Grand Hyatt Deer Valley now accepting bookings for stays this winter — and award availability is great
The most-anticipated new hotel in the ski industry this year — at least among those who like to travel using their points and miles — has to be the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Utah. The Deer Valley area will be the epicenter of a major expansion, not only in terms of lodging options but also skiing options. It's doubling its skiable terrain, possibly as early as 2025, which makes this hotel opening even more exciting.
The Grand Hyatt Deer Valley had announced that it planned to open in late 2024 for the upcoming ski season, but until recently, there wasn't a firm date publicly attached to that timeline. Since I like to plan ski trips using my points, I've been watching developments for this property like a hawk. So, I noticed when award availability started loading for dates beginning Dec. 20.
Availability — even during that busy holiday season, when it's notoriously challenging to book stays at ski-friendly hotels using points — is currently fantastic for both standard rooms and suites.
Related reading: Details about the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley
As a Category 6 hotel, you can use a Category 1-7 award that you get from qualifying for World of Hyatt Globalist status to stay here; points prices range from 21,000-29,000 World of Hyatt points per night.
During the heart of the ski season, the award price seems to stay at that 29,000-point peak pricing tier — still a relative bargain with cash rates north of $1,000 some nights. In comparison, many other Hyatt ski properties, such as the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, come in at higher award tiers.
As shown below, standard suites are 710 to 770 square feet and are priced at 44,000 points per night during the ski season.
There's a bit of a catch to be aware of before you book here, though.
Bookings, including award stays, for the most peak days during the ski season (such as around Christmas and New Year's) are listed as nonrefundable and nonchangeable. However, not all dates are quite that restrictive. In fact, for some of the ski season, there's a 30-day cancellation window with just a one-night penalty if you cancel fewer than 30 days before your stay and outside of ski season; I'm seeing terms that allow you to cancel until three days before your trip.
Still, if you want to ski during prime time, just be very sure of your plans.
Related: Should you get trip insurance if you have credit card protection?
Don't worry if you want to book an award stay but don't have Hyatt points in your account yet. Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer at a 1:1 ratio from cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. You can also make 1:1 transfers from the Bilt Rewards program.
Here's additional information if you are now getting serious about planning next year's ski vacations: