Review: New Years Eve at the Grand Hyatt Taipei

Background:

Another long overdue post (oops!) But, I planned to spend New Years 2019 in Taipei, and I knew it may be hard to find a hotel with award availability. Thankfully, approximately 6 months in advance, I saw that there was award availability at the Grand Hyatt Taipei for only 15,000 World of Hyatt points a night as it is a Category 4 hotel! Probably one of the best award redemptions I’ve ever made as cash rates were about $600 USD per night for December 29-January 1st last year.

Now in March 2020, Hyatt is introducing peak/off peak award rates, so a time like New Years may be labeled as a peak time, thus costing more points. For a Category 4 Hyatt, it would be 18,000 points during peak, rather than 15,000 standard time. Or, they could just block out the award inventory for the rooms completely, like it looks like for New Years 2021 right now.

Check In:

I arrived in Taipei at night, so I checked in around 9pm. The lobby is quite large and impressive, definitely living up to the “Grand” name.

The Room:

With my lowly discoverist status, I wasn’t expecting an upgrade, especially during the crowded holiday season, but I was pleasantly surprised when I got to my room on the twelfth floor and I had a angled view of Taipei 101!

I reserved the room for three, and it had two Twin Beds as well as a single on the long chair. The long chair conversion to a bed actually worked, and they even put some sort of mattress pad to make it more comfortable.

The beds were quite comfortable, and the main thing I noticed about the room was how clean it was. Essentially spotless, and all the room furnishings were in tip top shape.

The room had all the necessesities, such as a hot water maker and iron. But most surprisingly was the number of toiletries provided. On top of the general shampoo/conditioner/lotion, the room also had toothpaste, toothbrushes, shavers, shaving creme and more.

Bathroom:

The bathroom was nice, with the rain shower being the highlight. One of the most comfortable showers I’ve had!

Taipei 101 View: New Years Eve Fireworks

The view of Taipei 101 from the room made it a no brainer for where we would celebrate! It was nice being able to see the fireworks show from the comfort of our room, especially when it was raining outside.

Service+ Amenities:

Service was quite friendly with whomever you interacted with. The bellhops were always very welcoming on arrival and departure from the hotel.

I was quite busy on this short 3 night trip, so I didn’t visit the fitness center. I noticed they have an outdoor pool, but it was practically raining everyday I was there.

On top of room service, the hotel has a plethora of dining options. From an Italian restaurant, to a buffet, the 9 dining options at the Grand Hyatt Taipei will find a place for everyones appetite. And, World of Hyatt Members enjoy 10% off at restaurants when staying there.

I tried the Cafe, for the afternoon tea buffet and enjoyed it a lot. It’s not really afternoon tea, but more of a full on dinner buffet! They had sushi, dim sum, noodle soups and a very nice dessert section.

For breakfast, I got pastries from the lobby level bakery shop and it was pretty solid as well. They even had a cute gingerbread house display.

The Verdict:

The Grand Hyatt Taipei is an excellent choice right in the heart of Taipei. Great service and well maintained rooms made my stay one of the best hotel stays I’ve had. A perfect way to spend New Years! I will definitely consider staying here again when my travels bring me back to Taipei.

Happy travels,

Ty

Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!

MY 2019 CHRISTMAS/NEW YEARS TRIP REPORT:

Check out the rest of my Asia + South Pacific 2019 Winter Trip here!

Hotel Reviews:

Renaissance Hong Kong Harbor View
AVANI Metropolis Residences Auckland
Hilton Sydney Executive Level
New Years’ at the Grand Hyatt Taipei

Lounge Reviews:
Qantas First Lounge at LAX
Oneworld Los Angeles Business Class Lounge
Plaza Premium Lounge Taipei Terminal 2
Strata Lounge Auckland Airport
Cathay Pacific Business Lounge: The Pier
Cathay Pacific Business Lounge: The Wing

Airline Reviews:
How I Scored Cathay Pacific Business and First Using Alaska Miles
Cathay Pacific 777 Business Class: Los Angeles to Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific A350 Business Class: Hong Kong to Auckland
Virgin Australia Economy: Auckland to Sydney
China Airlines A350 Premium Economy: Sydney to Taipei
China Airlines 777 Premium Economy: Taipei to Los Angeles