Stay Report: Hyatt Place Houston North (Houston, Texas - February 2019)

Stay Report: Hyatt Place Houston North
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I had previously stayed at a Hyatt Place in Memphis (see review here) and while I was not overly impressed with the brand, I was also not deterred from trying the brand again.  I was traveling out of Houston Bush Airport and was looking for a nearby hotel that was good but also allowed for a late checkout, since my flight departed at 8pm.  The Hyatt Place had a good price, so I contacted them and asked multiple times regarding their late check-out policy.  Based on my conversations and discussions with various representatives at the hotel, I booked the hotel. 

Hyatt Place is Hyatt’s low to mid-budget option for travelers.  The rooms are mini-suites – with a bedroom, bathroom, and sitting area – and contain a mini kitchen as well.  Complimentary breakfast and parking are provided, and the brand competes with Hampton Inn and Courtyard.  The hotel is Houston is located on the service road, and while the access is from the service road the hotel is located a bit farther back so you do not hear the traffic noise.  The lobby looked modern and fresh and had an open lobby plan with a sitting area, an open check-in desks that connected to the bar, additional seating area, and the kitchen area where the complimentary breakfast was served in the mornings.  Across from the bar, right next to the kitchen area, was the business center with two computers and a printer (although the printer did not work).  When I went to check-in, I talked to the check-in agents regarding my late checkout and I was told ‘this is not something I am aware of’.  I told them I talked to various representatives at the hotel and based on that information I had made the booking, and then I was told that they would ‘look into it’ but that it shouldn’t be a problem.  I completed the check-in process, received my key, and proceeded to my room.

The room that I received was designed for those with a disability, so I am not sure why this room was given to me and not kept for those who it was intended for.  Because of the design, the layout of the room was different than the standard room.  As you entered into the room, on the right against the wall was a desk and opposite the desk was a little nook which contained a sink and a counter with a coffee machine on top.  In between the desk and the nook was the fridge against the wall in the middle of the room.  In a standard room, on the other side of the desk would be the sitting area but in this room it was different so the beds were situated in this section.  I had booked a room with two beds, so the beds were against the wall and there was a nightstand in the middle of the bed as well as one next to the partition.  Plugs and USB ports were available next to the bed.  The bed itself was comfortable and provided a decent sleep (much better than the sofa bed). 

Next to beds was the seating area which contained couches, one of which can turn into a sofa bed (a very uncomfortable one at that) as well as a table.  There is a ‘partition’ between the 'living room' and the bedroom, and I put it in quotes because it only extends half way while the remaining section is open so it does not provide a lot of privacy.  In between the ‘bedroom’ and the ‘sitting room’ was a chest with drawers on the bottom and the TV on top – the TV can be turned to face either the bedroom or living area. 

Generally, the bathroom is located in front of the bedroom area and is in a narrow space making everything tight; the arrangements for this room were a bit different.  The sink was outside the bedroom area but the toilet and the tub were in front of the sitting area – so you had to walk outside of the toilet area and go into the other part of the room to wash your hands.  It was an odd and unhygienic setup.  

picture courtesy of Hyatt Place

The Hyatt Place does offer free facilities for its guests to enjoy such as complimentary parking, complimentary wifi, and complimentary breakfast.  The hotel also provides a fitness center, an outdoor pool, a business center, and a local shuttle.  The complimentary breakfast was average, standard complimentary breakfast with eggs and bagels; the wifi had decent speeds; and the business center had 2 computers with free printing (which did not work) – so the facilities were nice and a good for customers. 

While the facilities were nice, the customer service was extremely poor.  There was a lack of communication amongst the staff, the management took a while to address issues, and the staff themselves did not seemed bothered about the guests wellbeing or overall comfort.  As I said, I have stayed in many Hyatt Places before and have decent experiences but the customer service experience here was horrendous.  The overall experience at Hyatt Place is average so if you add poor customer service then it makes me not want to stay at the brand in the future.