Racing to.... the bottom. Will someone save Hyatt?
Feb 13, 2018, 11:03 am
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,161
Haven't noticed any cost cutting at Napa, Carmel, Tahoe, Mayakoba, Andaz SD, Churchill.
I save over $2000/yr now by not paying resort fees on ~50 resort nights per year, including always waived on a 2nd room I often book.
I will save a few thousand more this year with resort nights now counting as qualifying & being TSU eligible.
In the past, I have always anxiously sought out P+C at the most desirable properties and often during peak times.
No more now. When rates are good, I use Citi 4th. When rates are high, I'll book full points always for Cat7 and full points for Cat 1 to Cat6 when P+C not available.
I save over $2000/yr now by not paying resort fees on ~50 resort nights per year, including always waived on a 2nd room I often book.
I will save a few thousand more this year with resort nights now counting as qualifying & being TSU eligible.
In the past, I have always anxiously sought out P+C at the most desirable properties and often during peak times.
No more now. When rates are good, I use Citi 4th. When rates are high, I'll book full points always for Cat7 and full points for Cat 1 to Cat6 when P+C not available.
Feb 13, 2018, 12:19 pm
#34
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,161
My Hyatt experience in 2017 was great : Vienna, Berlin, Hamburg, London ( Churchill and Andaz)’, Bangkok ( Park and Grand), Moscow, Paris. Not even the vaguest hint of any decline in standards. But when I decided I’d had enough of the WOH BS ( ie, the day they decided to fast-track CC holders, a card unavailable to me) I cancelled reservations in NYC and a couple of other cities and gave up.
In future I’ll stay at some Hyatts by choice rather than as part of WOH, but probably only 8-10 per year ( cf 40 in a ‘normal’ year),
Feb 13, 2018, 12:24 pm
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,161
I've never said Hyatt is garbage. Far from it. What I am saying is that Hyatt is cutting costs in such a way that the brand is being degraded, particularly at domestic 3-4 star properties, but also at the Park Hyatt New York. This is for all guests, and not just elites. As an investor myself, I am arguing this is the wrong path. If you agree great, make your voice known as, I KNOW Hyatt corporate is reading this thread. My point is that Hyatt must be better than SPG/Marriott in order to justify the extra effort needed to be loyal to them - not simply "as good."
Feb 13, 2018, 1:52 pm
#36
Join Date: May 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Hilton HHonors Gold, Delta Silver Medallion, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 211
Quality Control--Or Lack Thereof
I've been staying at Hyatt properties more since getting the Chase card two years ago. I've been pleased at the ability to redeem World of Hyatt points at reasonable levels (unlike Hilton), especially at Hyatt Place locations. What has bothered me, though, is the lack of quality control issues across the brand. No one seems to be checking up on the management companies running the properties. For example, at the ostensibly recently renovated Hyatt Regency in Rochester, NY, when I stayed there at the end of December, the expansive lobby was devoid of heat, as was my room, for the most part. There was no newspaper to be found in the morning. Same went for the valet attendant, who had left to take someone from the airport. Breakfasts at Hyatt Place locations popular with families are often a debacle. Long lines for middling food while you have to be aggressive or creative about finding a place to sit. How is it that nobody figured out the need for an orderly flow in the breakfast room? And why does the staff conveniently disappear when dishes need to be cleared? This is supposed to be a premium brand, but too often it acts like anything but.
Feb 13, 2018, 2:11 pm
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,161
I've been staying at Hyatt properties more since getting the Chase card two years ago. I've been pleased at the ability to redeem World of Hyatt points at reasonable levels (unlike Hilton), especially at Hyatt Place locations. What has bothered me, though, is the lack of quality control issues across the brand. No one seems to be checking up on the management companies running the properties. For example, at the ostensibly recently renovated Hyatt Regency in Rochester, NY, when I stayed there at the end of December, the expansive lobby was devoid of heat, as was my room, for the most part. There was no newspaper to be found in the morning. Same went for the valet attendant, who had left to take someone from the airport. Breakfasts at Hyatt Place locations popular with families are often a debacle. Long lines for middling food while you have to be aggressive or creative about finding a place to sit. How is it that nobody figured out the need for an orderly flow in the breakfast room? And why does the staff conveniently disappear when dishes need to be cleared? This is supposed to be a premium brand, but too often it acts like anything but.
Feb 13, 2018, 2:53 pm
#38
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 905
So what you are really saying is that the flagship international properties are behaving like..... flagship international properties. My points pertain to the mainstream (not bottom 10%) domestic properties. These are the ones where I have observed cutbacks with examples including HR San Antonio, HR Lake Washington, and Park Hyatt New York.
Feb 14, 2018, 9:03 pm
#39
Join Date: May 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Hilton HHonors Gold, Delta Silver Medallion, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 211
I think it's the mid-level Hyatt Regency's where most of the cuts are happening... and for the Hyatt Place it's important to remember that this truly is a value chain and when you compare them to their peers (like Fairfield Inn, or Holiday Inn Express) most do compare favorably. To me this is what Hyatt is all about - being just a bit better than their peers in the respective category - and I hate to see them modify this winning formula.
Feb 14, 2018, 10:12 pm
#40
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: IAD / DCA
Programs: AA EP, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Diamond, United Silver, Bonvoy Titanium.
Posts: 158
Wife is globalist and we've done a ton of stays in various properties over the past couple of years. Some great some awful. I'm diamond at Hilton. Overall my Hilton experience is better. They promise less and over deliver. Hyatt consistently fails to deliver. And she was a 80 night paid last year (not counting the award and promo nights) so in theory they should care...
Feb 14, 2018, 11:44 pm
#41
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: California
Programs: Hyatt Global, Marriot Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 2,282
I think it's the mid-level Hyatt Regency's where most of the cuts are happening... and for the Hyatt Place it's important to remember that this truly is a value chain and when you compare them to their peers (like Fairfield Inn, or Holiday Inn Express) most do compare favorably. To me this is what Hyatt is all about - being just a bit better than their peers in the respective category - and I hate to see them modify this winning formula.
Mar 1, 2019, 8:32 pm
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
I was at the HR Maui last weekend and they left a postcard featuring local wildlife on the pillow with the turndown service. A different one every night so I collected 3 of them. Honestly the postcard probably costs more than a chocolate (it was a nice postcard). I'd still rather have the chocolate though.
Mar 2, 2019, 7:05 am
#45
Moderator, Delta Skymiles and Mileage Run
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Seat 2A
Programs: DL Diamond/MM, Hyatt Diamond, former AS MVPG 75K, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,940
Couldn't agree more. Having both Marriott Platinum and Hyatt Globalist, the striking differences between the chains in simple customer service requests is striking. You can solve most matters via the Hyatt Twitter team.. Marriott is like impossible!
