I always like to give a quick bit of background info and disclaimers to put the review in perspective, so here goes. After working for Hyatt Hotels for 15 years I am a bit of a hotel "snob" so take some of my pickiness with a grain of salt. In addition, this was a buisness trip that didn't allow me to use, explore or appreciate all of the facitities at the hotel so my reivew will reflect that perspective.
Checked in arond 1pm to a well staffed front desk in a beautiful lobby. The desk clerk was efficient and helpful and gave me all the information that I needed and I was on my way. There are two towers in the hotel, Harbor Tower (older tower) and the Sea[something] tower (newer tower). From comments that I heard from fellow meeting goers, the Sea[something] tower rooms were a bit nicer and more up-to-date. The room itself was very spacious with nice dark wood funiture that included a big desk (w/outlet) end tables, dresser and a chair ottoman combo. The dresser contained a room safe, fridge (no mini bar) and three drawers on the smaller side, two phones, iHome clock radio, wired and wireless internet connections. Both we complimentary for me but that could have been a meeting perk. Big 42" flat screen with usable computer monitor and HDMI connections. Hair dryer and magnifying mirror in the bathroom. The carpet looked relatively new. No balcony rooms from what I can see. My room had a decent view of the opposite tower, with downtown to my left and the harbor to my right. The bed was decent but not the most confortable I've ever been in. The pillows did not appear to be feather but seemed to stuffed with some kind of chunky synthetic filling. The conforter was a bit thin as well. The bed was well worn on one side but quite firm and more comfortable on the other side. General hotel bed tip - if you like a firmer mattress, always sleep on the side of the bed opposite the alarm clock. Most people will sleep on the alarm clock side and it will wear down quicker.
The bathroom was simple but clean and in good shape. OK counter space. The tub/shower was a bit on the small side and did not have a bowed shower curtain as I've seen in other hotels. The shower pressure itself would make Karen Silkwood proud. Shower pressure is a real hot button of mine but I can say this is the first hotel where I would have liked to turn it down a bit. I did feel better though knowing I started each day here radiation free. :-)
Location, location, location. The hotel couldn't be better situated. About a 5-10 minute walk from the Gaslamp Quarter and Petco Park (Baseball/Padres). Tons of shopping and a restaurant for any type of food you can imagine. Nice place to just walk around as well. In addition, there is the Seaport Village directly behind the hotel. More shopping and restaurants that is literally two minutes from the building.
The train tracks are near by and you can hear the train whistle on a fairly regular basis from both the light rail and Amtrack style trains. It didn't bother me much but I could see how some folks could get a little bonkers from it although they do seem to stop running by 11pm or midnight.
I didn't swim but the pool looked well kept but small. The do run three good sized fire pits at night in the pool area.
That's about all can speak to. Overall it was a very nice stay but did not live up to the image I had in my mine when I heard it was a Grand Hyatt (a title Hyatt usually reserves for their more spectacular hotels).
I would stay here again for business without hesitation but would at least investigate other options if I was bringing the family back for a vacation.
Happy Travels,
Sulu
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