Hyatt Regency San Francisco Review

We spent 3 nights at this San Francisco hotel as part of a larger trip.  See here for information about what we did while we were in San Francisco .

We chose this hotel for a few reasons:

1. It was a Hyatt & that’s what we were looking for

2. We could use our Hyatt free night certificates

3. The Regency Club had good reviews

4. Location

 

Why were we looking for a Hyatt hotel?

First of all, Hyatt is probably our favorite hotel brand.  We have had great experiences every time we have stayed in a Hyatt hotel, no matter which of the Hyatt Brands (Grand Hyatt, Hyatt House, Hyatt Regency, etc).  At the time we were booking this hotel, we had Hyatt Diamond status as part of a trial that we did where we had to stay 12 nights in order to get Diamond status.  The benefits of Hyatt Diamond status are many, but our favorites are upgrades (YMMV but we are 100% for getting good upgrades so far – it helps to have really cute kids), and the Regency Club (or free breakfast if they don’t have one).

Another reason was that we each have a Hyatt Credit Card, which gives us a “free” night each year in a Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel (after we pay the $75 annual fee – so not truly free, but you get the point).  This hotel was a great value for these certificates, as it was prime season in a very popular city.  I don’t remember how much the hotel was going for (this was way pre-blog so I was not making notes or taking great photos) but it was in the $300-$400 range.  Maybe even more, as we were upgraded to a larger room, with a view, and we had access to the Regency Club.  We used 2 free night certificates and 1 night we paid for using points (15,000 points).

What is the Regency Club?

Hyatt (and other hotels) have certain hotels, definitely not most, that have a “special” area that is for certain guests only.  If you are a business traveler or a high roller, you probably don’t need this explanation.  As a typical American family, this was new to us before we discovered this whole Miles & Points world.  It is a level 2 skill, so if you aren’t there yet, don’t worry.  At some point this will be really boring for you to read & you’ll be like “Duh! Pass me the Canvas Chardonnay and shut up!” According to Hyatt,  “Regency Club guests have private access to the Regency Club Lounge, where continental breakfast, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, snacks, beer and wine are served daily.”  This is a fantastic benefit for a family, as you don’t have to pay for food and you don’t have to cook it either (score!).

In order to stay in a Regency Club room (where you are given the benefit of access & are sometimes on the same floor where you need a special key to make the elevator button light up & you will feel important), you have to be upgraded either by status or using an upgrade certificate or pleasing the upgrade gods, pay extra for the Regency Room, or use extra points (21,000 for this hotel vs. 15,000 for a regular room).

I will state that it is important that your children are well-behaved while you are in these club lounges (and everywhere else, but if you can pull that off please email me with some tips). There are business travelers here who want peace and quiet.  Do not disturb them. They sometimes look like they might bite.  Seriously though, I have read lots of complaints on various websites about kids running around in the club lounges.  You can argue that they are not the private domain of any one guest who is enjoying the benefit. I agree, but I feel more comfortable keeping my kids quiet and as still as possible by bringing things for them to do like drawing, playing handheld games (with earphones), etc.  That way we are all happy & everyone can eat their free food & drink their Canvas Chardonnay in peace. And no nasty looks from the businessmen.

This particular Regency Club was fabulous.  There was tons of seating, it was not crowded (when we were there), they had massage chairs, and the VIEW!  I actually love the food in the Hyatt Regency Clubs I have been to.  They usually have a decent light breakfast (perfect for us), good coffee, and I like the evening offerings because there are lots of vegetables.  This saves us tons of money because we aren’t huge eaters, and the food generally serves as meals (at least for us adults). And I like the Canvas Chardonnay (I’m easy to please, wine-wise).

Hyatt Regency San Francisco Location:

They say that this hotel is in the Financial District.  I guess that’s a good thing because we felt that the location was great.  It was very close to the Ferry Building, and was easily walk-able to other areas.  We do like to walk a lot, so it worked out well for us.  It felt very safe, even at night (naive? maybe). There was a Big Bus Tour stop close by as well, so we could hop on there.

Would we stay here again?

Yes, in a heartbeat.

 

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