Muerz

Anyone stayed at either of these properties? Which is the better hotel? Which has more facilities, more beautiful rooms and better dining options? Which destination is better?

Muerz

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Hyatt Platinum
Marriott Silver

unagi1

At Hyatt Guam all the rooms have ocean views, IIRC. It is fairly well located mid-way down the Tumon Bay strip. The public areas are ok, the ones in Saipan are better, IMHO. Hyatt Saipan has a tremendous seafood buffet lunch, not sure if its every day of the week, but its been there every time I've ever gone, which is more than a few times. The rooms in both are fairly ordinary. Pool areas are ok, not as nice IMHO as what you get in Hawaii.

Guam is a much larger island, more populous and built up than Saipan, so there is more to do and see on Guam, but there is also more traffic. I find Saipan more to my liking. It may be me, but I find that because of its smaller size, it feels cooler perhaps because there is not as much land mass to hold the heat.


[This message has been edited by unagi1 (edited 05-15-2001).]

Muerz

Can any of these hotels be compared to the Grand Hyatt Bali? How about their beaches?

Muerz

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Hyatt Platinum
Marriott Silver

unagi1

The beaches are mediocre, IMHO. Compared to Grand Hyatt Bali, these two hotels are quite inferior.

Muerz

Any opinions on this hotel? How are the rooms? How is the food? Do they have beautiful suites? Is there a good beach in front of the hotel? How are the pools? Can the grounds compare to the GH Bali for instance?

Is there sightseeing possible in Guam? Are there good shopping possibilities?

Muerz

SDK

Did any diamond member have a chance stayed at Regency Guam using FFN, will they offer the RC upgrade or the continental breakfast or nothing?

I'm going to stay 2 nights on this weekend. Hope to get the RC upgrade as what I hear the RC is great.

Thanks.

Weatherboy

I couldn't use FFN awards in Hawaii, but I found availability in Guam, so I thought I'd check out the property for this long holiday weekend.

After a looonng day of flying (I had left my home nearly 24 hours prior), I arrived at GUM airport. After breezing through customs/immigration, my driver from the Hyatt was standing outside with a sign with my name on it. (Hyatt offers shuttle service to/from the airport; you just need to include your flight number in your reservation for pick-up.) He took my bags and we walked over to the minivan that was waiting just outside the door.

About 10 minutes later, we worked our way down to the coast in the area of Turmon where the Hyatt is. The Hyatt is in a great location --in addition to being on the beach, the backside of the resort is surrounded by duty-free shops and touristy places such as Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe.

This is my second time to Guam --I was here last summer and stayed at the Hilton located not too far from here (I wrote a trip report on that stay in the HH folder.)

When I arrived at the check-in desk, they greeted me and provided me with my keys to my room on the top (14th) floor of the resort. The check-in pack also included a description of the times that the Regency Club is operated (the club room is on the 12th floor.) I wasn't presented with a Diamond Ammenity card at check-in, but after being in airplanes and airports for nearly a day (I flew EWR-IAH-NRT-GUM on CO) I didn't care...I just wanted to get into my room and relax.

To my surprise, there was a large fruit basket waiting for me inside...along with a note that said "welcome back." The room is large and open... and includes a balcony looking over the ocean and the pools/gardens below. The bathroom is large and open too... and contains a separate toilet room, a bathtub, and a glass-enclosed shower. The bathroom can become more open than it is: large shutters can be slid open, exposing the room/tub to the larger room.

The room includes a safe, a mini-bar (typical resort minibar prices), and a tv equipped with about a dozen channels. Some are Japanese, some our English.... and include CNN Worldwide and the Discovery Channel. There was no high-speed internet access in this room but they do offer complimentary WiFi access in the lobby/common areas of the resort.

I spent my first morning in the Regency Club and was treated to a delicious breakfast: in addition to carb staples such as croissants, rolls, and muffins, they also prepared fresh waffles, had hardboiled eggs, and a few platters of fresh fruits, fish (like smoked salmon), and meats (like salamis). The large and roomy Club had great indoor/outdoor views of the water. Breakfast is served for a few hours in the morning; evening cocktails/snacks are served for 2 hours in the evening but I never had the opportunity to visit it then.

Outside, the resort is very well maintained (moreso than the Hilton here.) The multi-level pools are connected by waterfalls, hidden caves, water slides, and streams...and are all surrounded by lush tropical foliage. The pools here aren't as large as the Hyatt Maui ones, but are just as nice.

In the afternoon hours, waitstaff visits the sitting areas around all the pools to offer-up drinks/snacks/meals. I found the poolside service to be fast, efficient, and inexpensive for resort norms. 3 mai'tai's and a cheeseburger with fries cost me $20 including tax and included 10% tip.

The beach was fantastic --Turmon Bay is a huge, shallow bay that drops off into the Pacific about 200 yards out. In addition to chairs/umbrellas, you could also rent a kayak, float, waterbike, or other water toys. The beach was very well maintained --workers were constantly raking it and the consistency of the sand was like powder sugar. The water is also very, very warm... the air temperature was in the upper 80's and I'd imagine the water was just as warm if not warmer.

The restaurants/shops on the resort grounds are all very nice and appropriately priced too. One lobby shop is also a Duty Free shop and includes tax-free perfumes, liquors, and clothing.

Guests at the hotel are predominantly Japanese --with many Japanese newlyweds or honeymooners. (There's a beachside chapel that had a solid stream of weddings going through it.) The only other non-Japanese were a few white tourists (or locals) that appeared to be tied-in with the military (GUM has a huge US base.) However, everyone --from other guests to the hotel staff-- were all very friendly.

I'd definitely return back here the next time I'm around this part of the Pacific

Weatherboy

I'm thinking of burning some FFN's in Guam or Siapan (while re-qualifying early for Platinum status with CO) and was wondering if anyone has been to the Siapan location recently?

I went to the Hyatt on Guam last year and enjoyed my stay, moreso than a previous visit there at the Hilton on the same beach. I've never been to Siapan though and was wondering if you'd recommend it over Guam.

Also, how do Hyatts in Guam/Siapan treat Diamonds now? Last year, I was upgraded to the RC floor (also paid for by FFNs) but with the new policy, I guess the same won't be true this year? (Or are they quasi-US properties with US rules?)

Danial

On checkin, I found out that the room assigned was 1108, and I requested if I could be place on the Regency Club floor, and she reassigned my room to 1226. As long as you are assigned on these 3 floors, 12th, 13th, and 14th you are upgraded to Regency Club floor. As for Diamond amenity, well I didn't ask for but on my second day of my stay, they delivered a fruit plate. Not even a mineral water bottle is given. Breakfast and Evening cocktails has plentiful of choices.

diana

I will be staying at the Saipan Hyatt on Sunday the 16th. I reserved the 21st Century package. And I understand the DFS Galleria is very close!

I am cannot decide if I want to take my laptop on this trip, but I do plan on taking lots of pictures. Will let you know after I return from my trip.

Weatherboy

Great --can't wait to hear about your trip!!

I just booked a FFN stay here for President's Weekend. Thought it'd be more exotic than returning to Maui. Then again, I still have another 4-5 FFN's to burn through

kevino

The Hyatt Guam is a fancier hotel and usually more expensive, but I like the Hyatt Saipan better because I like Saipan better than Guam.

As a Diamond last year, I received a bottle of wine in my room at the Hyatt Saipan. The RC lounge is nice there. There is a computer with internet access in the lounge. Other hotel guests can use a free computer in one of the restaurants.

diana

Sorry for the delay, I have been overwhelmed with personal work since my return. I absolutely adored the Hyatt Regency Saipan but it was pretty dreary weather as Tropical Storm Kulap had been following me from Guam. I preferred the Regency Club private pool just because I was able to go inside to the lounge and get some iced tea whenever I wanted. The happy hour in the Club was decent, they served a Chilean sparkling wine which was pretty good and nice appetizers.

One secret...if you want to go to the DFS Galleria, take a taxi. The DFS will pay the taxi fare. You are on your own ($5 including tip) for the trip back to the hotel.

And I want to give a special thanks to a very special FTer :-: who gave me a personal tour of the island.

sy7

I have an overnight stay at the Guam Hyatt coming up. I was wondering what the best way to get to the hotel from the airport. Does the hotel offer a shuttle service? Otherwise, how much does a taxi cost? I emailed them, but never got a response (not too surprising when I also called the hotel and got put on hold, transferred, and finally disconnected...)

Weatherboy

I'm currently at the Hyatt Siapan enjoying a great stay (...and free WiFi access from my room!)

I'm staying here courtesy some FFN award nights so my nightly rate is $0. I had no problems getting room here with the FFN program.

There are three towers here, one of which is considered the "Regency Tower". At this tower, the Regency Club room is on the 2nd floor while the resort spa is on the 1st floor. Towels for the pools/beaches are also given from the outdoor lobby area of this tower. The Regency Club has a stairwell within the club that brings you to the 3rd floor --which is where my room was.

The room is very nice and roomy with a great balcony that looks over the resort's man-made lagoons and fishponds... with the ocean in the background. It looks like the balconies in the Regency Club Tower rooms are larger than the other towers --mine had enough room for 3 people to lay out on while enjoying the sun. (Regency Club Tower rooms also face south/west so they have more sun than the other Towers.) The bathroom was spacious and the beds were great --actually, the bed/bedding here is probably my best "bed experience" in the Hyatt network.

A fruit plate was waiting for me in my room, welcoming me to the resort. Also waiting for me was a letter from the Manager inviting me to select a Diamond Gold Passport amenity at my convienance. The choices were:
-bottle of red wine + Hyatt polo shirt
-4 bottles of mineral water + deluxe fruits
-Hyatt bottle opener + white wine
-Hyatt Cap + sparkling wine
-deluxe fruits + Saipan post cards

I chose the red wine/polo shirt option. They ran out of shirts, so I opted for a cap as a replacement, and the red wine they served was a 2002 cabernet sauvignon from California (Corbett Canyon.)

Other Diamond perks include access to the Regency Club where they serve breakfast from 7am-10am, cookies/coffee/tea from 11am-4pm, and evening snacks/cocktails from 5:30pm through 7pm. Diamonds also have free access to Club Elan, their spa/fitness center. Diamonds are extended a 30% discount on all treatments $75+ there. Diamonds also get a 20% discount on their "Sandcastle Dinner Show", the hotel's Las Vegas-like magic/music/dancing revue. The last Diamond perk: in addition to getting a daily newspaper, they also provide a daily breakfast beverage served from 7am-10am; you have your choice of orange juice, apple juice, tea, or coffee to be served to your room. They leave you a selection card at the nightly turn-down so you can select your free drink.

I liked the layout of the resort --while it's on the large side, the layout makes getting between any two places a breeze. It took me about 2 minutes to get to the Regency Club from my room, and about 4 minutes to get to the beach from my room.

The Regency Club does have its own swimming pool on its terrace, with a waterfall that drops down to the main pool below. It's only a fraction the size of the primary pool, but offers an alternative place to cool off and relax under the Saipan sun. As a previous poster mentioned, it's an inexpensive place to swim & enjoy complimentary tea/juice --at the regular pool, drinks begin at $9.50. (Another inexpensive place to eat/drink: the deli located near the front desk. While a can of coke will cost you $4.50 elsewhere, you can have a can of coke + a bottle of water for $1.50 there. They also have assorted pre-made salads and sandwiches in there.)

The resort obviously caters to the Japanese/Asian croud.. and there were very few caucasians at the resort. Those that were there were somehow tied to the military. The service is very Asian in that it's very soft-spoken and subserviant --unlike mainland US service where waitstaff are usually very extraverted and loud. Japanese customs rule ...so prepare to bow a lot --and prepare to endure lots of smokers --the Asian clientelle love to light up at the beach, around the pool, and at the resort bars.

Having stayed at the Hyatt in Guam last year, I'd have to say that I prefer this location over it. While the Guam location is far from shabby, I'd say this resort is better maintained with better outdoor areas, a nicer beach and pool, and a pleasant Regency Club. The room also seemed to be a bite nicer here over Guam ...and you just can't beat free WiFi

If I could endure the 22 hour travel time from New York more often (16 hours to Hong Kong followed by 4.5 hour flight to Saipan), I'd visit here more often. But I suppose I'll favor some of Hyatt's Pacific resorts a little closer to home ...like those in Hawaii

Just an update: the Regency Club evening snacks are the best I've ever seen Last night, they offered a full platter of fresh, jumbo shrimp with cocktail sauce...and assorted other hot/cold dishes such as fried wontons. With assorted foods, breads, and salads ...not to mention a full compliment of desserts (pies, cakes, cookies, candies), you could easily substitute dinner with a visit here. Plus you can watch the sun set from their private terrace/pool area outside.