RobH

I spend about 200 nights per year in hotels for work. Over the years I've changed loyalty multiple times; I started out with IHG, moved to Hilton, Starwood, and Hyatt. I've also used Wyndham and Best Western as secondary programs. In 2014 I spent about 50 nights at a single Hyatt Place, in 2015 it has been well over 100 nights in the same property (Hyatt Place Omaha Downtown/Old Market). This hotel has very comfortable rooms, a fantastic location, covered parking, satellite TV with big screens, and is generally quite good. The breakfast, however, is so bad that I can no longer put it past my lips. This is the primary reason why I'm divorcing from Hyatt. I've had the opportunity to stay at another Hyatt Place (Baton Rouge, LA) on a couple of occasions. Breakfast was less disgusting there by a small margin, but was still quite bad.

My reasons for quitting:

• I tend to do long-term gigs for big projects. My customer ultimately pays the bill. They'll usually pay for a hotel at the level of a Hyatt Place, they typically won't spring for higher end hotels such as Grand Hyatt or Hyatt Regency.
• When I move on to my next assignment, there may not be any Hyatt hotel at all. If there is, most customers won't pay for anything above a Hyatt Place. Therefore chances are I'll be stuck at yet another hotel with a ***disgusting breakfast***.
• Hyatt Place's breakfast is ***so bad*** that I have to waste time and money going elsewhere for breakfast. That cuts into my billable time and per diem, so it costs me money.
• I have a United Presidential Plus card which automatically gives me Hyatt Platinum. I stayed at a Hyatt Regency before I was a 100+ night customer using the credit card status, and was treated well. I'm not convinced that Diamond status is worth it.
• Of all the programs I've participated in, my preference is Starwood. Some of their lower tier brands have deficiencies, but the deficiences aren't as bad as the ***disgusting breakfast*** at Hyatt Place. They have enough properties that I can usually avoid the Alofts, Four Points, and Elements.
• Both Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn have a superior offering to the ***disgusting breakfast*** at Hyatt Place. That is a sad commentary on Hyatt Place.

To further expound on why Hyatt Place's breakfast is ***disgusting***:

• Hyatt Places don't have an actual kitchen. Thus we're presented with a breakfast that consists of:
  • Lukewarm egg-shaped objects on soggy untoasted english muffins.
  • A community yogurt bowl (or should I say petri dish?)
  • A layer of uncooked, unsalted oats topped with water, unstirred in a vat
  • Fruit that is cheap, hard, and doesn't taste good (even in the summer when fresh fruit is easily obtainable)
  • Low quality pastries
  • Really bad coffee
• Poor service, on busy days the foods isn't replenished fast enough (saw this in Omaha and Baton Rouge)

I have well over 100K Hyatt points to use. I've got family in Baton Rouge, LA and Yonkers, NY, both locations have Hyatt Places. I'll be using my points there, but I'll be going out for breakfast every morning of those stays.

Hyatt may well have a fantastic product in their higher priced brands; I don't stay in those kind of hotels frequently enough to benefit from that. Their low price brand has a deficiency that is so bad that it is unacceptable.

By the way did I mention that Hyatt Place has a ***disgusting breakfast***?

CodeAdam10

Alrighty then ...

IceTrojan

So... you're making your loyalty decisions based on breakfast, ignoring all the other benefits of being a diamond (diluted as they are at HPs and HHs)?

Can I call dibs on your DSUs then?

hailstorm

The TL;DR version: the OP doesn't like Hyatt Place Breakfast, and doesn't want to eat at a restaurant.

The OP states that he has Platinum status.

Gold Passport Concierge

Hello RobH,

I'm so sorry to hear of your disappointment with the Hyatt Place brand. If you can please PM me your Gold Passport information and any additional specific stay details that you'd like to provide, I am happy to assist further.

Thanks!

Sarah

RobH

I'm Diamond. If I let my Diamond lapse I'll revert to Platinum due to my United Presidential Plus card.

IceTrojan

OP has Platinum by virtue of his CC... 100 nights in 2015 = Diamond.

exmike

So... hyatt place sucks?

Doc Savage

ldsant

This post has to be a joke. Last year I spent 300+ nights at a hotel - this year so far 290+. In other words I stay at hotels a lot. Breakfast is always a really nice perk but I rarely use the benefit (Urbane at Olive 8 in Seattle is my favorite breakfast). I guess it's each to his/her own. Good - use your points to stay ta a hotel and don't stay at a Hyatt again. That means more upgraded room availability!

iflyjetz

The OP has burned out on limited service Hyatt (Hyatt Place, Hyatt House) offerings. He'll move on to another hotel chain. In another year, he can copy and paste his post, changing the brand name and post it on whatever chain's forum that he goes to.

All limited service hotel breakfasts suck. IMHO, Hyatt's suck less than other brands. Unless you've had the same breakfast choices for the last 500 days.

OP, why haven't you rotated hotel brands? Staying with one brand for that many days isn't exactly the smartest move in the world, and you've now highlighted one more reason to rotate brands.

Go to IHG; when you tire of the sausage gravy on biscuits (or whatever you eat for breakfast) after 200 days, you can write a scathing post on the IHG forum.

Go to Starwood? You haven't eaten breakfast in many Sheraton lounges. IMHO, it's worse than Hyatt Place/House. Same with Hilton offerings; worse than Hyatt Place/House.
However, I'd never, NEVER eat/stay at a Hyatt House for 100+ days at a time. Time to move on at no more than 50 nights.

IceTrojan

I would posit that even eating breakfast at the PH Vendome for 100+ days in a year would get tiresome.

Goonie

You made so many points but they all basically mentioned the breakfast

leeky

never knew there was some type of "law" that required guests to eat breakfast at the Hyatt if it were so awful.

ElmhurstNick

So let's work this backwards: What is your minimum requirements for breakfast?

1. Are you ok with cooking it yourself (or having a cold/microwaved/toaster breakfast)
2. Are you ok with a buffet, or do you want it cooked to order?

A hot, cooked to order, on-property breakfast appears to be incongruous with the price point your clients are willing to pay for your services. To wit, your options are most likely:

a. Learn to live with a cold/microwave/toaster breakfast, and stay at a property such as Homewood Suites where they'll go to the grocery for you and stock your full-size refrigerator
b. Stop and eat breakfast at a local diner
c. Find new clients.

My recommendation would be to do a week at a Homewood Suites and see what a true extended stay facility feels like.