I had never stayed at the “Destination” brand by Hyatt before so for my reservation at The Lodge at Spruce Peak (Stowe, Vermont) I went in with limited (imperfect) knowledge and came away a bit surprised at the lack of simplicity for Hyatt loyalty benefits at this brand.  Overall it’s a nice resort with service quite good relative to other parts of the United States, but because of the lack of upgrade it’s possibly better value for non-Globalists.  Also I would mention that unlike other mountain resorts which can be excellent in the summer, Spruce Peak felt a bit dead so I might recommend it more for the winter than the summer, whereas in many ski resorts in Canada, staying in the summer can be lively as well.  

Location

It would be somewhat unfair to compare Stowe to Europe, and because of my limited knowledge of the U.S. market I therefore I compare Stowe mostly with Mont Tremblant up north, and to a lesser extent Whistler and Banff.  I personally prefer the “compact” nature of Mont Tremblant and other resorts such that you get out of the hotel and everything is within walking distance, whereas at Spruce Peak it would be great for ski-in ski-out but for access to other areas of Stowe you need to drive or take the (free) shuttle bus.  This was probably a bigger issue when staying in the summer because there was not a whole lot in Spruce Peak with most shops and restaurants closed.  Nonetheless, the area at Spruce Peak looked great.

Room

I booked the entry level room which does not have a kitchenette, and as Globalist given the relatively low occupancy at the time of my stay (during week days) I expected a modest increase to a studio (one short of suite) based on reports by others in the past.  I simply assumed that the lack of suite was because of the limited benefits of the Destination brand and I was mentally prepared to accept a lesser upgrade in part because the studios have a kitchenette.  Once at the hotel I was told my assigned room was the standard one since this is what I booked.  I asked about Globalist upgrades, then they said no problem they would upgrade me to a better view (4th floor vs 2nd floor) and on the better side of the hotel.  I asked what room type this was, and it was still entry level so I argued this is still not an upgrade and it calls into question why was I not given the "better" room to begin with, even if they don't normally give upgrades.  I asked if they changed their upgrade policy because I know of Globalists getting a studio in the past, and the receptionist said there has not been any change "since I work here", when I asked how long ago, she answered one year.  One other staff told me they are a Hyatt category 7 hotel therefore not required to give upgrades which made it an easy target for my continued resistance to being offered an “upgrade” which was not even one.  I scrambled to quickly read the Hyatt Terms & Conditions and realized that it's quite messy because "Destination" is partially participating with lots of differences between properties with regards to breakfast, using free nights, and upgrades.  In the end after a discussion with a manager who confirmed that there was indeed a change in upgrade policy at this hotel about two years ago (so the previous reports of upgrades on FT were not wrong), I got studio but informed next time I won't.

The studio was not a lot bigger than the entry level room but having a small area to cook was a must for us since we have a baby.  I was told that upgrades are not possible at this property because the units are individually owned.  While I understand that it can lead to less freedom for the hotel to upgrade, nonetheless there are many other hotels where such an arrangement does not preclude the hotel from upgrading, Westin Mont Tremblant being one of the notable ones.

Service

From my limited experience in U.S. hotels, service tends to be less impressive than elsewhere in the world, but at Spruce Peak it was excellent.  First off they contacted me by phone a few days before arrival to welcome us to the hotel and to ask if we needed anything arranged ahead of time.  Many hotels don’t contact before the stay, and of those that do it’s almost always by e-mail only so the personal touch was a plus.  Once at the hotel it was clear that staff was making an effort to remember guest names, starting with the valet service near reception.  I wish front desk staff had been better informed about why the hotel will not give upgrades because giving me the correct reasons to begin with would have avoided some discussions but other than that I found service to be very good overall.  

In my preceding 8 consecutive hotel stays of 2+ nights in other parts of the world in the last few weeks, housekeeping failed to clean our room at the time we requested (usually during breakfast) at least one day of our stay.  The Lodge at Spruce Peak was the first to get the job done as requested every day.  I guess nowadays with housekeeping staff shortages, getting the room clean stands out positively whereas two years ago failing to get it done stood out negatively but not anymore: failure seems to be the norm but I was glad Spruce Peak was more professional in that regard.

Dining

I am not a fan of American breakfasts but at Spruce Peak they had a few original items, among others they had salad, quiche, and veggie-meat patties to make vegan burgers although without the burger buns.  They not only had the buffet but also a small a la carte menu.  Where they failed to meet luxury standards was asking for payment for cappuccino, the charge later being waived because they did not tell us ahead of time. Anyway, despite the Destination brand having limited benefits, at least at this specific hotel the breakfast is included for Globalists but it’s not the case for all Destination hotels and guests would be better off doing more in-depth homework than I did to avoid disappointment.

Wifi

Wifi worked well with speed of 10-15 Mbps.

Overall

Overall I had mixed feelings about the stay.  On one hand most hotels near Stowe are independent and not part of a chain so if I stayed elsewhere I would not get benefits at all so it’s hard to complain about this hotel not being eligible for upgrades, and Spruce Peak was a nice property very well maintained with pristine common areas.  But if I broaden the competition pool by comparing with the value for a ski resort outside the U.S. I find better value elsewhere but I would not mind returning to Vermont for a change in scenery.