Grand Hyatt Denver Bottom Line Review

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I recently had an opportunity to stay at the Grand Hyatt Denver for a four night midweek stay. I was looking forward to checking it out, as it’s one of the top-15 hotels in Denver on Tripadvisor and the most well-regarded Hyatt property. It has a good location in downtown Denver, two blocks from the 16th Street Mall and about .75 miles from Union Station. It is downtown Denver, so you can see the tumbleweeds blowing down the street after 9pm (especially right around the hotel), but the hotel is well-located nonetheless.

That said, I was a bit disappointed overall with the stay. It just doesn’t seem to be running smoothly right now. They give you the option of deciding when you want housekeeping (an idea I love), but my time choices were disregarded each day by housekeeping…one day they never showed up at all. The club lounge (which looks great) is closed and the only open restaurant was understaffed and running with significant hiccups. Breakfast options were the same every day with no rotation and the staff seemed harried and stressed out, forgetting basic requests. The business center was closed and I was never able to get a seat at any of the lobbby computers to print out things that I needed. I had similiar issues getting an available treadmill in the smallish fitness center in the mornings. The property could use some maintenance.

There are positives: a nifty “rooftop” tennis area on the 4th floor with a great running track is a nice alternative to the crowded fitness room and the lobby/lounge area is beautiful. Even so, I would probably choose to stay elsewhere in Denver in the near-future and give the Grand Hyatt a chance to smooth out some of the post-pandemic bumps.

a hand holding a sign

 

a room with chairs and tables and a table with a man sitting at a table
The absolutely lovely lobby area. Probably the most attractive public space in the hotel.

 

Grand Hyatt Denver Bottom Line Review

Bottom line: The Grand Hyatt Denver feels like a property that hasn’t quite gotten back on its feet after the pandemic. During my stay, it seemed understaffed throughout the hotel (especially the restaurant) and the public spaces that were open were quite crowded. The room and some of the public areas could use some sprucing up and, while I appreciate the attempt to make the interior design feel cozy, it was all a little dark and spartan. It’s an OK points option in Downtown Denver, but I would probably try something else next time.

  • Points Price: Category 3, 9,000-15,000 points per night.  Bookable using a Category 1-4 certificate from the Chase Hyatt Card.
  • Cash Price: There is a fair amount of seasonal variation.  The nights that I was there, it was ~$200, but it can easily be upwards of $300-500/night (or as low as $150)
  • Points Value: It’s often a very good value for a points redemption or a category 1-4 cert. Rates are usually $250+, making the point value well above our reasonable redemption value for Hyatt points of 1.6 CPP.
  • Resort Fee: None.
  • Parking: Self-parking is available for $38/day and includes in & out privileges. Valet parking is also available for $52/night.
  • Turndown service: None.
  • Housekeeping: Everyday for all guests. They allow you to choose the time of day for your service, but in practice this was disregarded.
  • Internet: Very good. Able to stream (I was actually here when we livestreamed the #3Cards3Continents draft), cast and zoom throughout the property
  • Dining:
    • Courier Kitchen and Bar is open for breakfast daily from 6:30am-11am (11:30am on Saturdays and Sundays) and dinner from 3pm-11pm daily. There is a happy hour from 3pm-6pm. There is also a grab and go option called Courier Market that is open for breakfast and lunch from 6:30-12pm daily (although it seemed like you could still order grab and go and to-go growlers of beer for the entire day).
    • The Fireside Lounge is open for drinks, but only Thur-Sat from 5-11pm. It was closed for the entirety of my stay.
  • Spa: None. There is a small, indoor pool (no hot tub) with a nice view from floor-to-ceiling windows next to the fitness room on the 4th floor.
  • Fitness Room:The small fitness room is located on the 4th floor. It’s unremarkable and has an assortment of 5-6 weight machines and free weights alongside 6 cardio machines (treadmills and ellipticals) that were often full in the mornings. There is also a nifty outdoor, rooftop running track and tennis court just outside the fitness area.
  • Hyatt Globalist Elite Benefits: 
    • Suite Upgrade: I booked a standard room and was upgraded to a 780 sq ft. Executive Suite on the 5th floor pre-arrival. The suite was functional and spacious, if somewhat sterile and dark.
    • Club Lounge: Not open when I was there in June 2022.
    • Free Breakfast: Buffet breakfast was served daily at Courier Kitchen and Bar on the main floor (you could also choose to grab and go from Courier Market). Overall, I wasn’t impressed. I was there for four nights and the hot and cold items were the same every morning, including seemingly powdered eggs and soggy hashbrowns. There is an omelet/egg station that I took advantage of every day. The restaurant seemed understaffed and the servers very stressed out, forgetting things like the check and to-go cups of coffee multiple times.
    • 4PM Late Checkout: Applied automatically without asking.
    • Free Parking: Yes, free valet parking on award stays.
  • Would I stay again?  I would be willing to try it again but, in the short term, I’d stay elsewhere and give this property a chance to get back on its feet.
  • Grand Hyatt Denver pros:
    • Good location in downtown Denver, near Union Station and the 16th Street Mall.
    • Very large standard rooms and good-sized suites.
    • The 38th floor club lounge looks nice, but was closed.
    • Sweet lobby lounge area.
    • Cool, if somewhat unusual, outdoor tennis court and running track on the fourth floor.
  • Grand Hyatt Denver cons:
    • Parts of the property feel a dark and dated.
    • Seemed VERY understaffed, especially in the restaurant.
    • Neighbourhood gets pretty quiet at night, I heard some women talking about not feeling safe walking around solo after dark.
    • The F&B quality left something to be desired.
a room with a bed and a desk
Grand Hyatt Denver Executive Suite Bedroom
a room with a desk and a tv
Desk and workstation
a room with a couch and a tv
Executive Suite Living Room
a table with chairs and a lamp
Table for four
a coffee and coffee maker on a counter
Coffee station and refrigerator.
a bathroom with a glass shower and sink
Executive Suite Bathroom
a swimming pool inside a building
Grand Hyatt Denver Indoor Pool Area
a room with chairs and a large window
View from pool area and outdoor sundeck
a room with treadmills and exercise equipment
Grand Hyatt Denver Fitness Room
a tennis court with chairs and a city skyline
Grand Hyatt Denver rooftop running track and tennis court.
a tennis court with a glass building in the background
It is pretty cool to be able to jog in the middle of high-rises
a buffet table with food on it
Hot Items at Courier Kitchen and Bar Brekfast Buffet
a buffet table with food and plates
Breakfast Buffet Pastry Station
a man standing behind a counter in a kitchen
Made-to-order egg station.
a coffee shop with a counter and chairs
Courier Market Grab and Go
a room with chairs and tables and a table with a man sitting at a table
Lobby Lounge with Fireside Bar in the back. Probably the most attractive public area in the hotel.
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