Hyatt cancels Hilton Award reservations previously booked at some of the recently won Playa Resorts

Hotels have been changing hands, but ownership and operation of the property should not affect existing bookings – right? Unfortunately, we saw the opposite before our eyes this week.

When Hyatt acquires Playa Resorts & Hotels into its final stages, Hilton Honors members will face a last-minute cancellation for bookings with Hilton Honors points at four Playa hotels. The properties were previously marked as Hilton-operated hotels and are now managed by Hyatt Corporation as of June 11:

• Hilton La Romana, an all-inclusive family resort
• Hilton La Romana, an all-inclusive adult resort
• Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa
• Hilton Playa del Carmen, an all-inclusive resort

Unfortunately, some travelers who use Hilton Honor Points to reward at these hotels find that their reservation has been suddenly cancelled even in the coming weeks. Many stayed strolling for non-refundable air tickets and other fees…nowhere to stay.

TPG reader Sarah Kelley wrote in TPG’s tips, explaining that she suddenly disappeared in Hilton Playa del Carmen at the Hilton Playa del Carmen at the end of June. At the time of booking, the property was operated by Hilton.

“In recent days, Hyatt [reservations] Kelly said: “The points are paid in full or partially retained by Hilton points.

“When we clarified with Hyatt, we encountered vague explanations or no response at all,” Kelly wrote. “In some cases, we were told it was due to ‘rebranding’, or even ‘the hotel ownership transition, but no formal communication or acceptable compensation was provided.

Currently, Kelley is reimbursed by Hilton only for his original booking, not for cash. She had an email with TPG and Hyatt, in which a guest care support agent said they would “go further into the matter.”

When TPG commented on the matter with Hilton, a spokesperson for the company provided the following statement:

Due to the recent acquisition of Playa Hotels & Resorts NV, Hilton La Romana, an all-inclusive family resort, Hilton La Romana, Hilton La Romana, Hilton Rose Rose Hall Resort & Spa and Hilton Playa del Carmen, Hilton Playa del Carmen, All-Ingrimin-Ingriprivestion Resipert at the Propertion the Protition at the Mandional, it has ruled on June 11, 2025, valid for 555.

All existing standard bookings and guest arrangements will be respected by the new management company. The hotel will notify all guests of existing standard bookings to inform them of changes in management. For existing Hilton Honors Redemption Bookings starting on June 15, 2025 or later, new bookings or alternative accommodation will be required. The Hilton Honors team will contact all guests through these reservations for additional arrangements.

Any further questions regarding changes in management or property information should be directed to hotel ownership.

Hilton loves serving these communities and looks forward to our iconic Hilton reception continuing to welcome guests in the nearly 300 hotels and resorts in the Caribbean and Latin America. For more information on other resorts in the portfolios of these destinations, visit www.hilton.com.

Hilton offers members with “standard” bookings – all-cash payments – stay at the all-inclusive family resort Hilton La Romana; Hilton La Romana, an all-inclusive adult resort; Hilton Rose Hall resort; and the all-inclusive resort starting on June 15 and beyond should be clear. That said, we recommend checking your reservations to make sure they are still intact. If in doubt, call the hotel directly to make sure they still exist.

Those Hilton Honors members who use points or combinations of points and cash for reward bookings should contact Hilton immediately to view information about restoration or reimbursement. Unfortunately, Hilton clients (including Reddit and Facebook groups) who have written to TPG and posted on the forums so far say Hilton does not offer alternative arrangements in an organized or consistent manner.

Cancellation and little communication

Many travelers are confused and frustrated, and many are turning to hotels’ personal Facebook pages and Reddit to discuss their experiences and ongoing chaos.

On the Facebook group in Hilton Rose Hallmontego Bay, a commentator said: “They are canceling any Hilton bookings with discounted prices and have points. Hyatt accused Hilton and Hilton of blaming Hyatt.

Hilton Subreddit expressed similar frustration under a post titled “Heads Up -up -la Romana, La Romana, Playa del Carmen”.

One poster commented: “I called the hotel and they said my reservation was cancelled, but when I called Hilton they said my reservation was still active. I was confused because I should have gone in two weeks!”

Another poster answered this comment, writing: “They didn’t call or email. No communication. I went into the Hilton app and the reservation just disappeared. I called Hilton and they said it was cancelled and I canceled it.”

Unfortunately, those celebrating special occasions, such as honeymoon, are also affected: “Our honeymoon is scheduled for June 25.

In the same son Reddit, the department is quickly working to connect with all affected Hilton Honors members, according to commenters claiming to be a Diamond Table agent.

When we contacted Hilton via email for confirmation, a brand spokesperson told TPG: “Hilton is delivering redemption bookings with all affected Hilton honorary members and working to relocate.”

While it certainly makes sense for Hilton to be responsible for the award bookings made through Hilton Honors – ideally by returning the member’s point of view or finding new accommodation in the same area as the original booking, there is also a question of why Hyatt decided to award only the award award prize only on June 15 until June 15, which is a formal four days after a formal approval from the former Hilton Plorties.

A Hyatt spokesperson shared the following with TPG via email this morning:

Some of our new brand resorts are being integrated into the world of Hyatt Program and no longer participating in other loyalty programs. We recognize that this may have caused redemption problems caused by some travelers with existing reward bookings through other loyalty programs, and we apologize for the frustration caused. As with any brand transition, there can be complexity as systems and policies change. We encourage anyone affected to contact us at commuteaffairs@hyatt.com so that we can help as soon as possible.

We know that the window between transitions between resorts can be short. In fact, once the resort is no longer connected to another brand, we need to act quickly to fully operate in Hyatt to minimize potential guest disruption, ensure consistency in service delivery, and avoid confusion with guests, members and colleagues. That said, our team is still focused on supporting any affected guests and working to find solutions.

How to protect future hotel reward bookings

For those currently struggling in the above situation and still waiting for reimbursement of Hilton Honor Point, the best way forward at this time is to contact Hilton immediately to open up the case. It may also be worth contacting Hyatt for your rebooking options.

But the question remains: If you book a reservation with hotel points and then the property changes the operator/ownership, how can the awards ceremony be truly protected?

Since ownership changes are solely out of traveler control, one way to try to protect your reward booking may be to purchase travel insurance. So if you use points to pay for hotel accommodation but pay for your tickets in cash, it is best to pay for your tickets through travel insurance when it is unlikely to transfer ownership with the hotel (hopefully in this case you can repay the points through the original hotel operator and then get the ticket from your insurance coverage, then get the ticket if applied). However, coverage plans vary widely, so it’s best to call your credit card or insurance company to see what this situation might cover.

TPG has a guide to the best travel insurance policies and providers, as well as learning about travel insurance with your credit card.

Bottom line

Unfortunately, this situation is a mess, with many travelers finding bookings for close-range bookings cancelled with little recourse. If it is you, feel free to email us at tips@thepointsguy.com so that we can hear your story. We also plan to do the work of the Ombudsman on some of these cases to understand how to help travelers.

Hopefully Hyatt and Hilton will solve it for their loyal customers, while those planning holidays can find suitable alternatives without incurring additional costs.