Match Your Hyatt Status to MGM Rewards

Going to Las Vegas can initially seem cheap from the surface. Even during the high season, you find weekday hotel rooms on the strip advertised for $40 per night at places such as the MGM Grand or the New York-New York Hotel and Casino. Don't let the prices fool you though, there are regularly $35 to $45 per day resort fees and hotels have recently started charging for parking at certain locations at rates of $15 per night for self-parking. Suddenly that $40 per night weekday room turns into a $100 per night room and just isn’t the same value.

There is still a way to have a truly cheap, fun, and exciting Las Vegas experience though! Utilizing a trick called hotel status matching through a credit card that pays for itself (more on that later) you can get a $40/night room at the MGM Grand with no extra fees by becoming an MGM Rewards Pearl or Gold status holder. Then instead of wasting your money on parking or resort fees, you can spend it where it should go in Las Vegas – the blackjack table and buffet!

Hyatt Status Matching With MGM Rewards

Hyatt has a partnership with MGM Rewards that allows World of Hyatt members to receive status at MGM Rewards. If you simply sign up for a Hyatt rewards account you can receive MGM Rewards Sapphire status. If you have Discoverist status, which you can learn how to get below without having to stay at any Hyatt properties, you can receive MGM Rewards Pearl status. Finally, if you are an Explorist member, which requires staying at Hyatt properties for 30 nights per year, you can receive MGM Rewards Gold status through the program.

To sign up, log into your Hyatt account and then go to the MGM Rewards Tier matching partnership site and select Opt-In to enjoy all the benefits of MGM Rewards status.

MGM Rewards Tiers

MGM Rewards, previously known as M Life Rewards, is MGM’s new rewards program that they announced in February of 2022. With these newly rebranded rewards programs they added many new benefits to lower-tier levels.

MGM Rewards Sapphire Benefits

The MGM Rewards Sapphire benefits are not that special. The main pers you’ll get is that you will get the lowest room rates when you book directly with MGM for your stay, discounts to select shows, and up to 30% off with Avis car rentals. Remember though, that this tier status can be achieved just by signing up for a free World of Hyatt status rewards account so anyone can easily get these benefits for free!

MGM Rewards Pearl Benefits

If you end up deciding to sign to get World of Hyatt Discoverist status (learn how-to below) then you can get matched to the MGM Rewards Pearl status. With Pearl status, the benefits begin to add up! Some key benefits include:

• Complimentary Self-Parking (usually a $15/day value)
• Complimentary Tickets to Select Exclusive MGM Rewards Concerts in Las Vegas
• Invitations to Member-Only Events, Tournaments, or Promotions
• Dedicated Line at the Buffet
• MGM Rewards Points and Slot Dollars Never Expire

MGM Rewards Gold Benefits

If you’re a frequent traveler and can achieve World of Hyatt Explorist status then your status matching to MGM Rewards will automatically give you MGM Rewards Gold status. At Gold status you’ll get all these extra benefits on top of the ones we’ve listed already:

• Resort Fee Waived when Booking Direct
• Complimentary enhanced room upgrade at check-in, based on availability
• Complimentary Valet Parking at Participating MGM Rewards Destinations
• $100 Dining Credit
• VIP Line Access to Select Nightclubs for You and a Guest in Las Vegas
• Priority check-in line at the Front Desk
• Exclusive Tier Appreciation Events
• Fine Dining Priority Reservations

How to Get Hyatt Discoverist Status

The easiest way to get Hyatt Discoverist status is signing up for the Chase World of Hyatt credit card ($95/year) or the Chase World of Hyatt Business credit card ($199/year). When you sign up for either of these cards you get automatic Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as you keep the card open. Just remember, when you’re signing up for Chase cards you will be automatically rejected if you have signed up for more than 5 cards in the last 24 months, so make sure you check your credit card history before applying for one of these cards.

These cards are a great value as well! Every year that you have the card open you will receive one free night at tier 1 through 4 Hyatt hotel. I recently used this free night to stay at the Hyatt House Nashville which would normally have cost $275 per night.

In addition to the annual free night, the World of Hyatt credit card is currently offering 60,000 World of Hyatt bonus points for new card members. I recently used my 60,000 bonus points to stay for 5 days across Southern California at properties like Hyatt Regency Newport Beach and the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego. All together these 5 nights would have normally cost me well over $1,500 for an average value of 2.5 cents per Hyatt point.

Since I had Hyatt Discoverist Status as well I received free 2 pm late checkout at Hyatt properties, no resort fees (normally $30-40/night at the properties I stayed at on my trip to California), and a room upgrade!

Building Your Way to Hyatt Explorist Status

Once you have Hyatt Discoverist status through one of the Chase credit cards you will automatically have 10 nights of activity added to your account every year. If you’re a frequent traveler and you stay at Hyatt properties for 20 more nights per year (a total of 30 nights per year) you will have Hyatt Explorist status. With this, you can upgrade your MGM Rewards membership up to an MGM Rewards Gold status.

Can You Status Match MGM Rewards to Caesars Rewards?

If you prefer to stay at Caesars Place instead of the Aria you may be interested in Caesars Rewards instead. Sadly, you can not use your MGM Rewards status to match Caesars Rewards. If you are still interested in staying in Caesars properties though, or just having status everywhere, check out our guide on how to get Caesars Rewards status through their partnership with Wyndham Rewards.