Here's What It's Really Like to Own the World of Hyatt Credit Card

The rewards world is full of all sorts of hotel credit cards. Indeed, all of the major brands seem to have their own rewards cards now.

And I should know. I own several -- including the The World of Hyatt Credit Card, which I've had for about two years now. And while it's not quite my favorite hotel card, it's definitely one that I intend to keep for the long haul.

Here are some of the things that I really love about The World of Hyatt Credit Card, plus a couple things I don't use as often (but that are definitely not dealbreakers).

A valuable, if quirky, bonus

As with most rewards cards in my wallet, the sign-up bonus was definitely a factor in deciding to get the card. And despite the bonus's odd structure, it turned out to be pretty valuable.

The standard welcome bonus (which looks to be the same as when I applied a couple years ago) is for 30,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first three months. Plus, up to 30,000 additional points in the first six months (you get this by earning 2X points per dollar on the first $15,000 in card purchases).

So, I'm not really a fan when bonuses get complicated like this; I really prefer a straightforward lump-sum bonus. But I definitely still got a decent return. I've already redeemed points for a few free nights out of it, easily paying for the first year's annual fee multiple times over.

Love the free night certificates

If this card offered me nothing else, I'd probably still keep it solely because of this. Each year, on my cardholder anniversary, I earn a digital certificate for a free night's stay, good for category 1 through 4 hotels.

(To be honest, it actually took about a month for the certificate to be issued after I paid my annual fee. But that's typical with these types of perks in my experience.)

Hyatt regularly switches up their category tiers, but for now at least, the certificate is easy for me to use. There is one particular Hyatt I stay at once or twice a year that has an average per-night room cost of about $250.

So, that means I get $250 in value from this card solely from the free night. Subtracting the card's $95 annual fee, I come out ahead by roughly $155 a year. Automatic win in my book.

The points are solid

While the annual certificate is a great way for me to offset my fee (and then some), it's not the only feature the card offers -- or that I use. For one thing, The World of Hyatt Credit Card has pretty decent purchase rewards.

You get 4X back on Hyatt purchases (which stacks with the points you earn as a World of Hyatt member), which is really good. You can start redeeming for free nights as low as 3,500 points (off-peak, Category 1), though a more typical room will be in the 9,000 to 15,000 range.

You also get double points in a bunch of secondary categories. Most of these I don't use; I have much better cards for my travel, transit, and dining rewards. But there's one worth a particular mention: 2X points per dollar on fitness club and gym memberships. This is a hard-to-find bonus category, and Hyatt points are valuable enough that this is a decent return.

Status is nice, though I've had better

Another big perk we talk about a lot with travel rewards cards is elite status. Most hotel cards come with complimentary status, though how high you can go varies a lot between cards. In this case, it's kind of, "eh."

What do I mean? Well, where some cards give you the highest tier possible, this isn't one of them. In fact, you only get Discoverist status for being a cardholder. That's one level above the free membership tier.

Discoverist status has a couple of perks -- like late checkout upon request and a space-available room upgrade -- it doesn't include the extras you could get from having a better tier. For example, you need Globalist (top tier) status to unlock free breakfast and free parking.

Get it for the bonus, keep it for the free night

All in all, I've definitely come out well ahead with The World of Hyatt Credit Card. While the bonus was a big incentive to get the card, the annual free night cert means I'll be keeping it for the foreseeable future.