SanDiego1K

Here are the printed benefits we get as diamonds:

http://goldpassport.hyatt.com/gp/en/...ip_diamond.jsp

Breakfast is a stated benefit.

Suites are only a benefit when you use your suite upgrade cert. While some properties go above and beyond, there is no obligation for a property to do so.

Andaz properties get a non point amenity, though some have reported getting the 1K points at the Andaz Wall Street.

The master thread will have actual stay experiences.

CanuckinKL

My breakfast value was capped at $50/day per room. Not quite as generous as say the PH Washington.

hamboarder

When I stayed at the Andaz West Hollywood property they said the free breakfast was only towards the "continental" breakfast in the lobby, not at the restaurant...which, when I got there (I woke up late) there was nothing but a few pastries/coffee left. And I believe this was free for any guest at the hotel, so my Diamond status didn't really benefit me at all.

Kelfast

My recent 2 stays in Jan/Feb at Andaz West Hollywood, as a Diamond, included breakfast in the restaurant (don't recall if there was a $25/$29 cap). I'm returning there this Sun/Mon as well.

hamboarder

Really looking forward to my reservation here in march.

Does anyone know if the $50 breakfast credit is "per stay" or "per night"?

peteropny

Was this quite some time ago? This property has a history of being "confused" with benefits - I had no problem with restaurant breakfast in stays last Oct & Dec. But back in April/May, right after the Hyatt Flyertalk event, I was told that they weren't part of Hyatt

Breakfast credits are always "per night".

chanp

You could have used the restaurant. Ask next time specifically about using it in the restaurant and not what they put out for everyone.

SanDiego1K

When I was at Andaz WeHo in late December, I was given $25 credit per person for breakfast - and then they took off the entire amount, which was slightly higher. You can always direct them to the list of diamond benefits on their website, which specifically states a full breakfast. I'm going to be back twice in the next few weeks. If I were to be given such misinformation, I would politely ask for the front desk manager.

As an aside, staff loves to say "we are not Hyatt" - but they are, when it comes to honoring the stated program benefits.

JonathanIT

I just spent last Sunday night at the Andaz WeHo. When I checked out, my breakfast charge was still on the bill (we also had dinner at RH). I had to ask the agent to take it off, so he has to look up what I get and he says "Oh, yes Diamond members get a $25 breakfast credit".

So he fiddles with the folio again and it still sounds too high so I ask for a printout. He only took off $25 total!

I said "isn't this credit supposed to be $25 per person?" His reply? "Oh, there were two of you?" *sigh*

The food total was $49, with tax and tip it was almost $65. The woman who checked me in the day before, said nothing about $25/person when I asked about the breakfast benefit, and I had to ask. She just said "order whatever you want from the restaurant or room service and charge it to the room."

I probably could have argued to the point to take off the whole amount, but I just didn't feel like it. $50 is a generous breakfast credit... but the prices in the restaurant are very high. We had two entrees (one more and one less expensive), ONE coffee, and two glasses of OJ. I don't feel like we especially pigged out. But whatever.

What really annoys me is that this guy really thought I had a $65 breakfast by myself??!!

hamboarder

This was only 3 weeks ago.

Damn I guess I missed out

JonathanIT

Don't feel bad about sleeping late... that's all they offer, period (in the lobby).

thezipper

This is one of the many aspects of Andaz that makes it feel to me more like a Hyatt Place than an upscale hotel...

ngalliance

I was at the property last weekend and was given 1k points and breakfast in the restaurant

bmh3s

My fiance and I stayed at the Andaz Wall Street last night. If it's your first time to the hotel (as it was mine) it's important to know that the address is NOT 75 Wall Street. The building is 75 Wall St. We arrived around 1 a.m. due to flight delays. Our car service driver hadn't been to the Andaz Wall St. and there was some confusion when we pulled up to 75 Wall St (in the middle of a snow storm) to find the doors covered in paper as if it wasn't open yet. the Andaz Wall St. is actually around the corner from 75 Wall St. on Water St. The doors at 75 Wall St. were locked. The first entrance we went in around the corner on WATER St. turned out to be the residential portion. but third time was a charm a little further down Water St.

Overall, they're trying to be a little too hip. Despite the late hour, a host met us as we walked in with her laptop and tried to check us in. The laptop didn't work so she relented and went back to the check-in desk to check us in and get us our keys. As others have mentioned, very nice room. Very modern, but again a little too hip. The bathroom sink has a faucet that is too high above the shallow sink basin. Turning the faucet on at a medium level results in water splashing out and soaking the floor and vanity. One of the two vanity lights wasn't working. Didn't bother me, but my fiancee noted how difficult it was to get ready in a "dark" bathroom. As others have mentioned, you have to find a place to store the towels while taking a shower to avoid soaking them (only towel rack is in the shower). But it was a great rain-type shower.

Andaz advertises complimentary non-alcoholic beverages and snacks. Our room and mini-fridge only contained 3 bottles of spirits on the shelf and 2 bottles of Stella. I'm guessing they hadn't gotten around to stocking the room yet.

I ordered a pot of coffee, two OJs, and advised the host my fiancee would like skim milk and sugar for her coffee. Coffee and OJ arrived quickly, but after the room service attendant left, I noticed there was only one coffee cup with the pot of coffee. Called host again and she apologized and said they'd send another cup up. They never did, so I just went downstairs and got one from the breakfast area.

Overall, this place has great potential. Staff were very hospitable (host ran out in the snowy street to flag down a cab this a.m.) and others were very gracious in manner and words, but a little trouble with the follow-through.

Another upside--for the first time ever, I actually received an e-mail with my folio when I arrived home this afternoon. Other Hyatt properties always say they will, but never have. On the downside, I booked this reservation using the Andaz5 promo code which is supposed to be 5K bonus points and $50 credit for food, etc. The $50 credit wasn't on the folio, so will have to e-mail them about that later. I mentioned this at checkout and the host said she would take care of it. Again, very gracious in approach, but a little trouble on the execution.

limelight

Now this was rather impressive.

A day of drifting snow and New Yorkers huddled under umbrellas, Wall Street full of junior Gordon Gekkos sent out to get the coffee, shuffling resentfully back to work...

The Andaz sits discreetly there, at the corner of Wall and Water Streets, little but a few temporary-looking banners to announce its presence. 'Find Your Andaz' they say. A slogan that was surely made up by a guy with very expensive hair.

Well, still and all, I'm charmed at once. A quietly elegant modern lobby, with a few splendid flourishes like a silver staircase floating up to the restaurant. A lady with a miniature computer, which she looks periodically baffled by (ah... this is the Andaz continuity I've been looking for... I recognize that very same expression from London and LA... hosts staring with polite concern at crashing laptops).

I put a note on the reservation asking to be upgraded to an Executive King (I'm a Diamond on an FFN stay), and so it came to pass. 1102, to be precise. The lady abandons her laptop with just-perceptible relief, offers me some rather lovely mint tea, and walks me up there.

And what's the word... bantering. That's how I'd sum up the service. Entirely charming, but swap a Park Hyatt's inquiry about whether sir will require a limousine... and a HR's inquiry about whether sir will require another breakfast voucher... for wry wit about New Jersey and certain nameless reality TV shows... (well, I'd just taken a job at Princeton, and the host was from NJ)... and everything simply taken care of. Casual/down-to-earth/informal - charming rather than sleek.

Andaz Wall St. doesn't offer a Diamond amenity, but I was told that the policy was to always put 1,000 points into the member's account. (We'll see if they appear.) Breakfast for two in the restaurant was also offered - and I suspect the breakfast could be taken via room service if requested (certainly Andaz London and LA offer this). The free minibar had four bottles of Voss water, ice tea, three mini Cokes, and orange juice. There were also a couple of packets of crisps and chocolate bars. All lovely - apart from the Voss water, which I couldn't open for the life of me. (Struggling with the third bottle, I had this image of each window in the hotel hiding an exasperated traveler, sitting on the bed and heaving at the wretched water bottle... curses and bemusement in half a dozen languages before deciding as I did... free is too expensive for this much effort, and NY-tap will do just fine.)

And the room... & so, this is what sold me. This is why I'll be coming back. The Executive Kings are light-filled semi-circular corner rooms, starting on the 7th floor. There's a seating area with a sofa and two chairs, a big desk/dressing-table, a king bed, and a semi-open black-and-silver bathroom with tub and rain shower.

Altogether, it's at least 600sq-ft, very well finished, and tech'd up to the point of absurdity. Think at least twelve different light switches, all with dimmers, a master control for mood lighting, two huge plasma TVs, and (this made me giggle) electronically operated window blinds - press one switch by the bed, and the blinds swoop up or down across all four big windows. The towels and robes are, of course, brand new and absurdly fluffy. The toiletries are C.O. Bigelow (a local NY outfit) in big 70ml sizes - a rather good lavender-blend.

Seriously, anywhere else in NY other than the Four Seasons, this room would be a suite. I don't know how long they'll carry on giving them to Diamonds (I fear they'll be reclassified as suites sometime), but as long as they do, they've got themselves a new regular.

Breakfast the next morning was delightful - with a very French waiter, who looked like he'd gotten lost from a Park Hyatt someplace. Cappuccino, freshly squeezed orange/carrot/ginger juice, perfect waffles and a ridiculously good croissant (recommended by the French waiter, bien sur). The bill, tax and gratuity ($30+) all vanished at check-out.

This is one good hotel. As I left, I thought yes... I know where this is now... this is where Mister Gekko would be taking the blonde on his lunch-hour... at least, he would, if he believed in lunch.

And so it goes.