Good for vacation, but not for business...
Written: Jan 10 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice location on the bay, decent sized rooms, good location, services
Cons: Restaurants lacking, a bit dated decor, not good for business
The Bottom Line: Probably a good place to stay for vacation (but why Tampa?), but not great for business. Nice location and good services.
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| led_zec's Full Review: Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay |
Well, what to say about this place. I have stayed here off and on over the past four years, always for business and rarely for more than two nights, usually just one at a time. I am a very frequent domestic and international traveler and generally chose this hotel because of the Hyatt points and location.
ARRIVING AND THE LOBBY
I have always valet parked there, which is generally prompt and convenient. The roundabout is near the main entrance and registration, the concierge and elevators are immediately to the left, the lounge and other areas straight ahead. The lounge is nice with a nice bar and relatively large TVs usually playing some sports.
Reception is always prompt and efficient, even though it is a regular training ground for Hyatt front office newbies. Unfortunately, reasonable upgrades for a Hyatt Platinum and a frequent stayer at that hotel are few and far in between. I have not received much in terms of upgrades at the hotel, but it does usually seem busy.
ROOMS AND AMENTITIES
The regular rooms are relatively non-descript, but somewhat oversized in today's world of micro-sized hotel rooms. The decors is very late 80's/relaxed beach washout, very bland. The upshot on (some) of the rooms is the view over Tampa Bay. It can be a very nice, peaceful feature of a room at the Hyatt Westshore.
Amenities in the room are typical of a large scale chain -- minibar, decent sized bathroom with all the necessary fixings, comfortable bed with plenty of pillows. But there just isn't anything special about this place.
One major downside, on the business side, is the desk setup. It is typically a regular round table that have a couple of wide, reclined armchairs -- not conducive to long hours on e-mails and preparing the next day's presentation. Modem connections out of the hotel are usually very high speed, which is good.
The Regency Club?
I found the Regency Club at the Hyatt Westhsore to be nice for a sunset drink, but generally dry and not very warm surroundings. The food during the cocktail hour is poor and the drink prices are steep for a Regency Club. The service is helpful and nice, however.
Restaurants
I am always amazed when Tampa natives rave about Oystercatchers or Armani, the two main restaurants on the property. I have eaten at both and was completely underwhelmed and thoroughly overcharged for both. Dishes were prepared with heavy amounts of salt, often heavy and creamed based sauces and little or no innovation. Stay away from the fresh lobster appetizer at Oystercatchers; they douse it with some horrendous pink horseradish sauce. Armani is supposed to be even more upscale, but has faltering service and standard italian fare. My favorite, risotto, was supposedly a house specialty, but I found it to be chewy and salty. Try a burger or something from room service.
The Pool, Grounds and other Stuff
I really haven't spent much time at the pool or around the grounds (except walking to Oystercatchers, which is detached from the hotel). It all appears to be well maintained and very quaint. There is even a gazebo at the end of a wooden path looking out over the bay. The pool is decent sized, but nothing in comparison to the resort behemouths that are built these days.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
led_zec
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Location: Los Angeles, CA
Reviews written: 96
Trusted by: 38 members
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