estedman

I was staying at the Hyatt during the typhoon on the Regency side. It was easily the scariest thing I have ever been through. You are correct in saying the hotel is built like a bunker but not strong enough for Typhoon Soudelor. The hotel lost 30 rooms that night when the balcony doors that are rated to 150 MPH winds blew out. When I say the hotel with at least 8 concrete walls was shaking I mean it was shaking.

You are correct when saying the hotel has it's own systems, it never lost power or water (cable and TV is a different story).

I stayed at this hotel for over 170 nights this year and am going back in November for another 5 weeks. I know the island very well so if anybody has any questions I will be happy to answer.

JeredF

Any tips on things to do/see/eat beyond what's detailed on the standard travel sites? We'll be spending most of our time there underwater or on the beach, but I'm interested to hear if you've discovered anything unique that we might otherwise miss...

Is the brunch at the property really as amazing as TripAdvisor (etc.) reviews suggest? We'll be arriving at 2am Sunday and am not sure how early we'll want to get up -- also as Diamond I'm loathe to pay for a hotel breakfast unless it's truly spectacular.

estedman

There really is nothing to do on the island other than the travel site stuff. Suicide cliff, bonsai cliff, Mt. Tapachau (SUV needed) and Forbidden Island. I am sure are all listed on the travel sites.

Be prepared for the island to not be back to normal. There are still areas without power and looks like it was hit by a typhoon, which of course it was.

As a Diamond you should get upgraded to the Regency Club. They have a pretty good spread for breakfast. They will make you eggs, bacon and sausage as well. Dinner has a decent spread of snacks with plenty of free alcohol.

The Sunday brunch at Geovanni's is the only one I think is worth the $. It is pretty spectacular, make reservations for an earlier seating as some of the better options (like whole fish) are eaten early. I usually get my fill with Sushi and Prime Rib.

savekenny

My incoming flight on KE from KIX will have me arriving at the hotel at 4am and departing at 2am. Any idea how they will handle my room? Will they charge me two nights for this?

JeredF

Well, that depends on how you book it!

I have a similar schedule. I've booked the night of arrival because when I finally get in around 3-4am I want a bed. I assume I'll be able to get a 4pm checkout as a Diamond, and I'll stick around the hotel for the evening or drive around the island before departure.

In general, if you're arriving after midnight and want a bed, then you need to book your arrival as the previous day. If you're arriving on a redeye (9-10am) then the hotel may be able to accommodate you as the following day.

I think only SPG at top tier has "choose your own 24 hour period" bookings.

kevino

If you're checking out at 2am I'd assume you have to book a room for that night. In the old days when the economy was humming in Saipan, this is how the hotel could run over 100% occupancy some nights. They had maids on duty in the middle of the night to clean rooms so they were ready for early morning arriving guests.

Aventine

I would book two nights to be safe.

JeredF

Arrived yesterday, with some excitement -- our flight from ICN was delayed 5 hours as the runway lights had gone out at SPN so they can currently only do daytime arrivals! Luckily this happened before we were in the air, or else I imagine we would have been diverted to GUM:
http://www.saipantribune.com/index.p...irport-runway/

Here on P&C+DSU, and I have to say that the HR Saipan exceeds my expectations. It's by no means perfect, but it's much better than the HR Waikiki and everyone so far has been friendly and helpful.

Decor is 80s Island/Florida style; maybe a bit dated but in fine condition. The suite is very spacious and comfortable, more like a 1 bedroom condo. (We could easily have a party for 10 in here, if we knew that many people on the island.) Water pressure could both be better. Club is far beyond US standards, though not up to GH HKG or GH TPE levels.

Signs of the typhoon are still evident, but our friends who live here say that most things are back to normal. The biggest concern for them is that the movie theater is not yet repaired, and the new Star Wars movie is coming out in three weeks. Must keep the priorities in mind...

Off to a dive trip shortly; the sites here are supposed to be fantastic.

Not quite the same sort of resort paradise as the PH Maldives, but if you can get here it seems so far like a great value. I find it mind-boggling that this is a Category 2 property considering the normal daily rate.

msp3

Any recent stays at the Saipan Hyatt? How does it compare to Hyatts in Hawaii?

travelexpert

I have the same question?

For both Hyatt Guam and Sapian.

But am not wedded to Hyatt.

If not Hyatt--then what?

solewalker

I (somewhat) recently stayed at the Hyatt Guam back in February. The location is pretty decent - beach right there, shopping/food nearby. The P&C rate for the hotel is excellent, considering the rate that the hotel is going for. The beach is nice, but rental of beach chairs is at some exorbitant rate. The hotel caters quite a bit to big tour groups, though. The club lounge was always very crowded with tour groups. The hotel is a bit dated, but I guess comparable to most other hotels on the strip.

travelexpert

I noticed that!

What is it with Guam hotels that none seem interested in refurbishing or updating?

Not one property in Guam gets a 4.5 rating on Tripadvisor.

Coathanger

The Dusit Thani and Lotte have opened up since I visited in 2014 so there has been some investment.

On the flip side the Marriott closed down around that time too.

cabrits

I had a couple recent paid multi-night stays at the HR Guam in the last few weeks. Overall, both stays were very positive. However, as many on this thread have already mentioned, the d�cor (especially in the rooms) seems quite dated. However, the staff's exceptional attentiveness made it easy to overlook this.

The Hyatt is located on a hotel strip in the middle of the most touristy area of Guam. There's a couple malls within short walking distance. Hotel parking in the structure is free.

Both times, as a Diamond / Globalist, I was upgraded to a suite on the top (14th) floor. The Regency Club is located on the 12th floor and has a very good spread both for breakfast as well as for the evening snacks and hors d'oeuvres. The hotel in general was very packed with Asian tourists and tour groups. So, understandably, a lot of the food items were favoring that region's ethnic cuisine. In addition, an upgrade to breakfast at the main hotel restaurant was also available for an additional $15. The restaurant does have several more options that would make it worth the extra premium.

The pool area was nice. It reminded me a lot of Hawaiian properties. The beach behind the hotel has some decent snorkeling, but the waves (whenever present) are quite small.

My biggest qualm with this property was its rooms. They looked like they were from the 80s or something. The carpet (even in the suites) is in desperate need of changing. The shower area needs to have its tiles updated. Some of the couches need to be changed. But none of this took away from the comfort and especially not from the enjoyable experience of my stay. Without a doubt, it was the Hyatt's staff all around that left a lasting, positive impression.

Incidentally, I walked along the hotel strip and into the Outrigger Guam Beach Resort. This seemed to be the nicest hotel in that area.

sch_flyer

Had a fairly pleasant 4-night stay at HR Guam. Booked a standard room with P&C, at check-in upgraded to a suite as a Globalist. As others have mentioned, rooms are in dire need of a refresh - look and feel quite outdated and worn. Public spaces on the other hand are very nice and looked freshly remodeled. The pool and beach are nice; no hotel loungers on the beach, 3rd party rental lounges are super expensive ($50 for a day for 2), but the pool deck is only a few steps from the beach.

Club lounge is actually very nice (especially compared to domestic Hyatts) with a decent spread for breakfast, and "dinner replacement" evening cocktails. Views of sunset from the lounge are magical - especially accompanied by free booze! All of the staff (front desk, club concierge, valets) we interacted with were super friendly, and gave helpful tips and recommendations for things to do on Guam. Housekeeping was not the greatest - had to call to request missing things several times.

Had lunch at their main restaurant (Cafe Kitchen) and while somewhat pricey ($32+tax/tip), food quality and selection is excellent. They have a "flat rate" menu - you get soup/salad/appetizer buffet, and a choice of any freshly prepared main. We tried their stuffed BBQ squid and a beef/ribs/chicken BBQ platter, and were super impressed - more so than dining at Proa and Meskla. There's also a nightly beachfront barbecue with a Polynesian show, but we opted for a larger show at the end of Tumon beach.