Hyatt Regency Montreal REVIEW - MASTER THREAD (leaving 12/18/18 - Doubletree)
Feb 5, 2009, 10:36 pm
#46
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Charleston, SC, USA
Programs: Avis Pref+, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Life Gold, Honors Silver, IHG Plat via MC.
Posts: 6,786
One disadvantage of this hotel is that you need to take an elevator (or walk stairs) up to the reception level, then another elevator to the rooms.
Jun 30, 2009, 10:20 pm
#47
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Beautiful Atlantic Canada
Programs: Bonvoy Platinum & LFT Gold, Hilton Gold, IHG Silver, Airmiles Onyx, Aeroplan, Avis President's Club
Posts: 1,203
Worst hotel in a long time...
I usually don't stay at Hyatt properties. I had high expectations from the Hyatt brand and always thought they were a great luxury chain, maybe I just got the worst Hyatt in their portefolio. Staff was awful, indifferent and arrogant. Got a room which was dirty, complete with spiders and cobwebs! 
Went downstairs and a snobby man at the front desk was annoyed that I wanted another room. This room was not much better, it was stylish as with most Hyatts, but it was starting to show its age. The bathroom was not clean; the floor was dirty, shower tiles moldy, shower curtain moldy too, hair from previous guest(s), just gross. The business centre was closed because of the infamous Baton Rouge restaurant fire downstairs (wasn't that like a couple of months ago?), parking situation is complicated for nothing. I'm used to the Marriott cleanliness & service, so this is not a good impression of Hyatt at all. Will not be staying here the next time I'm in Montréal.
Went downstairs and a snobby man at the front desk was annoyed that I wanted another room. This room was not much better, it was stylish as with most Hyatts, but it was starting to show its age. The bathroom was not clean; the floor was dirty, shower tiles moldy, shower curtain moldy too, hair from previous guest(s), just gross. The business centre was closed because of the infamous Baton Rouge restaurant fire downstairs (wasn't that like a couple of months ago?), parking situation is complicated for nothing. I'm used to the Marriott cleanliness & service, so this is not a good impression of Hyatt at all. Will not be staying here the next time I'm in Montréal.
Last edited by NBSPGMEMBER; Jul 1, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Nov 28, 2009, 11:10 am
#49
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Gold Country, California
Programs: Hilton Gold, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,199
Hi tinkybelle!
We stayed here beginning of July, but not as a Diamond so sorry I can't comment on that. Depends on what you're looking for, but personally I was glad to leave after 1 night. They had played games with me prior to the stay (wouldn't book a points stay even though they did have rooms available). So instead I got our first & only night there cheap on Priceline; happy to save my points afterall. It's located in a very big city-like area--a business-oriented hotel. You could be in any downtown big city. Room was small but clean and nicely decorated; view of nothing (okay with PL rate). We were on vacation and so were much happier when we moved to LeMeridien (boutique-like, in a picturesque, quaint, neighborhood area). That is what we were looking for in Montreal.
We stayed here beginning of July, but not as a Diamond so sorry I can't comment on that. Depends on what you're looking for, but personally I was glad to leave after 1 night. They had played games with me prior to the stay (wouldn't book a points stay even though they did have rooms available). So instead I got our first & only night there cheap on Priceline; happy to save my points afterall. It's located in a very big city-like area--a business-oriented hotel. You could be in any downtown big city. Room was small but clean and nicely decorated; view of nothing (okay with PL rate). We were on vacation and so were much happier when we moved to LeMeridien (boutique-like, in a picturesque, quaint, neighborhood area). That is what we were looking for in Montreal.
Mar 24, 2010, 7:28 pm
#52
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,816
Mar 24, 2010, 8:14 pm
#53
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SEA (previous locations: DTW, TLV, EWR, BOS)
Programs: AS: 75K; DL/NW: Plat; DL SC: Lifetime; Hyatt: Diamond; HH: Gold; SPG: Plat;
Posts: 3,383
The regency club is open on the weekends. Didn't eat breakfast there (had a room rate with breakfast - so I ate at the restaurant next door which serves breakfast till 11:30 AM on the weekends, which was well appreciated). Looked like the RC had a decent cold spread - smoked salmon, croissants, a nice espresso maker, etc.
Front Desk service is painfully slow. Most of the time I walked by the lobby, I saw at least 10 people waiting in line to talk to the front desk people. I needed to sort something out, and it took me roughly 30 minutes, no joke.
The hotel also put out a cooler with free bottled water or juice bottles in the lobby for all guests to enjoy - nice touch.
Overall, I'd stay here again b/c it's a Hyatt, but it's certainly not the best hotel in town.
Apr 25, 2010, 8:51 pm
#55
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 142
French was not working on this one, the guy outside the hotel realized, in the middle of his pitch for coins. So he switched to English – 'Monnaie, monnaie.... Change, change, yes?' - with a rattle of a few coppers, to make sure I got the message. Bilingual beggars I hadn't anticipated. Nifty, I thought.
Along the top of the hotel, lightbulbs have broken – so the sign spells out 'HYA-T'. The staff pronounce it 'Hey-at'. Definitely, there's something odd about this one.
Not up the steps, but down – that's the front door; down to the level of the underground car park, with a couple of forlorn looking leather sofas in a little lobby, serried ranks of parked cars, and some bellmen staring dazedly at them. An elevator – the only buttons an up arrow and a down arrow – takes you up to the lobby.
Once upon a time, this was a Holiday Inn – it's a concrete lump on the Place des Arts, in a central but rather charmless location (aside from when festivals take over the Place with wonder and crowds). Hyatt have their work cut out. And clearly, they've been renovating – one can see the results of various vintages, like layers of rock, throughout the hotel. On the bottom layer, the hallway carpet – a putrid yellow-green vomit-like Super 8 swirl in a bedraggled state. Clearly ancient. (Hey, Hey-at, get rid of it. Like, right now.) In the middle, the rooms – probably last touched about four years ago; serviceable but unexciting, with old CRT TVs. (There's no difference between the Club rooms and the standard rooms, so no real scope for Diamond upgrades.) At the top, the Regency Club and lobby bar area, which looks freshly re-done; nothing daring – think corporate-contemporary and lots of shiny pottery – but certainly more than comfortable. Except when the bar decides to play Abba at full volume (which is frequently).
Diamonds get Club access – which provides a generous breakfast (I had to hunt down someone from the restaurant to get hot water and cups, though), a heavy table of nibbles and cheeses in the evening, followed by a good selection of desserts (most notably a heart-attack of a chocolate cake, which I couldn't finish for the life of me). Alcohol is available in the evening, but is charged.
What's weird about this place – and what made me want to write this – is how confounding the service is. It seems to alternate, completely unpredictably, between Hyatt's usual high standards and the completely misdirected. Take this lot, for instance:
When I checked in, I was asked about the Diamond welcome amenity – and I said I'd deal with it tomorrow (it was late; I'd been traveling for twenty hours). Of course, no problem. I went to sleep. Just after half past midnight, I'm woken by the phone. 'Ah hello, yes, this is the front desk – I wondered what you'd like for your Diamond welcome amenity.' Thanks, I said, but I'll deal with it in the morning. You just woke me up. 'Ah, yes, I see – but I just wondered what on the card you would like...' Really, I said, you need to let me get some sleep. (Did they think that 'tomorrow' meant 'as soon as possible after midnight?')
The next day, a family with possibly the Loudest Baby Ever checked into the room next door. The soundproofing, I discovered, was not up to much – probably still vintage Holiday Inn. So I called the front desk and asked for a room change. They wanted to know why – so I held the phone up to the wall and let them listen to the Loudest Baby Ever. The room change went through quickly. They said they'd send the bellman at seven with my new key, and he'd take my luggage to the new room. Splendid. Seven came and went. At ten past, with a dinner reservation to keep, I phoned the front desk. Ah yes, the lady said, sorry about that – let me get it sorted. She put me on hold. After eight minutes on hold, I put the phone down and went downstairs. Ah yes, they said, sorry about that. We've been terribly busy. (There were three agents, and one other guest at the desk.) The bellman would move my bags directly – and in the meantime, here was my new key.
Some hours later, I came back to my new room and burst out laughing. Of course, the bags had not arrived. So I went down to speak to the duty manager, who had been at the front desk when last I called by. Hello there, I said, it's me. You know, the poor schmuck in 1140. How's your day been so far? Good, splendid? Ah, I am glad. Now, perhaps I could tell you a little about my day....
Suffice to say, the hotel turned – Cinderella-pumpkin-like – from a Hya-t straight back into a Hyatt, fourth time lucky. The bags arrived, the duty manager was very apologetic, and put 8000 points into my account on the spot, unasked. (But the next day, when I was checking out, and wanted the hotel to store my bags, it again took two calls and ten minutes for a bellman to come to the front desk, while I waited with a bemused look, and the three front-desk agents smiled blandly and just watched.)
So it's a gamble, this hotel. You might get the Hya-t, or you might get the Hyatt. Disappointed or charmed – or just, like me, really quite bemused - I've no idea how the place will leave you. Whatever you do, though, carry your own bags...
Along the top of the hotel, lightbulbs have broken – so the sign spells out 'HYA-T'. The staff pronounce it 'Hey-at'. Definitely, there's something odd about this one.
Not up the steps, but down – that's the front door; down to the level of the underground car park, with a couple of forlorn looking leather sofas in a little lobby, serried ranks of parked cars, and some bellmen staring dazedly at them. An elevator – the only buttons an up arrow and a down arrow – takes you up to the lobby.
Once upon a time, this was a Holiday Inn – it's a concrete lump on the Place des Arts, in a central but rather charmless location (aside from when festivals take over the Place with wonder and crowds). Hyatt have their work cut out. And clearly, they've been renovating – one can see the results of various vintages, like layers of rock, throughout the hotel. On the bottom layer, the hallway carpet – a putrid yellow-green vomit-like Super 8 swirl in a bedraggled state. Clearly ancient. (Hey, Hey-at, get rid of it. Like, right now.) In the middle, the rooms – probably last touched about four years ago; serviceable but unexciting, with old CRT TVs. (There's no difference between the Club rooms and the standard rooms, so no real scope for Diamond upgrades.) At the top, the Regency Club and lobby bar area, which looks freshly re-done; nothing daring – think corporate-contemporary and lots of shiny pottery – but certainly more than comfortable. Except when the bar decides to play Abba at full volume (which is frequently).
Diamonds get Club access – which provides a generous breakfast (I had to hunt down someone from the restaurant to get hot water and cups, though), a heavy table of nibbles and cheeses in the evening, followed by a good selection of desserts (most notably a heart-attack of a chocolate cake, which I couldn't finish for the life of me). Alcohol is available in the evening, but is charged.
What's weird about this place – and what made me want to write this – is how confounding the service is. It seems to alternate, completely unpredictably, between Hyatt's usual high standards and the completely misdirected. Take this lot, for instance:
When I checked in, I was asked about the Diamond welcome amenity – and I said I'd deal with it tomorrow (it was late; I'd been traveling for twenty hours). Of course, no problem. I went to sleep. Just after half past midnight, I'm woken by the phone. 'Ah hello, yes, this is the front desk – I wondered what you'd like for your Diamond welcome amenity.' Thanks, I said, but I'll deal with it in the morning. You just woke me up. 'Ah, yes, I see – but I just wondered what on the card you would like...' Really, I said, you need to let me get some sleep. (Did they think that 'tomorrow' meant 'as soon as possible after midnight?')
The next day, a family with possibly the Loudest Baby Ever checked into the room next door. The soundproofing, I discovered, was not up to much – probably still vintage Holiday Inn. So I called the front desk and asked for a room change. They wanted to know why – so I held the phone up to the wall and let them listen to the Loudest Baby Ever. The room change went through quickly. They said they'd send the bellman at seven with my new key, and he'd take my luggage to the new room. Splendid. Seven came and went. At ten past, with a dinner reservation to keep, I phoned the front desk. Ah yes, the lady said, sorry about that – let me get it sorted. She put me on hold. After eight minutes on hold, I put the phone down and went downstairs. Ah yes, they said, sorry about that. We've been terribly busy. (There were three agents, and one other guest at the desk.) The bellman would move my bags directly – and in the meantime, here was my new key.
Some hours later, I came back to my new room and burst out laughing. Of course, the bags had not arrived. So I went down to speak to the duty manager, who had been at the front desk when last I called by. Hello there, I said, it's me. You know, the poor schmuck in 1140. How's your day been so far? Good, splendid? Ah, I am glad. Now, perhaps I could tell you a little about my day....
Suffice to say, the hotel turned – Cinderella-pumpkin-like – from a Hya-t straight back into a Hyatt, fourth time lucky. The bags arrived, the duty manager was very apologetic, and put 8000 points into my account on the spot, unasked. (But the next day, when I was checking out, and wanted the hotel to store my bags, it again took two calls and ten minutes for a bellman to come to the front desk, while I waited with a bemused look, and the three front-desk agents smiled blandly and just watched.)
So it's a gamble, this hotel. You might get the Hya-t, or you might get the Hyatt. Disappointed or charmed – or just, like me, really quite bemused - I've no idea how the place will leave you. Whatever you do, though, carry your own bags...
Apr 26, 2010, 5:57 pm
#57
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: YUL
Programs: Aeroplan, Flying Blue, HHonors Gold, PC Plat, SPG Gold, Marriott Silver, A-Club Plat, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 88
This hotel has never been managed by Holiday Inn. The building dates from the seventies and Le Méridien (owned by the French Government at the time) has been the first manager of the hotel until it was sold at Wyndham about twelve years ago (I don't remember the exact year). Then, Hyatt took over the place. Service has always been spotty at this hotel.
Apr 27, 2010, 7:39 am
#58
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Pasadena,Ca.,US.
Programs: AA, Delta, United, SPG plat, Hyatt dia
Posts: 7,140
This hotel has never been managed by Holiday Inn. The building dates from the seventies and Le Méridien (owned by the French Government at the time) has been the first manager of the hotel until it was sold at Wyndham about twelve years ago (I don't remember the exact year). Then, Hyatt took over the place. Service has always been spotty at this hotel.
Apr 27, 2010, 2:30 pm
#59
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 142
This hotel has never been managed by Holiday Inn. The building dates from the seventies and Le Méridien (owned by the French Government at the time) has been the first manager of the hotel until it was sold at Wyndham about twelve years ago (I don't remember the exact year). Then, Hyatt took over the place. Service has always been spotty at this hotel.
May 25, 2010, 11:19 am
#60
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 85
Just finished up a two night stay at this property.
Arrived by Metro (Place des Arts) which was both convenient as well as fortuitous since the section of St. Catherine Street where the hotal is located is completely shut down due to construction. The entrance is a little peculiar, located off Jeanne-Mance, you take an elevator up to the lobby, while a 2nd set of elevators take you to the rooms.
Check-in was a bit crowded and disorganized, though to be fair it was a long weekend and the Habs were in town for game four of the EC finals. That said, we were still able to get a room a few hours early. Check-in staff dropped the ball on an available NOR1 upgrade; it wasn't mentioned at check in so we assumed it wasn't available. Naturally it showed up on the final bill, but the error was quickly and painlessly corrected.
My overall impressions of the property are that it's a work in progress. Some of the public spaces could do with a touch up (the bar area, elevators etc...) while others seem to have been recently updated (lobby). Despite having the dreaded CRT TV, the rooms were decent enough with the usual plush Hyatt beds and bedding. The bathroom was disappointingly tiny and definitely need some paint (peeling ceilings!).
Since we were in town to visit family we spent minimal time in the hotel. Can't really speak to RC lounge, the restaurant or the pool area etc... though the former seemed quite popular judging from the number of people we bumped into wearing bathing suits.
Arrived by Metro (Place des Arts) which was both convenient as well as fortuitous since the section of St. Catherine Street where the hotal is located is completely shut down due to construction. The entrance is a little peculiar, located off Jeanne-Mance, you take an elevator up to the lobby, while a 2nd set of elevators take you to the rooms.
Check-in was a bit crowded and disorganized, though to be fair it was a long weekend and the Habs were in town for game four of the EC finals. That said, we were still able to get a room a few hours early. Check-in staff dropped the ball on an available NOR1 upgrade; it wasn't mentioned at check in so we assumed it wasn't available. Naturally it showed up on the final bill, but the error was quickly and painlessly corrected.
My overall impressions of the property are that it's a work in progress. Some of the public spaces could do with a touch up (the bar area, elevators etc...) while others seem to have been recently updated (lobby). Despite having the dreaded CRT TV, the rooms were decent enough with the usual plush Hyatt beds and bedding. The bathroom was disappointingly tiny and definitely need some paint (peeling ceilings!).
Since we were in town to visit family we spent minimal time in the hotel. Can't really speak to RC lounge, the restaurant or the pool area etc... though the former seemed quite popular judging from the number of people we bumped into wearing bathing suits.