holtju2

This is the only Hyatt in the greater LA area that I haven't tried yet. Maybe I should give them a test drive as well?

The treatment that the OP got doesn't seem right.

westcoastman

I agree with you 100%. I hate what this hotel is trying to do. I was not aware that GP included upgraded accomodations to a suite. I thought that was the one thing missing unlike Starwood.

peteropny

It's not but many properties that have a lot of suites do routinely give them out as upgrades for Diamonds. So this is acutally a positive for Hyatt (as a general statement) that they go beyond the T&C rather than play games with suite availability that's reported by many at Starwood.

Back to the OP's topic here, the only similar situation I've encountered was at HR ATL where they upgraded (both rooms actually) to suites and gave RC access (for both rooms) without question.

From my perspective, (and I know that many here will disagree with me), is that I actually prefer a breakfast certificate (that gives a credit towards anything on the breakfast menu) that can be used in the restaurant to RC access when I travel since I don't usually use the evening service in the RC (except for my local mattress runs) and I prefer a hot breakfast to the "continental offerings" that are given in the RC. International RCs are another story though.

I have not been to the CP since the RC open, but if it was a "choice" between RC access and a Century Suite, I would "choose" the Century Suite without question. However, I feel that this "policy" is quite petty since I believe there are only 30ish suites at CP and giving RC access to all the suites wouldn't create that much more traffic (or require much more offerings) in the RC. I think that Hyatt corporate needs to address this issue with this property much like they did (apparently) with the Asian properties that were playing games with RC level rooms availability until fairly recently when reports have gotten much better.

Explore

Has anyone actually sampled the RC? I'd need to know whether it's significantly ahead of the domestic average before deciding to forsake a suite. Is the RC generously stocked with high quality, interesting hors d'oeuvres and a comprehensive breakfast spread, including meat, cheese, fish etc.? Is the wine.....perhaps.....free?

I assume that if you pick the RC option, you have to eat breakfast there. Correct?

By the way, what's the status of the International Newsstand?

While I don't like having to choose between a (full, real) suite and the RC, I think the Century Plaza is going beyond GP norms by virtually guaranteeing a suite for Diamonds, if they choose that option. And there aren't that many suites - just 7% of the rooms on each floor, plus the Penthouse level. I think the suite percentage is much lower than at the old Park Hyatt.

westcoastman

My understanding is that there are not that many suites either. Remember the RC is only open on weekdays now.

PTahCha

In reading through the Gold Passport website, as a Diamond member:

My perception of what the hotel is trying to offer is that in lieu of the RC room/access, you get upgraded to a suite - similar to the Hilton trade-off. The Diamond benefit only guarantees RC floor and/or RC access and/or continental breakfast. Many hotels go above and beyond and upgrade Diamond members (like the suite I'm sitting in at Hyatt Vineyard Creek), and as peteropny had mentioned, this generates goodwill for the hotel and the brand, but it's not a required benefit.

Based on OP's response, I can't whether he was in the Penthouse Suite or just another room on the same floor (sounds like the suite, but wasn't sure). This could be the case where extra amenities were afforded to the special rooms (e.g., free internet access in Club floor or Business Plan rooms), but only if you pay the prescribed rate plan.

Regardless of the our speculation, it's always worth it to call consumer affairs and let them investigate. Otherwise, Hyatt and the hotel management won't get the feedback.

shinbal

Yes, I did go to the club. No, it wasn't over-the-top, but good as far as domestic properties go. No free wine. Don't know about the Int'l newsstand.

westcoastman

I was here on Friday. RC was open for weekend for special group at the hotel. They are hoping that the RC will stay open on weekends in the future. Interesting thing about the RC: 3 seating areas with three different TV's so groups can watch different things that they want. They said "this is the first Regency Club in North America." They explained that you will be able to check in to your room in the club so the service will be better than your average RC. Diamonds must check in at the front desk and be upgraded. Only people that pay for the RC rate will check in at the RC desk.
As far as the choice of either suite or RC access debate goes, the suites are just not that great for me to worry about this issue. All bathrooms seem the same to me no matter which room you get. They seem very intent on making this the policy. I have better things to fight over and I enjoy RC.
Evening servings are grilled but chilled gourmet vegies and gourmet deli meats and cheeses. I think as good as vegies can get. Morning is standard continental with hard boiled eggs.
Location near lobby makes them very intent on checking every single person that enters the club which is fine with me.

Explore

Hmmm, the RC doesn't sound too special for those uninterested in TV. Fairly minimalist North American food offerings, and no free booze I assume. The grilled veggies etc. sound similar to the Sacramento HR, maybe slightly better.

If you choose the suite option, I assume you still get continental breakfast credit (which can be applied towards full breakfast) in Breeze Restaurant?

westcoastman

I thought the club was "nice" so I am not sure what you are looking for. Hot buffet it is not. It did have some European like salmon appetizer of decent quality. Some of the items and cheeses were NOT North American but aimed at Europeans which was nice. I would suggest you try it once to see if it is your thing. Evening appetizers are better than the continental breakfast. I know one thing the suite seems like nothing special to me. Breakfast in the restaurant is decent quality but I go crazy (maybe close to clinically insane) about how slow hotel restaurants can be. You know the routine spending half the morning waiting for the staff to pick up your dish that has been sitting under a heat leamp in the kitchen for 20 minutes. At the very end the waiter returns out of nowhere with the check to butter you up and smooze with you so he can get the full tip on the original amount that he sooo does not deserve, but he expects, since you used coupons and saved so much money. No free booze in North America except Orlando I believe.

brendamc

And their restaurant is the slowest I think I've ever experienced in the world for breakfast - we thought the chef had died... followed by the waiters...

lswcih

I just finished a stay at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. The room was nicely furnished and they put in LG brand LCD TV in the room (looks like its a 36" in size). The Regency Club has free internet access. For the Diamond breakfast at the Breeze Restaurant, rather than the continental breakfast you can use it for an $18 credit. So I ordered a coffee ($3) and a egg, ham, and potatoes ($15). The waitress, Paula was attentive and very helpful.

When I checked out, the front desk clerk was not at all familar with the correct Gold Passport bonus codes. For the 1000 point Diamond Amenity bonus she put down a G1 rather than a 1W. I asked for the 2000 point G2 bonus and according to the clerk that bonus expired on February 28th. I told her that on the Gold Passport webpage listed the G2 bonus as still being valid, starting on June 1st. But she claimed the computer would not let her enter the code. Oh well, I guess I'll need to have Gold Passport Customer Service make the corrections.

But overall, the stay was pleasant.

lswcih

This was the first time I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza...and they told me I had Regency Club access...and they also gave me the breakfast coupon. I really cannot say if this is their standard practice. The Regency Club is located on the first floor, on the north side of the building. It did not require any card key to access. I entered the club at around 9 PM (it opens till 10 PM) and no one was at the Regency Club front desk monitoring access to the room.

777 global mile hound

Unlike some of the others here I have little to recommend about this property.
As a Diamond member I was handed the keys to a barely satisfactory room on a low floor facing idling noisy tour group buses. Luckily I waved down an old Hyatt alumni from another property who rescued me from my fate.

The hotel has removed the nice mini bars in the room and replaced them with robotic mini bars. Now you can refrigerate nothing and have a charge go directly to your bill if you touch anything. Parking charges were pushed up to some of the highest levels of any hotel ever in the history of Los Angeles. I did superior in every way at the former Park Hyatt down the block now an InterContinental

The surprisingly stingy offering of juice or coffee/muffin or croissant was all that was offered for my Diamond breakfast benefit. To add insult to injury the hotel also increased rates significantly across the board. The only redeeming qualities of this hotel since the takeover of Hyatt are some improvements to the interiors of the rooms and new flat screen TVs. However it is very mixed bag of good taste and bad. I can think of ten hotels in the area that offer a better bang for the buck with or without elite status. The hotels Breakfast benefit at my visit as a Diamond member was nothing short of disgraceful.
Tossed the voucher in the garbage can and chalked it up to another Hyatt enhancement for our loyalty
I finished a nice breakfast down the block on my own dime.

Having spoken to the one of the hotel office managers upon my departure the policy might have since been changed if the earlier posts here are any indication.
However it was not in effect when I visited the hotel back in April. I let them know at the time it was another good reason for not re-earning Gold Passport Diamond status with any effort anytime in the near future.

Thankfully the Beverly Hilton still puts out a complimentary breakfast from the Gods for its Diamonds down the block taken by the pool or in their classic dining room
From a value proposition alone this marked the worst elite recognition by a Hyatt Hotel ever as a Diamond member.The stay itself was ok.
However based on current pricing it doesn't cut it.Not even close.The hotel is asking for what some London hotels charge.

The Regency Club which offered nothing but coffee and in strange place on the lobby floor was closed. Not a single team member could tell me its hours nor was I informed at check in that it even existed. It was closed almost every time I checked it on my own. The hotel has atrocious training and communication internally.
The hotel promised to follow-up after departure with me and did not which doesn’t surprise me based on the overall experience.
For those willing to visit my advice avoid a convention time.I didn't
It was and can be simply routine, rushed and impersonal. And that sadly is what you will probably get a fair share of the time till management and their colleagues get a handle on operations.OR if at all

I wish them well in their endeavors. I do know thankfully where to spend my dollars more reliably elsewhere
Had I not been a Diamond Gold Passport member incidentally I do think this would make a fair choice as conventioneer at a convention with less expectations for having done business with the company in the past
Cheers and better experiences then mine

lswcih

My stay at the Century Plaza on the night of June 17th was an accounting nightmare. I did not notice on my bill when I checked out that it listed check-in date, June 18 and check-out date, June 18. So when the stay posted on my Gold Passport account it listed ) qualifying nights. No 1W bonus was listed. I ended up calling the Century Plaza accounting office. When she look-up the folio, it listed me as a no show...and thats why the listed the check-in and check-out date as the same. I told her that I checked into the hotel around 9 PM on the night of June 17. She told me around 10 PM is when the front desk night crew starts to process the no shows and that's what they probably did for my reservation. She told me she could not do any changes on her end so she told me to call Gold Passport customer service. I called the Gold Passport Diamond desk and they corrected everything within 2 or 3 minutes. Got the night properly credited, along with the 1W and G2 bonuses.

So I give three thumbs down for the Century Plaza front desk (very unorganized) and two thumbs up for the Gold Passport Diamond desk.