Starting November 1, 2018, Hyatt changed their policy regarding free breakfast at their Hyatt Place hotels. Free breakfast for all guests had been a staple amenity for the brand, so a change of this sort was unwelcome. Granted, a good number of people are unaffected. I’ve never booked a Hyatt Place through an third-party online travel agency. Booking direct with Hyatt (typically on points) has been my MO.
However, I have been curious if and how the Hyatt Place free breakfast for members policy actually works, and if it policed. I’ve had four stays at Hyatt Place hotels since this policy was enacted. Here’s how my experiences stack up:
Hyatt Place Free Breakfast for Members Policy
It’s an admittedly small sample size, but if my experience is at all the norm among Hyatt Place hotels, they really didn’t change anything. My four stays were at the:
- Hyatt Place Charleston/Historic District
- Review: Hyatt Place Roanoke
- Hyatt Place Greensboro
- Hyatt Place Detroit/Livonia
In all cases, the breakfast was not monitored. There were staff around, but every single one was focused on restocking food or beverages. None of them were policing the entrance or asking guests if they booked direct with Hyatt. The only policing in effect (at two of the four) was a sign.
In addition, none of the hotels even mentioned the free breakfast benefit at check-in beyond stating “breakfast is from 6:30-9:30”, or whatever the hours are. None of them remarked that it is only for members who booked directly with Hyatt. I would certainly be included in that number, so it either was overkill to say any more, or they only call out the issue when they check someone in who booked through a third-party.
So while there are signs around the hotels saying “mornings are for members”, there is really no teeth to the policy, at least in my experience.
Conclusion
Hyatt Place is one of my favorite family hotel brands, mainly due to the 5-person or 6-person occupancy of their standard rooms. A room with two double or two queen beds plus a sofa bed is a winner for almost any family. The free breakfast benefit is also a perk, and while I would personally abide by the restrictions Hyatt lays out on it, individual Hyatt Place hotels don’t exactly do a good job about enforcing the policy. It has to simply be too difficult and costly for them to add a staff member to serve this role. Plus, who wants to constantly tell people no? It would be an awful job.
What is your experience with the Hyatt Place free breakfast for members enforcement? Have you ever seen anyone policing the dining area?
Downtown Milwaukee HP was enforcing on a recent Sunday. Employee asking for room # and cross referencing.
Interesting! First report I’ve read of this. Thanks!
Stayed at the Hyatt Place Delano 3 days ago. When handing me the keys, they included a piece of paper that asked the guest to place it on the edge of the table when having breakfast (it was color printed with a purple background). It was a bit cheezy and no one seemed to be monitoring during breakfast. I did notice that all the guests were compliant and put the piece of paper on their tables.
That is an interesting system. Would make it pretty easy to spot any offenders.
I was recently at a Hyatt Place/House in Provo or Reno and saw them tell a guest that because he wasn’t a WOH member the breakfast wasn’t included (he had just walked up to the front desk and inquired about breakfast). He was told he could pay $11 and some change per person.
Interesting. I wonder if that is their strategy, try to sell it ahead of time at the desk and not worry about policing it.
The only practical ways to enforce this are:
1) Enclose the breakfast area and code only the keys that booked direct with access.
2) Add a sticker on the room key OR provide a different color room key for those with access.
Both solid ideas. However, enclosing the breakfast area won’t happen without renovation, as most Hyatt Place hotels I’ve seen have two wide doorways into the breakfast area. Policing would certainly be easier with an identifier on the key card.