--Impressions of Grand Hyatt Sf over 4th of July weekend--
Found an excellent rate via Expedia.com which included Regency "access." Upon check-in was upgraded to Regency room on 32nd floor near Club. Room was adequately appointed and the view was beautiful. Now, the downside:
Window had a sign which stated that it only opened 4 inches yet, it opened the full width. This could be a serious safety issue.
No turn-down service unless requested
Bathroom amenties lacked even the basics: had to call housekeeping for showercap and bath gel.
Regency Club host yanked everything off of the breakfast buffet at the stroke of 10:00AM (on a weekend day), with the exception of tea and coffee. Pity the poor guest who slept a little late and arrived at 10:15--not a croissant in sight.
Sorriest selection of breakfast items on any Club level I have visited.
No service at all!! One attendant around, just replenishing the very small selection of cut-up fruit. O.J. and grapefruit juice were definitely not "fresh squeezed."
Selection of newspapers limited to 1: SF Chronicle.
Soft drinks available throughout the day, however, the only bottled water offered and available was Perrier and one other sparkling mineral water. Is this designed to encourage guests to purchase still water from the mini-bar?
Hor's d-oevres selection at cocktail hour consisted of 1 pasta salad & one chafing dish item (spinach in filo dough). No nuts, cheese and crackers. Now, I know that the Club is not the Ritz Carlton Club, nor did I expect the same level of service or food--however, the only benefit I can see is that if one is traveling on a discounted hotel rate and is lucky enough to gain access to the Club, the only savings will be the continental breakfast (on the menu it is $16.00pp plus service & taxes). That is certainly a savings, but you better make sure you arrive before 10:00AM. Would be nice if they had trays available to, at least be able to take your breakfast back to the room. If you are late, you either have to rely on room service or eat in the rather elegant restaurant on the 36th floor, as there is no other coffee shop available. All in all, the Grand Hyatt is a vertical motel in a fantastic location. If you are looking for good service and a touch of elegance, you will be disappointed. If you happen to find a great rate than it is, certainly a pretty good bang for the buck, but only because of its location. If y ou are looking for the refined elegance of a Regency Club, you will be disappointed (particularly, if you have been spoiled by the Club at the Ritz Carlton). All things considered, I would choose the Hyatt only for the convenience of the location (at a great price..don't even consider a rack rate), but I would have realistic expectations--this is a large, impersonal hotel, utterly devoid of any personalized service and seemingly quite oriented to the business and convention guest. More guests with convention badges, even over a holiday weekend.