Hotels

Hyatt Blacking Out Award Nights?

UPDATE: I was able to resolve this though a number of emails and phone calls.  See update below.

I am running into an issue with Hyatt blacking out award nights at the Park Hyatt Buenos Aires.  It is unclear if they are actually holding back rooms or doing some wacky practices in what rooms are available for award reservations.

I will be in Buenos Aires December 24-27.  Granted this is over Christmas, so I expect there to be higher demand.  I was able to book the first night on Points + Cash.  However, the 25th and 26th are unavailable to book with Points, Points + Cash, or with my Chase Visa Award Nights that I earned through my sign up bonus.

Hyatt Blacking Out Award Nights 

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Hyatt Sweet Dreams Sweet Rewards promotion

Following up on its Stay More Play More promotion, Hyatt this week introduced the Hyatt Sweet Dreams Sweet Rewards promotion.  The Hyatt Sweet Dreams Sweet Rewards promotion runs from June 1, 2015 to September 30, 2015.

Just like the Stay More Play More promotion, this offer is targeted to each Hyatt Gold Passport member.  Last time I stayed 15 nights and got the 30,000 point bonus which showed up quickly after my 15th night.

Here is the email and offer I received from Hyatt (which is the same as my last offer):

Hyatt Sweet Dreams Sweet Rewards

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Hyatt Diamond Challenge update

Hyatt Diamond Challenge update

I completed my Hyatt Diamond Challenge (also known as the Elite Tier Offer) earlier this year.  At that time, after enrolling in the Offer you had 60 days to stay 12 nights at Hyatt properties to gain Diamond status through February 2016.  It seems that there may be a Hyatt Diamond … Read more

Weekend in Beijing – Part 1: Getting to China

Weekend in Beijing A few months back I got in on the sub-$500 round trip ticket to Beijing from Washington DC in American Airlines Business Class.  I purchased the tickets; and then purchased my positioning flight to DC from Seattle which ended up costing (slightly) more than the ticket to … Read more

Hyatt Regency Crystal City DCA Review

Hyatt Regency Crystal City

After spending only 7 hours at the hotel, it seems a bit presumptuous to write a review about the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan International (technically in Virginia).  However I think I slept a total of 2 hours, giving me 5 hours to experience the hotel.  I think that qualifies me as an expert.

I booked the spectacular mistake fare to Beijing but needed to position myself at DCA to begin the run.  As my flight out of DCA was at 7:15am, and I was coming from Seattle, I knew I would need to spend the night in DC.  My flight arrived at 10:00pm and they Hyatt Regency Crystal City was a good option as it had a free shuttle every 20 minutes to/from the airport.  Apart from the driver leaving the airport with the shuttle door still open, it was a painless experience to get to the hotel.

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Hyatt Flash Sale – SE Asia Summer 2015

Bali Hyatt

For two days, you can book a room at Hyatt South East Asia properties during the Hyatt Flash Sale at up to 40% off.  Full payment is due at booking and reservations are non-refundable per the Terms and Conditions.  Deal ends May 21 at 11:00pm Singapore Time (11:00am EST/8:00am PST).  Good for travel through August 31, 2015.  Use offer code SEAF when booking.

It seems that most (all?) of the prices for the Hyatt Flash Sale include breakfast.  Although I haven’t stayed at the Hyatt, Siem Reap is a great city to visit if you want to see the temples of Angkor Watt.  For $174 a night (with availability for most of the summer) this is a good deal for this high end property, however you can find rooms for much cheaper if you avoid chains in Cambodia.

Make sure you compare it to other offers when booking: you may be able to find a cheaper rate (although it may not include breakfast, but if you are a Diamond member you already get free breakfast).  For example, at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok I found a night in July that was cheaper with the “Special Escape” rate than the “Sea Flash Sale”.  This is definitely a case of “Your Mileage May Vary”.

More info at hyatt.com

Properties included in the sale:

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Hyatt Regency Vancouver Review

I purchased tickets to U2’s tour opener in Vancouver late last year and knew I would want to spend a couple days in Canada.  There is only one Hyatt option in Vancouver; the Hyatt Regency Vancouver, so I booked it.  I am a Hyatt loyalist after all.  This would be my first stay at a Hyatt property as a Diamond member after completing my Elite Tier Offer.

Hyatt Regency Vancouver

Location: Hyatt Regency Vancouver is located in the heart of downtown next to the Burrard SkyTrain station that you can access via the Expo or Millennium lines.  It is no more than a 15 minute walk to anywhere in downtown.  The hotel lobby is connected to a small mall that has a drug store and fast food restaurants.  A few blocks away is the shopping area of downtown in one direction and the waterfront in other.  Vancouver is a very cosmopolitan city and you can easily find anything you are looking for.

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$900 Fee for Hyatt Diamond Suite Upgrade

UPDATE: Both charges were refunded to my credit card.  The reservation is still showing up in my online Hyatt GP account; hopefully it will work to just pay at check in.

I have recently written about how I achieved Hyatt Passport Gold Diamond status through the Elite Trial Offer.  My first order of business as a Diamond member was to use one of my Diamond Suite Upgrades (DSU) for a trip I have reserved (and pre-paid) at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Orlando in June.  Little did I know I would be charged a large fee for Hyatt Diamond Suite Upgrade.

I initially made the reservation through a Best Rate Guarantee claim that was approved.

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Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego Review

The Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego was one of the “official” hotels of the conference I was attending and is only a few blocks from the Convention Center.  I booked a Double Bed at Costco rates as it was the best I could find; each night just under $300.  There were two large conferences in town (one at the hotel), so I am guessing you could find some better rates if you go when there isn’t a conference in town.  It is the largest hotel in San Diego (with 1,625 rooms).

Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego
Manchester Grand Hyatt

The Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego is located on the waterfront just south west of the downtown core.  It is about 10 minutes from the airport and you can walk to Petco Park, the Convention Center, Gaslamp, and downtown.  There are a bunch of restaurants just across the street.  Across the street there is also a light rail stop.

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Benefits of Hyatt Diamond Status

I have posted various posts about my process getting the Hyatt Diamond Challenge and what it cost me.  But why would I invest my time and money to get Diamond status?  This post will focus on the benefits of Hyatt Diamond status.

Benefits of Hyatt Diamond Status

Earning Diamond Status:  If you are not participating in a Diamond Challenge (or Elite Tier offer), or you are trying to keep your status beyond the first year, you must have either:

  • 25 separate stays at Hyatt properties or
  • 50 total nights within one calendar year

So technically you could just stay 25 nights and get Diamond (assuming none of those nights were consecutive), or you could just have one stay and get Diamond (assuming your one stay was for nearly 2 months…).

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Hyatt House Seattle Downtown

 

Hyatt House Seattle Downtown

The Hyatt House Seattle Downtown is set to open in the next few weeks.  I stopped by today to check out the progress of the construction and to scope out the property.  I was not able to go in, but here are a few observations.

Location:  This is the closest hotel to the Space Needle hands down.  While the Hyatt Place Seattle is a short walk from the Space Needle, the Hyatt House Seattle Downtown is perhaps 500 feet from the Space Needle.  You will walk out the door, cross the street, and you are at the gift shop and elevator to the top.  This is great for tourists, however it is a bit of a distance to the downtown core.  Lucky for you, the Monorail stop is also just across the street, very convenient for tourists to access shopping and Pike Place Market.

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