Hyatt Regency Clearwater Seaside Resort and Spa: Dated digs and underwhelming service in a terrific location

When planning a household trip, it may be difficult to discover a place that’s each inside your price range and supplies these sought-after trip vibes. Fortunately for me, I seemingly stumbled upon one such property whereas planning a household getaway to Clearwater Seaside, Florida.

Whereas the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Seaside Resort and Spa initially appeared on my radar because of its excellent location by the seashore and Pier 60, I additionally appreciated that it had rooms with two queen beds (versus just one king mattress with a pullout couch mattress) since these will be troublesome to seek out in common vacationer locations like Clearwater Seaside throughout peak journey intervals. Better of all, these bigger rooms price lower than $350 per evening when additionally redeeming factors throughout my journey dates, making it a budget-friendly choice for a two-night go to with my household of 4.

Know, although, that the decrease room price comes with some caveats: The property is beginning to present its age (it opened in 2010), and the service leaves quite a bit to be desired.

When you’re questioning whether or not the property should be a superb match for you, here is an outline based mostly on my keep on the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Seaside Resort and Spa.

Getting there

The Hyatt Regency Clearwater Seaside Resort and Spa is conveniently situated close to two main airports: St. Pete-Clearwater Worldwide Airport (PIE), which is roughly 40 minutes away from the resort, and Tampa Worldwide Airport (TPA), which might take about 55 minutes to succeed in relying on the time of day and climate circumstances. Getting from both airport to the property through a ride-hailing service will price anyplace from $43 to $80, with costs somewhat increased for rides from TPA.

In case you are driving, the resort gives indoor self-parking, in addition to valet parking. The costs for hourly, nightly and valet parking range by the season and are usually up to date on the resort’s web site.

Must you select to drive, remember that stepping into the resort from the lined multilevel parking space is not simple. Whereas it is related to the resort through an elevator, that elevator takes you to the extent above the check-in desk, so you will have to take one other elevator or stairs down one degree to succeed in the entrance desk. That makes checking in somewhat extra sophisticated you probably have youngsters and baggage in tow.

Reserving particulars

With a complete of 286 spacious rooms that vary in dimension from 400 to 1,600 sq. toes, the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Seaside Resort and Spa is good for many who want extra elbow room whereas on trip.

You possibly can guide the property through bank card packages like American Specific’ Advantageous Motels + Resorts for extras like a $100 expertise credit score and a room improve at check-in (if obtainable), however for our keep, I selected to guide a one-bedroom residential suite with two queen beds and a balcony instantly on Hyatt’s web site.

In whole, my household’s two-night keep price $343 and 6,000 World of Hyatt factors per evening. The worth included the $35 nightly resort price, which lined 4 water bottles, wi-fi web entry, use of health and enterprise facilities, a nightly in-room film, a 50% low cost to be used of two seashore chairs and an umbrella, a each day pool snack, self-service laundry, a welcome drink, and a one-hour mortgage of the resort’s bikes, amongst different facilities.

Based mostly on TPG’s month-to-month valuations, this feature of reserving with money plus factors ended up being a greater deal than paying fully with money, as the identical suite would’ve price $603 per evening (plus the nightly resort price).

Standout options

• The placement could be very handy for households, providing easy accessibility to sights, actions and eating places.
• Clearwater Seaside is fairly scenic and nice to go to, even in chilly climate, however there’s additionally a heated pool that is nice for preserving youngsters entertained.
• The rooms are generously sized, and suites include kitchenettes or kitchens, making it attainable to accommodate massive households and teams.

Drawbacks

• The service leaves quite a bit to be desired as a result of not-so-friendly employees and poor response to issues and requests associated to the situation and lack of cleanliness of our room.
• Our suite’s inside felt dated and in want of a refresh. Along with the blue partitions wanting boring, the lounge couch showing dirty, the mattresses had been uncomfortable because of years of damage and there weren’t sufficient lights to maintain the area adequately lit, particularly on cloudy days and at evening.

The vibe

The general vibe of the lodge in frequent areas just like the foyer, eating places and pool space was fairly the alternative of what we encountered inside our suite. This resort is generally upgraded with fashionable lights, chandeliers and enticing furnishings, however the rooms are in dire want of upgrades.

Throughout our keep, the resort was principally occupied by households with youngsters or greater teams, drawn by the proximity of the seashore and pier. Although the resort additionally gives a conference middle and hosts occasions, I did not see any enterprise vacationers, seemingly because of visiting in winter throughout a vacation week.

The room

After a easy check-in course of and a complimentary welcome drink (which was a pleasant contact), my household and I made our option to our suite, which was accessed through a wristband as an alternative of a standard keycard.

From the second we entered, we appreciated the size of the room, starting with a brief hallway that featured a full-length mirror.

There was a small closet with a baggage rack, an ironing board and an iron positioned inside, plus a number of hangers.

When you’re touring with youngsters, you will admire having a second rest room by the doorway, particularly after spending time on the seashore.

The kitchen was additionally very handy. It had a breakfast counter lined with two counter-height chairs, plus an open format so you possibly can see into the household room, which had a sectional, a espresso desk and a 55-inch wall-mounted TV, making it a superb choice for a gaggle hangout. A desk and a chair had been additionally positioned proper beneath the lounge TV, ought to that you must do some work whereas visiting.

The separate bed room had two queen beds and a 65-inch TV positioned on a unit with storage drawers, plus a closet with a secure mounted on a a lot smaller base.

Whereas the area had every little thing we would have liked, the pale blue bed room partitions appeared boring and incomplete with out wall artwork, the carpet appeared outdated and pale, and the mattresses on each beds had been uncomfortable and worn out.

Lighting (or, quite, a scarcity of it) was one other draw back. There was one desk lamp between the beds, in addition to a ground lamp that did not work till we known as upkeep to verify it.

Moreover, the HVAC system was noisy and failed to keep up the temperature between the bed room and lounge.

Nonetheless, we appreciated having a rest room connected to the bed room along with the one by the doorway. The bed room’s rest room was pretty clear and got here outfitted with varied Pharmacopia tub facilities made with natural aloe vera, plus towels, two sinks and a decent-size mirror for 2 individuals to share.

My solely grievance was the design determination to have a French door as an alternative of a standard door with a correct lock to make sure privateness from the remainder of my household.

In addition to the additional sq. footage, we additionally loved having a balcony off the bed room and lounge. Although the marketed ocean view was principally obstructed by the pergola on the pool deck, it had a patio furnishings set able to seating 4 individuals, so my whole household may benefit from the area.

Foods and drinks

Eating choices on the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Seaside Resort and Spa embrace a seafood restaurant named Shor and a Latin-influenced restaurant known as Tropico Rooftop Cantina.

Shor welcomes guests every single day for breakfast and dinner. For breakfast, you will discover a buffet in addition to an a la carte menu. The dinner menu has appetizers, sandwiches, seafood, steak and pasta with a number of choices for sides. There’s additionally an adjoining sports activities bar known as Offshor, which is open each night from 4 to 11, plus a grab-and-go outlet of the restaurant known as Shore2Go.

We determined to decide on the buffet once we grabbed breakfast at Shor, because it appeared like a typical buffet and included beverage choices like espresso, tea, juice and milk, too. It was priced at $25 per grownup and $8 per youngster youthful than 12.

When you’d quite stick with the a la carte menu, you’ll discover choices corresponding to eggs, omelets, toast and frittatas, in addition to cold and hot drinks like bloody marys and mimosas.

The restaurant was busy throughout breakfast hours, however which will have been as a result of strained service. By the point we acquired to the buffet, a lot of the meals trays had been ready to be refilled.

We had been advised it’d take a couple of minutes to restock every little thing, so whereas we waited, I grabbed a spot within the queue to request made-to-order omelets for myself and the remainder of my household. Nonetheless, it took virtually quarter-hour simply to put my order, so by the point I obtained our omelets, the remainder of the breakfast that my husband grabbed for me after the meals trays had been refilled was chilly.

To make up for the not-so-warm breakfast, we requested our server for some scorching espresso and if the restaurant provided different caffeinated drinks like cappuccinos. She gladly stated sure however failed to say that it could price further, resulting in an sudden cost on our invoice.

Given our lackluster expertise at Shor, we opted to dine off the property for the rest of our keep. Nonetheless, the opposite restaurant on-site, Tropico Rooftop Cantina, a extra impressed choice for poolside fare, and sits conveniently adjoining to the eighth-floor pool, serving lunch and afternoon bites each day till sundown.

Facilities and repair

Visitors of the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Seaside Resort and Spa have entry to the property’s heated swimming pool, youngsters pool, health middle and spa.

The principle family-friendly pool, situated on the eighth ground, supplies a phenomenal view of the seashore and sundown. There’s additionally a youngsters pool subsequent to it so households can simply get pleasure from time collectively.

As for the health middle, the seventh-floor facility is open 24 hours a day and is provided with Precor treadmills, ellipticals, spinner shift bikes and Peloton bikes. It additionally has quite a lot of free weights, and there are contemporary towels, disposable headphones and water obtainable inside.

The spa sits proper subsequent to the health middle and is open Thursdays by way of Mondays. It gives quite a lot of customizable facials and massages, together with the 60-minute AromaticTouch Therapeutic massage ($150) and the 90-minute Clearwater Seaside Wrap ($200).

Each lodge reservation additionally consists of two one-hour grownup (12 and up) bike leases per keep for every room booked. Moreover, you possibly can benefit from a 50% low cost when utilizing two chairs and an umbrella on the seashore. The low cost brings the entire price down from $35 to $17.50 per set.

The resort price additionally covers another facilities, together with self-service laundry (that you must carry detergent), a each day pool snack (it was snow cones throughout our keep), a nightly in-room film and complimentary yoga lessons each Thursday and Saturday.

Relying on if you go to, you may additionally discover some complimentary seasonal choices, corresponding to decoration portray lessons and a scorching chocolate station round Christmas. You possibly can ask the entrance desk for a full schedule of the particular actions happening throughout your keep.

Whereas the facilities had been strong general, the service left quite a bit to be desired. It was gradual and unfriendly for the majority of our keep. For instance, we by no means obtained a response once we flagged room points like a damaged bathroom paper holder in one of many loos, misaligned curtains within the bed room that prevented them from closing and a stain on the sofa in the lounge.

Out and about

The Hyatt Regency Clearwater Seaside Resort and Spa is ideally situated for exploring and having fun with quite a lot of bars and eating places, seashore actions, and different vacationer sights. A lot of the close by eating places serve all types of seafood and pizzas, so these with choosy eaters should not have any hassle discovering one thing to eat.

We tried The Salty Crab North Seaside for dinner on the day we arrived, in addition to Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill for dinner on our second evening. The meals at each spots was scrumptious, and the service was fast regardless of each eating places being full. We needed to wait virtually 25 minutes to be seated at Frenchy’s, however the wait was value it.

Outlets within the space make it simple to supply the requisite objects for a seashore vacation spot (corresponding to snacks, drinks, seashore toys and seashore put on), and there are additionally a number of boutiques that promote souvenirs, do you have to need to decide one thing up whereas on the town. For extra artisanal choices and a few vigorous leisure, stroll to the close by pier.

When you’re hoping to go to the world’s common Clearwater Marine Aquarium whereas on the Hyatt Regency, you possibly can simply accomplish that. It is solely a couple of five-minute drive to the aquarium from the resort.

Accessibility

For company with accessibility wants, there are rooms constructed with wider doorways. An adjustable mattress is accessible upon request. Accessible rooms provide wheelchair-accessible local weather controls and closet poles, plus decrease towel racks, sinks and showers with seize bars within the loos.

Outdoors the rooms, the resort has a number of wheelchair ramps for company with accessibility wants, guaranteeing that they’ll simply navigate by way of the assorted facilities and areas of the property.

Elevators are conveniently situated to supply easy accessibility to the eating places, the bar, the swimming swimming pools and the exit to the seashore, permitting everybody to get pleasure from their keep with out limitations. Braille symbols are used within the elevators and can be found on menus on the eating places, too, for sight-impaired company.

Trying out

Hyatt Globalists who need to use their factors to cowl a keep in Clearwater Seaside might discover the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Seaside Resort and Spa an excellent selection, given its location and on-site facilities.

Nonetheless, given my general expertise at this resort, with the variety of points in my suite and the shortage of immediate, pleasant responses from the employees, I’d select one other lodge the following time I go to the world.

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