Hotel Reviews – An Update – Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport

When reading hotel reviews online, its always good to remember that YOUR experience may vary.  Sometimes even two stays in a row from the same guest can feel different!  I reviewed the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport back in May and then returned recently.

Here’s my update:

Check In

I reported some hiccups with self check-in last time.  This time everything was functioning smoothly.  I purposely delayed the machine a couple of times though (stopping and restarting the process) to see if the gentlemen at the front desk would look up since there were no other customers checking in.  They didn’t.  Had I been an actual guest having difficulties, I might have grown frustrated at this point.

The machine assigned me a room but there was no notation of my Diamond benefits so I approached the desk where I had to then ask one of the agents about my breakfast benefit.  He told me the machine should have flagged that I was due extra attention (it did not) and gave me a voucher good for free breakfast in the upstairs restaurant (Hemispheres) the next morning.

The Room

I reviewed my room set up in the previous review but was given a completely different room type this time around.  I was assigned Room 1001, a top-floor room located just off the elevators and around the corner from the second-level of Hemispheres.

This room was smaller than ones I’ve been assigned on prior stays at the property.  Like last time, lighting was limited and the room contained a ceiling fan.  This room had great climate control though and despite the summer heat, was nice and cool without too much blowing air required.

The bathroom was less than half the size of my previous rooms at the property and contained a small shower/tub combo and one sink/vanity combo.  This shower did not have the great water pressure that my previous room had but the temperature control was consistent.

The highlight of this room was a tiny balcony with a great view of ramp operations at the airport.  Some might not find this to be a scenic view, but as an aviation geek, I loved it!

Dining

I had hoped to check out Hemispheres for dinner this time but I got to the hotel fairly late in the evening after a drive from a board meeting on the coast.  As a result,  that restaurant appeared to be a ghost town when I walked by at 9 pm and I decided not to burden the staff as I wanted to have a slow meal that I could linger over.

The downstairs lobby was hopping however.  I again grabbed a seat at the sushi bar at McCoys where I sampled the Kaisen-Chirashi Don (sliced fish over rice), a tuna roll, and the Kaisou (marinated seaweed) along with a couple of pints of cider.  I had thought about heading to the lobby bar to sip my second drink and catch up on some online work, but it was packed with close to 100 young professionals in the middle of what appeared to be a work reception.  I was too tired to try the “grab a random nametag” move from Up in the Air, so I got my second pint from the restaurant and took it back to my room.

For once, I wasn’t catching an early flight out of the airport so I was able to sample breakfast upstairs at Hemispheres.  I find that my experience with the free Diamond breakfast can vary by property.  This one allows Diamond guests to order anything they like off the menu or have access to the full buffet breakfast.  Nothing on the breakfast buffet was calling to me (the fruit selection was rather minimal and the main cut option is one I’m allergic to, plus I’ve eliminated wheat, corn, and yogurt to my diet as well) so I ordered the Corned Beef Hash.

As I left the restaurant (which has doors on the 9th and 10th levels although the host stand and buffet are on 9, I noticed that a separate grab-and-go continental station was also set up on 10 near a side door with a basket for breakfast vouchers.  This included coffee, tea, and light pastries – a good option for anyone who is a Diamond who doesn’t want to sit down to eat.

Summary

I got a great night of sleep and while my room was not what I had on previous stays, this is still one of my favorite airport hotels simply for convenience.  I was able to return my rental car the night before and walk straight from the hotel lobby to the security line to catch my flight!

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