This may sound crazy to most of my miles and points brethren, but I’ve never stayed at a Hyatt Place before. I checked and all of our Hyatt family trips so far involved Regency or Regency resort brands. So, I figured it might be helpful to do a brief review for two other people who’ve never stayed at a Hyatt Place either.
Few weeks ago my family flew to Jamaica for an all-inclusive vacation (trip report coming soon). Since the flight had a relatively early departure time, I reluctantly decided to book an overnight stay near Orlando airport. After some back and forth, I settled on Hyatt Place Orlando Airport. And I’m glad I did! For 5,000 Hyatt points per night (transferred from UR program on 1:1 basis), this place is a steal.
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p style=”text-align: center;”>Checking in (breakfast area is straight ahead). You can buy sandwiches, snacks and drinks in the lobby.
A cozy area to entertain restless guests while one of the parents is getting everything settled at the front desk.
A room was a bit smaller than I thought it would be. I’m not sure what I was expecting for 5,000 points per night, though? Everything was clean and it looks like the rooms were recently remodeled. Loved the brand new carpet. Mattresses were extremely comfortable. Hyatt does not skimp on beds, something I’ve come to appreciate.
There was an oversized sofa which became kids’ bed for the night.
We requested an extra blanket which was promptly delivered to our room. I loved the fact that the kids had their own sleeping area. Less fighting and more rest for me. As parents of young children, we have to improvise sometimes in order to keep peace! I laid on the sofa mattress and it wasn’t too bad. As long as your teenager isn’t picky, it may fit the bill for a night or two.
The bathroom was small-ish, but acceptable. As you can see, the sink was in a separate area.
The breakfast was incredible. They had ham-egg-and-cheese skillet sandwiches, pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausage. And much more! IMO the breakfast is way better than one you’ll find at a Holiday Inn Express and a notch above Marriott Residence Inn. This is the type of food I would gladly pay for, which isn’t always the case when it comes to hotel breakfasts. Coffee was wonderful, another rarity when you stay at a budget-type property.
Several types of juices and milk
Yogurt and fruit
There is a pool (though no hot tub), but we didn’t get a chance to use it. We ended up arriving at 8:30 PM, so just went ahead and put our kids to bed, so they could get rest before the flight.
Hyatt Place Orlando Airport could be a decent base if you plan to visit one Disney park, before moving on to another part of Florida. Staying here for 5,000 points per night is a terrific deal if you only need a place to sleep and eat (well).
Few minor criticisms
Overall, this place is a terrific value on points. However, I want to point out a few things you need to be aware of:
1) While the bathroom was clean, I did notice some mold in the shower area. The rubber mat was disgusting and it looks like it’s seen better days. Really needs to be thrown out. Perhaps it was just our room, I don’t know. It’s not a deal breaker to me (it’s Florida after all), but if you have bad allergies, keep that in mind.
2) We could hear airplanes a few times, so the hotel is not soundproof. It wasn’t bad, plus we used a noise machine to drown out various sounds. But if you are a light sleeper, beware.
3) There was no ironing board. Not a huge thing, but my clothes got a bit wrinkled, and there wasn’t anything I could do about it.
4) Be aware that hotel rooms have either one king bed or two full beds. Sharing a full bed with my husband is not an option. So, if you have a large family, you may need to look elsewhere.
5) I almost hate to mention it because it’s so silly, but… The sheets were of cheap variety, a bit scratchy. I realize Hyatt Place is a semi-budget brand, but still. I’m a snob when it comes to sheets.
How you can stay here on points
The hotel runs at 5,000 Hyatt points per night. Your best card choices at the moment are: Chase Ink Business Preferred or Chase Sapphire Preferred. These offers are subject to 5/24 rule. You can use Ultimate Rewards points from the sign-up bonus on either card for transfer to Hyatt on 1:1 basis. Both offers pay us commission if you apply through the site.
I would hold off on Chase Sapphire Reserve for now since the bonus is currently slashed in half, but it’s up to you. Here is a non-affiliate link in case you decide to apply.
Bottom line
I think the hotel is a terrific bargain on points, considering the fact that rates rarely dip below $100 per night. The breakfast alone to me is worth at least $35 for a family of four. Obviously, this is no resort, but for 5,000 UR points it’s unlikely you’ll find a better deal near Orlando airport. If you do, let me know!
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Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
Just stayed at Hyatt Place DC National Mall and loved it. King bed with sofa bed, bathroom was average but we only had a shower – no big deal with 2 big kids, breakfast was different everyday – nice variety, had 2 free washers and 2 dryers – you pay $1.75 for each box of detergent (they were large capacity machines), and service was excellent – housekeeper always read my notes for extra towels & blankets, food service were extremely polite and helpful,and close enough to 2 metro stations. I hope all Hyatt Places are like this one. For 6,000 Hyatt points + $75 per night, this place was a steal (going for $250+/night). Good thing we didn’t need parking $40/night.
@Stephanie That place sounds nice! Hyatt definitely has high standards when it comes to quality. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone complain about Hyatt Place, to be honest. Glad you had fun!
I didn’t realize you hadn’t stayed at a Hyatt Place before! The Orlando Airport one is the only we’ve stayed at that has double beds instead of queen beds. I’m still a huge fan of the brand! My only complaint is that Hyatt Place hotels never seem to have hot tubs, only pools. We are trying a Country Inn and Suites this weekend, so I’m interested to see how it compares.
@Nancy Yep, just never had a chance to try out Hyatt Place. And now I’m hooked! But I agree, hot tub is a nice amenity at a hotel. I actually wanted to treat my husband to a stay at Orlando Airport Regency property, since he loves planes. But at 12,000 points per night it was too rich for my blood. Now if we could have stayed there while I had Diamond status (suite upgrade, free breakfast), it would be a different story. Alas, my status expired 9 days before our trip. Oh well, saved me 7,000 points, so it was probably for the best anyway.
I actually like Country Inn and Suites brand. I know many folks love to bash it, but it’s perfectly fine most of the time. Sure, there are stinkers here and there, but that’s what TripAdvisor is for. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.
It looks like we will be staying at this same hotel for a night next month! 😀 My family has stayed at about a dozen Hyatt Places and they were all the same as this one. They are a nice set up for a family of five. But the hot breakfast usually changes daily. My kids prefer the Marriott hotels and Holiday Express breakfast as somehow when we are at a Hyatt Place often there are only eggs and egg sandwiches for hot items. My kids like to have guaranteed pancakes or waffles, and they love cinnamon rolls! 😀
I’m driving a rental car up to Orlando from Fort Myers(cheaper flights)- how are the tolls roads there? I thought I read somewhere to bring quarters for tolls?
@ Anonymous Wow, I can’t imagine anyone preferring Holiday Inn Express breakfast to Hyatt Place! I hate coffee at HIX, that’s my pet peeve with that chain. Hyatt Place uses Starbucks, I think. Love it! I do like Marriott breakfast, though. But yeah, my kids are not picky either. They actually love Country Inn and Suites because they have waffles.
And I agree, Hyatt Place has a nice set-up for large families, and some properties have queen size beds.
As far as driving to Orlando from Fort Myers, I believe you can do it without tolls if you want to. But it will take longer. The cost shouldn’t be bad, and yes, bring quarters. We just use Sunpass here that charges the credit card. Usually, you just go on toll road once you hit Orlando area and head towards airport. My husband usually drives, I’m terrified of Orlando traffic!
I’m not a coffee drinker so I haven’t noticed that! 😀 I prefer the Hyatt Place breakfast usually, but my kids don’t. I hope they have the pancakes when we are there!
How long does it take to get to MCO airport from this Hyatt? Did you use the shuttle?
I will take the toll roads if they are quickest so I’ll be taking a bunch of quarters with me. I’m not too afraid of the traffic. When we go to Chicago or NYC I always drive right into the downtown. How bad is the Orlando traffic? Is it lots of cars or crazy drivers or both? In the Chicago area often the limit is 55 mph and it seems like everyone is going 75 mph!
I believe it takes less than 10 minutes to get from hotel to MCO, if that. A fairly easy drive, too. We didn’t use the shuttle because we needed to park our car for four and a half days. So, we spent about $85 on that. I asked if we could leave the car at a Hyatt, but it would have cost us more.
I can’t comment on driving in Chicago or New York, but if you are fine in those cities, you’ll be OK in Orlando. It is less crazy than Miami, I will say that. I’m just easily scared, I guess! I hate driving anyway.
I’m glad I’m not the only person who will review an airport hotel =)
@Holly Ha! This place is fancy compared to some we’ve stayed at. I go where no man has gone before!
Never stayed at a Hyatt Place? I’m revoking your blogger membership.
Seriously, I love Hyatt Places. The combination of quality, decent breakfast, and reasonable point cost is hard to beat.
@Nick LOL Get in line! I think a lot of folks would like to revoke my blogger membership. And I’m one of them!
I was really impressed by this hotel, especially by how good the breakfast is. Usually, complimentary hotel breakfast is crap, but not here.