In January, my wife and I had a one-night layover in Miami on the way to a Small Luxury Hotels stay in the Turks and Caicos islands. Instead of staying in one of the plethora of hotels clustered around Miami airport, and armed with an expiring Hyatt Category 1-4 free night certificate, we decided to spend the night in nearby Coral Gables at the Hyatt Regency. It proved to be an excellent choice.
Hyatt Regency Coral Gables Bottom Line Review
While there’s nothing especially exceptional about the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables, it’s a refreshing space to spend the night if you need to be close to Miami Airport (or Coral Gables, for that matter). It’s much smaller than most domestic Hyatt Regencies, and dare I say that it almost has a touch of elegance? The location is superb, a short walk from the downtown bars, shops and restaurants Coral Gables. Better-than-average service and good elite recognition round out a solid hotel. Thumbs Up
- Price: A Hyatt Category 4, 12K/15K/18K points off-peak/peak/standard. Like many hotels in Florida, the cash price varies quite a bit based on time of year. When I was there in January 2025, it was ~$400/night for a midweek stay. We used a Hyatt Category 1-4 free night certificate for our stay.
- Value: Most of the time, this is an excellent points redemption, often providing over 2 cents per point in value.
- Location: Good…depending on what you’re looking for. For Coral Gables, the location is terrific, within a 5-minute walk of the downtown area, Giralda Plaza and an array of restaurants, bars, shops and galleries. It’s also only about a 15-minute drive from Miami Airport, making it a nice alternative to the usual suite of airport hotels if you just have to spend the night before catching a flight.
- Room: I was upgraded to a 600 sq ft Studio Suite on the 9th floor. It had a non-separated living room area and a view of the pool area. The room was in better shape than many domestic HRs, with a very spacious bathroom and comfortable seating areas.
- Parking: Valet parking is $46+tax/night; self-parking is $40+tax.
- Resort/Destination Fee: $25+tax. Waived on award stays. Includes:
- Cuban Coffee/Cafecito Welcome Station available in lobby daily featuring afternoon pastelitos (Cuban pastries)
- $15 Food and Beverage Credit at Bar 50 – Redeemed by room charge only
- Two In-Room Bottled Waters Per Day
- Premium Guestroom Wi-Fi (Excluding Meeting Space)
- Kids 12 and Under Eat Free from kids menu with paid adult meal
- $25 Discount on a Classic Massage or Classic Facial at Classic Vantage Spa & Wellness – See Front Desk for details
- 50% Off Admission to the Coral Gables Museum – See Front Desk to purchase ticket
- 35% off Local Beer Flights at Coral Gables Bay 13 Brewery
- 20% off Coral Gables Candle Land Workshop Experience and Retail Shop
- 10% Off Retail Purchases at Books & Books, the Historic Coral Gables Shop
- Internet: Excellent, able to stream throughout the hotel.
- Service: Daily housekeeping was on the ball and the front desk staff was one of the more proactive that I’ve come across domestically in terms of explaining benefits and amenities. Restaurant and bar staff was par for the domestic Hyatt Regency course.
- Turndown service: None.
- Dining:
- Two Sisters: Primary restaurant serving breakfast and lunch daily from 7:00-2pm. This is where the elite breakfast was served.
- Bar 50: Lobby-adjacent lounge and the only food and beverage outlet open in the evenings. We had surprisingly good mojitos here for our welcome drinks. Serves cocktails and food from 5pm-12am daily.
- Perks: Coffee bar located at the entrance to Two Sisters. Open daily from 7am-2pm.
- Market: Grab and go market open 24/7.
- Spa: None.
- Fitness Room: There is a a decent fitness area that’s located on the same level as the pool. It’s got the usual array of cardio machines, light weightlifting equipment and an area for stretching.
- Hyatt Globalist Benefits:
- Suite Upgrade: I booked a standard room and was upgraded to a 600 sq ft studio with views of the pool area. Overall, both the furnishings and interior were in excellent shape.
- Free Breakfast: Can be had at Two Sisters or takeaway from Perks. Globalists can choose to order off of the menu or partake of the fairly mediocre breakfast buffet. My steak and eggs was pretty good, my wife’s breakfast burrito less so.
- Late Checkout: Automatically given 4pm.
- Parking: Valet parking is free on award stays.
- Would I stay again? Yes. It’s a good value as a points redemption, and convenient to the airport. I’d never pay the in-season cash rates.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Smaller and a bit more refined than most domestic Hyatt Regencies.
- Great location near Miami Airport and right next to downtown Coral Gables.
- Good elite treatment and service overall.
- Spacious rooms.
Cons
- For those that would enjoy it, no spa on-property.
- Food and beverage options are less-extensive than many Hyatt Regencies
- No club lounge
- Subpar breakfast buffet. Order a la carte.
Image Gallery
Hyatt Regency Coral Gables Studio Suite
Hyatt Regency Coral Gables Restaurants
Hyatt Regency Fitness Area, Pool and Public Areas
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We stayed there for the same reason last year. I was pleasantly surprised by how stunning the hotel was. I do agree breakfast was meh. We will stay there again if we get the chance and if Hyatt doesn’t move it to a Cat 5 (eye roll).
Thanks for the review. Will be staying there this coming weekend.
Good timing on the helpful review Tim as I am staying there this weekend.
Great review, look forward to reading the Turks & Caicos SLH property review!
This is a great use of a FNC prior to a connecting flight or a cruise out of Miami. I entered with a “you get what you pay for” mentality and was very pleasantly surprised.
The Two Sisters restaurant sure lacks an atmosphere. I’ve found this true across most Hyatt properties. Hyatt just doesn’t have a good F&B operation. And you almost never earn points for buying on-property drinks or food, unlike Marriott and IHG.
We had the same suite you did (but missed breakfast because I flight out to the Caribbean left early). We really wanted to like the hotel more, but I feel like it could use a bit of a more modern refresh in the rooms(if you take a good look at the furniture in your pictures, I think you can see what I mean). Having said that, the hotel was fine, and everyone was very nice. It is just that from the pictures on the web site, I was hoping for a bit more wow!
I agree with others, spot on review and excellent use of 1-4 Cert
Spot on review with my stay as well
We stayed here before a flight and our thoughts mirrored yours. We really enjoyed the Little Havana area and found amazing Argentinian empanadas nearby.