholds, you will not only receive Explorist status but will also receive these perks:
If you can meet this spending requirement organically, the payoff seems well worth it; however, if you can’t, I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to try to earn it. It may be cheaper to earn the status organically through Hyatt hotel stays.
Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve statement credits: What they are and how to use them
More Hyatt properties added to The Edit
Hyatt also announced that it would be adding more luxury brands, such as Alila and Park Hyatt, to The Edit by Chase Travel. The Edit is Chase’s luxury hotel booking platform for Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Reserve for Business and J.P. Morgan Reserve® cardholders.
The information for the J.P. Morgan Reserve has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
When booking stays through The Edit, cardholders receive perks such as:
- Daily breakfast for two
- A room upgrade at select properties (when available)
- Early check-in and late checkout at select properties (when available)
- A special benefit worth up to $100 (unique to each property but often includes a meal for two, a spa treatment, golf green fee waivers, a welcome gift or airport transfers)
- Complimentary Wi-Fi at properties that offer Wi-Fi
Plus, when booking through The Edit, you’ll be able to earn hotel loyalty points and elite night credits, plus you’ll receive benefits if you hold elite status with that loyalty program.
Sapphire Reserve and Reserve for Business cardholders receive up to $500 in annual statement credits (up to $250 biannually through Dec. 31, 2025; starting Jan. 1, 2026, cardholders can use the two $250 credits whenever they like during the year) for prepaid reservations of two nights or more booked through The Edit by Chase Travel.
Related: The Edit by Chase Travel: How you can get elitelike perks without status
New Hyatt credit cards launching
Hyatt and Chase have also announced plans to expand their current portfolio of cobranded cards. The exact details are unknown at this time, but if I had to guess, I would expect a more premium card aimed at the most frequent Hyatt guests. It may provide benefits like complimentary Explorist status, club lounge access and higher earning rates on Hyatt stays than the current cards offer.
Additionally, Hyatt and Chase could also introduce a no-annual-fee option to round out their lineup. This card would be aimed at travelers who want to start earning World of Hyatt points but don’t stay at Hyatt properties often enough to warrant holding a card with an annual fee. Think of this potential entry-level card as Hyatt’s version of the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (see rates and fees).
Related: World of Hyatt card bonus: Fast-track to elite status and earn up to 60,000 points
Takeaways
With the refresh of the Sapphire Reserve and the launch of the Sapphire Reserve for Business, Chase appears to be making significant strides, adding useful and tangible benefits for cardholders.
“We are proud to deepen our over 15-year relationship with Hyatt, expanding our collaboration across not only co-brand, but also our branded cards and Chase Travel,” said Allison Beer, Chase’s CEO of card and connected commerce. “The participation from Hyatt in our luxury hotel program, The Edit, and offering loyalty status to Sapphire Reserve cardmembers allows us to deliver even greater value and flexibility to our mutual customers when they stay at world-class Hyatt properties.”
I’m always for receiving more elite status, but I would have preferred this to be complimentary. I understand the reasoning behind having a spending requirement to prevent oversaturation of the market with elite members, given Hyatt’s smaller footprint.
If you can meet the spending requirement organically, you can get some real value from this elite status, especially if you book award nights with Hyatt by transferring Chase points. Plus, by meeting this spending requirement, you also unlock a handful of other benefits that offer real-world value.
Additionally, adding more luxury Hyatt brands to The Edit gives cardholders more options to choose from and further entices cardholders to book through the platform.
Lastly, new cobranded cards are on the way, giving Hyatt travelers more options to elevate their stays and earn bonus points.
Bottom line
2026 is shaping up to be a great year for Sapphire Reserve and Reserve for Business cardholders. Starting in the middle of next year, top-spending cardholders will receive mid-tier World of Hyatt Explorist status. More luxury Hyatt brands will also appear in The Edit portfolio, giving cardholders more options to choose from. And the Hyatt cobranded credit card lineup is set to be expanded, too, with details to come.
To learn more, read our full reviews of the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Sapphire Reserve for Business.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business