An interesting discussion of the most underrated Hyatts got me thinking about underrated versus best. I love the Park Hyatts in the Maldives, Abu Dhabi and Paris – but few consider them underrated. They are discussed frequently, very good, but also quite fairly rated!
Park Hyatt Maldives Reef Residence
On the other hand you’ll find hidden gems among non-resort city properties that end up being excellent deals on points (e.g., Thompson Madrid, Andaz Prague, Park Hyatt Jakarta).
Many lower category hotels outside the U.S. often sit in surprisingly low redemption categories despite delivering a luxury experience (Park Hyatt Chennai; Hyatt Regency Doha at category 1). That’s because their categories are driven by room rates and they’re in inexpensive markets where the overall quality standard is high.
Park Hyatt Chennai
There are places like Hyatt Place Cabo, Lost Pines near Austin, and Hana-Maui which get strong endorsements for families, though each has a different vibe and amenity level.
“Underrated” can mean (1) a luxury property at a surprisingly low points category, or (2) a solid, under-the-radar hotel in a city/resort area that people rarely talk about but consistently exceeds expectations. Since underrated means different things to different guests, it’s important to understand what’s driving the evaluation and whether it matches what you’re looking for.
- Hidden gems
- Luxury for less
- Less-discussed because it offers something that isn’t popular among most guests
- Clean, cheap lodging
Here are some of the properties noted:
- Hyatt Place Cabo (San José del Cabo) Walkable to good restaurants, grocery stores, swimmable beach (rare in Cabo), decent free breakfast, only category 1 so just 5,000 per night at the mid-point so an affordable way to enjoy Cabo without paying resort and all-inclusive prices. But it’s not a resort!
- Hana-Maui Resort (Hawaii) Secluded, calm environment away from tourist crowds, oceanfront bungalows with amazing views, laid-back vibe, 24-hour pool, friendly staff. To some it’s the best or most relaxing option among Hyatt’s Hawaii portfolio. However when it was folded into Hyatt I looked at it and dismissed it because of the need for renovations to even have air conditioning in the rooms.
- Hyatt Regency Amsterdam Less touristy area but still close to main spots, extremely expansive breakfast buffet, has a club lounge, often overshadowed by Andaz Amsterdam. I picked it last year because the rooms are larger than the Andaz’s. They also accommodated me with a temporary room prior to check-in time when my suite wasn’t ready. Lots of great reports of elite upgrade treatment here. Overall I found it fantastic.
- Hyatt Regency Lost Pines (near Austin, Texas) Great for families (many activities), beautiful grounds, 40 minutes from downtown Austin and 10-15 from the airport except during peak traffic. Rates can be high but still value on points, they work hard to upgrade to junior suites which are true suites. My daughter much likes the kids club.
- Thompson Madrid Great city location, strong breakfast, stylish property. I’ve found Thompsons to be consistently good, actually. Guests love the ground-floor restaurant breakfast, though a few mentioned the rooftop breakfast for Globalists felt “mediocre.”
- Andaz Prague Gorgeous design, fantastic breakfast (e.g., Czech Benedict), centrally located, and not as hyped as other big-name Andaz properties.
- Lindner Hotels in Europe (Prague, Cologne) some are category 1 with great city-center locations, good breakfast, strong overall value.
- Hyatt Regency Vancouver (Canada) Good downtown location, great staff, decent breakfast, it’s a pretty standard Regency but I’ve had good experiences there myself and I love that they stand that tip is included on the breakfast bill for Globalists.
- Park Hyatt Mendoza (Argentina) I’m not sure it lives up to the brand, but it works really well for the pricing. Gorgeous building, centrally located, casino is tucked away so doesn’t impact the hotel vibe.
- Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay (Montenegro) Beautiful beach, pools with scenic views of Kotor Bay. Probably just, how much travel does Montenegro get from Americans? Along similar lines I’m looking forward to this year’s opening of the Hyatt Regency Zadar in Croatia.
- Park Hyatt Jakarta (Indonesia) Amazing suites, excellent breakfast, top-notch service and a category 4.
- Hôtel du Palais Biarritz (France) former palace, opulent setting, near beaches, indoor & outdoor pools, lavish breakfast/brunch with champagne and lobster. Commenters call it a great “splurge” or treat. Rarely mentioned in typical discussions.
- Hyatt Place Bangkok (Thailand) Category 1 or roughly $100/night, very fresh rooms, decent breakfast, good location. It’s not ‘spectacular’ but excellent value – something you find at a lot of cheaper brands in Bangkok (e.g. Holiday Inn).
- Hyatt Regency Doha (Qatar) even the best brands like Mandarin Oriental are shockingly affordable in Doha, especially out of season, so when you get a solid brand (that is often elevated in the region to begin with) it becomes strong value. This is semi-luxury at category 1, good pool and spa, excellent breakfast – just exceeds expectations for most.
And Doha is actually worth a stopover (though in my opinion not as much for a long stay) – worth 36 hours just to visit the Museum of Islamic Art. It was I.M. Pei’s last major design, he rejected every location suggested and built a man-made island in the water which makes a magnificent approach. It’s worth seeing the items of everyday life from the 12th century (although there are pieces on display at Qatar Airways’ al Safwa lounge, so if you can’t make it into Doha you can still get a taste in the airport).
- Park Hyatt Chennai (India) amazing as a category 1 with great suites and breakfast. When I stayed there I paid $99 a night, had an amazing suite and Globalist breakfast was honored at the buffet or via room service. And the spa was excellent and super cheap. You could hear traffic below from the rooftop infinity pool, however.
- Hyatt Regency Bali Sanur Beachfront, multiple pools, an all-day club lounge for Globalists, turtle sanctuary onsite. It’s considered a solid Bali option with good perks, although when I make the trip to the other side of the world I tend to look less for solid value and more for extreme experience.
- Alila Jabal Akhdar (Oman) Dramatic mountain location, extremely luxurious experience, and Oman doesn’t get that much attention. Some that have been call it a top-5 Hyatt worldwide. I have yet to visit.
- Hyatt Regency Rochester (New York) Here’s one mentioned that I disagree with. I found the property quite mediocre, though the bar was decent. Not a great area, the Starbucks on the ground floor had several aggressive homeless engaged in conflict with the staff when I was there. The hotel is downtown and near the river and some call it “better than expected.”
What are your most underrated Hyatts, and which category do they fit into – great value, better than expected, or some other reason?
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