It’s no secret that our entire hobby is built around optimizing and squeezing as much value as possible out of every mile, point and hotel certificate. I’m guilty of that too, and have spent countless hours going back and forth on things that are frankly not that important. This is especially true when it comes to certificates you get by renewing certain credit cards. Why stay at a Hyatt Place when you can get Hyatt Regency resort, right?
Well, recently I faced this type of dilemma and actually chose Hyatt Place. If you have kids, you will probably agree that their interests can change dramatically year to year. For example, my son loved Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress resort (see my review) where we vacationed with his cousins a few years ago. He was obsessed with the cave pools, and couldn’t get enough of all the included amenities. So, when we decided to have a separate weekend getaway with each of our kids, I naturally chose this resort for our son. It was a perfect fit, or so I thought.
When I revealed the surprise a week before our stay, he wasn’t all that excited. My son isn’t really interested in pools anymore, and is a typical teenage boy obsessed with video games. Something else he likes is space and aviation. Incidentally, that’s my husband’s obsession too. So, that gave me an idea to pivot and book Hyatt Place Titusville (category 2), so we could visit Kennedy Space Center instead.
Since we don’t have Globalist status, parking alone at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress would run us almost $80 for two nights. Then we would have to pay for breakfast, and just a few pastries and drinks would easily add up to $100, not to mention paying more for poolside dining. I reasoned that it would make more sense to put that money towards Kennedy Space Center tickets instead. I could tell my husband was excited, as he hasn’t been there since 2016. My son was very young, and had no memories of the visit, so it would be like going there for the first time.
A few thoughts on Hyatt Place Titusville
The hotel itself is very new, and everyone working there was friendly. I was surprised and delighted when the receptionist told us we got upgraded to a suite due to Discoverist status. My photos aren’t that great, as we arrived in the evening, but here is what the suite looked like:
It was nice to have a tiny bedroom with a door
The sink is separate from the rest of the bathroom
Everything was new and clean. I forgot to take photos of our breakfast, but it was standard Hyatt Place fare. Not spectacular, but good enough. Most importantly, it was included in the price of the room, no Globalist status needed. The same goes for parking. There is a basic outdoor pool, but it definitely doesn’t compare to the one at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. Then again, my son couldn’t care less anyway.
If you are planning to visit Kennedy Space Center, the location of this hotel is just about ideal. It only takes about 13 minutes to reach it by car, and it’s one of two closest properties you can get on points. I can’t recommend it highly enough. When there is a scheduled launch, the rates go through the roof. Speaking of, the room would have cost us 9,500 Hyatt points per night, so using certificates ($95 each via renewal fee) was a decent, if not spectacular deal. But the main appeal was the location, not the amenities.
Our weekend at the Space Coast
I feel like every American should visit Kennedy Space Center at least once. It’s an amazing piece of history, and I’m really glad we took my parents there in 2016.
I first toured it as a 16- year-old exchange student, and they even let our group access Launch Control Center that is not normally open to the public.
One thing I don’t recommend is going in the summer. That was super dumb of me, but again, it was planned last-minute, and my certificates were set to expire in a month. Even though most exhibits are indoors, a fair amount of walking is still required, not to mention, waiting for shuttles in the heat of summer. Not ideal, but we managed. Never again!
If you are into aviation, I highly recommend also going to Valiant Air Museum located just five minutes from the hotel. Search Groupon for discounts on tickets. My husband and son loved this place, and apparently, most aircrafts are airworthy.
This was my husband’s favorite plane, the only one of its kind in the entire world
Old WWII posters
We finished the weekend by taking my son to Chili’s, his favorite restaurant in the world. He is a simple dude.
Final thoughts
All-in-all, even though I’m not particularly interested in aviation or space exploration, it was a fun weekend because I got to watch my guys having a great time. Very often, I drag my family to places I enjoy with the hope that they will enjoy them too. Sometimes it works, but not always.
But more than anything, it’s a reminder that over-optimization can backfire sometimes. There is no question that using my Hyatt certificates towards Grand Cypress resort (that cost 15k points per night) was a better deal in theory. But it wasn’t a good deal in practice because my son is no longer interested in the amenities it has to offer.
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.
@Jeff I’m sorry Hyatt Place Lake Buena Vista didn’t work out. That’s a shame, as it looks like a good deal on points.
I know what you mean about the amount of walking required at Grand Cypress property. It’s huge, though I really do like that place for pools and overall vibe. It’s a beautiful oasis in the madness of Orlando.
If you want to visit Kennedy Space Center, Hyatt Place Titusville is an excellent option due to proximity. That said, if you want something close to the beach, check out the new Hyatt property in Cape Canaveral. Though it would require a 45 minute drive to KSC.
My wife and kids recently did a Disney Trip and opted for the Hyatt Place Lake Buena Vista nearby instead of the Grand Cypress just to avoid the amount of walking from the parking lot at the end of the night. It has easily turned into one of the worst Hyatt Place properties in the country and only affirmed that sometimes you just need to stay at the Regency. We’ll have to give Titusville a try next time we cruise out of Cape Canaveral. Looks like a nice place!
@Jennifer It is quite sad to realize that my son no longer cares about pools and such. He used to love being in the water! Fortunately, my daughter still enjoys it. It’s mind blowing how quickly they went from being kids to almost adults.
I’m not ready for my kids to change! I still want to do the Grand Cypress and Coconut Point type properties! I will say they went from always having to be doing something around the property to appreciating the art of just laying by a pool with a book and having a drink (Shirley Temple, of course 🙂