cdancer20

It can be hit or miss. The offerings can be meager but some have found them to be filling for breakfast/dinner. Also, some of the hotels have started offering free beer & wine during evening spread.

Miesque

I only travel domestically and for the most part HR lounges (and this also goes for Hilton EL lounges) have pretty forgettable breakfasts and the evening snacks are at least theoretically better than nothing, but nothing to write home about so I don't miss their presence that much. You also have to often put up with the lounge being overrun by families who take up space for prolonged periods of time treating it all as their free food for the day, both mornings and evenings. My personal policy is that I prefer a real restaurant breakfast to 95% of lounge breakfasts I have experienced so I don't get all hung up on Lounge Access. The main thing I use lounges for is bottles of water and even that is mitigated if their "water" is Aquafina/Dasani and not Spring Water.

zombietooth

As a Marriott Gold per the United status match, I got upgraded to a huge presidential suite at the Renaissance in BKK a couple of months ago-something that has never happened in my 15+ years as a Hyatt Diamond. In addition, every Marriott I have stayed at since the UA match that has had a club, has upgraded me to an actual premium "Club" room.

By contrast, my last stay at a Hyatt in Asia, I got a normal room with club access.

You are spot-on in asserting that Marriott Gold is the "Sweet Spot" for hotel programs that give actual very valuable benefits with reasonable qualification standards.

canyonleo

Funny/interesting, I too won't touch Coke/Pepsi water.

cmglobal

If you're used to international properties, the best lounges in the US will probably feel mediocre.

zombietooth

Me, I like delicious tap water.

I can still remember in my youth, running around in the oppressive heat of the central valley, CA in the summer, and just walking up to anyone's house, turning on their spigot, and drinking that delicious hose-flavored water.

Yum!

RTW1

Exactly.... good for a quick bite and a softdrink, but hardly ever something I would find attractive.

Radiant Flyer

Once you try an international club lounge the domestic ones are a major disappointment.

wh6cto

What happens if you get into a Club room, and the club is closed?

It would really stink if they don't give back the upgrade!

GUWonder

That's the Hilton way -- for Hilton Golds. Hilton Gold is a tier so easy to acquire that I think of it as Hilton's version of Hyatt Platinum but on steroids in terms of benefits.

sm0421

As much as I love Hyatt and plan on staying Global tier. I've got the same experience as SPG gold (got free from something) upgraded to a HUGE suite in Sheraton Kauai on a reward stay, I then switched to GH kauai and got a regular room.

GUWonder

I've had a few unexpected suite upgrades with Hyatt as a Diamond, but perhaps with WOH some Hyatt properties could relax on suite upgrades for Diamond-turned-Explorists too. With Starwood, the suite upgrades for Platinums may have helped improve upgrades for SPG Golds at some properties. But this is like shooting for the moon.

canyonleo

I suspect your youth was before the time of municipal poisoning of tap water with fluoride and lead and who knows what, or industrial waste doing who knows what to water, or aging infrastructure affecting water... so while I agree with you tap water used to be fine, in most municipalities times have changed. But, back to topic, I just wish Lounges would carry local spring water options instead of Coke/Pepsi versions of bottled water.

JIMCHI

And I wish they carried sparkling water.

TheTourVan

I booked my first room by choice at a different chain today. Normally the only way I have not booked Hyatt is if it was not in the location I am traveling to. This one was by choice and it set in motion my move elsewhere.

Thanks Hyatt for the great times, it was fun while it lasted.