A Bay Area Jaunt – Hyatt House San Jose/Silicon Valley

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit the  San Jose area for work. Spotting a conveniently located Hyatt property, I jumped at the opportunity to diversify my points (having spent most of the last few years between Marriott and Starwood properties).

The Hotel

Located in a convenient cluster of restaurants and  stores, the Hyatt House provides a great deal of convenience to travelers. Though the parking is complimentary – there is a sizeable parking structure behind the hotel – there is shuttle service offered to and from the airport as well as other locations nearby. There are quite a few restaurants within a mile or so, as well, which makes for a nice walk when it comes to dinner!

The rooms are just what you would expect from an extended-stay property – a comfortable bed, sitting area, and kitchenette. Nothing that really stands out, but not a disappointment by any means. The fitness center, located behind the in-house restaurant, offers cardio equipment, free-weights, and a cable cross machine.

The in-house restaurant also offers a breakfast buffet as well as an omelette bar. Though you can build your own omelette each morning, they do have a daily special as well.

The Rok

Next door to the hotel was what grew to be one of our favorite dining spots: Rok Steakhouse and Grill. Local to San Jose, Rok is known for offering a grill-your-own experience at your dining table… on a rock. Though a little pricey, I can’t recommend it enough. My coworkers and I wound up going back twice. It certainly didn’t hurt that they had WhistlePig Old World.

A nice touch with their drinks menu is that they list the notes you can expect with their liquors, making it easier to get a feel for what you might like to sip on with your meal! They also offer whiskey flights (which I regret I wasn’t able to sample during this visit).

Sendo Sushi

A short (2/3rds of a mile) walk from the hotel is Sendo Sushi, which we discovered purely by chance. Very reasonably priced having excellent food, I’m very confused why the ratings are averaging to 4.2/5 on Google. Don’t let that number dissuade you! The portions are adequate and the presentation will blow you away.

The Club at SJC

After a very long week, I was finally flying home. Unfortunately the TSA Pre-Check line was closed when I got to the airport, so we had to use regular security at the time.

The San Jose airport has only one lounge, but it is easily accessible between Priority Pass and a variety of other partnerships. As with other “The Club” locations, everything is complimentary. This is a nice change from some lounges that insist on up-selling you for everything.

Though the number of outlets was severely lacking and the WiFi wasn’t the greatest, the lounge itself had a nice atmosphere and the attendants were very friendly. I can definitely see myself returning here on future trips to the area.

Trip Review: Hyatt House, Sorrento Mesa, CA // @HyattTweets @HyattConcierge

Thanks to work, I recently had the opportunity to visit San Diego, CA for the first time. I took this as an opportunity to get a few more nights with Hyatt to work on their current Stay More, Play More promotion. I opted for the Hyatt House in Sorrento Mesa: in addition to free parking (which is rare in California), it is located a couple of miles away from a few big name breweries:

San Diego is known for being a haven for beer lovers, having such names as Mission Brewery, Ballast Point, Coronado Brewing, and others.

Amenities

The hotel boasts a free continental breakfast with a rotating protein (sausage, bacon, turkey links, and so on), cage free scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, various breakfast breads, and a compliment of juices. To add icing on the breakfast cake… there is a complimentary omelette bar! After breakfast, there is a full restaurant and bar in the dining area. The central patio has a perpetually burning gas firepit and plenty of outdoor seating.

Perpetually Lit Firepit
Perpetually Lit Firepit

I don’t hide the fact that I try to adhere to a workout routine when I travel, and I was thrilled to discover that this property had not only the usual battery of cardio equipment, but also a full set of free weights and a cable machine!

Workout Room
Workout Room
Workout Room
Workout Room
Workout Room
Workout Room

The Room

I was put in a room on the third floor that overlooked the central patio with the firepit, so it was a little noisy at night, but not too bad overall. The restroom was huge. Possibly the largest non-suite, non-handicapped restroom I have had in a hotel to date.

Roomy Restroom
Roomy Restroom
Roomy Restroom
Roomy Restroom

Entering the room, I was greeted with a thoughtful snack and welcome note, which I found to be a nice touch. This was found on the counter with the microwave. Underneath the counter I was able to find the micro-fridge as well as two wine glasses and two drinking glasses.

Welcome Note and Snack!
Welcome Note and Snack!
Welcome Note
Welcome Note

The rest of the room was well put together. In addition to a spacious King-sized bed, there was a very comfortable couch.

Entering the Room
Entering the Room
King-size Bed and a nice couch!
King-size Bed and a nice couch!

Across from the bed was the chest of drawers and television next to the workspace. There were outlets scattered throughout the room, which is a nice change – no more hunting for power!

TV and Workspace
TV and Workspace

The workplace is next to the closet with a full-sized iron and ironing board, which is another nice touch. No more having to iron on a bed!

Closet with Full-Size Ironing Board
Closet with Full-Size Ironing Board

Overall I had an excellent stay and I’m looking forward to coming back (particularly to explore the refreshments in the area)! Keep up the good work, guys!

Trip Review: Hyatt Place, Lansing, MI // @HyattTweets @HyattConcierge

Recently I had the opportunity to stay at the Hyatt Place in Lansing, MI. Located behind the Eastwood Towne Center, it is has excellent accessibility to nearby restaurants as well as US-127. Though it lacks a lot of parking immediately in front or behind of the hotel, there is a large parking structure adjacent, and it has no additional fees.

Each room has a massive 42” TV, compared to the 30-40” TV in most comparable hotel rooms, as well as outlets at the desk that have USB ports! There is the standard complimentary breakfast, WiFi, and either a sofa-sleeper or “Cozy Corner”. I was lucky enough to get the latter.

First glimpse: roomy!
First glimpse: roomy!
Huge bathroom
Huge bathroom
Lots of counter-space, too!
Lots of counter-space, too!

As you can see, the bathroom is very spacious with ample counter-space as well as a reminder that if you forget anything, the hotel staff is happy to provide you with replacements.

Extremely comfortable sectional, to boot
Extremely comfortable sectional, to boot

The Cozy Corner, pictured above, consisted of a firm yet giving microfiber L-shaped couch and ample lighting from the hanging lamp. Hyatt goes out of their way to ensure that the color scheme of the room aligns with the coloring of the Hyatt Place logo.

Not a lot of lighting, but outlets with USB
Not a lot of lighting, but outlets with USB

The wall-mounted TV is capable of tilting (offering a good viewing angle from both beds), and the outlets behind the coffee-maker has two USB outlets. Though not having the highest current output, they are sufficient to charge your phones! Just be sure to use an actual adapter when charging any tablets.

It's not Westin, but very comfortable!
It’s not Westin, but very comfortable!

As someone who spends (conservatively) two thirds of a year on the road, comfort in a hotel room is crucial to me, and the little things matter. Hyatt doesn’t pull any punches with these beds, and my back is grateful! My favorite beds are still those at Westin locations, but these are a close second – even beating out the ones at the Hyatt Regency in Sacramento!

Shoe-space under the bag rack!
Shoe-space under the bag rack!

Speaking of details, the entire closet is resting above the floor, and is further raised within the exterior shell. This allows a space for shoes to fit comfortably (though not boots). Rooms also come with luggage stands, full size ironing boards and irons.

2016-10-16-hyattplace08

2016-10-16-hyattplace09

The added perk to all of this is that I was able to take advantage of Hyatt’s current promotion: Stay More, Play More. Shortly after my stay completed, I received my 5,000 bonus points! Score! Be sure to sign up and stay!

Yay, points!
Yay, points!

I’m really looking forward to upcoming stays at the Hyatt Regency in Mission Bay, as well as the Hyatt House in Sorrento Mesa!