Stay Report: Hyatt Place Atlanta / Perimeter Center (Dunwoody, GA - January 2021)

 Stay Report: Hyatt Place Atlanta/ Perimeter Center
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I have stayed at many Hyatt Place's and I generally have a good experience and they provide a good service for the price point.  Generally at a Hyatt Place you will get a junior-suite type room with beds + couch, complimentary parking, wifi, and breakfast, and a decent stay.  Some hotels are newer than others, and the decor and layout indicate so, and some hotels have better service than others.  Hyatt is building a lot of new Hyatt Place so when I was looking for a place to stay in Atlanta, I noticed that the Hyatt Place near Perimeter Mall was now open and accepting reservations so decided to book and experience this hotel.  This was not my first experience at a newly built Hyatt Place as I previously stayed at Hyatt Place Arlington, VA (review here) which was somewhat new at the time.  

The hotel is located on the malls general area and right next to the mall parking lot, but on the train station entrance so its less crowded to enter but you can still easily access the mall.  The entrance to the hotel is very small and there is a small driveway in which you can stop to go inside and checkin - this driveway can only fit 2-3 cars and it fills up very quickly; the entrance was not designed well and was very inconvenient.  

As you walked into the lobby, it smelled really nice and overall looked modern and fresh, but overall it was very narrow.  As you entered, the two check-in desks were in front and there was a small seating area to the right.  Right behind the check-in desks was the small pantry (to purchase items you forgot or snacks) while along the right side was more seating, the business center, and the dining area where the breakfast was served and the hotel restaurant.  The elevators were located on the left-hand side opposite the business center and behind the pantry area.  Overall, it looked nice and well decorated but it was very narrow and tight space to navigate (especially now with social distancing).

The customer service here was not great - there was nothing bad but there was nothing good noroutstanding neither; they did the basics of their job with the minimal interaction, barely any smile, and that was about it.  That was the service received when we checked in as we got our key, got information about the parking and that was it - no other details about any other amenity of the hotel (also, we were not welcomed as loyalty members).  We took our key and proceeded to the room.  Once I received my key, I had to use to access the elevators to the room.  I was on the 2nd floor, and the hotel overall has 9 floors.  The hallways to the room were a bit narrow so they could fit the luggage cart but could not fit the luggage cart plus guest side by side; luckily the narrowness did not extend to the rooms as they were spacious and very comfortable.  

As you enter the room, on the right was the bathroom which was more spacious than I had expected.  The bathroom contained a sink, a toilet, a shower, bathroom toiletries of shampoo, conditioner, and soap, as well as a sliding door between the bathroom and the main room.  As you enter into the room, on the right side are couches - one of which can turn into a sofa bed – as well as a table in front of the couches.  There is a ‘partition’ between the 'living room' and the bedroom, and I put it in quotes because it only extends a quarter-way while the remaining section is open so it does not provide a lot of privacy.  Across from the couches and bed, along the wall, was a luggage holder with drawers on the bottom and this was connected to a full-size desk with a chair and a TV on the wall, and this was connected to a mini-closet with a small place to hang clothes (there was a safe as well as an iron in the closet and the ironing board was in the bathroom; there was also a fridge within one of the cabinets of the console).  On the other side of the 'partition' is the bedroom. I had booked a room with two beds and so there were 2 double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The nightstand had two small reading lights, an alarm clock, as well as plenty of USB ports and outlets.  The bed itself was comfortable and provided a decent sleep.  Many of the newer constructed hotels are coming up with more narrow and space-restricted rooms so with all the furniture, the room felt a little cramped and confined.  Because of the newer construction though, there were plenty of USB ports and outlets throughout the room to charge electronics.   

The Hyatt Place does offer free facilities for its guests to enjoy such as complimentary parking (there was also valet parking but I never saw a valet attendant), complimentary wifi (for members - some hotels enforce and check while this hotel did not), and complimentary breakfast.  The hotel also provides a fitness center and a business center.  The complimentary breakfast was still offered, which was nice given the pandemic and other cuts, but it was very basic as there was prepackage bagels, cream cheese, yogurt and cereal.  Other hotels are continuing to offer complimentary breakfast during the pandemic - and I appreciate the consistency to do so - but this was really basic (even more so compared to others).  The wifi was complimentary, needed to login or code, and was decent strength but not secure at all but you could connect as many devices as you wanted to.  There was a business center downstairs which was basically two computers and a printer in the lobby; the fitness center was open and there was enough equipment to provide a good workout. 

Safety protocols - given the pandemic, what safety protocols did the hotel implement?  There weresocial distancing stickers on the floor but these were not really enforced by the staff; there were signs that masks were mandatory but again these were not really enforced by staff; there were 3 elevators and they came pretty quickly so you could wait and social distance in the elevator; the hotels were not cleaning your room in between nights so if you needed something you had to call down and request it.  As with the service, the safety protocols were the basic ones that were implemented - no more, no less.

    

Overall, it was a typical stay at the Hyatt Place.  The hotel provided complimentary parking, wifi, breakfast along with comfortable beds.  The location was convenient as it was next to the mall so you could walk there, you could walk to the train station, and walk to other restaurants and stores.  The negatives were the driveway and entrance to the hotel, the lack of enforcing safety protocols, and the average service.  I have had some great stays at Hyatt Place and some awful stays and this was in the middle - so while I wouldn't rush to book the hotel again, I also would not avoid it either. 

Stay Report: Hyatt Place Arlington/Courthouse Plaza (Arlington, VA - July 2019)

Stay Report: Hyatt Place Arlington/Courthouse Plaza
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I have stayed at many Hyatt Place's, and while my last experience with the brand wasn't great (see review here) the Hyatt Place was the closest hotel to where I needed to go so I went ahead and booked the hotel.  Hyatt Place is Hyatt’s low to mid-budget option for travelers and the rooms are mini-suites – with a bedroom, bathroom, a sitting area and a mini kitchen as well.  Usually, complimentary wifi, breakfast and parking are provided, and the brand competes with Hampton Inn and Courtyard. 

The hotel in D.C. has only been open for a little over one year, and it is located on Wilson Boulevard within walking distance to many shops, restaurants, and to the two or three metro stations.  There are two entrances to the hotel, one from the street one from a faux side street for cars to pull into for the valet.  As you walked into the lobby, it smelled really nice and overall looked modern and fresh, but overall it was small.  You entered into a small seating area and then proceeded to the check-in counters which were right in front of you.  To the right of the check-in counters was the elevator, and connected to the check-in desk on the left was the bar/restaurant.  There were seating areas all around and behind the elevators was a small space for the breakfast area.  As I said, it was a compact seating area and felt even more compact when the breakfast rush was in full swing. 

Hyatt had emailed the possibility to do online check-in so that is what I did and I received an email when my room was ready so all I had to do was collect the key.  Unlike other hotels, such as Hilton, I was not able to preselect my room at check-in but I could change my room when I went to collect my key; the process to collect my key was very quick and efficient.  Once I received my key, I had to use to access the elevators to the room.  I was on the 6th floor, and the hotel overall has 8 floors.  The hallways to the room were a bit narrow so they could fit the luggage cart but could not fit the luggage cart plus guest side by side; luckily the narrowness did not extend to the rooms as they were spacious and very comfortable.  


As you enter the room, on the right was the bathroom which was more spacious than I had expected.  The bathroom contained a sink, a toilet, a shower with a sliding door, bathroom toiletries of shampoo, conditioner, and soap, as well as a sliding door between the bathroom and the main room.  As you enter into the room, on the right side are couches - one of which can turn into a sofa bed – as well as a table in front of the couches.  There is a ‘partition’ between the 'living room' and the bedroom, and I put it in quotes because it only extends a quarter-way while the remaining section is open so it does not provide a lot of privacy.  Across from the couches, along the wall, is a full size desk as well as a console which contains a TV on top and drawers on the bottom.  There is a also a fridge within one of the cabinets of the console.  

On the other side of the 'partition' is the bedroom.  I had booked a room with one large bed and the bed was in the middle with a nightstand on either side.  Each side also had a reading lamp as well as plugs next to each bed.  The bed itself was comfortable and provided a decent sleep (much better than the sofa bed).  Across from the bed was a the standing wardrobe which contained a hanging shelf to hang your clothes, a shelf on top, a safe on the bottom, the luggage stand, as well as the iron and ironing board (there was a lot in the wardrobe).  Because the room was so spacious, there was still plenty of room to move around and the room did not feel cramped nor compact.    

The Hyatt Place does offer free facilities for its guests to enjoy such as complimentary parking, complimentary wifi (for members - some hotels enforce and check while this hotel did not), and complimentary breakfast.  The hotel also provides a fitness center, a business center, and valet parking.  The complimentary breakfast was standard which cereal, eggs, fruits, and coffee but the place where the breakfast was staged was way too small given the amount of guests and the seating area definitely could not handle the capacity of the hotel.  The wifi was also not strong and could not handle the large number of guests in the hotel - if you had two devices you had to choose which one you wanted to connect to wifi.  

Overall, it was an interesting stay at the Hyatt Place.  The rooms were spacious, the beds were comfortable, and the location was great as it was within walking distance to many items.  The negatives were that the wifi was bad, the hotel could not handle the capacity for breakfast, the elevator broke down on the second night, and the housekeeping was understaffed so did not service the rooms on the last night (and the hotel is only one year old).  I have had some great stays at Hyatt Place and some awful stays and this was in the middle - so while I wouldn't rush to book the hotel again, I also would not avoid it either. 

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

Stay Report: Hyatt Place Houston North
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

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.

Stay Report: Hyatt Place Memphis/Primacy Parkway (Memphis, TN - June 2018)

Stay Report: Hyatt Place Memphis/Primacy Parkway
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

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 to Memphis and the Hyatt Place was convenient to where I needed to go, so I decided to try the brand again.  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 in Memphis is located in between two other hotels, so it’s a bit difficult to distinguish which is the entrance to the hotel.  Also, the hotel has a narrow footprint, as the hotel is built lengthwise and not width wise.   I pulled up to the main entrance and went into the lobby.  The hotel looked modern and fresh, but the other hotel had a distinct and open lobby while this one looked more like a traditional hotel lobby.  As you entered, there were chairs and tables in front of you and the check-in desk was off to the side.  Behind the check-in desk was the bar as well as additional tables and chairs.  Across from the bar was the kitchen area where the complimentary breakfast was served in the mornings.  There were additional chairs and tables in between the check-in desks and the windows as well; so plenty of space to sit and relax. 

As there were only two check-in computers, it took a while for both check-in and check-out.  I received my key and proceeded to the elevators.  Given the layout of the hotel, if you enter the front door with your luggage, you hit the guests waiting in line for the check-in desks on your way to the elevator; it was an odd layout.  The elevator was also somewhat narrow and slow. 4 people barely fit into an elevator - or only 2 people and their luggage.  As with the previous stay, Hyatt Places seem to be very narrow and more reminiscent of European hotels rather than American-style hotels.

As you enter the room, on left is a counter with a sink, coffee, and a fridge

and across from that is a desk.  On the other side of the room are couches - one of which can turn into a sofa bed – a very uncomfortable one at that.  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.  Next to the desk is a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top – the TV can be turned to face either the bedroom or living area.

Further into the room, on right side is the bathroom while on left side are the beds.  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).  Across from the bed was the bathroom, which was again very narrow.  As you enter the bathroom, there is an open sink and large mirror in front of you.  To the right is a small closet that is only sufficient for one, maybe two people.  On the other side of the sink is the remaining bathroom, with a toilet and a shower behind a door.  The bathroom is very narrow, so narrow in fact that the door barely misses the toilet as it is closing. The shower is also narrow so you feel constricted and you cannot stretch out.

 

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 decent, with nice yogurt and fruits; the wifi had decent speeds; and the business center had 2 computers with free printing – so the facilities were nice and a good for customers.  

Overall, it was a decent stay at the Hyatt Place.  We were only there for one night and so for that one night the hotel provided a convenient location, decent bed quality, and complimentary facilities; however, given the narrowness of the room I am not sure I would spend more than one night at the hotel.