Review: Hyatt Regency Jersey City On The Hudson

Background:

I had a Category 1-4 free night award from World of Hyatt due completing the Brand Explorer challenge. This award was going to expire in less than a month, and I asked Hyatt if it could be extended but they said that they were not extending awards at the time. Luckily, I ended up needing a hotel stay in the New York City area, so I put my certificate to use. My mom also had an award that was expiring soon, so she gifted it to me. It’s nice that Hyatt allows you to gift free night awards; you just have to call them to make the reservation.

In New York City, there are currently no Category 4 properties in Manhattan. So, my closest options were the Hyatt Place in Long Island City, or the Hyatt Regency and Hyatt House in Jersey City. Since the last place I was staying at was in the Financial District, I decided to take the short ferry ride over to Jersey City and I booked the Hyatt Regency.

Rates:

Rate for my Monday and Tuesday night stays were about $300 per night including taxes, and I’m thankful I used a free night award, as this is a bit steep.

Arrival + Location:

I took the 7 minute ferry from Brookfield Place in Downtown Manhattan to Paulus Hook in Jersey City. The ride was nice and smooth, and had great sunset views of the city. Once I arrived in Jersey City, I walked about 5 minutes along the waterfront towards the Hyatt Regency. Right next to the Hyatt is the PATH station (subway) which can take you to the World Trade Center in 4 minutes. The walk to the hotel was very pretty, and I got some good views of Manhattan.

Next to the hotel are some restaurants and corporate buildings. A 10 minute stroll will take you to the Arts District/Downtown Jersey City.

Check-In:

The lobby was on the 3rd floor, and you take large escalators to get there from the ground floor.

I arrived at the hotel around 8pm, and was quickly checked-in. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any New York City room views left, but I was given a River View room on the 8th floor. I also have Explorist Status, so I was offered 2pm checkout.

The Room:

I suppose staying outside Manhattan grants you larger rooms, and that is the first thing I noticed when I entered the room. There was a large storage area next to the door for your luggage’s. The second thing I noticed was that the room was definitely ready for a renovation.

Additionally, the closet had another luggage rack, but this was in very poor condition sadly. And other parts of the room were in poor condition as well.

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The room featured 2 double sized beds, which were pretty comfortable. For a Hyatt Regency, I would say that the sheets were a bit on the thin side. Also speaking of thin, the room next to us had a connecting door and it was very noisy. You could hear the TV, conversations, kids crying all through the door and thin walls. I recommend earplugs if you are a light sleeper. Funny enough, the room has a white noise machine and I think it’s because they know the rooms are noisy lol.

There’s a small 37 inch TV, and a mini fridge for personal use that was stocked with 2 bottles of water. A in room coffee maker is provided. The room was missing a notepad and pen, which I normally don’t need but it would have been helpful when I needed to take notes while working. Thankfully, a housekeeping associate was outside my door and was able to provide me a pen.

Views:

There was a large desk area which was helpful since I would be working from the hotel. Next to the window, there was a large sofa and the river views allowed for views of Jersey City and the Statue of Liberty in the distance. If you angled yourself to the left, you could see lower Manhattan in the background which was nice.

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When walking outside of the hotel, I did notice a few rooms on the low floors had been updated with a larger flat screen TV, and I even saw one room that was totally renovated in terms of headboards, lamps and furnishings. So, I’m assuming a renovation is starting to be underway?

The Bathroom:

It was a bit dark and the wallpaper and fixtures are in definite need of a refresh. There was also a slight mildew smell too. The shower/tub combination was inefficient as it leaked a lot of water from the tub faucet when taking a shower.

Overall, the room had clearly reached its prime, and is due for a refresh. I kind of wish I tried the newer Hyatt House across the street instead.

Dining:

The main (and only) restaurant is the Vu Restaurant, and it serves breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. I ended up trying lunch one day and I really enjoyed it! The views were amazing, and the chicken sandwich I got was tasty and the side salad with strawberries and vinaigrette was solid.

The Vu Lounge also has light snacks and cocktails til 10:30pm Sunday-Thursday and 11:30pm Friday and Saturday.

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Amenities + Service:

There is a fitness center on the first floor, along with an indoor heated swimming pool. Both have views of the river.

The 9th (top) floor also contains a large ballroom.

All the associates encountered were very friendly from the front desk, housekeeping and restaurant which was a plus.

The Verdict:

Overall, the Hyatt Regency Jersey City wasn’t a bad spot to utilize a Hyatt Free Night Award. With easy ferry or subway access to Manhattan, you’re not too far away from the city. That being said, the room is in need of a renovation and I probably would not stay here again unless they complete a refresh.

Have you stayed at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson before? What were your thoughts? Comment below!

Safe travels,

Ty

Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!