I spent $350 to NOT stay at a hotel 30 miles away from where I live, just so I could get top-tier Hyatt Globalist status through Feb 2023. In today’s post, I’ll detail why I did a Hyatt mattress run at the Hyatt Place Chicago/Schaumburg and what my experience was.
In This Article...
What is a mattress run?
A mattress run is when you check into a hotel solely because you want to gain hotel elite status, or points, or free nights – NOT because you actually need a place to stay. If this sounds crazy to you, you’re not alone; I did this specifically to receive elite benefits from Hyatt, where I concentrate a lot of my loyalty.
I value elite status with Hyatt because I’ve had great experiences with Hyatt properties. Check out my (un-sponsored, as always!) reviews of the Hotel Kabuki San Francisco and the Eliza Jane New Orleans for example.
Read on for more details why mattress runs work for some people.
The view from my downtown Chicago condo is better, but I don’t get Hyatt elite credits at home.
Should I do a mattress run?
You should only do a mattress run if the cost will be substantially less than the benefits you expect to receive from hotel elite status.
Mattress runs aren’t for everyone. If you don’t travel enough, or enough with a particular brand of hotels, then you’re not going to get much benefit out of having elite status. Here’s what you should consider, when deciding whether a mattress run is right for you:
- How long will you benefit from elite status? Typically, you gain elite status for the rest of the year in which you earn it (e.g., 2021) AND the full following year (2022), AND the first couple months of the year after that (through February 2023). So if you can gain elite status in, say, February 2021, you will benefit from it for two years.
- How many nights/stays do you think you’ll have with that particular hotel brand? In my case, I estimate I’ll stay at full-service Hyatts at least 10 times over the next two years. Make sure you don’t assume you’ll be at Hyatts for every.single.trip you’ll take, because it’s very likely that at some point, you’ll want to stay at a boutique, or an Airbnb, or a Hyatt won’t be available where and when you want it. Be realistic. You’re unlikely to spend 100% of your travel nights at Hyatt or any single brand, especially if you travel for work.
- Are there any substitutes for doing your mattress run? You can simply pay for an upgraded room, or a room with lounge access, without having any elite status. If you have your heart set on this for ONE particular property, then you’re probably better off just paying for it once, rather than going for elite status. You should also know about the Hyatt Guest of Honor program, Hyatt Prive reservations, and Amex’s Fine Hotels and Resorts programs.
- What benefits will you receive from the status you’re chasing, and how much do you value them? See below for the Hyatt elite benefits for reference. In my case, I’m really excited for Hyatt lounge access/premium breakfasts and suite upgrades. I value each of those benefits at $50-$100 per stay, depending on the length of stay. I also value 4:00p late checkout at about $20 per stay.
How I compared my costs to benefits
My net cost: $350 + 6,250 Hyatt points, or ~$460. I searched obsessively to find the cheapest Hyatt hotel within a reasonable distance of my home. For $350 in cash (including all taxes and fees) and 15,000 in points, I was able to get a room at the Hyatt Place Chicago/Schaumburg for 9 nights. Combine this with Hyatt’s Bonus Journeys promotion, and I’d earn 5,000 points; receive a rebate of 3,750 points; and earn 18 elite nights. I’d receive another 10 nights earned for being a newly-minted World of Hyatt cardholder. And with an additional $5,000 spend on the card, I’ll hit 30 elite night credits by mid-Feburary 2021. In 2021, 30 credits is all you need for Globalist status.
Expected value of benefit: $1,200, conservatively. I assumed I would stay at 10+ full-service Hyatts by February 2023, where I’d receive either a Club Lounge or a premium breakfast. I value that at between $50-$100 per stay, so I assumed $75 on average, or $750 for 10 stays. Then, I assumed I’d get a suite upgrade half the time. At my personal valuation of $50 per upgrade, this averaged out to $250 across 10 stays. And I assumed a value of $20 per 4:00p late checkout, or $200.
At a net cost of ~$460 (and only $350 in cash), this mattress run was worth it to me.
My experience in January 2021 with a Hyatt mattress run
As mentioned, I booked the Hyatt Place Chicago/Schaumburg for a 9-night stay for $350 + 15,000 up-front points.
How I booked it
I made two consecutive bookings over the app: The first 6 nights in cash, and a second reservation for 3 nights using 15,000 points. These are two reservations, but I knew I could call the hotel and have them link them. I called in and spoke to a front desk agent, who said she’d do this for me.
Description of the hotel and room
Hyatt Place hotels offer a lot of consistency. Hyatt Houses are also consistent, and so similar to Hyatt Place hotels that they might as well be the same sub-brand. If you’re staying at virtually any Hyatt Place or Hyatt House, you know what you’re getting: A comfortable, business-friendly room; a free breakfast; a modest fitness center; and a clean but no-frills experience.
The Hyatt Place Chicago/Schaumburg lived up to those expectations. The room would’ve worked perfectly well for a business trip.
The check-in experience for my mattress run
Even if you’re not staying in a hotel, you must physically check in. When I arrived at the Hyatt Place Schaumburg to check in, I noticed there was just one front-desk manager for a reasonably large hotel. She was rather busy, and she happened to be the same agent I’d spoken to over the phone. Huge pet peeve of mine, she was also wearing her mask below her nose. Anyway.
She said that my two reservations weren’t really linked, and that I’d have to come down to the front desk the morning after my 6th night. So, I decided to be up-front and explain that this is a mattress run, I’m not going to be here at all. I asked if she’d please just not check me out of my room, and not make me come back here a second time. I mentioned that other Hyatts have no trouble linking my multi-stay reservations. She seemed cool about the mattress run situation, and said this would be fine, so I figured I was all set. She even offered me my two free bottles of water on my way out, knowing that I wouldn’t be here.
My Hyatt mattress run (minor) snafu
Between my two stays, Hyatt Place failed to keep me in my room. I noticed this because I was carefully checking the app every day to make sure everything was getting credited properly. Suddenly, my second, 3-night stay with points completely disappeared.
I called the hotel and spoke to the same front desk agent again (do they only have one employee in the whole hotel?!). She explained that she’d “restore” my stay, but that it would only be a 2-night stay because 1 night had already passed. I sighed and reminded her of our conversation, and pointed out that she kept 15,000 of my points but I’m somehow only getting a 2-night stay. She said I’d have to take it up with Hyatt Corporate.
I hung up and called Hyatt and explained the situation. They told me that Hyatt Place Schaumburg was probably wrong, that they could see this was a 3-night stay, and I should just wait until I check out and make sure I get credit for 3 nights. I did exactly that, and sure enough, upon “checkout,” I only had 2 nights credited to me. I called Hyatt back again and told them what happened. They investigated my account and fixed it for me right away.
Hyatt’s customer service is pretty great. I am kinda annoyed at the (seemingly only) employee at the Hyatt Place for making me make 4 phone calls about something pretty standard. If she had just linked the two reservations together properly, it would’ve saved everyone a lot of time. However, Hyatt’s customer service was awesome and really came through for me.
Tips for making your mattress run work for you
If you decide to do a mattress run, there are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Plan out your promotions before booking. Check your hotel brand’s promotional offers page and make sure you’re signed up for everything. And, look for credit card offers; both Chase and Amex have opt-in offers for hotels sometimes. If you’re booking two separate reservations like I did, make sure they’re available consecutively before you book.
- Be honest with the property. Not everyone shares this view, but I found it helpful to be up-front. When I checked in, I admitted that I would look at my room, but then I’d be going back home. The hotel probably wouldn’t see me again on my 9-night “stay.” I asked that they please not check me out of my room, and stated that I wouldn’t need housekeeping. Apparently they managed to make my second reservation disappear anyway, but at least they knew what was going on.
- Be careful about your check-ins and check-outs. Watch your account each day to make sure nothing weird happens. If it does, call in promptly to correct the issue.
- Watch for your credits after you “check out.” As before, if you don’t see the credits you’re expecting to see, call in promptly.
Bottom line
I’m glad I did my Hyatt mattress run. I effectively paid $460 for Hyatt Globalist status through February 2023, which is very worth it to me because I intend to resume traveling frequently in the second half of 2021.
Hyatt Globalist status is really valuable to me primarily because of the free premium breakfasts, lounge access, suite upgrades, and 4:00p late checkout.
However, know that mattress runs aren’t for everyone. In 2019, I spent 22 nights at Hyatts, out of about 60 total nights on the road. I spend enough time and money at Hyatts for top-tier elite status to be worth it to me. Chasing status makes little sense for someone who only stays at Hyatts 2-3 times per year. If that’s you, don’t shell out $460 for a mattress run like I did. Instead, just pay a little extra to get guaranteed benefits at each reservation.
What about you? Would you do a Hyatt mattress run?
That’s really interesting. I have never heard of a mattress run before. If It was me, I would have stayed in there anywhere. Just being somewhere else for awhile is fun! The view does leave something to be desired though!
The mask thing really bothers me too. I would have been tempted to report her to HQ. Not because I like getting people into trouble, normally I would just go about my business and leave people alone but this is important. If she is an asymptotic carrier of covid19 she could infect somebody and either make them potentially very sick or even kill them. Not wearing it correctly is the same as not wearing it at all. It does nothing.
Still, all set now for the next few years… looking forward to travel again 🙂
I’m probably a little too risk-averse, but I didn’t want to actually stay there because I felt like I’d be exposing myself to too much virus risk. So, I checked it out and went right back home. This was my first-ever mattress run though! I don’t think I would’ve considered it in the past, but these promos were just too huge to pass up.
In Chicago suburbs – and even in the city itself – it’s very common to “wear” your mask below your nose or on your chin. It obviously doesn’t do anything, but when I’ve tried to politely ask people to wear their masks or wear them properly, I do NOT get a positive response. If I had reported her to HQ, I’m sure HQ would’ve said something to her. Then she would’ve responded that it didn’t happen, or it was a one-time thing and she only had the mask below her nose for a minute or two, etc., and nothing would really change. At this point almost a year into the pandemic, people have made their decisions about how they’re going to wear (or not) their masks, and there’s nothing I can do about them. I wear my N95 all the time and avoid going out much, and I definitely don’t travel. Just gotta wait a couple more months before I can do all those normal things again.
May we all be traveling again soon 🙂