Timing of the Hyatt Brand Explorer award, and the big mistake we made

Last week, I wrote about how my husband booked a stay at a jdV by Hyatt hotel for a business trip in order to earn a Hyatt Brand Explorer free night award. Here is a quick update.

Timing of the Hyatt Brand Explorer Award

My husband checked out of the hotel on Friday morning. I’m happy to report that his Brand Explorer award free night was already in his account the next day. Woohoo!

This award did not get to spend much time in his account, though. We used it almost immediately to book a night on his guy’s trip next summer.

Now about the mistake we made….

I’m almost embarrassed to admit this mistake, but here it is: We didn’t read any reviews of the Tommie Austin jdV by Hyatt hotel before we booked it. And, some things about the hotel were a bit weird and inconvenient.

What??? How could I, the ultimate trip planner and researcher, not look at any reviews of the Tommie Austin before booking it? Well, in my defense, this business trip was last-minute. And admittedly, I was more excited about my husband earning the free night award than I was concerned about how comfortable he would be on his business trip.

If we had read some reviews before booking, we would have seen that the rooms are comically small. And, the bathroom is entirely frosted glass with the shower and toilet in the same enclosed space.

The hotel is located near the Austin party area, 6th street. Even on a weekday night, some streets were blocked off for pedestrians, making it difficult to get to the hotel. Not to mention, it was noisy.

Tommie Austin is a great hotel for bar hopping in downtown Austin, but it’s not the best for business travelers or families. Thankfully, my husband was a good sport about it, although he swears he will never stay in downtown Austin again. Back to the suburbs.

Bottom Line

The free night from Hyatt’s Brand Explorer award arrived quickly. But lesson learned: ALWAYS read hotel reviews before booking.