The Park Hyatt Bangkok has opened a club lounge of sorts, though it follows a trend that some loyalty program members certainly won’t like.
In this post:
Executive Retreat at Park Hyatt Bangkok
Generally speaking, Park Hyatt properties don’t have club lounges. Back in the day, there were a few properties that did (including in Canberra and Melbourne), but that’s no longer the case. Well, one Park Hyatt is countering this trend, but in an unusual way.
The Park Hyatt Bangkok recently opened what it calls the Executive Retreat at the Park, which is a club lounge, just with a different name. It’s open daily from 12PM until 7PM, and offers a “refined culinary experience designed for guests seeking an elevated stay,” and a “seamless journey of signature flavors across different times of the day.” As you can tell, breakfast isn’t served here, as that continues to be available in the main restaurant.
The lounge offers three different food and drink presentations. As it’s described, the lounge first offers a “midday indulgence” between 12PM and 3PM, including:
- Thoughtfully crafted live-station lunch featuring freshly prepared dishes
- Seasonal and locally inspired creations designed for a refined palate
- A tranquil setting ideal for a leisurely afternoon escape
Then the lounge features “afternoon delights” between 3PM and 5PM, including:
- A variety of signature afternoon teas, blending premium loose-leaf selections and artisanal infusions
- A display of delicate pastries and finely made desserts
- An elevated encounter that reimagines the traditional tea ritual
Lastly, the lounge features “evening elegancy” between 5PM and 7PM, including:
- A curation of savory bites, artfully presented to complement the transition into the evening
- A handpicked assortment of cocktails, boutique wines and crafted spirits
- A stylish atmosphere for relaxing and savoring the art of mixology
So, who gets access to this facility? It’s complimentary for those booked in premium and specialty suites. On top of that, it can be purchased as a package option for other room types. So, how much is the premium for other room types? Pulling up random dates, I see a member rate of 13,250 THB, while the rate that offers access to the Executive Retreat is 16,220 THB. So you’re paying around $90 extra for access to this, and that assumes you wouldn’t book an advance purchase rate.
Notably, World of Hyatt Globalist members don’t get access to this facility on a complimentary basis.
For those curious, below is the full, current menu for the Executive Retreat.
Cool new feature, or annoying trend?
I imagine people will have conflicting takes on this new facility.
On the one hand, it’s a valuable new feature for those booking premium suites, and some people might find it worth the premium to splurge on this when booking another room type. Nothing is being taken away from any guests who aren’t interested in it.
On the other hand, it’s sort of a slap in the face to Globalist members. While Park Hyatts don’t have club lounges as a brand standard, Globalist members do receive lounge access when it’s available. Interestingly, back in the day, the Park Hyatt Bangkok offered a special happy hour for Globalist members, but that hasn’t been offered in years.
The thing is, the hotel is essentially playing a game here. The hotel is claiming that this isn’t a club lounge, but instead, it’s an “Executive Retreat,” and that’s why Globalist members don’t get access. The Park Hyatt is hardly the first property to do this, as we’ve seen similar situations at a variety of Hilton and Marriott properties. However, up until now, it has been quite rare with Hyatt.
With hotel loyalty programs, we’re increasingly seeing hotels playing games and finding loopholes to avoid offering benefits, rather than trying to honor them to the best of their ability. In fairness to hotel owners, the hotel groups are increasingly trying to monetize their loyalty programs, and that largely comes at the expense of individual hotel owners, as they have to dish out the benefits for an ever-increasing number of elites.
Bottom line
The Park Hyatt Bangkok has opened an Executive Retreat, as it’s called, which is basically a club lounge. It’s available on a complimentary basis to premium suite guests, and on top of that, those booking other room types can pay to access this facility.
Park Hyatt properties don’t ordinarily have club lounges, so nothing is being taken away from other guests. At the same time, I imagine that many Globalist members that are usually entitled to lounge access won’t be too happy about this.
What do you make of the Park Hyatt Bangkok’s Executive Retreat concept?
So they just weaseled their way into screwing over Globalists by calling their club lounge something else and Hyatt corporate is allowing it? Hyatt has been on quite a run of negative loyalty changes the last few years but I didn't see this one coming. If the Park Hyatt Bangkok gets away with this the it will spread to Grand Hyatts and Hyatt Regencies abroad. In no way is this good for loyal members.
This is a good approach. It likely means more premium customers and fewer Americans in executive lounges.
I don't pay for executive lounge in many global hotel chains because of the proliferation of loud Americans that ruin the experience.
Well done, Park Hyatt Bangkok!
@BZ Did something happened to you? You seemed hell bent on just saying anything negative about Americans or America? Nobody is perfect and nothing is perfect too.
Were you denied a visa entry to visit America or did you get fired or denied work from an American company? Could it be that your ex was American? You add no value to this site but just rambling nonsense. You mentioned how you do not pay...
@BZ Did something happened to you? You seemed hell bent on just saying anything negative about Americans or America? Nobody is perfect and nothing is perfect too.
Were you denied a visa entry to visit America or did you get fired or denied work from an American company? Could it be that your ex was American? You add no value to this site but just rambling nonsense. You mentioned how you do not pay for executive lounge access so is it that because you cannot afford it and we sure know the other reason which is you do not stay enough or pay enough to be a top tier elite member with a hotel brand or hotel brands.
This is so upsetting for me as a Globalist. What is keeping every Hyatt Regency and every Grand Hyatt in the world from renaming their lounges executive whatever and charging Globalists to access it?
Presumably two things:
For one, they'd have to provide Globalists with complimentary full restaurant breakfast if they didn't give them lounge access, and lounge access is probably cheaper for them to provide (since lounge breakfasts are usually basic continental ones in my experience). (Then again, a lot of Hyatts that used to have lounges have closed them, either permanently or "temporarily due to covid" for going on 5 years now, so maybe I'm wrong about...
Presumably two things:
For one, they'd have to provide Globalists with complimentary full restaurant breakfast if they didn't give them lounge access, and lounge access is probably cheaper for them to provide (since lounge breakfasts are usually basic continental ones in my experience). (Then again, a lot of Hyatts that used to have lounges have closed them, either permanently or "temporarily due to covid" for going on 5 years now, so maybe I'm wrong about that...)
Second, while I don't know if Hyatt has an internal definition of "club lounge," it seems to me it's kind of like hotels charging (essentially) resort fees but calling them something else, like "destination fees": Hyatt treats them the same (waived on award stays and Globalist paid stays), regardless of what the hotel calls them. The lounge in this post doesn't serve breakfast, which is generally expected from an actual club lounge, making this one distinct (it also just seems to have more premium offerings than most club lounges). But if a hotel has a normal club lounge that serves breakfast (among other things) but calls the lounge something else, surely Hyatt would still regulate it as a club lounge in terms of elite access, club access award redemption, etc.
So...I suppose a Hyatt Regency or Grand Hyatt *could* decide that their lounge isn't going to serve breakfast anymore but is going to have more premium afternoon/evening offerings, and is thus no longer a "club lounge," so Globalists will now receive complimentary full restaurant breakfast but have to pay if they want access to the lounge. But they'd have to make it a compelling value proposition to get people to actually want to pay for access; most Globalists, I assume, would take the restaurant breakfast and run.
Who really cares? The value found in the lounges is minimal anyway
Stay at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur as a Globalist as just one example then tell me the same with a straight face.
Dear Guest
Thoughtfully crafted
Thoughtfully overpriced
U buy access to our fake club lounge?
Thank u for your loyalty
PH Beijing has something similar. They invite corporate account stays, and it was a great lounge. I got in through my company, not my Globalist status.
Maybe they should allow Globalists to burn one or two club lounge access awards to access this?
The lower tier rewards often have club lounge access awards that are largely useless for Globalists
No hyatt hotel lounge or club should exclude access to Globalists. Shame on Hyatt for allowing this. Hyatt going the way of Bonvoy, playing games with elite benefits.
I'm curious what the economics look like here... can't be that many premium suites and above, so are there really that many people that will buy up to this to make it worth operating daily? I'm sure it makes sense, I just wouldn't have thought so.
Looks more like a prepaid restaurant concept. I avoid Park Hyatt and other luxury hotels anyway. Elites will just book elsewhere in BKK.
Ugh. I’m not a Hyatt person but this sucks. That having been said: BKK is one of the world’s greatest food cities. I love a luxury Asian hotel breakfast but after that I want to eat out. All meanings.
The lounges are valuable for a wind down in the pm after a muggy day of moving around. A full dining experience is not as appealing imho and would not be worth $90.
I remembered Conrda DC offers a similar facility, Sakura Club, which I was able to access on a stay last year. It's an interesting offering, but not sure price is justified if you don't really consume any of the free liquor/alcoholic drinks offered in such venues.
It won't happen to day, but Hyatt will rue their constant deflation of the program when people figure out that every hotel is just a mercenary business to see what they can get away with.
Beyond the point of caring. If I get any of these elite levels through organic work travel, fine. Beyond that, the basic elite levels I've been afforded through my credit card have worked fine for me and these people clearly don't care anymore so why should we.
Having said that, the soup looks good.
It's a club lounge and they're not calling it a club lounge as a loophole to avoid giving out an elite benefit.
In a complex demand environment, and in one where hotels generally aren’t owned or even run by large brands, owners need to get creative to generate extra revenue. Launching a new club lounge, and then giving it away to elites who are often more expensive to cater to anyway, isn’t going to be that appealing. Ritz Carlton and other brands have problem that at some hotels, people will just pay more for lounge access, so we will probably see more of it
I don't see anything particularly "complex" here. They opened a club lounge and don't want to honor the elite benefits... Seems like standard operating procedures these days. If they want to do their own thing, they should become an independent hotel. If they are going to be a Hyatt, Marriott, or Hilton, then they need to follow the brand standards, and corporate needs to enforce them!
1) Park Hyatt brand standards don’t require a club lounge
2) If this space were required to be provided to elites, it simply would not be opened given the economics involved
Hyatt terms and conditions, Appendix C, Section V (d): Club Lounge Access/Breakfast Benefit -- When staying at a participating hotel or resort that has a Club lounge, Globalists will receive access to the Club lounge. When staying at a participating hotel or resort that does not have a Club lounge (or if Club lounge is closed), Globalists will receive daily complimentary full breakfast (which includes one entrée or standard breakfast buffet, juice, and coffee, as...
Hyatt terms and conditions, Appendix C, Section V (d): Club Lounge Access/Breakfast Benefit -- When staying at a participating hotel or resort that has a Club lounge, Globalists will receive access to the Club lounge. When staying at a participating hotel or resort that does not have a Club lounge (or if Club lounge is closed), Globalists will receive daily complimentary full breakfast (which includes one entrée or standard breakfast buffet, juice, and coffee, as well as tax, gratuity and service charges) for each registered guest in the room, up to a maximum of two (2) adults and two (2) children.
So yes, if a hotel offers a club lounge (which this is), whether at a Park Hyatt or not, Globalists must be given access per Hyatt's terms and conditions.
If the hotel doesn't like the "economics" of that, they can either not open a club lounge and perhaps choose to open a restaurant instead, or they can leave the Hyatt program and become independent.
I looked through the terms and conditions to see if Hyatt has a specific definition of "club lounge" but didn't find one. But I think it's clear from the language JP quoted that Hyatt assumes an equivalence between "hotel has a club lounge" and "club lounge serves breakfast." This one opens at noon and doesn't serve breakfast; thus, whatever it is, it probably doesn't count as a club lounge, but more like a sort of...
I looked through the terms and conditions to see if Hyatt has a specific definition of "club lounge" but didn't find one. But I think it's clear from the language JP quoted that Hyatt assumes an equivalence between "hotel has a club lounge" and "club lounge serves breakfast." This one opens at noon and doesn't serve breakfast; thus, whatever it is, it probably doesn't count as a club lounge, but more like a sort of specialty restaurant/F&B experience (also seems more premium than club lounges typically tend to be).
(As an aside, if this counted as a club lounge, then an extremely literal reading of the T&C would technically allow Hyatt to refuse restaurant breakfast to Globalists. "There is a club lounge, and it's not closed today [it just doesn't open until noon] - thus, per the T&C, no restaurant breakfast for you!")
As a Hyatt Globalist, I agree with Anthony; nothing is lost by not giving Globalists complimentary access, since it wouldn't be expected anyway; it's entirely optional. No complimentary access for Globalists seems fine to me.
Lol. Sounds like maybe you work for the hotel in question or for Hyatt if you're claiming "No complimentary access for Globalists seems fine to me."
I don't see any indication that Hyatt assumes that club = just breakfast. Rather than extrapolating stuff that's not in the program's terms and conditions, or making up clearly ridiculous "literal readings" claiming that the "T&C would technically allow Hyatt to refuse restaurant breakfast to Globalists" just by opening...
Lol. Sounds like maybe you work for the hotel in question or for Hyatt if you're claiming "No complimentary access for Globalists seems fine to me."
I don't see any indication that Hyatt assumes that club = just breakfast. Rather than extrapolating stuff that's not in the program's terms and conditions, or making up clearly ridiculous "literal readings" claiming that the "T&C would technically allow Hyatt to refuse restaurant breakfast to Globalists" just by opening the lounge after 12 pm, most elite guests take the common sense, plain meaning of the terms at face value and expect club access if they're Globalists and the hotel has a club lounge.
The terms also does have a lengthy list of exceptions, none of which mentions Park Hyatts, and the mere fact that most PHs don't have club lounges or historically haven't had one really isn't pertinent.
For clarity, I said no such thing as "club = just breakfast"; I said it's clear from the T&C that it's expected that a club lounge serves breakfast *at minimum* (usually among other things), while this lounge does not provide breakfast at all. To put it as an analogous equation: "no breakfast = not a club lounge." (Why else would restaurant breakfast be linked to the lack of an open club lounge, with that section...
For clarity, I said no such thing as "club = just breakfast"; I said it's clear from the T&C that it's expected that a club lounge serves breakfast *at minimum* (usually among other things), while this lounge does not provide breakfast at all. To put it as an analogous equation: "no breakfast = not a club lounge." (Why else would restaurant breakfast be linked to the lack of an open club lounge, with that section literally titled "Club Lounge Access/Breakfast Benefit"?)
Though for the sake of clarity, maybe this hotel's lounge should be added to the list of exceptions you mentioned, to accurately manage expectations.
Also for the record, I don't work for Hyatt or any Hyatt hotel, nor have I ever. I once worked for a couple mid-tier IHG and SPG properties (before the Marriott takeover), but that's all (and it's been over a decade). The trope of "you said something supporting company X, therefore you must work for them / be a paid shill / etc" is old and disingenuous...
To add to that, as others have noted, if they had to admit Globalists on a complimentary basis, they'd either water down the offerings to cut costs or close the lounge entirely, as the economics wouldn't make sense for them anymore. To demand access for Globalists would then feel a bit like saying "if I can't have it, no one can."
(Or maybe they'd open another, more basic lounge to act as the 'free' lounge...
To add to that, as others have noted, if they had to admit Globalists on a complimentary basis, they'd either water down the offerings to cut costs or close the lounge entirely, as the economics wouldn't make sense for them anymore. To demand access for Globalists would then feel a bit like saying "if I can't have it, no one can."
(Or maybe they'd open another, more basic lounge to act as the 'free' lounge for Globalists and members redeeming lounge access awards? That would technically increase costs but allow them to keep the exclusive lounge open...but I'd still prefer the full restaurant breakfast myself, so that wouldn't be ideal.)
As long as I'm getting full restaurant breakfast every day, nothing's being taken away from me by not having access to this exclusive lounge that the hotel isn't even required to have; I absolutely don't mind others having access because they paid for it (or paid for a suite category that includes it).
Park Hyatt Shanghai and Beijing had this for a while now
"Thoughtfully crafted." Hotel marketing drivel knows no limits.
Most marketing is gobbledegook and complete trash. Marketing as a profession just needs to be eliminated, and instead have normal people write the advertisements.
Rather than blame marketing people, normal people should smart up and stop falling victim of marketing.
You can start with the influencers.
So premium suites but not standard suites. So looks like a SUA won't get you in, but an upgrade into a premium suite, or direct points booking can. Or just cold hard cash (rate).
I'm not against hotels innovating while they don't water down incumbent/existing benefits. This seems to be the case where Globalists didn't get anything before, so there's no loss.
So if you use a suite upgrade or points for a suite, would you get access?
Based on the language that access is included for "premium and specialty suites," since suite upgrade awards are generally only for standard suites, I'd wager no to that half of the equation (or to using points for a standard suite). But if one used points to book or upgrade to a *premium* suite, sounds like the answer would be yes.
Sounds worth it if you get pass-around party soup.
So, half the menu reads like they'll serve you leftovers from their - admittedly great - breakfast buffet.