iflyjetz

Just about every Hyatt that I've used upgrade certs for have put me in suites that are lockouts ... an additional room added to an ordinary hotel room. I've had lockouts at the Denver HR, Denver Tech Center HR, and Long Beach HR.
I think that the only true suites I've received have been at the Denver Grand Hyatt.

Is this just bad luck on my part or is this the norm with Hyatt properties/upgrade certs?

Mary2e

In many hotels, this is the norm. They have defined their entry level suites either as junior suites OR these lockout type rooms.

Rumeli

I had lockouts (aka connecting rooms) at HR Houston, HR Atlanta and GH Tampa. Except bad soundproofing in Tampa I had no issues.
Entry level suites at Hyatt Coconut Point Bonita Springs and Hyatt Grand Cypress Orlando were fine.


RM

P.S. I am confused about the original post. Does lockout mean two separate room that both have beds in it. Or is it a living room + bedroom with a lockout room that connects to the the bedroom you had.

slocouple

The living room with either one or two rooms which could be connected to it is the same type I had this weekend at HRs Irvine, CA and Valencia, CA. I was fine with this type, and think it makes a lot of sense for the hotel. The one at Irvine had two balconies; one on either side.

rfrost

I generally use mine at the Churchill in London, as I find some of their Club floor rooms rather cramped and their closets even for me (aka She Who Doesn't Check Bags) miniscule--I rather like the redesigned Club floor suites and their walkin closets.
OTOH, I disliked the suites I had at the Andaz in London. No lockouts, but weird impractical configurations (e.g. entry into the bedroom rather than the living room).

iflyjetz

A lockout is simply another room (with its own entrance) that is set up as a living room. The only lockout that I can recall with a bed was at HR Denver Convention Center, where there was a Murphy bed.

For instance, let's say rooms 1201, 1202, and 1203 are all interconnected by an interior door that's locked on both sides. Room 1202 is the 'suite' upgrade ... a couple of couches, a refrigerator, a table, etc. Not a room that would be sold to the public as a standalone room. Rooms 1201 and 1203 are normal rooms.
The hotel can now make 1201/1202 or 1203/1202 a suite upgrade.

I personally prefer an entry level suite upgrade rather than simply adding another room that has duplicate items in it that I already have in my non-suite room.

This sounds like a pretty common setup for Hyatts. I guess I'll start calling ahead to find out if they have true suites for upgrades ... after I burn my remaining suite certs, expiring at the end of Feb.

kenbo

The entry level suites at the Grand Hyatt Seattle and the Olive 8 are not lockout suites.

slocouple

Got one of these in Indianapolis. Worked great, and the grandkids LOVED the Murphy bed!

baliktad

A "lockout" type suite configuration is not just common across Hyatt, it's common across the hotel industry. It's a way to provide a lot of flexibility to the hotel operator. The most common configuration is a normal King bedroom (bed and full bath), with a connecting door to the parlor area designed for sitting, meeting, or entertaining, and with a second connecting door to a double bedded room on the other side (2 beds and full bath). This allows the hotel to sell each bedroom separately; typically the center parlor area can also be sold separately for meeting or convention purposes as a lounge/prep/conference/relax area; a Murphy bed and separate full bath is not uncommon for these parlors. The center parlor can also be combined with 1 or even both bedrooms and sold as a 1 or 2 bedroom suite with 1, 2, or 3 beds.

I don't think of it as "low-end" or a "not true" type of suite if there happens to be a connecting door between the bedroom area and the parlor area. In fact, I define a suite as something that has a separate sleeping and living area, and the lockout configuration provides me as a guest the flexibility and privacy I expect from a suite. It's a great way to have separate sleeping arrangements when staying with friends or even family. In many cases, the parlor areas are quite large and offer conveniences like a second full bath that I appreciate when traveling with additional guests.

mnredfox

Is there a thread on the best properties to use your suite UG certs at?

monoflight

I like having the option of making a 2 bedroom from 1 suite upgrade cert. Almost all of these types of suites I've come across that are "lockouts" (by which I assume the OP means both the living room and bedroom have doors to the public corridor with a door between the lv and br) usually have a nice space that is not set up as a bedroom - some combo of nice seating, dining, office, conference table, kitchen, full or half bath - which can sometimes make for a nice suite. Non lock-out suites often don't have a 2nd half or full bath, which can be one of the joys of being in a suite.
As long as the bedroom is normal-sized, I don't see what the negative could be? The "lockoffs" are often double doors which can sometimes help in sound-proofing the bedroom from the living. That is, as long as the doors will stay open or not autolock you out if the door is shut. One hotel even provided a doorstop when I asked.
I have an upcoming stay where I'll be sharing the room with a colleague. Because the hotel has these lockoff suites that can combo with either a king or double, I was able to use a suite cert when I would not have wanted to share a king bed. Now we'll have 2 baths 2 tv's, a private workspace if one is still sleeping and each get a real bed.

iflyjetz

I want to state up front that Hyatt is still my #1 hotel chain, in spite of personal disappointment over the configuration of most entry level suites. IMHO, Hyatt's hotel employees are a cut above all of other hotel brands in terms of treatment of elite customers. I also (mostly) prefer Hyatt's club lounges, as their food offerings are superior to most other chains, with the exception that they rarely have hot food at breakfast. And for those places that don't have a lounge, FDCs are quick to include a restaurant breakfast coupon when checking in.


I understand all of the hotel flexibility points you raise.

The only other chain that I've encountered a lockout was at a Sheraton in NYC where I had two rooms and they gave us the lockout in between the two rooms.

I've never gotten a suite at Marriott that has been a lockout. And I've gotten a lot of suites at SPG, yet only encountered this once with them.


I understand why some would prefer lockouts but I prefer a true suite, even though it will have less square footage, since I only travel alone or with my wife.

That would be nice. Something like lockouts vs suites. That way, those that prefer lockouts would also benefit from the thread.

MSPeconomist

I can only recall once having a Hyatt suite upgrade into a lockout type unit, but I don't see them as objectionable. Every other Hyatt suite upgrade I've had has been either one large room (junior suite) or something with one entrance that was designed to be (only) a suite. Once advantage of the lockout style is that the parlor has its own bathroom which does not require walking into the bedroom to access. If I am entertaining or having a small meeting in the suite, it is very important to me that the parlor have its own powder room at least. I don't want people walking through my bedroom area or using my bathroom. (I feel the same way at home: my master bath is mine! I want guests to use the guest bath.) It just seems too personal to have colleagues see my underwear and toiletries, not to mention medications and other items that might naturally be in easy sight or available and tempting to snoop.

baliktad

Please see this thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt...er-thread.html

MSPeconomist

IME lockout suites are common in large conference hotels, where there is lots of demand for (paid) suites among certain groups. I've seen lots of lockout suites in hotels such as NY HIlton, NY Sheraton, NYC Marriott, SF Hilton, etc. I've even seen hotel staff switching out furniture between bedroom style and living room in order to convert connecting rooms into suites for some groups.