Hyatt Regency Clearwater - REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
Apr 7, 2010, 10:01 pm
#17
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: stuck at home now.
Programs: status-less.
Posts: 486
HyattClearwater @jtaft We can't wait to see you! The resort fee is waived for Diamond Members.
Apr 8, 2010, 10:38 am
#18
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Michigan
Programs: HH gold, Hyatt diamond, priority club plat, Delta Gold, Marriott silver
Posts: 192
I completed a 4 day stay in mid March and as a diamond mbr was upgraded to a 1 bed room suite.... very nice, high floor with a view. Service was generally good..service in the restaurant was slow and food cold for breakfast buffet, but we did receive a $20 per day PER PERSON credit on our bill to cover breakfast(diamond benifit). No free parking around the area so expect to pay 16 per day self park in garage in the building or 20 for vallet. Upon checkout I did ask for the resort fee to be waived and the less than nice front desk person explained why they dont waive that fee (I was there on 4 free night certs). I smiled and asked to speak with the front desk mgr...who promptly waived the resort fee.
OVERALL: great stay, good location, nice property!
OVERALL: great stay, good location, nice property!
Apr 8, 2010, 9:07 pm
#19
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: MCI
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, Intercontinental, Avis Chairman's Club
Posts: 157
Great resort on a great beach
My wife and I stayed at the Hyatt Clearwater Beach for two nights on a FFN stay. We were upgraded to a corner room (approx 1000 sq ft) on the 14th floor with two very large rooms. The bedroom had a king size bed. The other room had a full kitchen with granite countertops, and table for four a nice sofabed and another comfortable chair. It was extremely light.
There were two bathrooms. The bathroom off the bedroom had both a tub and separate shower. The other bath had a combination shower tub. Both were fairly large for a hotel room.
The room was on the southeast corner of the hotel. On the south side, both rooms had large sliding glass doors that opened out onto a balcony that ran the full length of the room and was approximately 5 feet wide. There were two chairs and a table outside of each door. There was also a smaller balcony on the east side with a door off the kitchen area with another small table and two more chairs. There was an excellent view of the intercoastal waterway from both balconies and an excellent view of the beach and ocean from the large balcony. The hotel starts on the 8th floor (the lower floors are parking) so I would expect nice views from any exterior rooms.
Saturday was one of the first really good beach days of the year and it was packed with people. The beach is all public beach and is across the street from the Hyatt. It is in the Beachwalk area which the city is redeveloping with the Hyatt certainly being a key part. Much of the area is older small motels. The beach is a great wide white stretch with very nice powdery sand.
My family has stayed in the Clearwater Beach- St. Pete Beach areas at least a dozen times in the last twenty years and the Hyatt is by far the nicest place on any of the beaches. The only place that is close is the Don Cesar and the Hyatt's rooms are much larger and nicer. Having stayed at other places in the area we thought the location was fine.
We had dinner at the restaurant, Shor, one evening and thought the food was very good. You could choose the type of meat of fish you wanted and the preparation method as well as the sauces to go with it. We both chose the chili lime rub and the papaya salsa. There was a nice view of the beach and the ocean from the restaurant. There aren't many nicer restaurants in the area with ocean views. We had the buffet for breakfast each morning and it was fine. The food is located around the kitchen area (it's what I think they call a "show kitchen" meant for the guests to see them cooking) and they tended to have smaller amounts of each type of food on the buffet at any one time since they could see what was being eaten. As a Diamond the charge for the buffet (including tip) never showed up on my bill. You can also get some pastries for breakfast at the bar area, which is just outside the restaurant.
Our room wasn't ready when we first arrived so we sat at the Swim Bar area near the pool on the 8th floor. Here again there were very nice ocean views. We noticed that the area around the pool was tile, not concrete and was very slippery in the areas that weren't in the sun. Looked like a lawsuit waiting to happen.
The hotel is a "U" shape with the pool in the center of the "U". The open end of the "U" looks toward the ocean. Some rooms overlook the pool. But I expect you could probably see the ocean from their balconies as well. The rooms around the pool are actually called "cabanas" that I guess you can rent.
We also both had a massage and other treatments at the Sandava Spa. The treatment rooms are very nice with adjustable tables (heated) and a wonderful light and airy relaxation room that overlooks the Intercoastal for before and after treatments. (The spa is on the 7th floor). The therapist said they were still getting a couple of final items for the therapists to use and that when the spa first opened they were missing a number items, as noted in an earlier review. They use the same rooms for all treatments, so even nail treatments are on the same tables, which adjust to be more like a lounge chair with arms.
The lobby area looked unfinished to me. There wasn't any type of gift shop or sundry shop even though the hotel information said there was one. The street level on the beach side also is unfinished. There was a cart out there on the weekend selling water and bottled soft drinks. I expect this is awaiting some other retail or restaurant to lease the space. I'm also guessing that Hyatt wasn't sure whether this hotel's clientele would end up being more hotel guests or people viewing it as vacation condos which may impact exactly what other amenities they end up with.
All the staff we dealt with was extremely enthusiastic and seemed very happy we were there. When we dropped our car off at valet parking, the valet practically ran to the door of the hotel to open it for my wife.
I think this will be a great hotel. We really enjoyed our stay and plan to return again in a couple of months for a longer stay.
There were two bathrooms. The bathroom off the bedroom had both a tub and separate shower. The other bath had a combination shower tub. Both were fairly large for a hotel room.
The room was on the southeast corner of the hotel. On the south side, both rooms had large sliding glass doors that opened out onto a balcony that ran the full length of the room and was approximately 5 feet wide. There were two chairs and a table outside of each door. There was also a smaller balcony on the east side with a door off the kitchen area with another small table and two more chairs. There was an excellent view of the intercoastal waterway from both balconies and an excellent view of the beach and ocean from the large balcony. The hotel starts on the 8th floor (the lower floors are parking) so I would expect nice views from any exterior rooms.
Saturday was one of the first really good beach days of the year and it was packed with people. The beach is all public beach and is across the street from the Hyatt. It is in the Beachwalk area which the city is redeveloping with the Hyatt certainly being a key part. Much of the area is older small motels. The beach is a great wide white stretch with very nice powdery sand.
My family has stayed in the Clearwater Beach- St. Pete Beach areas at least a dozen times in the last twenty years and the Hyatt is by far the nicest place on any of the beaches. The only place that is close is the Don Cesar and the Hyatt's rooms are much larger and nicer. Having stayed at other places in the area we thought the location was fine.
We had dinner at the restaurant, Shor, one evening and thought the food was very good. You could choose the type of meat of fish you wanted and the preparation method as well as the sauces to go with it. We both chose the chili lime rub and the papaya salsa. There was a nice view of the beach and the ocean from the restaurant. There aren't many nicer restaurants in the area with ocean views. We had the buffet for breakfast each morning and it was fine. The food is located around the kitchen area (it's what I think they call a "show kitchen" meant for the guests to see them cooking) and they tended to have smaller amounts of each type of food on the buffet at any one time since they could see what was being eaten. As a Diamond the charge for the buffet (including tip) never showed up on my bill. You can also get some pastries for breakfast at the bar area, which is just outside the restaurant.
Our room wasn't ready when we first arrived so we sat at the Swim Bar area near the pool on the 8th floor. Here again there were very nice ocean views. We noticed that the area around the pool was tile, not concrete and was very slippery in the areas that weren't in the sun. Looked like a lawsuit waiting to happen.
The hotel is a "U" shape with the pool in the center of the "U". The open end of the "U" looks toward the ocean. Some rooms overlook the pool. But I expect you could probably see the ocean from their balconies as well. The rooms around the pool are actually called "cabanas" that I guess you can rent.
We also both had a massage and other treatments at the Sandava Spa. The treatment rooms are very nice with adjustable tables (heated) and a wonderful light and airy relaxation room that overlooks the Intercoastal for before and after treatments. (The spa is on the 7th floor). The therapist said they were still getting a couple of final items for the therapists to use and that when the spa first opened they were missing a number items, as noted in an earlier review. They use the same rooms for all treatments, so even nail treatments are on the same tables, which adjust to be more like a lounge chair with arms.
The lobby area looked unfinished to me. There wasn't any type of gift shop or sundry shop even though the hotel information said there was one. The street level on the beach side also is unfinished. There was a cart out there on the weekend selling water and bottled soft drinks. I expect this is awaiting some other retail or restaurant to lease the space. I'm also guessing that Hyatt wasn't sure whether this hotel's clientele would end up being more hotel guests or people viewing it as vacation condos which may impact exactly what other amenities they end up with.
All the staff we dealt with was extremely enthusiastic and seemed very happy we were there. When we dropped our car off at valet parking, the valet practically ran to the door of the hotel to open it for my wife.
I think this will be a great hotel. We really enjoyed our stay and plan to return again in a couple of months for a longer stay.
Last edited by huskergreg; Apr 9, 2010 at 11:56 am
May 2, 2010, 2:51 pm
#20
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Texas
Programs: Hyatt Glob (Barely); Marriott Plat Life; AA Up and Down Now Plat; Hilton, UA, BA, HA Peasant
Posts: 2,668
Little to add but highly recommended, at least for a short stay. (Not sure what you would do after that, unless you are really into parking yourself in the sun for days on end).
The Hyatt location sort of splits the middle of the beaches, halfway between two high-rise areas, in a redevelopment area of mostly run-down older motels from a bygone (way-gone) era. Meaning, nearby dining options are limited, but there are several more things if you walk back towards old downtown Clearwater.
Received a very nice full-view upgrade on an award stay. The hot breakfast buffet was limited to eggs, hash browns, pancakes, sausage, bacon, and a green vegetable (I'm not kidding, and I didn't ask why). While not the widest selection ever offered it was well prepared and way better than average taste.
The room had full-size stove and full-size refrigerator, but the place seems way too nice to be that kind of a beach housekeeping condo hotel. I really don't understand that decision, since lots of cooking odors would distract from what is a rather luxurious property.
The Hyatt location sort of splits the middle of the beaches, halfway between two high-rise areas, in a redevelopment area of mostly run-down older motels from a bygone (way-gone) era. Meaning, nearby dining options are limited, but there are several more things if you walk back towards old downtown Clearwater.
Received a very nice full-view upgrade on an award stay. The hot breakfast buffet was limited to eggs, hash browns, pancakes, sausage, bacon, and a green vegetable (I'm not kidding, and I didn't ask why). While not the widest selection ever offered it was well prepared and way better than average taste.
The room had full-size stove and full-size refrigerator, but the place seems way too nice to be that kind of a beach housekeeping condo hotel. I really don't understand that decision, since lots of cooking odors would distract from what is a rather luxurious property.
Last edited by jayer; May 2, 2010 at 7:42 pm
May 3, 2010, 9:05 pm
#21
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: Everything is refundable
Posts: 3,727
Not a resort and not an all suite hotel – problems, problems, problems
Stayed at the Hyatt Regency Resort Clearwater Beach recently and have to conclude that Hyatt’s Marketing Department and the hotel staff need to get the basic facts straight.
In the pre-opening thread, ( http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt...iscussion.html ) I already predicted that several Diamond card holders will have problems, because of the unclear upgrade situation at all suite properties, only a few out there, so Hyatt GPP should come up with a clarification asap. I can only say that I was highly disappointed in several ways.
1. The room
Was given a suite on the highest floor and the manager on duty mentioned that this is one of the nicest suites with a beautiful view and also on the highest floor, based on the preferences in my profile for a high floor, non smoking king room. She apologized for not having a Regency Club, but promised me that the breakfast is a $ 20 value.
We took the elevator and entered a beautiful, very light room with nice views down the coast to the south. What happened next can only be subscribed as real life comedy…
While the room was nice, on second thought, I found it strange that a parlor/entry area would feature a king bed…, so I opened all available doors to find the other room... the Regency Clearwater Beach Resort is an all suite hotel according to the official website…., well opening all doors, I found a closet and a bathroom, but no other room…., the room featured a small corner kitchen with a bar and two bar chairs and a small balcony ( however you sit right next to your room neighbors without any separation whatsoever ) and a regular bathroom with an old fashioned tub/shower combination…
I actually needed quite some time to realize that this room was supposed to be a suite measuring 600 sqft…., actually it is a nice, spacious hotel room, however more in the 500 sqft. range, comparable with most Park Deluxe rooms at newer international Park Hyatt’s.
In any case, under any definition, this is not an all suite hotel !!
Since, this was supposed to be a multi-night stay, we took the elevator down to the lobby ( very minimalistic approach, lots of concrete…do not know, if they run out of money or if the minimalistic approach backfired massively, just plain ugly and not comparable to the beautiful lobby areas featuring marble floor masterpieces or other art pieces made of wood at resorts like Bonita Springs or Grand Cypress…) and asked the same manager on duty, why we were obviously given just a regular room in all suite hotel…
First of all, I was told that I did not get an upgrade, because we used points and did not pay cash and secondly, even more amusing and I am not making something up here, we were told that the room is certainly a suite, because it has a kitchen and a balcony ( comparable to the Westin Mammoth Lakes take on what is a suite, room + kitchen = always a suite
)
Clearly puzzled, I asked her, if a real suite would be available ( they sold all available rooms on their website, occupancy was average..) and sure enough the manager on duty looked for about three minutes to find me a new room.
She definitely made sure that the whole lobby could hear that she was giving me a DOUBLE UPGRADE now and that normally I was not supposed to get an upgrade at all...
I could not resist to tell her that there is no difference at all between staying on points or paying cash, but decided not to ask ker, if she worked for Intercontinental Hotels before, where such differences indeed exist.
Since she needed about three minutes to find us a room that was probably one of the worst, we were not surprised to find ourselves on the 14th floor with a pool view. Actually, you have a view of all terraces and rooms facing the pool from the other side of the hotel…, it reminded me of my high school class trips to run down one star properties in Rimini, Italy where all balconies faced each other 10 metres away…, some nice memories, indeed.
Noise from the pool area (8th floor ) is significant, but the balcony has a table and four chairs and is covered by the building and gives lots of shade.
2. The resort
We did not spend too much time in the room and started to explore the resort, well kind of…
If you are used to such amazing Hyatt resorts in the US like Grand Cypress, Hill Country or even Huntington Beach, you expect lawns, pool areas, beautiful landscapes, activities like climbing, tennis courts, bicycles to rent etc, however at this resort, there is no second pool aside from a cramped pool area with a small hot tub. You cannot really access the beach at all from the pool on the 8th floor, so you need to take the elevator and leave the property via the 2nd floor and some stairs or via the garage elevators that gets you down on beach level. The Spa was a small to medium size gym and some treatment rooms, no steam room, sauna etc.
The resort is the hotel building, not a single sqft. more...
But the beach is beautiful and just after some minutes, helpful people are coming by to give you beach equipment, unfortunately they expect you to pay ~ $ 40 for a wind cover and two lounging chairs…Clearly puzzled once more, I asked where to sign as a Hyatt guest or where the Hyatt has its equipment and the guys looked at me as I was an alien from Planet Hyatt after a crash landing on Clearwater Beach...
No beach equipment, no discounts, nothing at all on the beach at the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort….comparable to The Victor, but at least they have an agreement with a company setting up some beach chairs for you…
3. The AC
Returned to the room, actually the double upgrade one bedroom suite and since it was getting cooler anyway, I switched off both air conditioning units, however the noise ( a Hyatt Place AC is quiet against these units ) did not decrease and right next to the kitchen a vent was still blowing cold air into the room. Called the front desk and asked for help. Five minutes later an engineer showed up, already smiling. Really, great and entertaining guy who told me that the whole hotel has a massive problem with the air ventilation/ air conditioning. The whole system is subject to several design flaws, so they need to run the ventilation at a 100% 24/7 meaning that you have a ‘third’ AC unit on at full power all the time.
The noise from the vent is worse than at an old Hyatt Place. He told me that they reduced the ventilation to about 30%, however it resulted in temperatures of 90+ degrees in the hallways and guests complaining and additional problems with the regular air conditioning units, because of too much hot air exhaustions forcing the whole system to shut down…
The consequence is that more or less each room is subject to constant ventilation and additional noise, because also the roof top air vents are running on full power. Sitting on the balcony after the pool is closed is more or less impossible, because the units on the roof 10 metres above the balcony are simply too loud…
Even if you close the door to the bedroom, there is still significant noise and air circulation and being in the kitchen and parlor is almost impossible.
I was really looking forward to stay at the newest Hyatt resort, but this is not a pleasant hotel at the moment, if not in general.
With the resort fee, parking and taxes, you will easily cross the $ 300 barrier, so you pay nearly twice as much in comparison to the Grand Cypress or ~ 50 -70 % more than at Coconut Point. Even worse, this is not what I would define as a Hyatt resort, the beach is very nice and the views of the rooms heading south are beautiful, but everything else is also just standard US Hyatt Regency fare, no rain showers and just standard conservative furniture. Silly things like signing a card when you check out towels at the pool is also reminding me more of a 1980’s hostel/YMCA than of an upscale Hyatt resort…
In the pre-opening thread, ( http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt...iscussion.html ) I already predicted that several Diamond card holders will have problems, because of the unclear upgrade situation at all suite properties, only a few out there, so Hyatt GPP should come up with a clarification asap. I can only say that I was highly disappointed in several ways.
1. The room
Was given a suite on the highest floor and the manager on duty mentioned that this is one of the nicest suites with a beautiful view and also on the highest floor, based on the preferences in my profile for a high floor, non smoking king room. She apologized for not having a Regency Club, but promised me that the breakfast is a $ 20 value.
We took the elevator and entered a beautiful, very light room with nice views down the coast to the south. What happened next can only be subscribed as real life comedy…
While the room was nice, on second thought, I found it strange that a parlor/entry area would feature a king bed…, so I opened all available doors to find the other room... the Regency Clearwater Beach Resort is an all suite hotel according to the official website…., well opening all doors, I found a closet and a bathroom, but no other room…., the room featured a small corner kitchen with a bar and two bar chairs and a small balcony ( however you sit right next to your room neighbors without any separation whatsoever ) and a regular bathroom with an old fashioned tub/shower combination…
I actually needed quite some time to realize that this room was supposed to be a suite measuring 600 sqft…., actually it is a nice, spacious hotel room, however more in the 500 sqft. range, comparable with most Park Deluxe rooms at newer international Park Hyatt’s.
In any case, under any definition, this is not an all suite hotel !!
Since, this was supposed to be a multi-night stay, we took the elevator down to the lobby ( very minimalistic approach, lots of concrete…do not know, if they run out of money or if the minimalistic approach backfired massively, just plain ugly and not comparable to the beautiful lobby areas featuring marble floor masterpieces or other art pieces made of wood at resorts like Bonita Springs or Grand Cypress…) and asked the same manager on duty, why we were obviously given just a regular room in all suite hotel…
First of all, I was told that I did not get an upgrade, because we used points and did not pay cash and secondly, even more amusing and I am not making something up here, we were told that the room is certainly a suite, because it has a kitchen and a balcony ( comparable to the Westin Mammoth Lakes take on what is a suite, room + kitchen = always a suite
)Clearly puzzled, I asked her, if a real suite would be available ( they sold all available rooms on their website, occupancy was average..) and sure enough the manager on duty looked for about three minutes to find me a new room.
She definitely made sure that the whole lobby could hear that she was giving me a DOUBLE UPGRADE now and that normally I was not supposed to get an upgrade at all...
I could not resist to tell her that there is no difference at all between staying on points or paying cash, but decided not to ask ker, if she worked for Intercontinental Hotels before, where such differences indeed exist.
Since she needed about three minutes to find us a room that was probably one of the worst, we were not surprised to find ourselves on the 14th floor with a pool view. Actually, you have a view of all terraces and rooms facing the pool from the other side of the hotel…, it reminded me of my high school class trips to run down one star properties in Rimini, Italy where all balconies faced each other 10 metres away…, some nice memories, indeed.
Noise from the pool area (8th floor ) is significant, but the balcony has a table and four chairs and is covered by the building and gives lots of shade.
2. The resort
We did not spend too much time in the room and started to explore the resort, well kind of…
If you are used to such amazing Hyatt resorts in the US like Grand Cypress, Hill Country or even Huntington Beach, you expect lawns, pool areas, beautiful landscapes, activities like climbing, tennis courts, bicycles to rent etc, however at this resort, there is no second pool aside from a cramped pool area with a small hot tub. You cannot really access the beach at all from the pool on the 8th floor, so you need to take the elevator and leave the property via the 2nd floor and some stairs or via the garage elevators that gets you down on beach level. The Spa was a small to medium size gym and some treatment rooms, no steam room, sauna etc.
The resort is the hotel building, not a single sqft. more...
But the beach is beautiful and just after some minutes, helpful people are coming by to give you beach equipment, unfortunately they expect you to pay ~ $ 40 for a wind cover and two lounging chairs…Clearly puzzled once more, I asked where to sign as a Hyatt guest or where the Hyatt has its equipment and the guys looked at me as I was an alien from Planet Hyatt after a crash landing on Clearwater Beach...
No beach equipment, no discounts, nothing at all on the beach at the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort….comparable to The Victor, but at least they have an agreement with a company setting up some beach chairs for you…
3. The AC
Returned to the room, actually the double upgrade one bedroom suite and since it was getting cooler anyway, I switched off both air conditioning units, however the noise ( a Hyatt Place AC is quiet against these units ) did not decrease and right next to the kitchen a vent was still blowing cold air into the room. Called the front desk and asked for help. Five minutes later an engineer showed up, already smiling. Really, great and entertaining guy who told me that the whole hotel has a massive problem with the air ventilation/ air conditioning. The whole system is subject to several design flaws, so they need to run the ventilation at a 100% 24/7 meaning that you have a ‘third’ AC unit on at full power all the time.
The noise from the vent is worse than at an old Hyatt Place. He told me that they reduced the ventilation to about 30%, however it resulted in temperatures of 90+ degrees in the hallways and guests complaining and additional problems with the regular air conditioning units, because of too much hot air exhaustions forcing the whole system to shut down…
The consequence is that more or less each room is subject to constant ventilation and additional noise, because also the roof top air vents are running on full power. Sitting on the balcony after the pool is closed is more or less impossible, because the units on the roof 10 metres above the balcony are simply too loud…
Even if you close the door to the bedroom, there is still significant noise and air circulation and being in the kitchen and parlor is almost impossible.
I was really looking forward to stay at the newest Hyatt resort, but this is not a pleasant hotel at the moment, if not in general.
With the resort fee, parking and taxes, you will easily cross the $ 300 barrier, so you pay nearly twice as much in comparison to the Grand Cypress or ~ 50 -70 % more than at Coconut Point. Even worse, this is not what I would define as a Hyatt resort, the beach is very nice and the views of the rooms heading south are beautiful, but everything else is also just standard US Hyatt Regency fare, no rain showers and just standard conservative furniture. Silly things like signing a card when you check out towels at the pool is also reminding me more of a 1980’s hostel/YMCA than of an upscale Hyatt resort…
May 4, 2010, 12:07 am
#22
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,745
Oh. my. And to think that I had hoped to get there during this redemption period. It sounds like a very disappointing stay.
Last edited by SanDiego1K; May 6, 2010 at 9:07 am Reason: Returned to temper my remarks, based by input from others
May 5, 2010, 11:06 am
#23
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: Everything is refundable
Posts: 3,727
Oh. my. And to think that I had hoped to get there during this redemption period. That really does not sound like a place I want to stay - and it sounds as though there are hard product problems that cannot be solved. What a shame for a brand new property. I think it is off my list permanently.
Thank you for such a detailed review. You've saved me from a trip that would have resulted in significant disappointment.
Thank you for such a detailed review. You've saved me from a trip that would have resulted in significant disappointment.
unfortunately, this is really not a property worth visiting. The Grand Hyatt Tampa ( while still not a real Grand Hyatt ) is more resort-like than Clearwater, having two different pool areas, several restaurants, tennis courts, a gazebo by the sea, Grand Club etc.
The signature restaurant at the Regency Clearwater 'Shor' also had a really uninspriring breakfast menu, service was slow, although the restaurant was deserted and the heavy winds on the terrace are refreshing, but so strong that the hash browns made it 'up in the air'.
I learned in the meantime that the property has been built by a real estate company and Hyatt is really only in charge of managing some rooms not yet sold as timeshares and in mixed-use.
My recommendation would be to stay at the GH Tampa and drive to Clearwater, if you like to enjoy the beach there, which is really nice.
Parking and beach equipment carges occur anyway, but returning to the Grand Tampa will give you a better hotel with a Grand Club and also water views from many rooms.
May 6, 2010, 3:51 pm
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 23,999
I stayed at this hotel this past Sunday and had an amazing stay. I got an upgrade to an incredible suite on the top floor (without using any sort of upgrade instrument), the Diamond food and beverage amenity was very nice, and the employees were great. I wrote a full review with pictures, which can be found here.
May 7, 2010, 7:54 am
#25
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Gold Country, California
Programs: Hilton Gold, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,199
lucky9876coins, that was a great review and excellent pictures. Thanks for the link. Seems like this property generates a mixed bag of opinions. Personally I thought it was nice and would choose it over GH Tampa any day.
Jun 28, 2010, 6:29 am
#26
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 25
Very nice... but still a few very important kinks to be worked out!
I booked a 3-night stay for a quick weekend getaway. Expectations were high, based on the Hyatt Regency brand.
First impressions didn't disappoint. Valet and bell staff were very helpful, courteous and knowledgeable. While the lobby is small as others have mentioned here, the decor and artwork is comfortably elegant. The staff were excellent. Front desk is the uber-trendy podium style (no big counter), where the staff interacts more personally with the guest. Check in was pleasant and efficient.
The elevators are fast and quiet. Common areas are pleasant.
The room, which I believe was the "standard" (I'm not sure if it's called deluxe, superior or another superlative on the website) was very spacious and well equipped. The full kitchen with granite counters and stainless appliances is a nice touch for a standard room. Bath is adequate, but could have used better lighting and a bit more water pressure in the sink. The bed was excellent! Overall a very nice room and certainly very competitive for this class of hotel. As others have mentioned, the AC is a bit loud... which wasn't a problem for us... yet!
So far so good. Night one was very pleasant and relaxing.
On Saturday we ventured to the beach for most of the day. The hotel's location is very good, centrally located to many of the restaurants and nightlife in the area, but not the best for beach access. The beach is spectacular, beautiful white sand and, believe it or not... clear water! The named it for a reason! Although we live on the Atlantic coast, we prefer the calm waters of the Gulf for a relaxing day of swimming and floating.
After baking on the beach, we decided to spend some time at the pool. The pool area is very attractive, but there was one MAJOR flaw that I have not seen mentioned in other reviews. The entire pool deck is covered with polished stone! While it is beautiful flooring for a dry area... it is incredibly, very, very, VERY slippery when wet. There are other finishes available for stone flooring that would be appropriate around a pool... but polished is hazardous! Both my wife and I nearly feel on several occasions, both barefoot and wearing Crocs and docksiders. We observed quite a few others almost wiping out, including an elderly gentleman walking with the assistance of two canes. When we asked staff about the dangerous condition, all acknowledged that it was a problem. One staff member said that they have 2 or 3 falls a day!!! Another said that work was to begin this week on correcting the condition... another had no idea what was planned. For the sake of the owners, this needs to be fixed immediately. To allow a dangerous condition to exist, after you have actual knowledge of it, is a recipe for disaster.
Enough about the pool deck! On to the pool! We no sooner got into the pool when a maintenance staff member, in a rather rude manner, informed everyone that he was closing the pool immediately. Hotel staff were walking around in a very agitated state with walkie-talkies held to their ears telling everyone to get out of the pool NOW! Several maintenance staff immediately got busy with test kits and chemicals. There was no explanation offered. Needless to say, we were half expecting to wake up with either green hair or no hair at all the following morning! Seriously, some explanation should have been given, as the only reason to close a crowded, busy pool in the middle of the day is that there was a health concern.
Another restful, relaxing day and two evenings followed. We enjoyed room service for dinner on Saturday night. Everything was good and the service was excellent! The tuna app was delicious, but a bit skimpy at the price point. It consisted of 4 very small slices of raw tuna for $12+. The only issue was that the phone system was buggy and wouldn't allow a call to be placed directly to room service. Not a problem, yet, as the front desk was reachable and gladly transferred calls. We also enjoyed an excellent Sunday brunch at a nearby restaurant, the Island Way Grill.
Late Sunday afternoon we went for a swim in the pool. There had been a storm in the distance, with thunder and lightning, but it was moving away. After a few minutes, the staff with walkie-talkies held to their heads converged on the pool telling everyone to get out... because of the storm. There's nothing wrong with exercising an abundance of caution what it comes to lightning, but these folks almost seemed to enjoy the whole walkie-talkie toting "emergency" thing a bit too much. They seemed to be using their radios as a badge of authority. Suggestion to management: have the staff soften up and not act like law enforcement when carrying out tasks of this nature.
One other comment about the pool. I observed staff confronting several guests who lit a cigarette telling them that there was no smoking allowed on the pool deck. They gave a detailed explanation of where it was permissible to light up, yet there were guests in the cabanas that ring the pool deck smoking, only to be told that they have to stay in a defined area of their patio to smoke. If there is a no smoking policy on the pool deck, why do people who rent a cabana have the privilege of smoking in an area defined by no more that an imaginary line? More importantly, there were no signs indicating the the pool deck is a no smoking area. Wouldn't it make more sense to install discreet signage and avoid uncomfortable confrontations between staff and guests who have no idea that they're doing anything wrong ? Again, the walkie-talkie toting staff member seemed to be scanning the crowd, looking for an opportunity to scold a guest.
Now it's Monday AM, check out day. I called the front desk to request a late check out. Although the hotel directory in the room said that Gold Passport members receive a 2 PM late checkout, based upon availability, we were only granted a 12 noon time. As it was a Monday, I find it hard to believe that occupancy didn't allow the later time, but OK. We planned for a relaxing morning, including a room service breakfast in bed and napping until it was time to leave. I attempted to call room service. No dice. Everytime I dialed, the phone would ring back immediately afterward. Evidently, the call was connecting, but I was unable to hear them and vice versa. Smae with the front desk. I finally resorted to calling the hotel from my cell. When I explained to the clerk who answered, she stated that she would send an engineer right away. I explained that I did NOT want someone to come into the room to fix the phone... they could do that AFTER we left... but that I only wanted to order a meal from room service. It took a bit of 'splainin, but the idea got through. Yes, there was a language barrier. I can not imagine why a hotel of this class would entrust first line communication with guests to an individual that was clearly struggling with the English language. While I understand that bilingual communications are necessary, I am offended that I had to endure a difficult time communicating in English with hotel staff who's job is to answer guest requests on the telephone. This was the same person who previously answered when dialing the speed dial on the telephone labeled "guest assistance".
OK, no harm, no foul. i was transferred to room service. again, excellent service. While I was on the phone ordering, with the previously mentioned loud AC running full steam, suddenly, the door to the room opened to the extent that the security device allowed, and repeatedly banged against the security bar as if someone were trying to force the door open! I called out... the door closed. I ran to the door to see what was going on and there was a housekeeping staff member standing there! I asked what she wanted... and she said: "are you checking out today?"!!!!! OMG! Are you kidding me??? You try to enter an occupied room at 8:45 on a Monday morning to see if the occupant is checking out??? Evidently, she had been softly knocking, but between the aforementioned AC, the TV and the fact that I was on the phone, I didn't hear it at all. Is it proper to knock on the door of an occupied room at 8:45 in the morning, then attempt to enter the room when there are clearly sounds of activity in the room??? I then called the "guest assistance" person to request that she kindly let housekeeping know that we were, in fact, checking out that day... but not until noon! The response was: "I tell them". I asked that a manager be informed what had happened. The response was: "I tell him". No apology. No comment from management.
The eggs Benedict was excellent. Again, great food, great service.
Check out was uneventful. Front desk, valet and bell staff were again top notch.
All in all, I must say that we had an enjoyable experience... but the few "hiccups" we experienced were pretty bad. The overarching problem here is simple to diagnose. In a word, it is communication. Every negative comment I have posted here boils down, in one way or another, to a basic failure to communicate well. Correct that, and this is an awesome resort that I will frequent in the future.
First impressions didn't disappoint. Valet and bell staff were very helpful, courteous and knowledgeable. While the lobby is small as others have mentioned here, the decor and artwork is comfortably elegant. The staff were excellent. Front desk is the uber-trendy podium style (no big counter), where the staff interacts more personally with the guest. Check in was pleasant and efficient.
The elevators are fast and quiet. Common areas are pleasant.
The room, which I believe was the "standard" (I'm not sure if it's called deluxe, superior or another superlative on the website) was very spacious and well equipped. The full kitchen with granite counters and stainless appliances is a nice touch for a standard room. Bath is adequate, but could have used better lighting and a bit more water pressure in the sink. The bed was excellent! Overall a very nice room and certainly very competitive for this class of hotel. As others have mentioned, the AC is a bit loud... which wasn't a problem for us... yet!
So far so good. Night one was very pleasant and relaxing.
On Saturday we ventured to the beach for most of the day. The hotel's location is very good, centrally located to many of the restaurants and nightlife in the area, but not the best for beach access. The beach is spectacular, beautiful white sand and, believe it or not... clear water! The named it for a reason! Although we live on the Atlantic coast, we prefer the calm waters of the Gulf for a relaxing day of swimming and floating.
After baking on the beach, we decided to spend some time at the pool. The pool area is very attractive, but there was one MAJOR flaw that I have not seen mentioned in other reviews. The entire pool deck is covered with polished stone! While it is beautiful flooring for a dry area... it is incredibly, very, very, VERY slippery when wet. There are other finishes available for stone flooring that would be appropriate around a pool... but polished is hazardous! Both my wife and I nearly feel on several occasions, both barefoot and wearing Crocs and docksiders. We observed quite a few others almost wiping out, including an elderly gentleman walking with the assistance of two canes. When we asked staff about the dangerous condition, all acknowledged that it was a problem. One staff member said that they have 2 or 3 falls a day!!! Another said that work was to begin this week on correcting the condition... another had no idea what was planned. For the sake of the owners, this needs to be fixed immediately. To allow a dangerous condition to exist, after you have actual knowledge of it, is a recipe for disaster.
Enough about the pool deck! On to the pool! We no sooner got into the pool when a maintenance staff member, in a rather rude manner, informed everyone that he was closing the pool immediately. Hotel staff were walking around in a very agitated state with walkie-talkies held to their ears telling everyone to get out of the pool NOW! Several maintenance staff immediately got busy with test kits and chemicals. There was no explanation offered. Needless to say, we were half expecting to wake up with either green hair or no hair at all the following morning! Seriously, some explanation should have been given, as the only reason to close a crowded, busy pool in the middle of the day is that there was a health concern.
Another restful, relaxing day and two evenings followed. We enjoyed room service for dinner on Saturday night. Everything was good and the service was excellent! The tuna app was delicious, but a bit skimpy at the price point. It consisted of 4 very small slices of raw tuna for $12+. The only issue was that the phone system was buggy and wouldn't allow a call to be placed directly to room service. Not a problem, yet, as the front desk was reachable and gladly transferred calls. We also enjoyed an excellent Sunday brunch at a nearby restaurant, the Island Way Grill.
Late Sunday afternoon we went for a swim in the pool. There had been a storm in the distance, with thunder and lightning, but it was moving away. After a few minutes, the staff with walkie-talkies held to their heads converged on the pool telling everyone to get out... because of the storm. There's nothing wrong with exercising an abundance of caution what it comes to lightning, but these folks almost seemed to enjoy the whole walkie-talkie toting "emergency" thing a bit too much. They seemed to be using their radios as a badge of authority. Suggestion to management: have the staff soften up and not act like law enforcement when carrying out tasks of this nature.
One other comment about the pool. I observed staff confronting several guests who lit a cigarette telling them that there was no smoking allowed on the pool deck. They gave a detailed explanation of where it was permissible to light up, yet there were guests in the cabanas that ring the pool deck smoking, only to be told that they have to stay in a defined area of their patio to smoke. If there is a no smoking policy on the pool deck, why do people who rent a cabana have the privilege of smoking in an area defined by no more that an imaginary line? More importantly, there were no signs indicating the the pool deck is a no smoking area. Wouldn't it make more sense to install discreet signage and avoid uncomfortable confrontations between staff and guests who have no idea that they're doing anything wrong ? Again, the walkie-talkie toting staff member seemed to be scanning the crowd, looking for an opportunity to scold a guest.
Now it's Monday AM, check out day. I called the front desk to request a late check out. Although the hotel directory in the room said that Gold Passport members receive a 2 PM late checkout, based upon availability, we were only granted a 12 noon time. As it was a Monday, I find it hard to believe that occupancy didn't allow the later time, but OK. We planned for a relaxing morning, including a room service breakfast in bed and napping until it was time to leave. I attempted to call room service. No dice. Everytime I dialed, the phone would ring back immediately afterward. Evidently, the call was connecting, but I was unable to hear them and vice versa. Smae with the front desk. I finally resorted to calling the hotel from my cell. When I explained to the clerk who answered, she stated that she would send an engineer right away. I explained that I did NOT want someone to come into the room to fix the phone... they could do that AFTER we left... but that I only wanted to order a meal from room service. It took a bit of 'splainin, but the idea got through. Yes, there was a language barrier. I can not imagine why a hotel of this class would entrust first line communication with guests to an individual that was clearly struggling with the English language. While I understand that bilingual communications are necessary, I am offended that I had to endure a difficult time communicating in English with hotel staff who's job is to answer guest requests on the telephone. This was the same person who previously answered when dialing the speed dial on the telephone labeled "guest assistance".
OK, no harm, no foul. i was transferred to room service. again, excellent service. While I was on the phone ordering, with the previously mentioned loud AC running full steam, suddenly, the door to the room opened to the extent that the security device allowed, and repeatedly banged against the security bar as if someone were trying to force the door open! I called out... the door closed. I ran to the door to see what was going on and there was a housekeeping staff member standing there! I asked what she wanted... and she said: "are you checking out today?"!!!!! OMG! Are you kidding me??? You try to enter an occupied room at 8:45 on a Monday morning to see if the occupant is checking out??? Evidently, she had been softly knocking, but between the aforementioned AC, the TV and the fact that I was on the phone, I didn't hear it at all. Is it proper to knock on the door of an occupied room at 8:45 in the morning, then attempt to enter the room when there are clearly sounds of activity in the room??? I then called the "guest assistance" person to request that she kindly let housekeeping know that we were, in fact, checking out that day... but not until noon! The response was: "I tell them". I asked that a manager be informed what had happened. The response was: "I tell him". No apology. No comment from management.
The eggs Benedict was excellent. Again, great food, great service.
Check out was uneventful. Front desk, valet and bell staff were again top notch.
All in all, I must say that we had an enjoyable experience... but the few "hiccups" we experienced were pretty bad. The overarching problem here is simple to diagnose. In a word, it is communication. Every negative comment I have posted here boils down, in one way or another, to a basic failure to communicate well. Correct that, and this is an awesome resort that I will frequent in the future.
Jul 17, 2010, 4:31 am
#27
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Southwest Missouri
Programs: Hilton Diamond, national executive elite,
Posts: 108
Just completed a 5 night BWB stay. We thought the hotel was great overall. We were upgraded to a 1 bedroom Terrace room overlooking the Gulf on the the 16th floor. The pool area was very nice and they have fixed the slippery deck. On weekends they have a steel drum band that plays at the pool that we enjoyed and great frozen Boat drinks.
Aug 8, 2010, 8:42 pm
#28
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta Diamond, Hyatt Diamond, Entry level on most others
Posts: 22
We completed a 3 night stay using BWB at this hotel a week ago and had a great trip. We were in a larger room with 2 queen beds (3 adults and 1 child) overlooking the pool on the 9th floor. We had a nice view of the ocean and overlooking the pool. There wasn't any pool noise at all thanks to the heavy sliding glass door. The room was perfect for us with the 2 queen beds, a sitting area, kitchen, and dining table. The pool area was a little small but we always were able to find a place to lounge in the shade (it was too hot in the sun last week). They have somehow found a way to fix the slippery flooring around the pool (but it still looks lovely).
We had breakfast everyday in the hotel restaurant. Although we considered a la carte each day, we always opted for the buffet. They will basically make you whatever you want if you have the buffet but sometimes the server doesn't mention it right away. We had dinner in the restaurant one evening also and it was very good. Our server at breakfast gave us a coupon for $25 off dinner (which helped but it was still about $150 for the 4 of us). We had lunch at the poolside bar 2 days and the food there was very good also (loved the fish tacos!). That added a lot of $$ also.
My wife and I had massages at the spa which was nice. Services were nice but it wasn't really a whole spa like you might expect at a Hyatt spa (like at the Park Hyatt Toronto or Scottsdale).
The staff was great. Gui at checking was very helpful. Beware, before you arrive you will get an email asking if you want to upgrade your room if available. I somehow managed to cancel part of our stay by declining the upgrade or something. He was able to work everything out farily quickly and was really nice about it.
This hotel/resort is sort of out of place in Clearwater - perhaps what Clearwater wants to become. The beach is great, right across the street and the ocean is really nice and shallow - even for little kids. However, that's about it. The rest of the area is full of rather tacky restaurants and cheezy souvenir shops.
Upon checkout, they forgot to credit breakfasts (I am a Diamond) for the stay but quickly changed it and apologized when I asked. No resort fee showed up either. However, even with the free nights we racked up quite a bill between the food and parking and spa charges. We had a great, memorable weekend. We would go back.
RE: comparison to the Grand Tampa Bay. I love the Grand Tampa Bay. If you want a resort-ish place with restaurants and a Grand Club and don't mind being close to a major airport, go there. If you want a really nice beach - go to Clearwater. I've also been to Coconut Point and liked it also - but no real beach.
We had breakfast everyday in the hotel restaurant. Although we considered a la carte each day, we always opted for the buffet. They will basically make you whatever you want if you have the buffet but sometimes the server doesn't mention it right away. We had dinner in the restaurant one evening also and it was very good. Our server at breakfast gave us a coupon for $25 off dinner (which helped but it was still about $150 for the 4 of us). We had lunch at the poolside bar 2 days and the food there was very good also (loved the fish tacos!). That added a lot of $$ also.
My wife and I had massages at the spa which was nice. Services were nice but it wasn't really a whole spa like you might expect at a Hyatt spa (like at the Park Hyatt Toronto or Scottsdale).
The staff was great. Gui at checking was very helpful. Beware, before you arrive you will get an email asking if you want to upgrade your room if available. I somehow managed to cancel part of our stay by declining the upgrade or something. He was able to work everything out farily quickly and was really nice about it.
This hotel/resort is sort of out of place in Clearwater - perhaps what Clearwater wants to become. The beach is great, right across the street and the ocean is really nice and shallow - even for little kids. However, that's about it. The rest of the area is full of rather tacky restaurants and cheezy souvenir shops.
Upon checkout, they forgot to credit breakfasts (I am a Diamond) for the stay but quickly changed it and apologized when I asked. No resort fee showed up either. However, even with the free nights we racked up quite a bill between the food and parking and spa charges. We had a great, memorable weekend. We would go back.
RE: comparison to the Grand Tampa Bay. I love the Grand Tampa Bay. If you want a resort-ish place with restaurants and a Grand Club and don't mind being close to a major airport, go there. If you want a really nice beach - go to Clearwater. I've also been to Coconut Point and liked it also - but no real beach.
Nov 11, 2010, 3:43 pm
#29
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: Delta Platinum; SPG Gold
Posts: 39
Bounce Back
Got the following at check out:
25% off daily rate and complimentary breakfast for two offer code CLWBB
Full Breakfast For 2 Daily:Tax Excluded: Breakfast Served in Hotel Restaurant, Not Valid For Room Service.
Valid until Feb 28 2011
25% off daily rate and complimentary breakfast for two offer code CLWBB
Full Breakfast For 2 Daily:Tax Excluded: Breakfast Served in Hotel Restaurant, Not Valid For Room Service.
Valid until Feb 28 2011
Dec 23, 2010, 11:29 am
#30
Join Date: May 2004
Location: PWM
Programs: Marriott Platinum Hyatt Diamond Hilton Gold SPG Gold National Executive Avis Preferred Hertz Gold
Posts: 633
Hyatt Clearwater
I haven't seen anything posted about free internet access at this property. I don't have a laptop and they don't have a club lounge--so-- will I be able to get access as Diamond member? Thanks for your help--I'm leaving Saturday at 10:00 am--so any response is appreciated.