It gets even better. On Cyber Monday, Rakuten is now offering 15% cashback on Hyatt bookings initiated through Rakuten’s website. Since Rakuten also offers the option to earn American Express Membership Rewards or Bilt Rewards points instead of cash-back rewards, that means you can also earn 15 points per dollar on bookings made through December 1, 2025.
Besides only applying to North American stays, there are a few more restrictions to keep in mind. Cashback is not available on bookings paid with points, purchases made with gift cards or purchases made with gift cards. You will also need patience. Your earnings will not be added to your Rakuten account until your stay is complete.
New to Rakuten? You can also add a new customer referral offer in addition to the increased cash back rates and receive a bonus $50 cashback after spending $50 or more through Rakuten in the first 90 days.
Maximizing Your Earnings on Upcoming New Mexico Trip
When I saw that the cash-back offer increased to 15% on Cyber Monday, I took advantage of the opportunity to maximize my earnings on an upcoming staycation for a last-minute trip to New Mexico this month.
I’ve had my eye on Hotel Villa since it opened in Taos’ historic district last spring. Hotel group Casetta transformed this 1960s motel into a charming boutique stay that includes an artist-in-residency program led by Paseo Project and a farm-to-table restaurant, Juliet’s. The hotel is now part of Hyatt’s partnership with Mr. & Mrs. Smith, so if I booked my stay directly through Hyatt’s website after starting my booking on Rakuten’s Hyatt page, I can take advantage of Rakuten’s bonus rewards.
With nightly rates at $180 for a deluxe king room in mid-December, my two-night stay at Hotel Villa was $360, plus taxes and fees of $51.05. Since Rakuten typically doesn’t offer rewards on taxes or shipping, I expected to earn 15% back on $360, which equates to $54. However, I would probably choose to convert my cash into Built points, as 5,400 points are worth about $118, given that TPG values Built Rewards points at 2.2 cents, according to TPG’s current valuation.
Hyatt is also a built-in transfer partner, so I can transfer those 5,400 points back to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio after they are credited to my account, saving them for a free awards night in 2026.
stacking my rewards
As for Hyatt points, since I kept my reservation with World of Hyatt Credit Card (See Rates & Fees), I’ll earn a total of 9 points per $1 spent on Hyatt stays – 4 bonus points per $1 spent on qualifying purchases at Hyatt hotels and up to 5 base points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member, plus a 10% bonus for being a Discoverist elite. This means I will soon be adding an additional 8,820 World of Hyatt points to my account.
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In total, I expect to earn 8,820 Hyatt points and 5,400 Bilt points from this two-night stay. And since standard points bookings for Hyatt Category 2 hotels start at 8,000 points per night, I could turn it into a free night or save it for a more luxurious redemption.
ground level
Now that Hyatt is on Rakuten, I can combine my regular credit card and World of Hyatt member earnings with bonus rewards from the online shopping portal, making it even easier to rack up points for my next redemption.
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