Applefan

I'm making a mileage run to Grand Rapids of all places (very cheap ticket on NW) and I will probably drive to Detroit. How is the Hyatt? The website says it is currently under-renovations. This is my first time in Detroit (other than the dreary airport). Is there anything worth seeing for my one day there?
Thanks

gabbysz

Although I spent a few weeks in Dearborn on business a few years back, I never toured the area. The Hyatt is quite nice, with pretty decent rooms of large size. It is attached to a mall with lots of restaurants. The restaurants in the hotel are very basic, I seem to remember a lot of "home cooking" style meals (meatloaf, ribs, etc). Valet parking was also expensive, if I recall correctly. At the time, there was also a Ritz Carleton down the street.

trd

stayed there a couple of weeks ago -- quite nice, better than I had remembered (it had been years). Very close to Greenfield Village/Henry Ford Museum which are "world class" museums and worth a special trip.

snorkmaster

I've probably stayed there a half dozen times.

In summary form:

• renovated fairly recently, but the rooms still feel a little dated to me
• no RC
• as a Diamond, they'll probably give you one of the big rooms at the end of the hall
• bottle of wine with amenity is smaller than usual (but seems larger than a split)
• don't get the sparkling wine, it's asti spumante (unless, of course, you like that stuff )
• service is decent, but nothing to write home about
• the italian/steak restaurant (Giulio and Sons) is actually pretty tasty, and much better than other dining options in the area (save the Ritz-Carlton)

[This message has been edited by snorkmaster (edited Mar 17, 2004).]

lucky6666

I have stayed many times at Hyatt Dearborn. My company HQ is in dearborn. The best i can say for it is...it is low priced. No RC, no internet, medicore restaruants, dated design, dated rooms, parking is kind of far. This may be the only city where i would prefer to stay at NOPOINTS Ritz over Hyatt. maybe

snorkmaster

one piece of good news...high speed is now available.

http://dearborn.hyatt.com/property/index.jhtml

--

tinnub

Just completed a PL stay. The staff was wonderful from check-in to restaurant to valet. Valet even gave me a parking pass to the Lions game. Overall the stay was very pleasant and the reviews of the hotel were accurate. Decent room, no RC, restaurants very good with omelet station on weekends for breakfast. Decorated nicely for the holidays. Would stay there again without question, especially at PL rate of $50.

drjazz

I've had many pleasant stays at the Dearborn property. One of the best buffet breakfast of any Hyatt (the CDG is at the top of my list). If you are Diamond, ask for an upgrade to the Petite Suite which includes a Jacuzzi shower with multiple jets, waterfalls and a built in 4 speaker stereo system!

bostonbali

I've stayed at this property a bunch of times, as my company is based in Dearborn as well. As a matter of fact, one year I made diamond (50 nights) JUST by staying at this one property...
13 floors. Top floor (#14, there is no floor #13, i.e, there's floor #12 then #13 for superstitious reasons...) is card-protected, but no RC as someone else wrote. The rooms on that floor are nicer, as they have floor-to-ceiling windows and a free bottle of water (unless the recently eliminated the water).
I agree with all the other posts written in this thread. Here are my additions:
* There was a rotating restaurant above the guest floors, but I heard it recently closed.
* Fairlane Mall, a huge mall is about 75-100 yards from the mall. Easy to walk to. Pretty large mall, yet it had some security problems in the past.
* End rooms (those ending in 01, 02, 74 or 75) are cool, as long as you don't mind a murphey bed. Room is huge, with a separate sitting area and a huge bathroom.
* Gulio & Sons is a GREAT Italian restaurant - great all you can eat spread that you're welcome to attack with any entree you order.
Let me know if you need more info.

snorkmaster

We were having dinner at the HR Dearborn last night and I noticed a sign in the lobby -- they've (re?)opened their Regency Club level.

No information on hyatt.com (other than the availability of RC rooms by reservation.)

bostonbali

Wow, that IS good news! In 7 years of staying at this property, I have never heard of them even considering bringing back the RC. I always thought that the 14th floor would be ideal for a RC - card access, a lounge (that was usually empty), and nicer rooms (floor-to-ceiling windows, other small add'l amenities).
I'll be looking for a report from anyone who ends up at the new RC in this property!

lucky6666

I spent 2 nights using FFN. they put me on 14th floor. rooms seemed no different. regency club was small, about the size of a hotel room. They had snacks, soft drinks and honor bar. And newspapers, USA, DFP and NYT. And PC with internet. OK i guess. I am used to Asian Hyatt RC, so this doesnt come close. but for me, internet was convienient

thc

Saw that no one has posted a review of this property in a while. I stayed here last week for one night. I think the lobby must have undergone a recent renovation because it's very sleek and polished with a Starbucks, a couple of bars, and a restaurant.

The location of this property is a little out of the way, but you really need a car anyway in Detroit, so it's not a big deal. The mall is actually across the street, not attached to the hotel as a previous poster said. There are a couple restaurants around including a Benihana, and the Ritz is right up the street.

Check-in was fine. I always take the points, so I have no idea what the Diamond amenities are like here.

Room was your standard Hyatt room, and no complaints here. It actually seemed a bit larger than your typical Hyatt room which was nice. I also stopped by the club for evening and breakfast service. Both were average. Evening service had an assortment of cold platters like veggies, cheese, etc, and one hot entree which was a pasta and beef dish. Breakfast was typical continental (no meats though like cold cuts or lox).

During the day, the club has cookies and crackers and coffee/soda.

One thing that was kind of annoying is that their room service observes "meal hours" as opposed to "all day dining." So lunch is only from 12-2PM and then you have to wait until 4:30 to order food again. I was working from my hotel room that day and didn't realize this, and so was out of luck when I tried to order lunch at 2:30PM. I guess I could have spoken to the front desk, but I just went out instead over to the mall to get some food.

Self-parking is free. There is also valet parking for a charge.

Internet is T-Mobile hotspot at $9.99/day.

Overall a pleasant stay. If in the area, I wouldn't mind staying here again.

werldporks

I'm here today.
Just needed to overnight someplace not too far from DTW between flights.
I offered $109 for a room on Priceline and it spat this place out.
As a Diamond GP I was given a 14th floor RC room and the option of points or wine as an amenity. since it just said "wine" I asked "thats a bottle, right?" she said its in a bottle but it's sure small.
I opted for the points over the uncertain charms of the small bottle.

I like the look of the lobby and the fact that there's a large shopping mall a walk away across a lot of windswept car parks.

On the extreme minus side for me; this is one of those hotels has coupled thin walls with door-closing mechanisms that I can only conclude were constructed around the principal of the trebuchet.

bang bang bang. the slams reverberate through the hotel.
For that reason alone I would never stay here again.

The postage stamp sized RC lounge has a machine that makes fine coffee . I wish I could take it along with me on my 13 hour flight later today.

bostonbali

Interesting. Different things bother different people, I guess. I have spent over 100 nights here over the past 10 years (I work for a very nearby car company...), and I can honestly say, I have never noticed slamming doors.

The bed is set back, with a closet/butler pantry area in most rooms serving as a buffer between the door and the sleeping area, maybe that's why I didn't notice any door-slamming.

werldporks - are you typically a light sleeper?