rebranding as GH - what's the difference ?
 

Message on hyatt.com:

What, if any, difference is this likely to make ?

I am staying on Dec 3, so will update post post. :)

Please do - staying there myself next year, and would love to hear how this soon-to-be GH is!

I have stayed at both a HR & GH (but not in Istanbul). At GH you get served free cont breakfast in your room as part of the rate even if you are a Gold tier status. At HR, unless you are a Diamond, you won't get anything for free ... so basically, this is to your benefit if you are not a Diamond.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalboz/...7622489502841/

This was just an exception. Free BF is not part of the brand standard for a Grand Hyatt.

now Grand Hyatt
 

[sorry for late posting]

stayed last month, for one night, upgraded with a suite cert to a Grand Suite King. Place still looks the same as it did when a Regency (which is very nice), although obviously all the stationery, etc is brand new ;)

Diamond amenity in room was small pack of stuffed dates, lots of bottles of water, L'Occitane amenities. Grand club nice, good selection of canapes (hot and cold) plus bevvies at 7pm. Wired internet access free for diamond in room, but couldn't get wireless access in lounge (entered room number at login and told to use wired in room....) and couldn't be bothered to work out how to get round it.

For stays up to 2/15, use GP457 for 3,000 bonus points and eur30 spa credit.

Grand Hyatt Istanbul questions
 

I am going to Istanbul in August, and may burn some BWB nights there.

I'm 40, a Diamond, and traveling solo on leisure. When on leisure, I go at a fast pace, and hope to see as much of the city as I can in the afternoon of my arrival day and the next two days. Also, as I am solo, I do not care to engage in needless sit down dining, which makes the availability of the CL appealing.

A few questions that I have not found answers to in the master thread for the hotel:

How are the CL food offerings? Are they small, dainty, and elegant or big and hearty?

Does CL still have complimenary booze?

Will being there during Ramadan alter this? (I uderstand that Turkey is quite secular, but free flowing booze may seem a bit much during Ramadan).

How is the location for access to the sights?

How is the location for informal eating/takeaways?

Should I consider the W? I have ample *wood points, but will get no benefits.

Last, I have concluded that given my profile, the purpose of the trip, and the considerations reflected in the above questions, the GH is more appropriate for me than the PH. It is a painful decision, as every review of the PH is quite good. The BWB room is free at either hotel - can anyone tell me something to induce me to change my mind?

Thank you

It is really an excellent hotel, at which I have stayed several times. I was last there over a year ago, however, but, here goes:

How are the CL food offerings? Are they small, dainty, and elegant or big and hearty?

Faily substantial, especially at breakfast. I would advise against eating meals other than breakfast there, however -- in Taksim, where you are located, there are plenty of great street food stalls and casual restaurants (try Mersin Kebab, a tantuni shop on one of the back streets off of Istiklal Cadessi, the main (pedestrian-only) street in Taksim). A lot of the restaurants are touristy, but there are also some fun local ones.

Does CL still have complimenary booze?

I don't know.

Will being there during Ramadan alter this? (I uderstand that Turkey is quite secular, but free flowing booze may seem a bit much during Ramadan).

No, Ramadan has no impact.

How is the location for access to the sights?

Good. If you have never been to Istanbul before, you will want to see the old city (Sultanahmet), on the other side of town. But, still, staying in the Taksim area is a good choice, and the Hyatt is well-located. If you want to spend a chunk of day in the old city, then the best way to get there, to avoid traffic, is to walk (or take the funicular) down the hill to Kabatas and take the tram, which has stops right in front of the Hagia Sofia/Topkapi Palace/Blue Mosque/cistern as well as the Grand Bazaar. You can also take a boat from there to Eminonu, though it's an uphill walk from there to the sights. There is also a Metro stop right around the corner from the hotel, which will get you in the general area of the old city sights, but also not as convenient as the tram.

How is the location for informal eating/takeaways?

Excellent, as is anywhere in Istanbul. The city has a lot of casual restaurants (more per capita than most cities perhaps), though not great variety of food. But for informal, solid choices, you are in the right place for street food, sit-down restaurants, and nightlife. In addition to Taksim Square and Istiklal Cad., walk down the hill to Besiktas and onward to Ortakoy pier. These are both good eating spots as well.

Should I consider the W? I have ample *wood points, but will get no benefits.

The W is nice, but I prefer the Grand Hyatt in every way. The location is a bit better (more central; the W is close by but down a steep hill from a lot of the areas to walk around). You should wander by the W, though, as what they have done with that city block is very attractive.

Last, I have concluded that given my profile, the purpose of the trip, and the considerations reflected in the above questions, the GH is more appropriate for me than the PH. It is a painful decision, as every review of the PH is quite good. The BWB room is free at either hotel - can anyone tell me something to induce me to change my mind?

I can certainly vouch for the Park Hyatt as well, but I can understand your choice and don't blame you given your preferences this trip. The Park is quiet, romantic, in a more upscale and much less lively area (though only about a 20- to 30-minute walk from the Grand, although less if you take the cable car over the park, which lets you out right in front of the Grand). If you don't mind moving around, you might try one night at the Park -- though you really must get the Spa room, which I assume that you can't easily obtain with a BWB award.

Booze in the club was free when I was there (3+ years ago) :p. That appears to be standard in non-U.S. Hyatts, but you might want to call.

Food offerings were quite substantial.

As noted in previous post, the walking street off Taksim Square (about a 5+ min walk from the hotel) is loaded with wonderful food stalls, fresh and dried fruit, nuts, sitdown restaurants, etc., etc.

One of the very first little cafes on the left as you enter the walking street had wonderful, goopy, gooey, honey-laced, nutty baklava. You won't find better anywhere. Yummy yummy yummy.

I was there about 6 months ago and had a good stay. The food selection at the lounge was quite good, including alcohol and enough food for dinner. The location is good, much better than the Park Hyatt. For your purpose, I'd choose GH over PH or the W.

Alcohol is still free at the club in this property (or at least it was night before last).

One add'l comment: I really enjoyed the property but beware of rooms on the Bosphorus side of the hotel, esp. in the summer; there is a lot of traffic noise throughout the night (and by a lot I mean a LOT - think Times Sq. at 6 pm on Friday night and you sort of get the idea). Ultimately we switched to a room on the pool side and it was much quieter.

My Diamond amenity: several bottles of water and a lovely fruit plate. I specifically requested something non-alcoholic.

Free booze during evening cocktails (6-8 pm). Decent lounge.
Had to request diamond amenity, and promptly got 3 peaches:rolleyes:
Located next to IC, few hundred meters off Bosporus. A bit limited view as its not so tall hotel. Conrad and Ritz-carlton can be seen waterfront from my room.

Had to request the hotel doctor after a bruise on the foot. He prescribed creme and tablets. Concierge sent a taxi to get it, all charged to the room.
The doctor called me in the room some hours later to check if all was good^
Good service!

Good day from GH Istanbul.

First, I thank those who answered my above queries.

The hotel is quite pleasant and an easy walk to the Tramvay and Taksim Square. But it have been just stifling the past couple of days, so I've been cabbing it a bit at times. The pool is quite nice and provides a real break from the heat.

I've made no real requests, so I cannot really comment on the level of service.

Grand club is good. Breakfast is continental - hot oatmeal is the only hot item. Breakfast meats, smoked salmon, cheeses and pastries predominate. Good coffe and multiuple type of juice. In the evening, the offerings are light but elegant with complimentary beer, wine, sparling wine, and limited liquors.

I am glad I chose this over the PH. I think that as a solo traveler, I am having an easier time being a bit anonymous and have better access to the sights than I would have at the PH.

I got 3 peaches and when I asked where is the beverage amenity, I got a bottle of red wine that had absolutely horrible taste (the same thing they serve in the lounge, some Turkish brand)

diamond amenity has changed to three green apples :rolleyes:

but the evening canapes and drinks are really excellent - very good quality nibbles and plenty of them, and various selections of beer/wine/spirits (of Chivas Regal quality).

It's not GH Berlin, but it's a whole lot better than GH Atlanta ;)

PS - and the comparison to Berlin is on a 'whole hotel' picture - the canapes are at least as good, but the spa is waaaaaay down

PPS - maybe too many glasses of the quite good Turkish red @ cocktail hour...