With the help of our resident program lurker, I was recently comped Hyatt Diamond status. I booked my first stay at the Grand Hyatt in Denver this past weekend, and wanted to give my impressions.

I reserved my room using a G2 bonus, which was supposed to yield an extra 2000 points.

Shortly after making my reservation, I received an e-mail about an eStandby upgrade. It allowed me to upgrade to a corner king for free, with options to upgrade to a number of other suite types for a fee. I chose the free upgrade.

Upon check-in, the front desk recognized this was my first stay as a Diamond, and offered me BOTH the points bonus and the F&B amenity. Nice touch. I specifically didn't ask for any other room upgrade, as I wanted to see what they would assign me.

They assigned me a corner king on the 24th floor. The top floor (26th) was the Grand floor. The hotel was virtually empty, so I was a little surprised they didn't put me on the club floor. Not really concerned.

The room was in good shape, nicely appointed, decent size. I drank one of the bottles of water in the room, and connected to wired internet. It was unclear when registering whether wireless was free, so I chose wired (which also showed a fee of $9.99 per night).

The following morning, I went up to the club for breakfast. I was greeted by a very polite lady who asked what my last name was. I enjoyed a pleasant, quiet continental breakfast.

Upon check-out, the front desk agent confirmed that my G2 bonus code had been noted. My bill showed no charge for the water bottle or internet. The front desk clerk did note that wired coverage was free at their property, while wireless wasn't.

Overall, I was reasonably impressed with the service. While it's just one stay, the rate was reasonable enough that I would consider this property over other SPG properties in Denver.

The points for my stay posted today, but no G2 bonus. As it appears it may not post right away according to some on this board, I'm going to wait a few days to see what happens. As my SPG concierge makes sure EVERY one of my bonuses posts, this "feature" of Hyatt may prove too annoying for me long-term.

As a "new" Diamond, I feel like I got good (if not great) overall value for my first stay based on my new status.

So, questions:

1. Was taking the eStandby upgrade the reason I didn't get a better upgrade? Should I have left my choice open? Asked at front desk?

2. I'm used to free water bottles in the rooms at SPG hotels being marked as such. Is it marked at Hyatt properties, or am I just always free to take it?

3. What should I expect in regards to free internet? Is it normal where one method (wired or wireless) is free, while the other is not?