miroqua

just stayed a week ago in a gorgeous suite with a 6000pts upgrade and had a great stay.
the suite was located in the renovated grand wing where all the rooms have
the modern hyatt touch (as in this photo: http://singapore.grand.hyatt.com/singh/photo_04.html ).
our suite was about 90 sq.m. with two toilets, a gorgeous marble bathroom,
a dining table, workdesk, walking closet, two entrances, two Bang&Olufsen TVs, a kitchen(with a microwave oven, sink and many plates).
even the Grand Deluxe room in the photo above(which nowhereman probably referred to as junior suite) is gorgeous enough for a standard room.
chances are you will be more than satisfied if you stay at the grand wing.
with a FFN you probably won't get that room but you might want to request it anyway.

service was nice, never disappointing, and since my departure was 6 am the concierge suggested to bring breakfast to our room from the club lounge free of charge, which was more than a surprise for me.

overall, very nice hotel.

chris100

stayed at gh sin last week end as a diamond on a paid stay, was given a very nice ,very large room, extremely friendly staff, could use their GC lounge with nice food . gym is huge, nice swimming pool in a beautiful landscaped garden, very good location

kevino

I just checked out after spending two FFN nights.

I showed the front desk person the review of the GH in this month's issue of Business traveler that had a picture of the "Grand Club bed and living room." She said my room would be the same. I got a one-bedroom suite on the 8th floor. I was allowed access to the Regency Club on the 20/21st floor. When I called before going to the club to see what time they were serving breakfast, the front desk person told me I was not allowed entrance, but could have breakast at Mezza9. I told her that at check-in I was told I could have access. She put me on hold, and then told me I could have access.

Welcome amenity was a Mezza9 box of chocolates. I asked for late check-out till 4:00 p.m. and gave me to 3:00 p.m.

Will be returning next week.

saimike

i was there for a night on a FFN last week. check in was easy, and got a room on the 9th flr facing condos didnt like that, so they changed me to a room on the 8th flr facing the pool at my request. not much hassle except they would only have it ready after 4pm. the new room had a funky smell so i had housekeeping come spray it. since i didn't "step outside" of my lowly platinum status, the staff was quite accomodating of my requests. the person who took my reservation did say that a jr suite would be a $60SGD upgrade for me.

overall, i find that the lobby area is worthy of a GH, but i found that once i stepped out of the lift onto the 8th floor, it was more of a HR feel than a GH feel. it reminded me more of the HR HKG than the GH Beijing -- a little dated, but nothing that cant be fixed. the "indoor balcony" is definitely unique imho, and very appropriate given singapore's climate. the tv was small -- 20" perhaps, and awkwardly located imho. the bath had all the right stuff in it a GH bath should hv (shower stall, etc), except it needed just a little updating ... new drawers and toilet for instance.

i had dinner in the mezza9 with friends and had ourselves a great time. the wait staff was very helpful and responsive although the kitchen was a tad slow with my salmon so i had it cancelled in favor of dessert i found their winelist a little disappointing given their open concept wine cellar ... if u're flaunting it, why the dearth of good wine? the flip side is that their wine prices were reasonable.

all in all, i quite enjoyed my stay. and if they ever get their rooms updated, i think the whole establishment would be worthy of a GH. but until then, it seems like half a GH to me ...

Savage25

I've got a couple of FFN nights there next month. Is the broadband internet still free? It was when I stayed there in June, but I think it was for a limited period only.

saimike

i think i saw a cat5 cable at the desk but didn't pay attention to it as i didn't have my laptop with me and wasn't planning on accessing the 'net. sorry ...

nowhereman

I had free broadband internet access in my room. But I was on a paid stay. Don't know if that makes any difference.

kevino

When I returned for 3 FFN on 10/9 in the afternoon, there was a bit of a wait at check-in. Someone cut in front of me in line, but I didn't mind because I was hoping to get the same person who checked me into a suite a week earlier.

I didn't get her as someone came from the concierge area to check me in. She said because it was a FFN, she was putting me in the old tower in a standard room. I said that wasn't right, and showed her the picture of the junior suite I was in last time, and pointed to the women that checked me in. So she asks the woman who checked me in last time, who looks at me like she has never seen me before. I said, "remember you told me you have worked here for seven months, and then we talked about whether white people get better treatment here." She confirmed that I was in a junior suite in the new tower on a FFN stay a week earlier. Then the person checking me in goes to another agent at the front desk (maybe the manager) and he nods that it's ok to put me into a junior suite.

So, I got the junior suite on the 8th floor (corner room), the diamond amenity (chocolate) was delivered later that evening, and lounge access. I was afraid I would not be allowed into the lounge, but then I think the whole 8th floor of the new tower is considered a club floor as every room is a suite or junior suite. I had no problem getting into the lounge.

kevino

Thank you for encouraging me.

I would recommend trying to get access to the lounge. In addition to breakfast and evening cocktails and food (6:00 to 8:00 p.m.), at other times there is also food! They always have a nut mix available, cake, and/or fruit. So, it's a nice place to hang out to get away from the crowds on the street. Closes at 10:00 p.m.

I was told any of the restaurants in the hotel, when charging to your room, will earn Gold Passport points.

Trivia: the nightclub in the basement (enter from outside the hotel) is off limits to Hyatt employees due to an incident awhile back where some employees partying at the night club got into an argument with some guests.

Btw, it isn't that expensive to pay for a junior suite at the regular rate (as low as $150US).

There is a 7/11 and Burger King as you exit the hotel to your right. That mall is a lot less crowded than all the other malls in the area, but a better place to change money is Lucky Plaza on Orchard Road.

787

Grand Room which is a Junior Suite, is not the same as Grand Club Room. So the answer to your question is that it would not include GC access for a non-Diamond, or for even a Diamond.

kevino

Hi Saimike,

Yes I'm a diamond. I think you are right that there is a big difference between the old tower and the new one. The new one is very nice (are all the rooms at least junior suites?) and is an example of an excellent Grand Hyatt.

By the way, I didn't get any points for my 11 cent phone call. I got stay and night credit though, after faxing in my receipt. I guess I should have talked longer in order make sure that I at least get billed for a dollar.

Will be returning in a couple of weeks. The website only shows grand rooms (junior suites), so I don't know how to even book a room in the older tower. I'll see if they ug me to the club floor or a full suite. I might try using a suite ug coupon.

kevino

After two paid stays at the government rate of $256 S$ on 11/26 and 11/28, I asked at the club lounge to change my reservation for 12/4 to a FFN stay. They did finally after a couple of reminders. But she said that my room would be in the old building, and any upgrade to the new tower would be based on availability. I asked if that meant that, at check-in, if there was a grand room available in the new tower, that I would get it. She said yes. Of course, I was skeptical and wrote a note to myself that "an upgrade to the new tower on a FFN stay depends on how they feel."

I check in around 4:30 p.m. on 12/4 and sure enough the clerk says I cannot be upgraded to the new tower. I ask if he has rooms available there. He says yes, but that the hotel is very full. I ask if I would get lounge access if I stay in the old tower, and he says yes, that he would do that for me. So, I go into my talk about how difficult it is to reach Diamond (you'd be surprised how many Hyatt employees, even general managers, don't know these details). So he pities me and puts me into the new tower, but before he hands me the key, he goes to the backroom to check with his supervisor. He comes out saying he cannot upgrade me because the policy is that if the hotel is at 60-70% occupancy, they do not upgrade people staying on award stays. I tell him that it is impossible for any customer to win that argument because it is impossible for the customer to know what the hotel occupancy rate is.

So, I ask him how much it would cost to pay for a room in the new tower and he says $285 S$ (a pretty low rate for one of their last available rooms!). But he says he can upgrade me for $60 S$. I tell him I'll pay that and he upgrades me to the new tower. Because of early check-out the next day to catch my United flight, I never got to use the lounge, and I never got my Diamond amenity (when the Grand Club delivers it, they don't come into the room; when housekeeping delivers it, they do). I told him I didn't mind paying the $60 S$ because I would get stay and FFN credit and he was surprised to hear it.

So I guess it is possible to negotiate with this hotel, but I don't see why us Diamonds should be forced to. Given the size of the new tower (at least 2x the size of the old tower) and the fact that all the rooms in the new tower are at least junior suites, why do they make it so difficult for Diamonds to get one?

kevino

I forgot to mention that the clerk who checked me in and spoke in all earnestness that the hotel would never take advantage of a Diamond by lying about the true occupancy level of the hotel to avoid giving an upgrade (he was actually quite nice), was also quite unfamiliar as to what in the wide world of sports was a Diamond amenity. My point being that his innocence and good intentions can't make up for his lack of knowlege and his lack of empowerment.

Savage25

I had my 2 FFN stays on 11/12 and 11/27. Both times I was given a room in the old tower and offered an upgrade to a "Junior Suite" (which I assume is the Grand Room in the new tower) for S$60 or a Grand Club room for S$120. I didn't mind the old tower since all I needed was a place to sleep and shower, so I didn't take up that offer.

I also confirmed with the front desk staff about charges eligible for GP points (and FFN) credit - the S$60/S$120 for upgrading are eligible, broadband internet in the rooms (S$10 for an hour or S$25 per day) are not eligible. Got mine from drinks at the bar.

gregorygrady

So let me get this straight.................. if you have an extra S$60 to pay the hotel, then there is all of a sudden availability. But if you don't have an extra S$60, then there is NO availability? That's pretty shady.

If this is the case, it really should be clarified in the Diamond T&Cs that upgrades possibilities differ depending on whether your stay is a paid stay or an award stay. I was under the impression that if there are any rooms available for upgrade, then as a Diamond you should get upgraded, regardless of how much you paid for your stay.