It’s funny how travel standards change over the years. I went from not spending any extra points for anything, to seeking out 4-star (or higher) hotels and business class flights. Having points to spare has resulted in some award travel lifestyle creep.
But then the pendulum swung the other way. With kids in the picture, practicality typically wins. Don’t get me wrong…my kids have enjoyed some excellent upscale places. But if given a choice these days, I’ll take the more practical hotel over the nicer one. Every time.
And there is no hotel more practical for us than Hyatt Place.
The Perfect Hotel for Family Travel
Even before I was ever a Hyatt Globalist, the Hyatt Place brand impressed me. It’s a solid mid-tier brand that is more upscale than the competition, plus it offers a few other features that make it particularly ideal for family travel. These include:
- Free breakfast for Hyatt members
- Pool (I’ve not been to a domestic Hyatt Place without one)
- Rooms with a bit more space, including a slightly separated living room and often a wet bar
- In many cases, standard rooms with two queen beds plus a sofa bed
The last one is the kicker. It’s rare to find a hotel with three beds in a standard room. Many of the Hyatt Place properties block their rooms for six people. Six. I don’t know of another major hotel brand that consistently does this.
The extra bed makes sleeping arrangements so much easier. If you’re a family with three or four kids, you might actually get away with cramming everyone into one room with no one on the floor.
Amenities such as free breakfast and a pool can be found at other hotels. It’s the extra space and room configuration that places Hyatt Place ahead of the competition. Add in generally great award redemption value, and it’s a winner for family travel.
A Case Study
I took my two sons to Seattle a couple years ago. Besides seeing the usual iconic Seattle sights such as the Space Needle and Aquarium, we caught our first Major League Soccer game. It was an experience to remember. Not just because Seattle Sounders fans are over-the-top fanatics, but because we managed to catch their worst home loss in recent club memory against their arch-rivals, the Portland Timbers.
While I didn’t pack the days as much as I would have a couple years ago, they were still pretty full. Which meant getting a full night’s sleep would be important. I usually end up sharing a bed with one of my sons and proceed to get kicked plenty during the night. No parent wants to be short on sleep on a vacation with kids.
But this wasn’t an issue at a Hyatt Place. The brevity of the trip and need for a functional hotel more than anything helped me settle on the Hyatt Place Seattle Downtown as the ideal choice. There are other great properties in the city. But even if they are “nicer”, they can’t beat us each getting our own bed. This is possible if given a two-bed room that also has a couch, which isn’t a given most places.
Plus, the hotel was going for $279 before taxes, which made 12,000 World of Hyatt points an excellent redemption.
Final Thoughts
While I have an affinity for the elevated service and standards of 4-star and 5-star properties, a practical hotel wins in most cases. The Grand Hyatt Seattle can wait. It may wait forever. Give me a pool, 3+ beds, and a bit more space at the ol’ Hyatt Place.
What’s your favorite family travel hotel brand?
You know I’m a big fan of Hyatt Place hotels!
Lol, have you found the ones with room capacity of 17 persons?
I’ve found that downtown HP hotels can sometimes be missing the pool, particularly if they’ve been reflagged.
I have to thank you for the review of the Hyatt Regency Merida. My wife and I have been staying at the hotel for a nice getaway (leave tomorrow) and we’ve been highly impressed with this category 1 gem. Your review is what convinced me to take the plunge. Now we’re looking at coming back with friends. I just figured that you might be pleased to hear that at least in my case your review made a big difference. Much appreciation.
I’ve not found one yet, but I’m sure I will.
Very pleased to hear you’ve enjoyed Merida and it’s Cat 1 Hyatt Regency! And that you consider my reviews. Means a lot to me. As always, thanks for reading and commenting!
While I’m not traveling with kids, I often travel with 2 other adult friends and the same logic applies. We’re all single and used to sleeping by ourselves so having 3 beds is fantastic. Free breakfast for all is great because even at the hotels where I have status it typically only nets breakfast for 2 people.
I can see it being even more critical in your situation. I wonder if Hyatt knows how niche this hotel feature is and how much it influences some people.