Review: Hyatt Regency Miami

I recently stayed at the Hyatt Regency Miami, in order to add additional nights to my Diamond Challenge. My night was paid for by a $100 gift card I had received from my family last Christmas, so essentially my stay was “free” for me.

I checked in late in the evening, and found the hotel to be a short walk from a free tram that links with a regional train to and from the airport. While my trip from the airport to the hotel took about 3 hours due to some train delays and track work, I certainly won’t fault the hotel for this, and appreciate the convenience this closeness is to public transportation – when it is working.

For those going to Miami to experience South Beach, this hotel is NOT near that area. It is about an 8 mile walk to South Beach, which, funny enough, I did because I wanted the exercise. While I wish Hyatt would open a property on South Beach, this hotel is great and convenient for those that have business or reasons to be on the “mainland.”

I arrived and found a large entrance, complete with plenty of taxis and valet parked cars.

Once inside, I found the Elite Check-In desk, which was busy, but not too long of a wait. The lobby was large and spacious, though it was busy with folks…even at around 11pm at night.

After checking in, I was given a suite overlooking the river that runs through the city. I did not apply a Diamond Suite Upgrade to this stay, so the suite upgrade was given at the discretion of the hotel — which is a great perk for a Diamond visiting this property, especially during the off hours of the weekend.

My room was large and spacious, with a bedroom area and living room area.

There was a seating area complete with several couches, arm chairs and a desk, too.

The bathroom was large, though nothing special.

I had a fantastic view out of my large panoramic window. Thought it didn’t overlook the beach itself, it had great city views.

Along with my Diamond amenities, I was given access to the Regency Club.

One feature of this club that I did not appreciate is that the Club had operating hours where you were unable to access it. For many other Clubs I’ve seen, they have 24/7 access to at least get a bottle of water or soda. With this Club, the hours seem to be restricted. Even so, my keycard failed to work several times to the Club floor, and I had to make several trips to the front desk for assistance.

This Regency Club is rather awkward, since it’s right outside the elevator bank, and almost looks like it was just “thrown in” and wasn’t purposely placed there. It takes up a corner off of the hallway, and there’s an assortment of tables scattered throughout. The Club offers complimentary continental breakfast, and hot appetizers in the evening.

I liked this hotel, and overall had a good experience.

Some notes for future travelers:

• The hotel is not near South Beach and major nightlife.
• Restaurants and eateries for late-night cravings are not really available in the immediate area.
• The Regency Club is nice, but not the greatest.

Have you stayed at the Hyatt Regency Miami?