Grand Hyatt Taipei REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
Feb 25, 2019, 1:31 am
#586
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Bay Area
Programs: UA 1k now; AA (no status); HY Diamond; SPG Platinum
Posts: 707
Definitely didn't feel the love here as a Glob (and booking two rooms, including paying for a suite). I guess it comes down to the GH just being a big convention hotel and staff here consistently acted as such; there are just too many rooms to offer any sort of individualized service so they don't bother having any sort of service culture. Let's just say that my experience started with a 45-minute wait for check-in - at the lounge! - and it only went downhill from there. FOM/GM were also unresponsive.
For the room rates they were asking, the GH makes for very poor value in Taipei. Obviously for Hyatt loyalists there aren't many (any?) other options in Taipei, but this stay reminded me of why I usually stay at the W when I need to be in Xinyi (even though I typically hate the W brand) and I can't wait until the PH opens in a few years.
For the room rates they were asking, the GH makes for very poor value in Taipei. Obviously for Hyatt loyalists there aren't many (any?) other options in Taipei, but this stay reminded me of why I usually stay at the W when I need to be in Xinyi (even though I typically hate the W brand) and I can't wait until the PH opens in a few years.
If I had package sent to GH prior to my arrival, it’s always in the room when I checked in.
Feb 25, 2019, 10:51 am
#587
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 981
I posted here on upcoming hotels (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30660915-post1013.html). For Taiwan, there is a Hyatt Regency Kaohsiung, an Andaz Taipeh and an adjacent Park Hyatt Taipeh in the pipeline
Feb 26, 2019, 11:29 am
#588
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: YOW-YYZ-TPE
Programs: AC75, TD AeroInfiniteP, AmexBizPLAT, SPG-G HyattGlobby
Posts: 381
Count me as a fan of GH TPE. Had a 4 night stay here over the Lunar NY holidays, and I had an amazing time watching the SB LIII at Brass Monkey, watching the NY Day celebrations in the lobby and all over the hotel. I never had a bad experience in this property over the years, with check in , check out, lobby lounge (greeted by name after the first day by staff that recognized me from day earlier) etc....
I do agree with above that the lounge can get quite crowded on weekends for breakfast, and in the 6pm - 8pm evening periods.
Count me in as a low maintenance, and very fortunate to never have a major service fail at this property. Staff are not as progressive and total service orientated as some of my experiences at the Korean or UAE properties, but overall I LOVE the location and the staff.
I do agree with above that the lounge can get quite crowded on weekends for breakfast, and in the 6pm - 8pm evening periods.
Count me in as a low maintenance, and very fortunate to never have a major service fail at this property. Staff are not as progressive and total service orientated as some of my experiences at the Korean or UAE properties, but overall I LOVE the location and the staff.
Mar 3, 2019, 7:35 am
#589
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,950
For those who are looking for an alternative hotel in Taipei to earn WOH credits, you can try Hotel Eclat Taipei (member of Small Luxury Hotels). I was at the Eclat for a one-night stay last month. For the price (I paid just under TWD 5,000), this hotel is decent.
Mar 3, 2019, 7:55 am
#590
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,052
For those who are looking for an alternative hotel in Taipei to earn WOH credits, you can try Hotel Eclat Taipei (member of Small Luxury Hotels). I was at the Eclat for a one-night stay last month. For the price (I paid just under TWD 5,000), this hotel is decent.
Mar 3, 2019, 12:32 pm
#591
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: JAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, AA Gold MM, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,770
For those who are looking for an alternative hotel in Taipei to earn WOH credits, you can try Hotel Eclat Taipei (member of Small Luxury Hotels). I was at the Eclat for a one-night stay last month. For the price (I paid just under TWD 5,000), this hotel is decent.
Mar 3, 2019, 1:23 pm
#592
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: IAH
Programs: UA 2MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,161
You may want to look at this thread, https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyat...rtnership.html ...
Mar 3, 2019, 2:22 pm
#593
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: JAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, AA Gold MM, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,770
You may want to look at this thread, https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyat...rtnership.html ...
Mar 3, 2019, 6:03 pm
#594
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,950
Didn't take any pictures on this stay; sorry. However, the pictures on the hotel's website are quite representative. I will be in Taipei later this month, and will probably stay here again (the Grand Hyatt is expensive for one-night stays). I will try to post more details next time and start an appropriate thread.
Mar 4, 2019, 9:44 am
#595
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: LAS ORD
Programs: AA Pro (mostly B6) OZ♦ (flying BR/UA), BA Silver Hyatt LT, Wynn Black, Cosmo Plat, Mlife Noir
Posts: 5,992
For those who are looking for an alternative hotel in Taipei to earn WOH credits, you can try Hotel Eclat Taipei (member of Small Luxury Hotels). I was at the Eclat for a one-night stay last month. For the price (I paid just under TWD 5,000), this hotel is decent.
The bigger problem, as CIT85 noted, is that the Hyatt website rate for the Eclat is significantly more than Eclat's own website. Just checking a random date next month, the premium for the cheapest room (deluxe) is about US$60, or nearly 36% more expensive! That's a lot to pay just to get WoH credit.
Mar 4, 2019, 5:53 pm
#596
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,950
I like the area the Eclat is in (I get hungry just thinking about Jimmy's Kitchen), but it's a shame it's basically halfway between MRT stops.
The bigger problem, as CIT85 noted, is that the Hyatt website rate for the Eclat is significantly more than Eclat's own website. Just checking a random date next month, the premium for the cheapest room (deluxe) is about US$60, or nearly 36% more expensive! That's a lot to pay just to get WoH credit.
The bigger problem, as CIT85 noted, is that the Hyatt website rate for the Eclat is significantly more than Eclat's own website. Just checking a random date next month, the premium for the cheapest room (deluxe) is about US$60, or nearly 36% more expensive! That's a lot to pay just to get WoH credit.
Mar 5, 2019, 12:35 pm
#597
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 168
The bigger problem, as CIT85 noted, is that the Hyatt website rate for the Eclat is significantly more than Eclat's own website. Just checking a random date next month, the premium for the cheapest room (deluxe) is about US$60, or nearly 36% more expensive! That's a lot to pay just to get WoH credit.
Mar 5, 2019, 1:44 pm
#598
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: LAS ORD
Programs: AA Pro (mostly B6) OZ♦ (flying BR/UA), BA Silver Hyatt LT, Wynn Black, Cosmo Plat, Mlife Noir
Posts: 5,992
The way I look at it for me personally, if I need WOH credit, the current choices in Taipei are the Grand Hyatt or the Eclat. For a one-night stay, the Eclat has a cheaper rate than the Grand Hyatt. For two+ night stays, the per-night rate at the Hyatt come down significantly, and with added Lounge benefits, etc. as a Globalist. So, then I would usually book at the Grand Hyatt for such longer stays.
It's not ideal - obviously the lower the cost the better, but if you need the qualifying night, $60 compares favorably for a pure mattress run. You don't find Hyatt rates that low and $60 < 5K points by most valuations if you were to do a pure mattress run at a Cat 1 property.
Mar 15, 2019, 1:13 pm
#599
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: SFO/SJC, JFK
Programs: United 1K 2MM - Jet Blue Mosaic - Hyatt LTG - Marriott Plat - Hertz PC
Posts: 205
Long time lurker, new poster. I have stayed at the Grand Hyatt Taipei 6 or 7 times in the last year and a half or so, all as LTG. Given my many recent stays here it has been interesting to read the differing reviews in this thread.
The guest experience at this property varies heavily based on occupancy and I would wager that is what explains the disparity in reviews. Guests who are lucky enough to stay here only when the property is at low occupancy will find that it is a decent property with solid if unremarkable hard product (as long as they do not mind really low ceilings), a good TSU true suite, and reasonable service, although certainly with the typical Western-brand overpricing for the Taipei market.
At full occupancy though, this place becomes an absolute nightmare. I cannot remember ever waiting so long for an elevator at a property that has so many elevators in the main bank. The lounge gets too overcrowded to be beneficial. Room service estimates become absurdly understated - so poor on one order that I had to leave for prior obligations before my food even arrived, yet staff still had the nerve to hassle me about getting it refunded! I even experienced a multi-hour wait for an engineer when my room A/C was broken (in June!).
The final straw was my last visit to the property, when I decided to splurge on a Grand Executive View Suite as I booked close-in and was traveling with my s/o. When we arrived around 11 a.m., the front desk had no line and four agents sitting around doing nothing, yet they refused to check us in, stating that they would not handle any check-ins before 3 p.m. as the hotel was at full occupancy. This is beyond ridiculous from any standpoint, whether hotel ops or customer service; if the property is anticipating a particularly hectic day, narrowing the window for arriving guests is the precise opposite of what should be done, and shows total incompetence by management (and as long-time manager in the hotel industry, this is not a charge that I throw out lightly). Worse yet, the FD agent we spoke to even admitted our room was ready; they just were not going to check us in before 3 p.m.
When I got to the lounge at 3 p.m., needless to say it was a madhouse with nowhere to sit, people standing around crowding up even out to the elevator bank area, and guests' bags littered everywhere. A staffer with a clipboard checking people in told me it could be up to an hour wait to check-in. I was so frustrated at this point I told them to cancel my reservation, and even after all that, they still tried to charge me one night's deposit. It is truly amazing that is the treatment given to LTG paying for a Grand Executive View Suite and I never considered returning to the property after that.
The guest experience at this property varies heavily based on occupancy and I would wager that is what explains the disparity in reviews. Guests who are lucky enough to stay here only when the property is at low occupancy will find that it is a decent property with solid if unremarkable hard product (as long as they do not mind really low ceilings), a good TSU true suite, and reasonable service, although certainly with the typical Western-brand overpricing for the Taipei market.
At full occupancy though, this place becomes an absolute nightmare. I cannot remember ever waiting so long for an elevator at a property that has so many elevators in the main bank. The lounge gets too overcrowded to be beneficial. Room service estimates become absurdly understated - so poor on one order that I had to leave for prior obligations before my food even arrived, yet staff still had the nerve to hassle me about getting it refunded! I even experienced a multi-hour wait for an engineer when my room A/C was broken (in June!).
The final straw was my last visit to the property, when I decided to splurge on a Grand Executive View Suite as I booked close-in and was traveling with my s/o. When we arrived around 11 a.m., the front desk had no line and four agents sitting around doing nothing, yet they refused to check us in, stating that they would not handle any check-ins before 3 p.m. as the hotel was at full occupancy. This is beyond ridiculous from any standpoint, whether hotel ops or customer service; if the property is anticipating a particularly hectic day, narrowing the window for arriving guests is the precise opposite of what should be done, and shows total incompetence by management (and as long-time manager in the hotel industry, this is not a charge that I throw out lightly). Worse yet, the FD agent we spoke to even admitted our room was ready; they just were not going to check us in before 3 p.m.
When I got to the lounge at 3 p.m., needless to say it was a madhouse with nowhere to sit, people standing around crowding up even out to the elevator bank area, and guests' bags littered everywhere. A staffer with a clipboard checking people in told me it could be up to an hour wait to check-in. I was so frustrated at this point I told them to cancel my reservation, and even after all that, they still tried to charge me one night's deposit. It is truly amazing that is the treatment given to LTG paying for a Grand Executive View Suite and I never considered returning to the property after that.
Mar 16, 2019, 1:48 am
#600
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: AS Gold, Hyatt Diamond, Starriott LTPP
Posts: 341
Long time lurker, new poster. I have stayed at the Grand Hyatt Taipei 6 or 7 times in the last year and a half or so, all as LTG. Given my many recent stays here it has been interesting to read the differing reviews in this thread.
The guest experience at this property varies heavily based on occupancy and I would wager that is what explains the disparity in reviews. Guests who are lucky enough to stay here only when the property is at low occupancy will find that it is a decent property with solid if unremarkable hard product (as long as they do not mind really low ceilings), a good TSU true suite, and reasonable service, although certainly with the typical Western-brand overpricing for the Taipei market.
At full occupancy though, this place becomes an absolute nightmare. I cannot remember ever waiting so long for an elevator at a property that has so many elevators in the main bank. The lounge gets too overcrowded to be beneficial. Room service estimates become absurdly understated - so poor on one order that I had to leave for prior obligations before my food even arrived, yet staff still had the nerve to hassle me about getting it refunded! I even experienced a multi-hour wait for an engineer when my room A/C was broken (in June!).
The final straw was my last visit to the property, when I decided to splurge on a Grand Executive View Suite as I booked close-in and was traveling with my s/o. When we arrived around 11 a.m., the front desk had no line and four agents sitting around doing nothing, yet they refused to check us in, stating that they would not handle any check-ins before 3 p.m. as the hotel was at full occupancy. This is beyond ridiculous from any standpoint, whether hotel ops or customer service; if the property is anticipating a particularly hectic day, narrowing the window for arriving guests is the precise opposite of what should be done, and shows total incompetence by management (and as long-time manager in the hotel industry, this is not a charge that I throw out lightly). Worse yet, the FD agent we spoke to even admitted our room was ready; they just were not going to check us in before 3 p.m.
When I got to the lounge at 3 p.m., needless to say it was a madhouse with nowhere to sit, people standing around crowding up even out to the elevator bank area, and guests' bags littered everywhere. A staffer with a clipboard checking people in told me it could be up to an hour wait to check-in. I was so frustrated at this point I told them to cancel my reservation, and even after all that, they still tried to charge me one night's deposit. It is truly amazing that is the treatment given to LTG paying for a Grand Executive View Suite and I never considered returning to the property after that.
The guest experience at this property varies heavily based on occupancy and I would wager that is what explains the disparity in reviews. Guests who are lucky enough to stay here only when the property is at low occupancy will find that it is a decent property with solid if unremarkable hard product (as long as they do not mind really low ceilings), a good TSU true suite, and reasonable service, although certainly with the typical Western-brand overpricing for the Taipei market.
At full occupancy though, this place becomes an absolute nightmare. I cannot remember ever waiting so long for an elevator at a property that has so many elevators in the main bank. The lounge gets too overcrowded to be beneficial. Room service estimates become absurdly understated - so poor on one order that I had to leave for prior obligations before my food even arrived, yet staff still had the nerve to hassle me about getting it refunded! I even experienced a multi-hour wait for an engineer when my room A/C was broken (in June!).
The final straw was my last visit to the property, when I decided to splurge on a Grand Executive View Suite as I booked close-in and was traveling with my s/o. When we arrived around 11 a.m., the front desk had no line and four agents sitting around doing nothing, yet they refused to check us in, stating that they would not handle any check-ins before 3 p.m. as the hotel was at full occupancy. This is beyond ridiculous from any standpoint, whether hotel ops or customer service; if the property is anticipating a particularly hectic day, narrowing the window for arriving guests is the precise opposite of what should be done, and shows total incompetence by management (and as long-time manager in the hotel industry, this is not a charge that I throw out lightly). Worse yet, the FD agent we spoke to even admitted our room was ready; they just were not going to check us in before 3 p.m.
When I got to the lounge at 3 p.m., needless to say it was a madhouse with nowhere to sit, people standing around crowding up even out to the elevator bank area, and guests' bags littered everywhere. A staffer with a clipboard checking people in told me it could be up to an hour wait to check-in. I was so frustrated at this point I told them to cancel my reservation, and even after all that, they still tried to charge me one night's deposit. It is truly amazing that is the treatment given to LTG paying for a Grand Executive View Suite and I never considered returning to the property after that.