Let me be the first to start off this thread by giving a short review of the hotel.

Booked for a one-night weekday stay originally at prevailing rate of RMB1,200/night. A few days before I was due to check in, I checked the rate on Hyatt's website, and it had gone down to RMB1,000/night. So, rebooked at the lower rate. [Weekends can be had for RMB900/night.]

I emailed the hotel prior to my arrival and asked for directions from the Guangzhou East Train Station. Concierge emailed me back and said that "we offer complimentary shuttle from train station...just go to 2nd floor and look for representative with 'Grand Hyatt Guangzhou' sign". I was expecting this to be some sort of shuttle bus or minivan, but it turned out to be a brand-new Mercedes Benz (didn't check which class). I asked the driver whether this "shuttle" was standard for all guests, and he said no. This must be prebooked, and those just walking up to the "greeting" sign will NOT be offered this shuttle, even if they have a reservation. In hindsight, I should have asked the hotel whether this shuttle service was a Diamond benefit, a benefit during soft opening, or because I booked at the prevailing rate (which my friends have told me was quite high because local travel agents could book for less).

The benz took about 15 minutes to reach the hotel, in traffic. Probably with no traffic, could be done in 10 minutes. Taking a taxi would probably cost around RMB 12-13 (starting fare is RMB 7). Gave the driver a RMB 20 tip, and he was ecstatic. To me, the shuttle beats waiting in line for a taxi at the train station.

The hotel is situated in the Pearl River New City. Lot's of construction going on now. From my room window, I could see the Ritz Carlton Guangzhou, probably about a five-minute walk away. Other than that, not many new building completed yet.

The hotel is two towers (I think one of them may have some residences). Between the two towers is where the cars drive up, and in the centre is a stunning water fountain piece.

Walking into the ground floor, it was completely empty except for one bellboy. That's because checkin is done on the 22nd floor. So, up we go. Lot's of staff manning the reception and concierge counters. English level also quite proficient (in my opinion, better than some hotels in Hong Kong). Got a room on the 16th floor, and use another set of elevators to go back down. Note that these guest floor elevators do not reach the ground floor, so each time you go out of or come back into the hotel, you will have to travel up to the lobby and then take the guest elevators back down. A minor nuisance.

Room is very spacious and interestingly designed. The bathroom follows the open-plan layout similar to the Hyatt on the Bund. The sink and the shower/tub sit in the centre of the room, and then everything else is around it. Yes, quite strange. Hard to describe the room layout, but let's give it a try:

Entering the room, come into a short hallway. On the right, a small room with a toilet and sink sits behind the door. On the left is the entrance to the rest of the bathroom. Sink and shower/tub sit in this area. [It's quite strange to have the bathroom separated like this.] Anyway, if walk further into the entrance hallway, then come to the room itself. Farthest away is the floor-to-ceiling window. The king bed actually faces the window. An L-shaped sofa is on the left-hand side next to the window, and a desk with two chairs is on the right-hand side next to the window. An LCD TV sits on the wall above the desk, and is mounted on a panel which faces the sofa, or can be swivelled to face the bed. Behind the bed (i.e. the headboard) is a glass panel which you can look into the shower/tub area (yes, there are electronic curtains). Lighting is sufficient for the room, but light and curtain switches are all over the place. There is a dock for iPod.

Back to the bathroom. From the entrance hallway, if you turn left, you enter the bathroom. On the left-hand side is the closet. On the right-hand side is the sink island. There is another "hallway" separating the sink from the shower/tub entrance. It takes a LONG TIME for the running water to become hot. Amenities are standard China Hyatt amenities. Anyone wanting to soak in the bathtub will find it quite uncomfortable, since it is small and SQUARE. No way to stretch your legs.

I ordered room service for lunch. A chicken-and-corn soup, spaghetti, and grilled mushroom appetizer cost RMB 237 (including 15% service charge). What I liked most was that the food arrived VERY HOT. Even though they come in the food service trolley with the heated container, some other hotels don't get this right. So, I thoroughly enjoyed the lunch, and the food was actually quite good.

On the 22nd floor, there is the G Bar which is next to the G Restaurant. The restaurant is a seafood and steak house. I ordered clam chowder, side order of roasted veggies, and a waygu beef sirloin (250g), for total RMB 637 (incl. 15%). Steak was ok, but not marbled enough.

Besides these two F&B outlets, there is the Guangxi Bar, also on the 22nd floor. Actually, this is located on the sky bridge which connects the two towers of the hotel. I'm not sure whether the Bar was open. I think there is supposed to be a Chinese restaurant in the other tower, but again, not sure if it is operational yet.

I missed the opening of the Grand Club by one week (heard it was opening next week). So, as a Diamond, I was instead entitled to the full buffet breakfast in the G Restaurant. The spread was ok, but not too many choices, compared with some other breakfast buffets I have tried.

All in all, quite a good stay for a hotel which has soft opened only a few weeks.

I actually have some pictures of the room, but have not had the time to post these yet. Anyway wanting to see them can PM me; I'll email them to you.