Hyatt Regency New Orleans REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
Mar 18, 2012, 3:45 am
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
Hyatt Regency New Orleans: Feb. 29 – Mar. 4, 2012 (part 1)
(Metacomment: all of the pictures shown in the review and a few others are located here.)
Why Here? Attended a number of meetings being held at this hotel, so this was the logical location to book into for this stay. Also, as others have noted, this property has relatively recently re-opened after being renovated after the damage of Hurricane Katrina.
The Reservation: Hyatt had a group website set up for our meetings so I received the group rate of $129/night for either a 1 king or 2 doubles. A quick search on hyatt.com shows regular room rates from $189/weekday night and upwards of $279/weekend night – and starting @ $559/night during Final Four week…The only other comment I have was that the reservation appeared to show two rooms on my Gold Passport account (RATE/ROOM1 and RATE/ROOM2) when I included my wife in the reservation – but @ check-in there was no discussion of a second room so it was a bit odd.
Location: If you’re going to the Superdome or New Orleans Arena, this is probably the place to stay – but, that being said, this property’s entrance faces east, opposite the direction of the Superdome so I honestly have no idea how you’d easily get to/from the hotel’s entrance to either place without a decent walk – a backdoor on the ground level at the back would be good but probably requires some security. Also, after coming out of the property’s entrance, you’ll still be 4 blocks northwest and 5 blocks northeast of the intersection of Canal and Bourbon – if you want to walk to the beginning of the French Quarter. So, my recommendation if you’re staying here and don’t take taxis is to bring some good walking shoes (and probably a hat and cooler clothes during the summer).
Lobby/Check-In: Entering off of Loyola, there are a few stations to check in:
There’s also a few locations to sit and wait when you’re meeting up with others you head out to places such as the French Quarter:
The Property Layout:
After checking in, you head up two floors to the primary elevators that will take you to your room. Whether you take the escalators or the two smaller elevators is your choice.
Prior to this trip, I had not been to this property so I don’t know if it has changed since its renovation but it reminded of the larger hotels in Las Vegas where you have to go from a hotel’s front entrance through the casino before you can get to the elevators to get to your hotel room. Here, instead of passing through a casino, you have to go up two floors and pass by various conference rooms, the hotel bar, primary restaurant and lounge. This composite shot is standing between the 8 Block Bar and the Vitascope Hall Lounge:
It turns out there are two sets of rooms at this hotel. There are the ones that ring the central atrium of this hotel. The second set are in the north wing and some of them overlook the hotel pool.
In addition, for the rooms that ring the central atrium, the four elevators are split into banks of two. The ones to the north service rooms on floors 5 thru 18. The others service rooms on floors 19 thru 27 as well as floor 32 where the fitness center and the Regency Club are located. Either way, you can select your floor with the touch pad or wand your room key card over the sensor at the bottom of these screens. These touch pads then direct you to the next elevator going to your floor. At busy times, it can take a minute or two to get an elevator but all in all the waits weren’t terribly long.
Room 2105: Whether it was because I selected a 1 king and/or because of my Platinum status, I was given room 2105. As with the elevators, you wand your room key card over the door sensor. A double set of doors are the entrance to both rooms 2106 and 2105. From my best assessment, 2106 appears to be either a superior suite or deluxe suite.
While 2105 is not a suite, I thought it was quite good. A king bed, a large flat screen TV that has the new Roomlynx functionality and a spectacular view of the Superdome await:
Also, if you want to simply turn down the lights in the room, the Superdome will change colors over time during the evening.
The bathroom, while not particularly spacious, had a black cultured stone/chrome vanity and a shower-only stall:
Another unique feature of this room was the closet. It turns out that one wall of the closet is actually a set of frosted windows, so the closet gets fairly warm in the afternoon.
(additional images and comments regarding dining, Regency Club and other observations to be included in part 2...)
David
Why Here? Attended a number of meetings being held at this hotel, so this was the logical location to book into for this stay. Also, as others have noted, this property has relatively recently re-opened after being renovated after the damage of Hurricane Katrina.
The Reservation: Hyatt had a group website set up for our meetings so I received the group rate of $129/night for either a 1 king or 2 doubles. A quick search on hyatt.com shows regular room rates from $189/weekday night and upwards of $279/weekend night – and starting @ $559/night during Final Four week…The only other comment I have was that the reservation appeared to show two rooms on my Gold Passport account (RATE/ROOM1 and RATE/ROOM2) when I included my wife in the reservation – but @ check-in there was no discussion of a second room so it was a bit odd.
Location: If you’re going to the Superdome or New Orleans Arena, this is probably the place to stay – but, that being said, this property’s entrance faces east, opposite the direction of the Superdome so I honestly have no idea how you’d easily get to/from the hotel’s entrance to either place without a decent walk – a backdoor on the ground level at the back would be good but probably requires some security. Also, after coming out of the property’s entrance, you’ll still be 4 blocks northwest and 5 blocks northeast of the intersection of Canal and Bourbon – if you want to walk to the beginning of the French Quarter. So, my recommendation if you’re staying here and don’t take taxis is to bring some good walking shoes (and probably a hat and cooler clothes during the summer).
Lobby/Check-In: Entering off of Loyola, there are a few stations to check in:
There’s also a few locations to sit and wait when you’re meeting up with others you head out to places such as the French Quarter:
The Property Layout:
After checking in, you head up two floors to the primary elevators that will take you to your room. Whether you take the escalators or the two smaller elevators is your choice.
Prior to this trip, I had not been to this property so I don’t know if it has changed since its renovation but it reminded of the larger hotels in Las Vegas where you have to go from a hotel’s front entrance through the casino before you can get to the elevators to get to your hotel room. Here, instead of passing through a casino, you have to go up two floors and pass by various conference rooms, the hotel bar, primary restaurant and lounge. This composite shot is standing between the 8 Block Bar and the Vitascope Hall Lounge:
It turns out there are two sets of rooms at this hotel. There are the ones that ring the central atrium of this hotel. The second set are in the north wing and some of them overlook the hotel pool.
In addition, for the rooms that ring the central atrium, the four elevators are split into banks of two. The ones to the north service rooms on floors 5 thru 18. The others service rooms on floors 19 thru 27 as well as floor 32 where the fitness center and the Regency Club are located. Either way, you can select your floor with the touch pad or wand your room key card over the sensor at the bottom of these screens. These touch pads then direct you to the next elevator going to your floor. At busy times, it can take a minute or two to get an elevator but all in all the waits weren’t terribly long.
Room 2105: Whether it was because I selected a 1 king and/or because of my Platinum status, I was given room 2105. As with the elevators, you wand your room key card over the door sensor. A double set of doors are the entrance to both rooms 2106 and 2105. From my best assessment, 2106 appears to be either a superior suite or deluxe suite.
While 2105 is not a suite, I thought it was quite good. A king bed, a large flat screen TV that has the new Roomlynx functionality and a spectacular view of the Superdome await:
Also, if you want to simply turn down the lights in the room, the Superdome will change colors over time during the evening.
The bathroom, while not particularly spacious, had a black cultured stone/chrome vanity and a shower-only stall:
Another unique feature of this room was the closet. It turns out that one wall of the closet is actually a set of frosted windows, so the closet gets fairly warm in the afternoon.
(additional images and comments regarding dining, Regency Club and other observations to be included in part 2...)
David
Mar 19, 2012, 12:31 am
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
Hyatt Regency New Orleans: Feb. 29 – Mar. 4, 2012 (part 2)
Breakfast Buffet and Other Facilities:
The 8 Block Restaurant is at the center of the central atrium on the third floor and may be a place that you end up trying simply because it is there. I personally ate there only once – for their Sunday brunch after 1 PM. There are a number of stations including a hot station, a cook-to-order omelet station, a salad / cold items station, a breakfast foods (cereals, etc.) station and a dessert station. Given that this is the HR New Orleans, they had a number of local specialties such as multiple types of jambalaya, etoufee and beignets.
In addition, there’s the adjacent bar that’s popular in the evening as well as the Vitascope lounge that includes its own sushi bar.
If you go down to the second floor below, there’s a large Starbucks as well as the Lagniappe’s Exchange. The Lagniappe is unique in that it has a full cold wall with drinks and pre-made/pre-packaged foods that’s open 24 hours (‘tho the latest I went there was after midnight). It also has baked goods and other items that can be ordered from the personnel staffing the location.
I didn’t try either the Whole Hog Café nor the Borgne restaurant on this trip.
Pool & Fitness:
The pool was closed during my stay. Given the southern latitude of this property, I was surprised it wasn’t open but it was the winter and was fairly windy and cold the day I figured out how to get to it from the North Wing since the entrance off of the Central Atrium was locked. Also, a number of rooms in the North Wing have balconies that either open out to the pool or overlook it.
For those who appreciate a great view when you work out, the Hyatt Regency New Orleans does not disappoint. On the 32nd floor, it shares a top of property view along with the Regency Club. The Fitness Center and the Regency Club occupy the octagon structure at the top of the building with the view of the Fitness Center running from directly south (the adjacent office building) and running 120 degrees toward the west looking over the Superdome:
The Regency Club:
Wow. I made it into here just once (see below). At that time, it was mid-afternoon so the only items out were cookies and the drinks. However, the club is extremely large and spacious and occupies multiple levels and has different locales: there’s a lounge area as well as a conference/board room:
The Concierge on duty at that time was Marie and she invited me in when I inquired whether she knew if the property was full that night. I expressed my interest to use my suite upgrades and she invited me in while she called down to the Front Desk.
While I ended up not upgrading because none of the suites offered would have as good or better view than what I had, I would have not necessarily been granted access to the Regency Club. If I were to return to this hotel and wanted more luxurious accommodations, I probably would pay for both a suite and regency club access.
Other Comments:
The group I was with had negotiated free wireless Internet access. I found that it worked well in my room. However, when I went into the various meeting and conference rooms, the signal to the access I had used in my room was either minimal or non-existent. There were other access networks but they either required different settings or a code/password so I would caution others who expect to have common access throughout the property.
Other issues cropped up including finding mold/mildew on one of my pillowcases, discovering I had no bathmat on my last day just before entering the shower as well as finding my trash can had not been emptied.
I noted these items when I completed an online survey sent to me after my stay and was contacted by a guest relations analyst via e-mail. I did send her copies of photos and my GP account was subsequently credited with additional points for the inconvenience.
Summary:
Given the rate at which I paid for my stay, the newness of this property and what it has to offer, I was ultimately happy about staying here. I can say that I did tire of having to walk to and from my room all the way to the front entrance of this property in order to even just get outdoors – there was one day that I did not make it out of the building given this distance as well as the length of meetings that I participated in that day.
I really would have preferred to be closer to the French Quarter but that is not the role nor location of this hotel property. It is truly new and unique after the investment made by Hyatt in getting it renovated after Katrina. It is clearly a conference hotel with enough features to keep it interesting. I suspect that for most GP Diamonds that it will be a destination hotel.
David
p.s. Not sure how long it will last but the access crossing Loyola Avenue is blocked due to the central meridian strip being used as a rail laydown yard. You end up having to first go north or south on Loyola before you can cross. If you intend to go east along Lafayette, you may have to hop over the concrete K-rails that block the meridian area.
Probably in large part because of this blockage, traffic backs up on Loyola – especially during events at either the New Orleans Arena (Hornets’ basketball games at this time of year) or the Superdome.
The 8 Block Restaurant is at the center of the central atrium on the third floor and may be a place that you end up trying simply because it is there. I personally ate there only once – for their Sunday brunch after 1 PM. There are a number of stations including a hot station, a cook-to-order omelet station, a salad / cold items station, a breakfast foods (cereals, etc.) station and a dessert station. Given that this is the HR New Orleans, they had a number of local specialties such as multiple types of jambalaya, etoufee and beignets.
In addition, there’s the adjacent bar that’s popular in the evening as well as the Vitascope lounge that includes its own sushi bar.
If you go down to the second floor below, there’s a large Starbucks as well as the Lagniappe’s Exchange. The Lagniappe is unique in that it has a full cold wall with drinks and pre-made/pre-packaged foods that’s open 24 hours (‘tho the latest I went there was after midnight). It also has baked goods and other items that can be ordered from the personnel staffing the location.
I didn’t try either the Whole Hog Café nor the Borgne restaurant on this trip.
Pool & Fitness:
The pool was closed during my stay. Given the southern latitude of this property, I was surprised it wasn’t open but it was the winter and was fairly windy and cold the day I figured out how to get to it from the North Wing since the entrance off of the Central Atrium was locked. Also, a number of rooms in the North Wing have balconies that either open out to the pool or overlook it.
For those who appreciate a great view when you work out, the Hyatt Regency New Orleans does not disappoint. On the 32nd floor, it shares a top of property view along with the Regency Club. The Fitness Center and the Regency Club occupy the octagon structure at the top of the building with the view of the Fitness Center running from directly south (the adjacent office building) and running 120 degrees toward the west looking over the Superdome:
The Regency Club:
Wow. I made it into here just once (see below). At that time, it was mid-afternoon so the only items out were cookies and the drinks. However, the club is extremely large and spacious and occupies multiple levels and has different locales: there’s a lounge area as well as a conference/board room:
The Concierge on duty at that time was Marie and she invited me in when I inquired whether she knew if the property was full that night. I expressed my interest to use my suite upgrades and she invited me in while she called down to the Front Desk.
While I ended up not upgrading because none of the suites offered would have as good or better view than what I had, I would have not necessarily been granted access to the Regency Club. If I were to return to this hotel and wanted more luxurious accommodations, I probably would pay for both a suite and regency club access.
Other Comments:
The group I was with had negotiated free wireless Internet access. I found that it worked well in my room. However, when I went into the various meeting and conference rooms, the signal to the access I had used in my room was either minimal or non-existent. There were other access networks but they either required different settings or a code/password so I would caution others who expect to have common access throughout the property.
Other issues cropped up including finding mold/mildew on one of my pillowcases, discovering I had no bathmat on my last day just before entering the shower as well as finding my trash can had not been emptied.
I noted these items when I completed an online survey sent to me after my stay and was contacted by a guest relations analyst via e-mail. I did send her copies of photos and my GP account was subsequently credited with additional points for the inconvenience.
Summary:
Given the rate at which I paid for my stay, the newness of this property and what it has to offer, I was ultimately happy about staying here. I can say that I did tire of having to walk to and from my room all the way to the front entrance of this property in order to even just get outdoors – there was one day that I did not make it out of the building given this distance as well as the length of meetings that I participated in that day.
I really would have preferred to be closer to the French Quarter but that is not the role nor location of this hotel property. It is truly new and unique after the investment made by Hyatt in getting it renovated after Katrina. It is clearly a conference hotel with enough features to keep it interesting. I suspect that for most GP Diamonds that it will be a destination hotel.
David
p.s. Not sure how long it will last but the access crossing Loyola Avenue is blocked due to the central meridian strip being used as a rail laydown yard. You end up having to first go north or south on Loyola before you can cross. If you intend to go east along Lafayette, you may have to hop over the concrete K-rails that block the meridian area.
Probably in large part because of this blockage, traffic backs up on Loyola – especially during events at either the New Orleans Arena (Hornets’ basketball games at this time of year) or the Superdome.
Apr 17, 2012, 4:28 pm
#21
No longer used by Hyatt; use World of Hyatt Concierge
Join Date: Jul 1999
Posts: 1,628
Thank you for your question, glad to know you will be staying with us. You can get to the hotel by airport shuttle which costs $20 per person one way or $38 per person round trip. A taxi will be approximately $33 to the hotel.
Happy travels and if you need anything else, please let us know!
Gold Passport Concierge
May 9, 2012, 4:39 pm
#23
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
$109+ via TravelZoo for stays 5/23 - 8/25/12. Book by 5/18. Blacked out "June 3-4, 10-11; July 5-8, 18-21, 23-26; Aug. 20-23." Memorial Day weekend isn't blacked out.
http://www.travelzoo.com/hotels/texa...m_medium=email
[I have no connection to TravelZoo or Hyatt.]
http://www.travelzoo.com/hotels/texa...m_medium=email
[I have no connection to TravelZoo or Hyatt.]
May 11, 2012, 5:04 pm
#24
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: MEL
Programs: VAG
Posts: 1,865
I just booked this hotel for Memorial Day weekend Saturday for $109+15 a night (hmm, like Firewind said...). Looking at the pictures, that sounds like a pretty darn good price to me. I'm looking forward to my stay.
May 11, 2012, 6:01 pm
#25
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
Sorry, can't answer the question directly, but does anyone know if one of the agencies has a desk at the Hyatt? (Haven't been there in a long time, and always cabbed it.) I know it's a bit out of position, otherwise. Just trying to suggest a creative alternative to all the expenses of rent, always exorbitant t&f, insurance + paying parking at a hotel. Even if the daily rate is steep, it might come in less than the parking fee increment.
May 11, 2012, 9:37 pm
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
just called ye hotel
Valet only - rate is $38 / night + tax => $42+ per day. Valet desk manager indicated that they can accommodate vehicles up to 6' 8" (15 passenger van or stock F250 truck heights).
Hertz shows a location @ the hotel and states the following:
Address: 601 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans (New Orleans), Louisiana
United States
Phone: 504-568-1645
Hours of Operation: 0000-0100 and 0600-2400 7 Days
Location Type: Corporate
Distance from Center: 0.0 mi
Good luck.
David
Hertz shows a location @ the hotel and states the following:
- PLEASE NOTE: All vehicles must be returned to Hotel valet, for a receipt, please contact Hertz at 504-561-1234..
Address: 601 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans (New Orleans), Louisiana
United States
Phone: 504-568-1645
Hours of Operation: 0000-0100 and 0600-2400 7 Days
Location Type: Corporate
Distance from Center: 0.0 mi
David
May 12, 2012, 12:18 am
#27
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: TUL
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum, 1.7MM, SW 15 Year Companion Pass holder, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 46
My wife and I stayed in the Hyatt Regency New Orleans in mid-November 2011 and the descriptions written on this thread are very good. I would add that as a Diamond Member, we used points for a standard room and having been a visitor at the hotel starting in 1995 up to the Katrina time period, I knew that our best views were in the corner rooms. The old setup also had certain suites also at the end of each corridor. The views from the corner king showed the Central Business District to the southwest and the French Quarter in the southeast. It is too far to walk at night to the Quarter, but it is easy to obtain a taxi right below the elevator bank. Reaching the valet for our car was a little more of a hike as this was a new addition since the remodel and includes the location of the restaurants and bar.
Our second and third nights we used our suite upgrade request to stay in a junior suite which was very nice. Both rooms had great views to the west in our case.
I saw a post on this thread commenting on Diamond Amenity offers and we were offered these at check-in and the variety of the choices were very nice. This year, Hyatt has instituted changes in amenities with most hotels opting to offer different choices and we were pleased with the selection.
The one change that is harder to accept is that the old trolley from the Hyatt to Jax Brewery in the French Quarter / Cafe Dumond is no longer in operation. We saw the work on the rail spur but do not know when it will be completed. Taxis have increased in price considerably since our last trip in the early 2003/2004 time frame so we did miss the shuttle.
Still, we look forward to booking a return trip to the Hyatt Regency New Orleans as the staff was very friendly and the food at breakfast in the buffet restaurant was some of the best we have had at any Hyatt.
Our second and third nights we used our suite upgrade request to stay in a junior suite which was very nice. Both rooms had great views to the west in our case.
I saw a post on this thread commenting on Diamond Amenity offers and we were offered these at check-in and the variety of the choices were very nice. This year, Hyatt has instituted changes in amenities with most hotels opting to offer different choices and we were pleased with the selection.
The one change that is harder to accept is that the old trolley from the Hyatt to Jax Brewery in the French Quarter / Cafe Dumond is no longer in operation. We saw the work on the rail spur but do not know when it will be completed. Taxis have increased in price considerably since our last trip in the early 2003/2004 time frame so we did miss the shuttle.
Still, we look forward to booking a return trip to the Hyatt Regency New Orleans as the staff was very friendly and the food at breakfast in the buffet restaurant was some of the best we have had at any Hyatt.
May 27, 2012, 3:26 pm
#28
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: MEL
Programs: VAG
Posts: 1,865
Just answering my own question about parking: yes, the valet parking is rather expensive. Your other options are:
1. Self parking in the huge parking structure immediately to the north of the hotel -- $25 a day
2. Outdoor self parking in several lots on the southwest kitty corner of the block with the hotel. That'll run you $15 a day, and is what I did. (If it had been my own car rather than a rental I might have thought differently, though it's certainly not a bad area by New Orleans standards.)
My general comments on the hotel: certainly it's a state-of-the-art high-tech renovation they've done. The foyer and atrium area are magnificent, and the bar does a pretty darn good cheeseburger. And the bed was as comfortable as any I've ever had. On the downside, I've never seen a hotel which seemed quite so crowded or impersonal. Usually I don't complain about "impersonal" as a quality in hotels, I quite like the anonymity that comes from being in a vast hotel. But something about not being able to get from your room to the street without walking past a few hundred other people doing the same thing makes the experience less relaxing. Also, the room was kinda dark, hotel kinda noisy, room kinda small, water pressure in the shower was pretty low.
That sounds like a long litany of complaints -- don't get me wrong, for the $109 a night I paid it was excellent value. However, absent a colossally good deal I'd probably choose somewhere else next time.
1. Self parking in the huge parking structure immediately to the north of the hotel -- $25 a day
2. Outdoor self parking in several lots on the southwest kitty corner of the block with the hotel. That'll run you $15 a day, and is what I did. (If it had been my own car rather than a rental I might have thought differently, though it's certainly not a bad area by New Orleans standards.)
My general comments on the hotel: certainly it's a state-of-the-art high-tech renovation they've done. The foyer and atrium area are magnificent, and the bar does a pretty darn good cheeseburger. And the bed was as comfortable as any I've ever had. On the downside, I've never seen a hotel which seemed quite so crowded or impersonal. Usually I don't complain about "impersonal" as a quality in hotels, I quite like the anonymity that comes from being in a vast hotel. But something about not being able to get from your room to the street without walking past a few hundred other people doing the same thing makes the experience less relaxing. Also, the room was kinda dark, hotel kinda noisy, room kinda small, water pressure in the shower was pretty low.
That sounds like a long litany of complaints -- don't get me wrong, for the $109 a night I paid it was excellent value. However, absent a colossally good deal I'd probably choose somewhere else next time.
Jun 2, 2012, 2:19 am
#29
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,578
Allow me to just repost my tripadvisor review of this property and my recent stay...
I booked 2 rooms here for 3 days on a Hyatt promo rate, which included free breakfast every day for 2 people and the 3rd night free. I booked both rooms in my name and got one for myself and wife, and one for parents. Upon arrival, the hotel was super busy, and check in was fairly slow. There were numerous people standing in line, and there was a Diamond/Platinum check in line, but it was not being staffed by any of the 3 people at the counter.
When we checked in, the gentleman who checked us in was very pleasant and accommodating, although he did take quite a while to process the check in. I won't really fault him, as he was, as mentioned, very nice and did his best to handle it properly.
The hotel itself is pretty nice...it looks newly renovated and has a lovely spacious lobby with a variety of art. One thing that is strange...to get to the rooms, you have to go up 2 flights of stairs (escalator or elevator is available) and then walk past a few restaurants to get to the room elevators. The elevator system is kind of confusing at first, and a little inconvenient.
The room was nice enough, as it was a basic room. It had a flat screen TV and a comfortable enough bed, although the pillows left much to be desired (more on that...). The bathroom was large and spacious and the shower had satisfactory enough pressure and the water was very soft.
Overall, just considering those factors, I would say the stay would have been a 4 star stay, since it was a pretty nice hotel, with a comfortable enough room and was well located enough...but then the problems began.
First off, there was a bottle of Aquafina in the closet, on a tray with 2 glasses next to it. There was NO label, NO price tag, NOTHING to indicate the water was not complimentary (as MANY quality hotels provide 1 bottle of water free). We consumed this bottle to find out later it was not free.
Second, after a miserable night trying to sleep with the pillows which were too firm for us, we asked if there were other pillows. The front desk said they had some foam pillows and they would send some up. That never happened. I had to call again later that night, several hours later, because they never brought them the first time.
Third, we went down to the restaurant for the buffet breakfast which was included in the promo rate and had to wait about 15 minutes. Now, this alone would not be an issue, but when we got in the restaurant, there was literally about 40% vacant tables. We asked why it took so long and why people were kept waiting and they said they lacked the staff to handle it, although our server, polite and friendly as he was, looked like he was bored and trying to find stuff to do. On a busy holiday weekend on a Sunday, they should have staffed better if that was the problem. However, I will say the breakfast was very good and for the $21 sticker price, it would be a very good value as hotel breakfasts go.
Fourth, we had a very early flight on the departure day, so we went to the front desk to check out and make sure everything was handled the night prior. When I got the bill for the first room, I found a $4 charge for the bottle of water we used...although it was charged to the OTHER room I had. That room did not even HAVE a bottle placed in it at any time, although my parents later showed me a $4 tag that said "hydrate" which they found in THEIR room, but without any bottle of water. That tag was missing from my room. Next, they charged me for breakfast on one of the 2 days, which I had to have taken off. Now, they took it off, but that irritates me...I hate hotels where I have to analyze every corner of the bill for stuff like that. Next, I noticed a tax charge on the breakfast, and was told by the front desk that the breakfast was free, but the gratuity PLUS THE TAX was not. They charged me the added gratuity I put on it (thats fine..although many hotels cover that as well) AS WELL AS the sales tax??? Seriously? I have never heard of anything so ludicrous...the breakfast is free, but hey you owe us $3.22 for tax? Pathetic.
Fifth, I asked twice at check out if I needed to request a taxi for the next day or if there would be one waiting. I was assured there are ALWAYS taxis ready, which was important because when you are already getting up at 2am to get to the airport on time, every bit counts. Of course, when we went to get the taxi the next morning, they had to call one, which took another 15 minutes, and we ended up with a DIFFERENT cab, which happened to show up by chance, not even the one they called. Unreal again.
Sixth, when I checked the folio online after returning home and confirmed with my credit card, I found that they charged me for THREE BOTTLES of water...one from the first room, and 2 from the other, despite us using ONE bottle of unmarked and unpriced water that was never replenished in one room, and the other room never even having a bottle in it.
Seventh, the stay posted as 700 points, and when I called to fix it, I was told by GP that the hotel records showed it being a stay worth $144 and as non qualifying. They said they had to go by what the hotel showed them. They then told me I had to print my own folio and fax it to them, which I refused to do, and they had to call the hotel and confirm the price I paid and correct the points, which took a full day.
Overall, the service was friendly, the room was decent (nothing great, but not bad), and the breakfast was very good. However, no attempt was even made or offered to remove the $4 for the water which was NOT labelled and even charged to the WRONG room, one mistake or bout of incompetence after another just really marred the stay. THEN, they charge me ANOTHER $8 for water I did NOT even use, and was NOT on the folio when I checked out, but was added later. We paid $340 plus taxes ($390 total) for 3 nights with 2 breakfasts, but honestly I would NOT stay here again after all that.
***UPDATE***
After completing the post stay survey and expressing my dissatisfaction, I was contacted by a rep who made sure my issues were addressed and made things right. Overall, based on such excellent attention after the stay, I WOULD stay here again.
I booked 2 rooms here for 3 days on a Hyatt promo rate, which included free breakfast every day for 2 people and the 3rd night free. I booked both rooms in my name and got one for myself and wife, and one for parents. Upon arrival, the hotel was super busy, and check in was fairly slow. There were numerous people standing in line, and there was a Diamond/Platinum check in line, but it was not being staffed by any of the 3 people at the counter.
When we checked in, the gentleman who checked us in was very pleasant and accommodating, although he did take quite a while to process the check in. I won't really fault him, as he was, as mentioned, very nice and did his best to handle it properly.
The hotel itself is pretty nice...it looks newly renovated and has a lovely spacious lobby with a variety of art. One thing that is strange...to get to the rooms, you have to go up 2 flights of stairs (escalator or elevator is available) and then walk past a few restaurants to get to the room elevators. The elevator system is kind of confusing at first, and a little inconvenient.
The room was nice enough, as it was a basic room. It had a flat screen TV and a comfortable enough bed, although the pillows left much to be desired (more on that...). The bathroom was large and spacious and the shower had satisfactory enough pressure and the water was very soft.
Overall, just considering those factors, I would say the stay would have been a 4 star stay, since it was a pretty nice hotel, with a comfortable enough room and was well located enough...but then the problems began.
First off, there was a bottle of Aquafina in the closet, on a tray with 2 glasses next to it. There was NO label, NO price tag, NOTHING to indicate the water was not complimentary (as MANY quality hotels provide 1 bottle of water free). We consumed this bottle to find out later it was not free.
Second, after a miserable night trying to sleep with the pillows which were too firm for us, we asked if there were other pillows. The front desk said they had some foam pillows and they would send some up. That never happened. I had to call again later that night, several hours later, because they never brought them the first time.
Third, we went down to the restaurant for the buffet breakfast which was included in the promo rate and had to wait about 15 minutes. Now, this alone would not be an issue, but when we got in the restaurant, there was literally about 40% vacant tables. We asked why it took so long and why people were kept waiting and they said they lacked the staff to handle it, although our server, polite and friendly as he was, looked like he was bored and trying to find stuff to do. On a busy holiday weekend on a Sunday, they should have staffed better if that was the problem. However, I will say the breakfast was very good and for the $21 sticker price, it would be a very good value as hotel breakfasts go.
Fourth, we had a very early flight on the departure day, so we went to the front desk to check out and make sure everything was handled the night prior. When I got the bill for the first room, I found a $4 charge for the bottle of water we used...although it was charged to the OTHER room I had. That room did not even HAVE a bottle placed in it at any time, although my parents later showed me a $4 tag that said "hydrate" which they found in THEIR room, but without any bottle of water. That tag was missing from my room. Next, they charged me for breakfast on one of the 2 days, which I had to have taken off. Now, they took it off, but that irritates me...I hate hotels where I have to analyze every corner of the bill for stuff like that. Next, I noticed a tax charge on the breakfast, and was told by the front desk that the breakfast was free, but the gratuity PLUS THE TAX was not. They charged me the added gratuity I put on it (thats fine..although many hotels cover that as well) AS WELL AS the sales tax??? Seriously? I have never heard of anything so ludicrous...the breakfast is free, but hey you owe us $3.22 for tax? Pathetic.
Fifth, I asked twice at check out if I needed to request a taxi for the next day or if there would be one waiting. I was assured there are ALWAYS taxis ready, which was important because when you are already getting up at 2am to get to the airport on time, every bit counts. Of course, when we went to get the taxi the next morning, they had to call one, which took another 15 minutes, and we ended up with a DIFFERENT cab, which happened to show up by chance, not even the one they called. Unreal again.
Sixth, when I checked the folio online after returning home and confirmed with my credit card, I found that they charged me for THREE BOTTLES of water...one from the first room, and 2 from the other, despite us using ONE bottle of unmarked and unpriced water that was never replenished in one room, and the other room never even having a bottle in it.
Seventh, the stay posted as 700 points, and when I called to fix it, I was told by GP that the hotel records showed it being a stay worth $144 and as non qualifying. They said they had to go by what the hotel showed them. They then told me I had to print my own folio and fax it to them, which I refused to do, and they had to call the hotel and confirm the price I paid and correct the points, which took a full day.
Overall, the service was friendly, the room was decent (nothing great, but not bad), and the breakfast was very good. However, no attempt was even made or offered to remove the $4 for the water which was NOT labelled and even charged to the WRONG room, one mistake or bout of incompetence after another just really marred the stay. THEN, they charge me ANOTHER $8 for water I did NOT even use, and was NOT on the folio when I checked out, but was added later. We paid $340 plus taxes ($390 total) for 3 nights with 2 breakfasts, but honestly I would NOT stay here again after all that.
***UPDATE***
After completing the post stay survey and expressing my dissatisfaction, I was contacted by a rep who made sure my issues were addressed and made things right. Overall, based on such excellent attention after the stay, I WOULD stay here again.
Last edited by antonius66; Jun 6, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Jun 4, 2012, 7:23 am
#30
No longer used by Hyatt; use World of Hyatt Concierge
Join Date: Jul 1999
Posts: 1,628
Allow me to just repost my tripadvisor review of this property and my recent stay...
I booked 2 rooms here for 3 days on a Hyatt promo rate, which included free breakfast every day for 2 people and the 3rd night free. I booked both rooms in my name and got one for myself and wife, and one for parents. Upon arrival, the hotel was super busy, and check in was fairly slow. There were numerous people standing in line, and there was a Diamond/Platinum check in line, but it was not being staffed by any of the 3 people at the counter.
When we checked in, the gentleman who checked us in was very pleasant and accommodating, although he did take quite a while to process the check in. I won't really fault him, as he was, as mentioned, very nice and did his best to handle it properly.
The hotel itself is pretty nice...it looks newly renovated and has a lovely spacious lobby with a variety of art. One thing that is strange...to get to the rooms, you have to go up 2 flights of stairs (escalator or elevator is available) and then walk past a few restaurants to get to the room elevators. The elevator system is kind of confusing at first, and a little inconvenient.
The room was nice enough, as it was a basic room. It had a flat screen TV and a comfortable enough bed, although the pillows left much to be desired (more on that...). The bathroom was large and spacious and the shower had satisfactory enough pressure and the water was very soft.
Overall, just considering those factors, I would say the stay would have been a 4 star stay, since it was a pretty nice hotel, with a comfortable enough room and was well located enough...but then the problems began.
First off, there was a bottle of Aquafina in the closet, on a tray with 2 glasses next to it. There was NO label, NO price tag, NOTHING to indicate the water was not complimentary (as MANY quality hotels provide 1 bottle of water free). We consumed this bottle to find out later it was not free.
Second, after a miserable night trying to sleep with the pillows which were too firm for us, we asked if there were other pillows. The front desk said they had some foam pillows and they would send some up. That never happened. I had to call again later that night, several hours later, because they never brought them the first time.
Third, we went down to the restaurant for the buffet breakfast which was included in the promo rate and had to wait about 15 minutes. Now, this alone would not be an issue, but when we got in the restaurant, there was literally about 40% vacant tables. We asked why it took so long and why people were kept waiting and they said they lacked the staff to handle it, although our server, polite and friendly as he was, looked like he was bored and trying to find stuff to do. On a busy holiday weekend on a Sunday, they should have staffed better if that was the problem. However, I will say the breakfast was very good and for the $21 sticker price, it would be a very good value as hotel breakfasts go.
Fourth, we had a very early flight on the departure day, so we went to the front desk to check out and make sure everything was handled the night prior. When I got the bill for the first room, I found a $4 charge for the bottle of water we used...although it was charged to the OTHER room I had. That room did not even HAVE a bottle placed in it at any time, although my parents later showed me a $4 tag that said "hydrate" which they found in THEIR room, but without any bottle of water. That tag was missing from my room. Next, they charged me for breakfast on one of the 2 days, which I had to have taken off. Now, they took it off, but that irritates me...I hate hotels where I have to analyze every corner of the bill for stuff like that. Next, I noticed a tax charge on the breakfast, and was told by the front desk that the breakfast was free, but the gratuity PLUS THE TAX was not. They charged me the added gratuity I put on it (thats fine..although many hotels cover that as well) AS WELL AS the sales tax??? Seriously? I have never heard of anything so ludicrous...the breakfast is free, but hey you owe us $3.22 for tax? Pathetic.
Fifth, I asked twice at check out if I needed to request a taxi for the next day or if there would be one waiting. I was assured there are ALWAYS taxis ready, which was important because when you are already getting up at 2am to get to the airport on time, every bit counts. Of course, when we went to get the taxi the next morning, they had to call one, which took another 15 minutes, and we ended up with a DIFFERENT cab, which happened to show up by chance, not even the one they called. Unreal again.
Sixth, when I checked the folio online after returning home and confirmed with my credit card, I found that they charged me for THREE BOTTLES of water...one from the first room, and 2 from the other, despite us using ONE bottle of unmarked and unpriced water that was never replenished in one room, and the other room never even having a bottle in it.
Seventh, the stay posted as 700 points, and when I called to fix it, I was told by GP that the hotel records showed it being a stay worth $144 and as non qualifying. They said they had to go by what the hotel showed them. They then told me I had to print my own folio and fax it to them, which I refused to do, and they had to call the hotel and confirm the price I paid and correct the points, which took a full day.
Overall, the service was friendly, the room was decent (nothing great, but not bad), and the breakfast was very good. However, no attempt was even made or offered to remove the $4 for the water which was NOT labelled and even charged to the WRONG room, one mistake or bout of incompetence after another just really marred the stay. THEN, they charge me ANOTHER $8 for water I did NOT even use, and was NOT on the folio when I checked out, but was added later. We paid $340 plus taxes ($390 total) for 3 nights with 2 breakfasts, but honestly I would NOT stay here again after all that.
I booked 2 rooms here for 3 days on a Hyatt promo rate, which included free breakfast every day for 2 people and the 3rd night free. I booked both rooms in my name and got one for myself and wife, and one for parents. Upon arrival, the hotel was super busy, and check in was fairly slow. There were numerous people standing in line, and there was a Diamond/Platinum check in line, but it was not being staffed by any of the 3 people at the counter.
When we checked in, the gentleman who checked us in was very pleasant and accommodating, although he did take quite a while to process the check in. I won't really fault him, as he was, as mentioned, very nice and did his best to handle it properly.
The hotel itself is pretty nice...it looks newly renovated and has a lovely spacious lobby with a variety of art. One thing that is strange...to get to the rooms, you have to go up 2 flights of stairs (escalator or elevator is available) and then walk past a few restaurants to get to the room elevators. The elevator system is kind of confusing at first, and a little inconvenient.
The room was nice enough, as it was a basic room. It had a flat screen TV and a comfortable enough bed, although the pillows left much to be desired (more on that...). The bathroom was large and spacious and the shower had satisfactory enough pressure and the water was very soft.
Overall, just considering those factors, I would say the stay would have been a 4 star stay, since it was a pretty nice hotel, with a comfortable enough room and was well located enough...but then the problems began.
First off, there was a bottle of Aquafina in the closet, on a tray with 2 glasses next to it. There was NO label, NO price tag, NOTHING to indicate the water was not complimentary (as MANY quality hotels provide 1 bottle of water free). We consumed this bottle to find out later it was not free.
Second, after a miserable night trying to sleep with the pillows which were too firm for us, we asked if there were other pillows. The front desk said they had some foam pillows and they would send some up. That never happened. I had to call again later that night, several hours later, because they never brought them the first time.
Third, we went down to the restaurant for the buffet breakfast which was included in the promo rate and had to wait about 15 minutes. Now, this alone would not be an issue, but when we got in the restaurant, there was literally about 40% vacant tables. We asked why it took so long and why people were kept waiting and they said they lacked the staff to handle it, although our server, polite and friendly as he was, looked like he was bored and trying to find stuff to do. On a busy holiday weekend on a Sunday, they should have staffed better if that was the problem. However, I will say the breakfast was very good and for the $21 sticker price, it would be a very good value as hotel breakfasts go.
Fourth, we had a very early flight on the departure day, so we went to the front desk to check out and make sure everything was handled the night prior. When I got the bill for the first room, I found a $4 charge for the bottle of water we used...although it was charged to the OTHER room I had. That room did not even HAVE a bottle placed in it at any time, although my parents later showed me a $4 tag that said "hydrate" which they found in THEIR room, but without any bottle of water. That tag was missing from my room. Next, they charged me for breakfast on one of the 2 days, which I had to have taken off. Now, they took it off, but that irritates me...I hate hotels where I have to analyze every corner of the bill for stuff like that. Next, I noticed a tax charge on the breakfast, and was told by the front desk that the breakfast was free, but the gratuity PLUS THE TAX was not. They charged me the added gratuity I put on it (thats fine..although many hotels cover that as well) AS WELL AS the sales tax??? Seriously? I have never heard of anything so ludicrous...the breakfast is free, but hey you owe us $3.22 for tax? Pathetic.
Fifth, I asked twice at check out if I needed to request a taxi for the next day or if there would be one waiting. I was assured there are ALWAYS taxis ready, which was important because when you are already getting up at 2am to get to the airport on time, every bit counts. Of course, when we went to get the taxi the next morning, they had to call one, which took another 15 minutes, and we ended up with a DIFFERENT cab, which happened to show up by chance, not even the one they called. Unreal again.
Sixth, when I checked the folio online after returning home and confirmed with my credit card, I found that they charged me for THREE BOTTLES of water...one from the first room, and 2 from the other, despite us using ONE bottle of unmarked and unpriced water that was never replenished in one room, and the other room never even having a bottle in it.
Seventh, the stay posted as 700 points, and when I called to fix it, I was told by GP that the hotel records showed it being a stay worth $144 and as non qualifying. They said they had to go by what the hotel showed them. They then told me I had to print my own folio and fax it to them, which I refused to do, and they had to call the hotel and confirm the price I paid and correct the points, which took a full day.
Overall, the service was friendly, the room was decent (nothing great, but not bad), and the breakfast was very good. However, no attempt was even made or offered to remove the $4 for the water which was NOT labelled and even charged to the WRONG room, one mistake or bout of incompetence after another just really marred the stay. THEN, they charge me ANOTHER $8 for water I did NOT even use, and was NOT on the folio when I checked out, but was added later. We paid $340 plus taxes ($390 total) for 3 nights with 2 breakfasts, but honestly I would NOT stay here again after all that.
We'll be happy to look into the issues you experienced. Could you please PM your GP number to us? Thank you!
Sincerely,
Nick B.