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My wife and I recently spent four nights at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach. We paid 20,000 points per night and applied a suite upgrade award to secure a standard suite.
This stay was part of my “workation” with my wife as we escaped Michigan’s winter and travelled the California coast for most of February 2022. For details about the trip, see: Workationing the Pacific Coast Highway.
Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Bottom Line Review
I don’t love this resort, but that’s on me. It’s a big convention resort and I found its size and its crowds off-putting after spending lots of time at more intimate hotels and inns. Looking at it objectively, though, the Hyatt Regency does its thing very well. Our suite was large and tastefully decorated. Employees were responsive and courteous. Food was very good. I think that families with kids would particularly enjoy this resort given its great kids-pool area and its easy access to the beach.
- Points Price: Booked while category 5 at standard award pricing (20K per night), but starting March 22 2022, this resort will move to category 6 and will be priced as follows:
- Room: 25K points per night standard, 21K off-peak, or 29K peak.
- Suite: 40K points per night standard, 36K off-peak, or 44K peak.
- Premium Suite: 50K points per night standard, 42K off-peak, or 58K peak.
- Resort Fee: $39.90 per night. This fee is waived if you book an award stay or if you have Hyatt Globalist status.
- Parking: $42 per night for valet parking. This fee is waived for Hyatt Globalists on award stays. The downside of valet parking was that we had to wait 10 to 15 minutes for our car even after calling ahead. Alternatively, you can get an overnight parking pass from the hotel valet and self-park across the street for $30 for the first night, and $15 for any additional nights immediately following. There is a bridge over the road to the resort, so it wouldn’t be difficult to get back and forth. I’m not sure whether or not that self-parking fee would be waived for Globalists on award stays.
- Turndown service: None.
- Housekeeping: Daily service.
- Internet: Excellent.
- Dining: This resort has multiple dining options…
- Watertable Restaurant: This is the resort’s “fancy” restaurant. We ate here daily for breakfast and once for dinner. Watertable is pricey but the food was delicious!
- Pete’s Sunset Grille: This is a casual burger and sandwiches type of place. We ate dinner here once and it was fine, but not great.
- Tower 15 Pizzeria: We didn’t try this one due to mixed reviews online.
- Mankota’s Grill: Poolside dining at the main pool. We didn’t try it.
- Shubee’s Poolside Bar & Cafe: Poolside dining at another pool. We didn’t try it.
- Shor Beach Cafe: This is on the beach, but it wasn’t open during our stay.
- Surf City Grocers: This is a coffee shop / convenience store combo.
- Spa: Yep, but we didn’t try it.
- Fitness Room: They have one. We didn’t see it.
- Hyatt Globalist Elite Benefits:
- Upgrade: I had booked a standard suite by using a suite upgrade award at the time of booking. We were not upgraded to a premium suite. The agent at the desk said that all suites were booked up that weekend. This was plausible given that we were there over President’s Day weekend.
- Club Lounge: They have one, but it was closed during our stay.
- Free Breakfast: Since the lounge was closed, we were given free breakfast at Watertable. We were told that there was a limit of $75 per day, but my experiments proved that they covered tax and tip beyond $75, up to a max of $90. In other words, it’s safe to order up to $75 per day based on the menu prices without worrying about tax and tip putting you over. We took advantage of this by ordering extra food to go. Twice I ordered the flatbread breakfast without eggs and later ate it for lunch or dinner (it was delicious even when cold!).
- 4PM Late Checkout: We didn’t need it and so we didn’t request it.
- Welcome amenity: We were given $25 to spend at Surf City Grocers. We stocked up on a few snacks.
- Waived Resort Fees: Yep.
- Free Parking on Award Stays: Yep.
- Would I stay again? I’m not particularly enamored by Huntington Beach, so I wouldn’t seek out the hotel to stay again, but if I needed to be in the area I’d be happy to stay again.
- Would I travel to the area just to stay here again? No
Photos and captions follow
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I called the hotel they say breakfast is 1 entree per person (no set price). But another rep said $72 per person. But reading your post it’s $72 total. Not sure what is accurate. Anyone else that recently went knows?
Stayed here for a conference in Oct 2017. Room was fine, although long walk through resort. I did treat myself to a facial and massage at the spa, which was heavenly (pre-COVID). And although normally I’m not a beach person, I did enjoy watching the surf.
So basically pay the extra points and go to Encinitas is what you are saying?
I came to the same conclusion as you about this property. After driving up from Encinitas and staying at the Alila, this was a let down. Having never been to Huntington Beach before, I was surprised by its odd mix of upscale beach residential and industrial oil drilling infrastructure. Definitely not some place I’d choose to go in the future.
Stayed here with my two kids (then 1 and 3) last summer. Our Socal Suite, booked on points, had 2 full bathrooms, and a large bedroom plus large living room. It was indeed great for having kids – put the 1 year old in the second bathroom to sleep in pack ‘n play, lots of space for kids to run around, kid pool, slide small enough for the 3 year old to go on, beach chairs and towels given to you beachside, etc.
I would not go with my husband on a luxury weekend away however, so I agree with overall assessment.
There is also one in Newport Beach near Balboa island. I think it’s a cat 3 or 4. Not the greatest hotel but great location in Newport.