There are certain things we expect from chain hotels, either in terms of the guest experience, or in terms of what we get in exchange for our loyalty. After all, one of the benefits of staying with certain hotel groups is knowing what to expect.
That being said, there are some hotels that follow the rules and provide the experience we expect, and there are others that technically follow the rules, but don’t do so in spirit. Here’s a story about a property that fits into the latter category.
In this post:
The Hyatt Regency Blackfriars’ cheap club lounge setup
Reader Terence recently stayed at the Hyatt Regency Blackfriars in London, and shared the following message with me:
I keep debating with myself whether this is an offence in principle or simply me being petty. As you know, Hyatt is pretty good about elite benefits, including breakfast — in general. To my surprise, Hyatt Regency Blackfriars recently updated the policy, and made it a pretty bad experience for breakfast unless one pays up.
There is no dedicated lounge at the property, so they re-purposed the lobby bar as a lounge/club — eligible members can visit for complimentary soft beverage and coffee/tea. It also has a skimmed version of evening service — options are limited. I only had some soft drinks before dinners out.
For the breakfast, they send eligible members (Globalists and club guests I presume) to The Cricket restaurant. The catch is that the options there are also underwhelming. It consists of some cold cuts and pastries, with an addition of sad hot noodles. Why the hot noodles? I guess Hyatt specifically request something hot like eggs for breakfast?
With these, they got away with a more decent (or acceptable) breakfast meal for Globalists. Not even scrambled eggs, let alone bacon/sausages.
Other Globalists commented online that there used to be a full English option available for Globalists at the other restaurant. Recently, they removed it. You can only pay £25 for an “upgrade.” But again, is £25 actually an upcharge or simply the cost for a Full English even in London?
I don’t particularly care about breakfast during one stay, but the game played there and the precedent for other bad actors.
Below are some pictures he shared with me of the setup.
My take on the games this hotel is playing
For those who don’t necessarily have context on World of Hyatt Globalist benefits, let me explain what’s going on here:
- The hotel has closed its “proper” club lounge, presumably to cut costs, and has instead created a makeshift club lounge setup by utilizing other public spaces in the hotel
- The hotel continues to sell club rooms, though to the hotel’s credit, they clearly disclose online that food and drinks are served at different venues
- If a hotel has a club lounge, World of Hyatt Globalist members receive access to that lounge; they’re not then entitled to restaurant breakfast, separately, though as a courtesy, many hotels will also invite club guests to have breakfast in the restaurant
Basically, this Hyatt Regency is clearly doing the absolute minimum required by brand standards. The hotel is technically maintaining a club lounge setup, though seemingly in part so that it doesn’t have to offer a proper restaurant breakfast for Globalist members, among others.
On top of that, the hotel’s club lounge spread just seems really pitiful. I assume Hyatt Regency properties are supposed to have at least one hot dish in the lounge, so they just place some sad noodles out? That’s quite underwhelming. Beyond that, based on what I’ve read online, the evening spread is really disappointing as well — it’s similar cold cuts to what you’ll find at breakfast, and there’s only cheap wine and beer, and not any liquor.
So Terence asks if this is an offense, or if he’s just being petty. I don’t think he’s being petty — this whole thing comes across as very cheap. That being said, it’s also not an offense, in the sense that the hotel is technically following rules.
My takeaway here is simple — I’d vote with my wallet, and would choose to stay elsewhere. It’s clear this hotel is looking to cut corners where it can, and those aren’t the kinds of hotels I like to stay at. It’s a sad way to do business, because I can’t imagine that many people who experience this setup leave with a positive impression about their stay. It almost feels like it’s designed to be punitive, in hopes of people wanting to pay to buy-up to the full buffet.
It’s quite a contrast to some other mid-range Hyatt properties, which go above and beyond to offer a nice experience for club guests.
Bottom line
Not all hotels are equally generous with how they approach their guest experience. The Hyatt Regency Blackfriars in London seems to be especially cheap when it comes to its club lounge setup. The hotel has a makeshift setup, and does the bare minimum, seemingly also in an attempt to avoid having to provide full restaurant breakfast to Globalist members.
Technically, we can’t fault the hotel, since it’s following the rules. That being said, this is certainly a hotel I wouldn’t give any business to.
What do you make of this club lounge setup? Would it impact your decision to stay here?
I wanted to provide positive news to the new management team of HR Blackfriars. They listened to feedback from their elite guests and are making changes.
Please keep an open mind to this hotel who has clearly listened to their guests and made changes to policies and training.
We have taken your feedback and that of other guests, very seriously, and several adjustments have already been made. These include a broader selection of breakfast buffet...
I wanted to provide positive news to the new management team of HR Blackfriars. They listened to feedback from their elite guests and are making changes.
Please keep an open mind to this hotel who has clearly listened to their guests and made changes to policies and training.
We have taken your feedback and that of other guests, very seriously, and several adjustments have already been made. These include a broader selection of breakfast buffet options in the Regency Club, along with the addition of cooked-to-order egg dishes. We also added the availability of spirits and mixer drinks during the evening service from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. We continue to monitor guest feedback closely and will make further refinements as needed. We will also ensure that all guests are informed of any similar changes in future, not just returning guests.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with us. While the changes were made with the intention of enhancing the guest experience, we remain committed to learning from this situation and making the necessary improvements to better serve our most loyal guests. I understand you have shared your experience on social media, and while we respect your right to do so, I sincerely hope you will also see that we are taking your concerns seriously and acting on them.
I hope this goes some way to restoring your confidence in us and the Hyatt brand.
Kind regards,
Geoff.
Geoffrey Hawkins
Executive Assistant Manager - Rooms
This Hyatt is giving any respectable Fairfield Inn or Hampton Inn a run for its money when it comes to a quality complimentary breakfast.
As a Globalist, I choose to remain with Hyatt because room upgrades at these properties are usually the most generous, if availability permits so.
Their breakfasts & lounges are also the most consistent throughout the industry: If I am staying in a HR, I would expect in the morning a choice of 4-5 freshly cut fruits, quality cold cuts, nice-but-not-artisan pastry, a chia seed pudding in mango/berries (purée) or Bircher muesli, and a decent...
As a Globalist, I choose to remain with Hyatt because room upgrades at these properties are usually the most generous, if availability permits so.
Their breakfasts & lounges are also the most consistent throughout the industry: If I am staying in a HR, I would expect in the morning a choice of 4-5 freshly cut fruits, quality cold cuts, nice-but-not-artisan pastry, a chia seed pudding in mango/berries (purée) or Bircher muesli, and a decent range of hot food options. This is the base line - you’d expect more in Asia or an expensive HR, and less in the U.S. or an apparently cheap HR.
The case being presented in front of us (many loyal Globalists) is that a HR fails to set up a decent Regency Club, and further denies to provide a reasonably decent breakfast.
HR in emerging Balkans, Africa, lesser-developed parts of Asia are all doing better than this particular HR Blackfriars in central London, situated in one of the world’s creamiest locations.
Why such negative decision at HR Blackfriars could be cleared and not promptly reversed?
A Hyatt not actively preserving Globalist benefits is at the thin end of the wedge, provided its limited network and above average rates.
I am very puzzled. Hyatt should step in and fix it.
This is a Hyatt management problem. Hyatt’s upper management needs to decide whether it wants to reward general managers for excellent service or for cutting cost. If they decide that cutting cost is more important than maybe Marriott the next choice.
Hyatt is moving toward franchising and licensing like Marriott while focusing its corporate resources on resorts and all-inclusives.
Boo hoo . Maybe there are noodles for persons from cultures who don’t need to feed their cheap lard asses with free bacon
Yes the easiest way is to vote with your wallet. We scan the information before making a reservation, or look thru reviews to see if the hotel has an Exec Lounge.
If it doesn't or sounds cheap like this, we chose another hotel.
Then Hyatt executives in Chicago, just like Marriott in Maryland will get the message.
And London hotel prices are not on the cheap these days. Raise prices, cut things, lower...
Yes the easiest way is to vote with your wallet. We scan the information before making a reservation, or look thru reviews to see if the hotel has an Exec Lounge.
If it doesn't or sounds cheap like this, we chose another hotel.
Then Hyatt executives in Chicago, just like Marriott in Maryland will get the message.
And London hotel prices are not on the cheap these days. Raise prices, cut things, lower quality, lose customers.
Ps...The lobby bar was the lounge last year. They brought us a variety of foods served to individual tables, and there were drinks.
It appears from your writer that has stopped.
Oh well it won't be the first business that has a lower bottom line at years end. See how long he stays.
I just finished a 6 day stay at the Hyatt Regency Blackfriars. It’s one of my favorite hotels in London for its location and its spacious rooms (for London). Also, you can get there from Heathrow on Tube without needing to go up stairs. It’s directly across from Blackfriars Station.
The London transit system was on strike, and so the central location made walking to many popular places possible. We averaged about 5 miles a...
I just finished a 6 day stay at the Hyatt Regency Blackfriars. It’s one of my favorite hotels in London for its location and its spacious rooms (for London). Also, you can get there from Heathrow on Tube without needing to go up stairs. It’s directly across from Blackfriars Station.
The London transit system was on strike, and so the central location made walking to many popular places possible. We averaged about 5 miles a day.
With all that said, we avoided the breakfast for the exact reasons described in the piece. I think this downsizing of services is a result of post-Covid policies. I hope they open their top floor club again and make it the perfect London hotel it once was.
IMHO
This is very common especially in Asia at lower end properties to not have a lounge but have a lounge substitute. I think you need to consider prospective. The room rates can be a fraction of the price compared to the West and some of the lower end properties that would not have a lounge in the West would in Asia. Consider as others have commented in other articles that a room at some properties in Asia may only cost $50.
Hotels in London are begining to suck Big Time! This Hyatt was not that Bad last summer. we stayed there for 7 Days, It was expensive, But the Location was great. people I have talked to are not happy with this Place at all now. same goes for a lot of High end locations in London, they think since there is a Glut of Tourists, they do not have to accomadate them.
Marriott Canary...
Hotels in London are begining to suck Big Time! This Hyatt was not that Bad last summer. we stayed there for 7 Days, It was expensive, But the Location was great. people I have talked to are not happy with this Place at all now. same goes for a lot of High end locations in London, they think since there is a Glut of Tourists, they do not have to accomadate them.
Marriott Canary Wharf may be an exception. their Breakfast may not be the best,but it is not Bad.Lounge is not Bad either.
One of the worst Hotels I have ever stayed in London has to be " Great Northern Hotel" across from the St Pancras station. Their rooms are smaller than a cubby Hole.
Some context. This was a Crowne Plaza. It, along with two other Crowne Plazas in London, converted to Hyatt Regency within the last 2 years. For most of 2023, the hotel was advertising a club lounge and selling club lounge access to non-elites even though it never had a lounge. They merely had a nearly full breakfast buffet in the same restaurant and then free booze in the lobby bar. Then when I returned in...
Some context. This was a Crowne Plaza. It, along with two other Crowne Plazas in London, converted to Hyatt Regency within the last 2 years. For most of 2023, the hotel was advertising a club lounge and selling club lounge access to non-elites even though it never had a lounge. They merely had a nearly full breakfast buffet in the same restaurant and then free booze in the lobby bar. Then when I returned in late 2023, they opened a small lounge in what was probably a closet or storage room off the back side of its New York brassiere-inspired restaurant. But there was a catch. You had ZERO choice in food. They brought out a tiered tray with whatever food they had and wanted to serve. You ate what they gave you or you didn't eat. They did have free booze; namely a few wines but they were all fairly low-end included bizarrely a sparkling wine from Washington State, USA when most guests would have expected a sparkling wine (not necessarily champagne) from France or even England. The kicker? They were closing the lounge and the restaurant on most Fridays, Saturday and Sundays. So you had no option at all. At least with Marriott you could get $100 compensation. Hyatt has no such provision. I haven't stayed since October 2024.
Every other Hyatt in London costs 50-100% more so… we can ‘vote with our wallets’ but at no small expense
Why do you have to stay at a Hyatt instead of checking out their competitors?
Cost Cuttiong or maybe a different outlook by owners. Without disparaging a particular culture, let me say I have many friends who are from an Asian background as well as a family heritage from the middle East. My own father is the perfect example my suspicions...he did NOT understand quality or value, only return on HIS equity. His outlook was cheap and miserly in all aspects. During his ownership of our family restaurant, many years...
Cost Cuttiong or maybe a different outlook by owners. Without disparaging a particular culture, let me say I have many friends who are from an Asian background as well as a family heritage from the middle East. My own father is the perfect example my suspicions...he did NOT understand quality or value, only return on HIS equity. His outlook was cheap and miserly in all aspects. During his ownership of our family restaurant, many years ago, most of the family would struggle to cover for his economical approach and try to satisfy our customers. Standards of value differ. Sadly, standards of cleanliness differ sometimes as well. So, I wonder, are the new owners slow to wake up to Hyatt Regency value/quality?
Our worst stay, ever, in a hotel was at a chain (won't mention but on this blog often) that is almost always quite excellent. This one, in Manchester, England, supplied an orange and small muffin as the included breakfast! The cleanliness of the hotel was so bad we found brown material missed by the cleaners in the bathroom. The next morning I met the "owner/manager" and my own cultural background helped me understand what I had experienced. International ownership, and sometimes cultures that don't understand the intended quality standards, may explain some of these wonderful experiences.
This hotel was also too cheap to use sound insulation between its rooms and floors (the reviews are full of this, and it was an issue during my stay there last year), so I'm not surprised its club and breakfast options are sub-par.
I am a Globalist and stayed at this property July 22-26 (check out on July 27). New cost cutting policies downgrading service to WOH members began on July 21, 2025.
1. New Manager shut down the private Regency Club and moved the "cocktail hour" to the lobby bar across from the check-in counter. This was clearly a cost cutting exercise
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2. They now charge Regency Club members during cocktail for anything other...
I am a Globalist and stayed at this property July 22-26 (check out on July 27). New cost cutting policies downgrading service to WOH members began on July 21, 2025.
1. New Manager shut down the private Regency Club and moved the "cocktail hour" to the lobby bar across from the check-in counter. This was clearly a cost cutting exercise
.
2. They now charge Regency Club members during cocktail for anything other than the self served Heineken and base level red wine and white wine on the bar. In other words, no Gin and Tonics anymore. (go back to previous posts in June 2025 and earlier and this is a pretty significant change.). Also, I found the red wine to be undrinkable.
3. Regency Club member breakfast and Globalist member breakfast is at the Cricket Restaurant. It is ALL cold dishes except for one hot dish. During my stay when I ate at this horror place, 2 of the days the hot dish were plain Lo Mein Noodles. There was one expresso machine, one attendee, and the cold dishes included one brand of breakfast cereal. And, if you love mackerel - that was the fish. (No smoked salmon). The good news is you get plenty of deli meat and cheese.
4. I strongly believe the new GM intentionally has made this breakfast as horrid as possible. I saw him on the Thursday of my stay examining this cost cutting feat.
5. Literally across from the Cricket Restaurant is the Nynlon restaurant that has a fairly basic but at least hot buffet breakfast that included scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, and baked beans.
In other words, they could easily bring these hot dishes to the Cricket restaurant or make extra scrambled eggs. It is all the SAME area - literally across from each other.
6. But, this is a cost cutting exercise to screw Regency Club members and Globalists.
7. If you are a Regency Club member or a Globalist for an extra 20 GBP per person per day - you can eat a basic hot buffet breakfast at the Nynlon restaurant.
8. In terms of house keeping, on Saturday the house keeper did not arrive to our room until 5 pm. She seemed relieved when we told her we did not need the room cleaned. More cost cutting.
I know some members love this hotel from the past. That hotel is dead. Say a prayer and move on. The new manager has decided Regency Club members and WOH elite members are costs to be cut. And, I am equally concerned about the cost cutting on the house keeping staff.
Just be forewarned. If I had known in advance of my stay, I would have booked at the Hyatt Regency Churchill or the Hilton London Bankside.
The franchised Hyatt Regency Albert Embankment is worse. It is also an ex-Crowne Plaza. The franchisee closed the lounge when he converted and switched to a buffet worse than your average interstate highway Fairfield Inn free-for-all-guests buffet.
Breakfast at Claridge's is £60 per person, so the £25 surcharge sounds like a bargain.
Hyatt has really been slipping on club lounge requirements at Hyatt Regency hotels. Not so long ago it was pretty much expected that any Hyatt Regency would have a club lounge with decent hot breakfast and good evening spread in the USA and significantly better abroad. It's been pretty obvious over the past few years that Hyatt doesn't much care about those standards anymore, instead diverting their attention to a bunch of all-inclusive hotels. As...
Hyatt has really been slipping on club lounge requirements at Hyatt Regency hotels. Not so long ago it was pretty much expected that any Hyatt Regency would have a club lounge with decent hot breakfast and good evening spread in the USA and significantly better abroad. It's been pretty obvious over the past few years that Hyatt doesn't much care about those standards anymore, instead diverting their attention to a bunch of all-inclusive hotels. As someone who spends a lot more nights in full service Hyatt hotels than all-inclusives, that really makes me feel alienated. Hopefully Hyatt will reverse this trend or as a long time Globalist I may reconsider whether prioritizing Hyatt is worthwhile.
I stayed at the newish Hyatt Regency in Salt Lake City the other day. This is a corporate property. They have a lounge but the lounge is only open for breakfast. They put cookies out in the afternoon and then close it at 6 pm. No evening offering at all. The breakfast offering never changes day in and day out. Slightly better than a Holiday Inn Express breakfast because there is smoked salmon and two...
I stayed at the newish Hyatt Regency in Salt Lake City the other day. This is a corporate property. They have a lounge but the lounge is only open for breakfast. They put cookies out in the afternoon and then close it at 6 pm. No evening offering at all. The breakfast offering never changes day in and day out. Slightly better than a Holiday Inn Express breakfast because there is smoked salmon and two kinds of Utah cheeses, but no juice, no bottled still water, only machine coffee, no oatmeal except instant packets, and nothing but powdered or liquid scrambled eggs.
As Hyatt has a formal definition of globalist breakfast (one entree, one hot beverage, one cold beverage), it’s the same violation as no breakfast.
Except there's no compensation benefit for non-compliance. At least with Marriott you can claim $100.
I’m a lifetime globalist and I wouldn’t step foot in this hotel ever.
That’s not cost cutting it’s an aberration of top tier elite benefits
If Hyatt allows pettiness to this degree they might as well open M clubs and change their name to Marriott.Nothing more than a money grab and cheating their elites.Im already booking competitors through 3rd party sites and the he*l with booking through Hyatts website if they think they...
I’m a lifetime globalist and I wouldn’t step foot in this hotel ever.
That’s not cost cutting it’s an aberration of top tier elite benefits
If Hyatt allows pettiness to this degree they might as well open M clubs and change their name to Marriott.Nothing more than a money grab and cheating their elites.Im already booking competitors through 3rd party sites and the he*l with booking through Hyatts website if they think they can pull the wool over the eyes of their best customers
Penny wise pound foolish as the Hyatt full service hotels in North America morphs slowly into limited service breakfast quality
Disgusting!Want some noodles with that?
I agree with others that the hotel loyalty game has gone from enhancing travel to worsening it. The programs and the hotels love the revenue but hate actually earning it. Time to opt out and stay in places that are often les expensive, more interesting, and have a connection to the locale.
That spread looks sadder than the DTW Westin club lounge I experienced in 2019.
Hotel club lounges seem like a very dated concept that are surely not long for this world.
Stayed here as a Globalist a couple of years ago, when they had the best breakfasts amongst several Hyatt properties I stayed at in the UK, including the Hyatt Regency (Embankment) and the Gainsborough in Bath. This is truly sad. I would probably complain to the manager if I checked in and found this, tell them they’re being cheap, call them out etc., until they give me the free breakfast anyway or awkwardly stand there...
Stayed here as a Globalist a couple of years ago, when they had the best breakfasts amongst several Hyatt properties I stayed at in the UK, including the Hyatt Regency (Embankment) and the Gainsborough in Bath. This is truly sad. I would probably complain to the manager if I checked in and found this, tell them they’re being cheap, call them out etc., until they give me the free breakfast anyway or awkwardly stand there refusing to let them process the credit card until they take the up charge off my bill upon check out, etc. They already set high expectations. It’s just cheap to change standards like this.
Hyatt flagged properties seem to disproportionately be able to play games without consequences. Regardless of flag, the owners that play games should be publicly identified with their entire portfolio.
I just stayed at this Hyatt on Sept 2-7 as an Explorist w/ a Club access award, the spread was better than what's shown in these pictures.
There were scrambled eggs, and cook-to-order eggs / omelettes were available on request at the Cricket Club. There were a nice pastry spread (not in this reader's pictures).
The Club at the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile did have a much better spread and KILLER views, but the...
I just stayed at this Hyatt on Sept 2-7 as an Explorist w/ a Club access award, the spread was better than what's shown in these pictures.
There were scrambled eggs, and cook-to-order eggs / omelettes were available on request at the Cricket Club. There were a nice pastry spread (not in this reader's pictures).
The Club at the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile did have a much better spread and KILLER views, but the setup at HR London Blackfairs was fine to me. Upgrade to full breakfast were offered at GBP 15.
If the reader stayed there this week, I wonder if the hotel are short-staffed due to the Tube strike and scaled back the offerings.
I just stayed here a couple of weeks ago. While I lament that they have a separate, cheaper breakfast spread for the Regency Club, this pics are not what they were doing 2 weeks ago. As Explorist mentions, there were scrambled eggs and even made to order options. Again, perhaps it’s the tube strike.
I will admit when I was told at check in that I could upgrade to the full English breakfast for...
I just stayed here a couple of weeks ago. While I lament that they have a separate, cheaper breakfast spread for the Regency Club, this pics are not what they were doing 2 weeks ago. As Explorist mentions, there were scrambled eggs and even made to order options. Again, perhaps it’s the tube strike.
I will admit when I was told at check in that I could upgrade to the full English breakfast for 15£, I was upset, but after seeing the spread, it was totally adequate. Definitely not the best HR by any means, but acceptable when you compare the price to the Churchill.
The evening spread was also pretty good, with gratis alcoholic drinks and some decent food options.
I think you let them off a bit too easy. We've become accustomed to brands like Marriott giving wide latitude to its properties to interpret rules however they like, even if it means openly flaunting them. Marriott doesn't think they need to enforce brand standards because of their scale, but I think Hyatt does.
Hyatt clearly doesn't intend for properties to provide essentially a continental breakfast to Globalists and charge extra for basics like...
I think you let them off a bit too easy. We've become accustomed to brands like Marriott giving wide latitude to its properties to interpret rules however they like, even if it means openly flaunting them. Marriott doesn't think they need to enforce brand standards because of their scale, but I think Hyatt does.
Hyatt clearly doesn't intend for properties to provide essentially a continental breakfast to Globalists and charge extra for basics like eggs. If they don't enforce a true breakfast, that important Globalist benefit becomes useless, and they can't afford to be as lax as Bonvoy is. They need to step in here and tell the property they're not living up to brand standards, and/or change the terms to specify "minimum hot food offerings consist of eggs,..."
the new GM for HR Blackfriars is a Hyatt veteran, so he knows what he is doing. i guess this is the new trend
Whenever you stay at scummy hotels like this, always 1 star them on google and tripadvisor saying why. Its literally the only thing they care about.
This is so sad, since I was considering this hotel for our trip next summer. Not anymore and I'd gladly keep my booking at the Andaz. Another reason I didn't book this hotel was because they had blocked out points booking for good 2 months during May - July for both standard rooms and suites, while the same rooms and suites were available for Cash booking. I raised this with the Globalist Conceirge, but they...
This is so sad, since I was considering this hotel for our trip next summer. Not anymore and I'd gladly keep my booking at the Andaz. Another reason I didn't book this hotel was because they had blocked out points booking for good 2 months during May - July for both standard rooms and suites, while the same rooms and suites were available for Cash booking. I raised this with the Globalist Conceirge, but they didn't do anything and refused to open a case with Hyatt.
Anyway, I don't think this property is along in having a sh**** club lounge. We recently stayed at Hyatt Regency Calgary and their Club lounge was smaller than the Suite we had booked for our stay. It also had two hote (or supposed to be hot) options everyday - one pre-made egg and one meat. So, as a Vegetarian, I was limited to Egg options only (and that too I couldn't choose). While the location was fantastic, I didn't think the Club Lounge was worth the upgrade cost for those paying for that facility. The evenig options were even worse and one of the days had no vegetarian options.
I had similar experience with the Club Lounge at Grand Hyatt Washington DC, although they had more variety, and on several days, they were offering buffet option in the restaurant.
We are going to London in two weeks, and I was going to book the Hyatt Regency Blackfriars. Globalist benefits are important to me, so I'll now be booking elsewhere. Thanks for the heads up!
So far, based on my research, HR Churchill has the best Globalist benefits, including the club lounge. Andaz Liverpool stree comes second, because of its amaing breakfast buffet. Park Hyatt is also good, but it is not in the main tourist area.
Can't beat The Churchill for location :)
It may sound like a broken record but I will say it again. I gave up on hotel loyalty probably 5 years ago and could not be happier. I hand pick more boutique style local hotels wherever I go and I have to say my experience has been amazing. No hidden fees, no BS, no excuses. usually a boutique hotel is family owned or belongs to a much smaller local hotel chain so their success...
It may sound like a broken record but I will say it again. I gave up on hotel loyalty probably 5 years ago and could not be happier. I hand pick more boutique style local hotels wherever I go and I have to say my experience has been amazing. No hidden fees, no BS, no excuses. usually a boutique hotel is family owned or belongs to a much smaller local hotel chain so their success depends on guests coming back and sharing great reviews. It amazes me that when I go to Europe and stay at smaller hotels, I am always asked many times if they can do anything to make my experience better and at the end of the stay that ask if I can leave a good review on Trip Advisor or Google. Also in Europe, I don't remember last time breakfast was not included in my rate, water is always available for free in my room and you are treated like you should.
Indeed. I moved to primarily non-network properties at about the same time. Being a regular at most. They get to know you and you get to know them. They appreciate the loyalty and reciprocate. The service level is higher. And, the value of that reciprocation far out-strips the value of points and benefits at a network hotel.
Accor hotels are absolutely fine as long you aren't looking for true luxury. Maybe you won't get the level of personalised service available at top boutique properties, but equally they won't insult your intelligence by trying to cut corners in every possible way.
Fairmont and Raffles are fairly top luxury hotels though. And even in upscale, brands like Mondrian and Sofitel are great.
@Eve, I'm not knocking those brands, but they're a very small proportion of the Accor portfolio (Sofitel maybe has 120, the others are in the double figures, there are also couple more high end brands like SLS and Banyan Tree) which is super strong in the 3-4* space.
Eve, thank you for pre-affirming our intentions for our “trip-of-a-lifetime” in a year. We have six Asian destinations in mind, including one stay each at a Sofitel, a Four Seasons, and a Raffles. I anticipate bacon and eggs, as well as hot and cold beverages. No Hyatts and no Marriotts this trip!
I'd would not be surprised if the concept of a club lounge disappears in the next 5-10 years, with very few exceptions. Funnily, I would say the Hyatt Regency brand *would* be one of those exceptions (I think business hotels in cities under brands like Marriott and Hyatt Regency would want to keep a club lounge), but it is clear that this hotel doesn't see the value in providing the lounge.
I’m one of those who chose to vote with my wallet. I had originally booked two rooms as a Globalist before this downgrade in benefits was implemented recently. Thankfully, I learned about the change before my trip and switched my stay to the Conrad instead. I did waste a Guest of Honor award on the second room, but I simply won’t give business to a hotel that treats loyal customers this poorly.
Three different cheese cubes is PREMIUM.
Quit whining everyone--you all just argued that we are in the "golden age" of travel. Go to an expensive restaurant if the free food is not good enough for your taste.
I’d avoid the Hyatt Regency Blackfriars. I stayed there as a globalist and was also underwhelmed. It was previously an IHG Crown Plaza property and even though it’s been lightly/partly renovated, it still has an overall cheap/dated vibe.
I wouldn't say cheap but it definitely feels more like a Crowne Plaza-Delta somewhere in the USA instead of a hotel branded as Hyatt Regency and marketing itself as 5 stars. There is absolutely nothing in the rooms or the decor that feels remotely British or London.
Being in the golden age of travel means that for my next visit to London I'm staying in South Kensington, a much more attractive area than Blackfriars, in a junior suite that's at least 50% bigger than the 24sq. metres on offer here, with a better breakfast thrown in and the real possibility of an upgrade to a proper apartment, for over £100 less than what Hyatt wants to charge those unfortunate enough to be slaves to their scheme.
I've heard enough about this property cheaping out constantly that I think I'll just avoid it in general...