Want to take advantage of Hyatt Privé benefits, including a room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more, when booking a cash stay? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.
After spending a night at Jumeirah Frankfurt (following our coronavirus test at Frankfurt Airport), our next stop was Hamburg. That’s because my mom had been in Hamburg for a couple of weeks, so our plan was to spend a few nights there, before finally continuing to Berlin (where we’d be renting a place).
In this post:
Booking the Park Hyatt Hamburg
I almost instinctively booked the Park Hyatt Hamburg when I knew we’d be visiting the city. Park Hyatt is my favorite points hotel brand, and the Park Hyatt Hamburg is one of the (relatively) few Park Hyatt properties I haven’t been to.
Ford booked our stay through Hyatt Privé, which offered exceptional value. These rates cost the same as standard rates, and include the following additional perks:
- Daily full breakfast for two in the hotel’s restaurant
- A $100 property credit per room per stay
- A one category room upgrade confirmed within 24 hours of booking (room-to-room or suite-to-suite) — based on availability at the time of booking
- Early check-in (as early as 9AM) and late check-out (as late as 4PM), subject to availability
- A welcome gift and letter
On top of that, there’s currently a Hyatt Privé third night free promotion, so in the end we paid an average of 150 EUR per night. Best of all, the hotel confirmed our upgrade to a Park Suite shortly after booking.
Redeeming points at the Park Hyatt Hamburg
Just for some context, the Park Hyatt Hamburg is a Category 5 World of Hyatt property, meaning that a free night here costs 20,000 World of Hyatt points. I value World of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each, so redeeming points here would be the equivalent of paying ~$300 per night, by my valuation. In this case paying cash for the stay was definitely the better value.
Even if you’re not a Hyatt loyalist, earning World of Hyatt points can be pretty easy. In addition to being able to earn World of Hyatt points with the World of Hyatt Credit Card (review), you can also transfer over points from Ultimate Rewards.
- Earn 4x Points at Hyatt Properties
- Free Night Every Year
- Complimentary Discoverist Status
- $95
- Earn 4x Points at Hyatt Properties
- Complimentary Discoverist Status
- Gift Discoverist Status up to 5 Employees
- $199
- 5x total points on travel purchased through Chase Travel
- 3x points on dining
- 2x points on travel purchases
- $95
- 3x points on Travel after the $300 Annual Travel Credit
- 3x points on Dining
- $300 Travel Credit
- $550
- Earn 3x points on travel
- Earn 3x points on shipping purchases
- Cell Phone Protection
- $95
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases
- Car Rental Coverage
- Extended Warranty Protection
- $0
- Earn 5% Cash Back at office supply stores
- Earn 5% Cash Back on internet, cable TV, mobile phones, and landlines
- Car Rental Coverage
- $0
- Earn 3% Cash Back on Dining
- Earn 3% Cash Back at Drugstores
- Earn 1.5% Cash Back On All Other Purchases
- $0
See this post for everything you need to know about earning Hyatt points with credit cards.
Park Hyatt Hamburg arrival, check-in, and lobby
We arrived at the Park Hyatt Hamburg mid-afternoon. While most Park Hyatts are modern and minimalist, this property has very different decor, and is in an older building.
Upon pulling up we were greeted by a bellman, who helped with our luggage and parked our car. While valet ordinarily costs 32 EUR per day, currently Hyatt is offering Globalist members free parking, so that was a significant savings for us.
Park Hyatt Hamburg exterior
The hotel’s lobby is on the second floor — on the ground floor is just a couch, as well as a desk for the bellmen.
Park Hyatt Hamburg ground floor lobby
Park Hyatt Hamburg ground floor lobby
Also on the ground floor is an entrance to the Levantehaus, which is attached directly to the Park Hyatt. This is a mall with some shops and great restaurants.
Park Hyatt Hamburg mall
As mentioned above, on the second floor is the main part of the lobby. There are some couches right as you exit the elevator, and then straight ahead and on the right is reception.
Park Hyatt Hamburg lobby
Park Hyatt Hamburg lobby
Park Hyatt Hamburg lobby
There’s also a business center immediately to the right of reception.
Park Hyatt Hamburg business center
The check-in process took about five minutes, and the lady checking us in was exceptionally friendly, and went over all the perks we’d receive on account of Globalist status and the Privé booking. The Park Hyatt Hamburg is pet friendly, and it was also explained that there would be a 35 EUR daily fee for Winston (interestingly all Hyatt properties in Germany seem to be pet friendly, and have the same fee).
We were also given a note explaining the modified service procedure at the hotel in light of coronavirus, for anyone who is interested in reading this.
The Park Hyatt Hamburg has a total of eight floors, and our room was on the sixth floor. As I said above, the decor of this property is different from other Park Hyatts, but I loved it. The property had so much charm, and was well maintained. I loved the glass elevators looking out over the courtyard, as well as the small atrium across from it.
Park Hyatt Hamburg hallway
Park Hyatt Hamburg atrium
Park Hyatt Hamburg Park Suite
We were assigned room 603, which was a Park Suite at the end of the hallway on the right.
Park Hyatt Hamburg hallway
Park Hyatt Hamburg hallway
The suite was huge, especially for a standard suite. Inside the entrance was a living area with a couch and a chair, and then back near the door was a desk with two chairs.
Park Hyatt Hamburg suite living room
Park Hyatt Hamburg suite living room
Park Hyatt Hamburg suite living room
There was a Nespresso machine on the table behind the desk. While there was also a mini-fridge, it’s not currently being used as a minibar to minimize how much staff are in and out of your room. For example, the hotel only proactively offers housekeeping every third day, but you can have it every day if you’d like.
Park Hyatt Hamburg in-room coffee machine
Waiting on the table by the entrance was a welcome amenity, consisting of matcha almonds and a box of chocolates.
Park Hyatt Hamburg welcome amenity
There were then double doors leading into the bedroom, which featured a comfortable bed, a TV, and a chair in the corner.
Park Hyatt Hamburg suite bedroom
Park Hyatt Hamburg suite bedroom
While I’m not usually a fan of how hotels always have some promotional thing blaring on the TV when you first walk in, I’m a total sucker for what’s on TVs at Park Hyatts when you arrive, as the music is so relaxing (Winston agrees).
Winston enjoying the Park Hyatt Hamburg
The room faced the hotel’s inner courtyard, which meant there was very little noise. The truth is that there wouldn’t be much in the way of views from the street the Park Hyatt was on anyway, so I kind of liked that we had an “interior” room.
Park Hyatt Hamburg suite view
The bathroom was off the bedroom, and was quite large. It featured a single sink (usually suites have double sinks, but that’s not a huge deal), a tub, a walk-in shower, a partitioned off toilet, and a separate large closet.
Park Hyatt Hamburg suite bathroom
Park Hyatt Hamburg suite bathtub
Park Hyatt Hamburg suite shower
Park Hyatt Hamburg suite toilet
Park Hyatt Hamburg suite closet
Toiletries were from both L’Occitane and The White Company.
Park Hyatt Hamburg suite toiletries
Wifi in the room, and throughout the hotel, was fast and free.
So yeah, I thought our Park Suite was awesome — we got a great upgrade, and the room was large and well maintained. In particular when we travel with Winston we really appreciate having a separate bedroom. Winston has anxiety when we travel, and he’s much more comfortable when we can put him in a small bedroom, close the curtains, and turn on relaxing dog music.
Park Hyatt Hamburg club lounge
The Park Hyatt Hamburg is one of only three Park Hyatts in the world to have a club lounge (with the other two being the Park Hyatt Melbourne and Park Hyatt Canberra). However, due to coronavirus the club lounge isn’t currently being used as usual:
- Club guests can choose whether to have breakfast in the club lounge or the restaurant
- In the evenings, the typical club lounge happy hour is served in the Park Lounge (on the second floor), rather than the club lounge
Anyway, the club lounge is located on the seventh floor, and is physically quite a nice space.
Park Hyatt Hamburg club lounge exterior
Park Hyatt Hamburg club lounge
Park Hyatt Hamburg club lounge
Park Hyatt Hamburg club lounge
Park Hyatt Hamburg club lounge
I never actually ate here (since restaurant breakfast is almost always better than club lounge breakfast), but I did take a look at the selection one morning. Breakfast is served here from 7AM until 10:30AM on weekdays, and from 7AM until 12PM on weekends. For breakfast the lounge was staffed, and you could choose from one of three set menus.
Park Hyatt Hamburg club lounge breakfast selection
The club lounge breakfast menu read as follows:
The Park Lounge (located on the second floor, not far from reception) is ordinarily open daily from 11:30AM until 6PM, as it’s a place to have a coffee, afternoon tea, etc. However, for the time being this is also open from 6PM until 8PM, and acts as the temporary club lounge for evening drinks and snacks.
The Park Lounge is quite large, and was never really crowded.
Park Hyatt Hamburg Park Lounge
Park Hyatt Hamburg Park Lounge
Park Hyatt Hamburg Park Lounge
Park Hyatt Hamburg Park Lounge
For club guests you could order a variety of drinks, including wine, coffee, etc.
Park Hyatt Hamburg Park Lounge evening drinks
Park Hyatt Hamburg Park Lounge evening drinks
Then huge trays were brought our with snacks in small glass jars, along with some bread. Frankly the food wasn’t amazing, but the fact that they had any club lounge replacement made me a happy camper, since many other hotels have just closed their lounges altogether, and aren’t offering guests anything in exchange.
Park Hyatt Hamburg Park Lounge evening snacks
Park Hyatt Hamburg Park Lounge evening snacks
Park Hyatt Hamburg Apples Restaurant breakfast
Apples is the hotel’s signature restaurant, and it’s also where breakfast is served on weekdays from 6:30AM until 10:30AM, and on weekends from 7AM until 12PM.
Park Hyatt Hamburg Apples Restaurant
Park Hyatt Hamburg Apples Restaurant
Park Hyatt Hamburg Apples Restaurant
German hotels seem to be taking one of three approaches towards breakfast in the era of coronavirus:
- Some hotels still have normal breakfast buffets, where you serve yourself
- Some hotels have modified breakfast buffets, where you still go up to a counter to get food, but there’s a plexiglass shield, and an employee serves you from behind it
- Some hotels have a la carte breakfast
This hotel fell into the second category, as there was a breakfast buffet with plexiglass shields and servers.
The buffet itself was fairly limited, as there were two main stations. One station had all kinds of bread, cold cuts, and pastries.
Park Hyatt Hamburg breakfast buffet
Park Hyatt Hamburg breakfast buffet
Park Hyatt Hamburg breakfast buffet
Then the other station had fruit and yogurt.
Park Hyatt Hamburg breakfast buffet
In addition to the buffet you could have eggs cooked to order. I enjoyed my veggie omelet.
Park Hyatt Hamburg breakfast
I’d say the breakfast was perfectly fine, but not very memorable. For that matter, I don’t think I’ve ever had a “memorable” breakfast in Germany.
Dinner at Apples Restaurant
Since we had a credit to redeem, we had dinner one night at Apples Restaurant. Or more accurately, we had dinner at Urban Garden Terrace, which is described as offering “Mediterranean ambiance” in spring and summer. In reality this was just the outdoor seating in the courtyard belonging to Apples Restaurant. You can find the dinner menu here.
I had the salmon with asparagus and Ford had the beef tartare, both of which were excellent.
Park Hyatt Hamburg Apples Restaurant dinner
Park Hyatt Hamburg Apples Restaurant dinner
Park Hyatt Hamburg Club Olympus spa & fitness
Club Olympus is the Park Hyatt’s spa, gym, and pool area, and it’s located on the basement level. To access it you first have to take the elevator to the second floor, and then you have to take the elevator that goes to the ground floor all the way down to -1.
Park Hyatt Hamburg spa
The gym is open to hotel guests 24/7, and requires an appointment, as the hotel limits the gym to five guests at a time. The gym was excellent, especially for a hotel gym, and had all kinds of equipment.
Park Hyatt Hamburg gym
Park Hyatt Hamburg gym
Park Hyatt Hamburg gym
Park Hyatt Hamburg gym
Park Hyatt Hamburg gym
Then there was the pool and sauna area, open daily from 7AM until 9:30PM. Reservations are also required for that right now, as they limit the area to 10 guests. There was both a large lap pool, as well as a hot tub.
Park Hyatt Hamburg pool
Park Hyatt Hamburg pool
Park Hyatt Hamburg pool
Hamburg is an incredible city worth visiting
While this review is focused on the Park Hyatt, I did at least want to mention that I was extremely impressed by Hamburg as a city. It has been many years since I’ve visited, and I didn’t remember all that much about it.
I was delighted to find just how awesome Hamburg really is, and it’s even a destination I’d recommend as a tourist. It felt like a cross between Amsterdam, Zurich, and Stockholm, given the canals, lakes, sea, and architecture.
The city has great restaurants, and feels cosmopolitan and global without being overwhelming. Heck, after spending a few days in Hamburg we said to ourselves “maybe we should have moved here for a couple of months?”
Hamburg, Germany
Hamburg, Germany
Bottom line
I loved the Park Hyatt Hamburg.
Let me once again acknowledge that this isn’t your typical Park Hyatt in terms of decor, and frankly I’m not sure why it’s branded as a Park Hyatt. Not because it isn’t a great hotel, but because it just doesn’t match the rest of the portfolio in terms of design. For that matter, it’s probably also the least expensive Park Hyatt I’ve stayed at.
That being said, I would highly recommend the Park Hyatt Hamburg, and would return in a heartbeat. The hotel has so much charm and is well maintained, it has great staff, and we also got an excellent value. Between the third night free, all the Globalist and Privé perks, the free parking, and more, this really was an exceptional value.
If you’ve stayed at the Park Hyatt Hamburg, what was your experience like?
Speaking of your recent move from Florida, which apartment complex under the flight path did you live in?
I used to live in Hamburg for 6 years and worked at the Park Hyatt as well. It is a great property besides the Louis C Jacob the second best in the city. Great review
Hi Ben,
The next time in Hamburg, you may want to check out the Westin located within the Elbphilharmonie
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/hamwi-the-westin-hamburg/
It’s a category 7 property, which is steep for the service level, but location makes it up.
For Berlin, check out the SoSofitel based in the former danish embassy with direct access to the zoo. Its an Accor property but has an excellent 1* Spanish restaurant and certainly a memorable breakfast.
I will say PH as a brand only works when you have new hotels:
* PH New York (3 years ago)
* PH Shanghai (when it was new, which is when I stayed)
* PH Seoul (about 4 years ago)
* PH Busan (more recently)
* PH Kyoto (this past fall)
All good properties. But PH Canberra, PH Melbourne and dear God WTF is wrong with PH Tokyo and the...
I will say PH as a brand only works when you have new hotels:
* PH New York (3 years ago)
* PH Shanghai (when it was new, which is when I stayed)
* PH Seoul (about 4 years ago)
* PH Busan (more recently)
* PH Kyoto (this past fall)
All good properties. But PH Canberra, PH Melbourne and dear God WTF is wrong with PH Tokyo and the 1990s horror story it came out of? I don't care if you thought Bill Murray and ScarJo were interesting; that's like never updating a hotel because you liked a Spaghetti Western that was cool in the 1950s.
Also, the Fontenay is not a nice place to stay in. Cold and boring in style and servicer compared to the Hyatt that's in even better location.
Regarding Berlin, the Waldorf is not even in the top 5 of best Hotels in Berlin. Stayed there after my Hamburg trip as well. Compared to The Adlon, Hotel de Rome or even the Ritz, the Waldorf is just okay.
I stayed there two weeks ago, also 6th floor in the 607 suite. I totally agree with your review, it was a very good experience and an exceptional value even before benefits. But with membership benefits, the virtuoso booking and the Amex Offers 100€ Cashback combined it was a steal of a deal. Highly recommended Hyatt. The Hilton/Curion Collection "Reichshof" in Hamburg on the other hand is a pass. Stayed there afterwards- not worth the money imho.
and the best hotel in Berlin is the Waldorf. certainly not Hotel am Steinplatz...
lol the Park Hyatt looks like total garbage next to the Fontenay. You need to raise your hotel standards Ben now you have exited North America for Europe.
@ pixielott46 -- Even if The Fontenay is objectively nicer (I hadn't heard of it before, but it does look nice), there's something to be said for value. The hotel costs twice as much as the Park Hyatt, and I wouldn't have gotten a suite, free breakfast, free evening drinks, free parking, an 85EUR food & beverage credit, or World of Hyatt points and elite nights.
Actually, let's take the math a step further. I...
@ pixielott46 -- Even if The Fontenay is objectively nicer (I hadn't heard of it before, but it does look nice), there's something to be said for value. The hotel costs twice as much as the Park Hyatt, and I wouldn't have gotten a suite, free breakfast, free evening drinks, free parking, an 85EUR food & beverage credit, or World of Hyatt points and elite nights.
Actually, let's take the math a step further. I saved about 30EUR per day on parking and got a roughly 30 EUR per day credit, so let's say that really lowers my out of pocket to about 90EUR per night compared to the other hotel. It's less than a third of the price, and we still don't have a suite, breakfast, evening drinks, points, etc.
I'm all for splurging for an independent city hotel when there's some value to be had, but this is one of those cases where I simply can't make the math work...
I don’t know how anyone can objectively say this is an upscale or luxury hotel based on the decor. It looks like it hasn’t been substantively renovated since the early 2000s.
I’m not one of those people who thinks a hotel has to renovate every 5 years. I think the issue is generally the design and actual decor was done on the cheap and doesn’t last. This just looks that way. Look at how the...
I don’t know how anyone can objectively say this is an upscale or luxury hotel based on the decor. It looks like it hasn’t been substantively renovated since the early 2000s.
I’m not one of those people who thinks a hotel has to renovate every 5 years. I think the issue is generally the design and actual decor was done on the cheap and doesn’t last. This just looks that way. Look at how the TV is displayed. And the hallways to the guest rooms — it looks like a Sheraton in Iowa, not a 4 1/2 to 5-star hotel brand.
As someone else said I have noticed this repeatedly at various Hyatt brands. The decor and designs are dated because they went on the cheap to begin with. Hyatt makes up for it with okay elite status benefits.
And by the way, what’s the point of suspending daily housekeeping, including turndown, but then saying it’s available upon request? That has no basis in science. Just cost-cutting. Period. And no mini-fridge but a coffeemaker? Come on.
Fun Fact: Hamburg has more bridges than Venice and Amsterdam combined.
It very much has the same design feel as Hyatt Hotel Canberra, A Park Hyatt Hotel (AKA Park Hyatt Canberra).
Ben, I know you're a PH fanboy, and so am I, but this property just does not look very nice. Maybe it's different when you're there in person, but based on your pictures, there's nothing that would make me want to stay there.
Was there last week you certainly had a better experience than me. No real acknowledgment of being a globalist. Did get a junior suite after I asked but seamed to be a hassle for them. Decent property considering the other options but as you said not really a Park Hayyt vibe.
Enjoy Germany one of the best places to right now hope you enjoyed Hamburg, as you know Berlin is a fantastic city will be great if you can review some spots there!!!
@Ben - Very curious about your experience with the logistics of traveling with Winston overseas (and generally for that matter). Would be great to see a post on that.
The rooms look awful. I don’t understand how so many in this community rave about Hyatt. I searched every 5 star hotel in their portfolio and only Vienna had attractive rooms (Sydney was ok but had glass bathroom walls=disgusting).
Their program is supposedly better than Marriott but there is no point to travel if you are not going to have proper accommodation. Everything with Hyatt is so plain.
I stayed at the PH Hamburg last fall. Because the lounge was closed in the evening during your stay, you weren't able to see that it can get extremely crowded , perhaps in part due to the fact that the club lounge has no doors-- it simply occupies a large, open space when exiting the seventh floor elevators. The evening lounge food selections were quite disappointing, i.e., gravlax that had been sitting out at room...
I stayed at the PH Hamburg last fall. Because the lounge was closed in the evening during your stay, you weren't able to see that it can get extremely crowded , perhaps in part due to the fact that the club lounge has no doors-- it simply occupies a large, open space when exiting the seventh floor elevators. The evening lounge food selections were quite disappointing, i.e., gravlax that had been sitting out at room temperature for hours or pancakes being their only dessert offering. As a Globalist I was offered a choice of breakfast in the lounge or or at Apple's. This included the buffet as well as anything from the menu. The normal breakfast buffet was above average, although not nearly as extensive or of the same calibre as the buffer at, say, the PH Vienna. It might also be worth mentioning that during my stay I used a Globalist Suite Upgrade and was initially assigned to one of their designated extended stay apartments with a full kitchen. This was a top floor 2-level room, with the bedroom above the living room via one off those very narrow, tightly winding open-step metal circular stairways. I had to request a move to a one-floor suite. After spending the first night in a standard room, as no standard suites were available, I was transferred to what seemed to be a standard suite, except that it too had a full kitchen, which seemed to be a bit of an oddity for a PH. Overall, this was my least favorite PH hotel.
Kevin The Vier Jahreszeiten is a shadow of its former self...
It looks like the Park Hyatt Hamburg received a mild refresh since I stayed there a few weeks back. I have friends and family in Hamburg and Berlin and try to go several times a year (although that is not happening this year unfortunately). Usually in Hamburg I end up at Le Meredian and I usually get a room with a view of Alster Lakes. Although the last time I was there I stayed at...
It looks like the Park Hyatt Hamburg received a mild refresh since I stayed there a few weeks back. I have friends and family in Hamburg and Berlin and try to go several times a year (although that is not happening this year unfortunately). Usually in Hamburg I end up at Le Meredian and I usually get a room with a view of Alster Lakes. Although the last time I was there I stayed at the Westin located in the Elbphilharmonie building. That has beautiful view of the city and harbor and isn’t that much farther of a walking distance that I thought it was compared to Le Meredian. I’ve also stayed at the Renaissance and that was pretty solid, especially after the remodel. Overall the accommodations in Hamburg were better than what I’ve experienced in Berlin.
As a former and loyal SPG member (although Marriott makes me question that decision) I typically stayed at the Sheraton Grand Esplanade. It desperately needs to be refurbished; and in what world does management think its OK to have one elevator only go select floors and the other go to other floors (it isn’t intentionally programmed) because they are broken and cannot be fixed? The Westin Grand has great breakfast room but the experience can be spotty depending on if you are staying in an older or newer section. My favorite “anonymous” place is the Hotel Cosmo. It is part of design hotels, but since the introduction of BonVoy, it as been removed from the list of design hotels BonVoy members are able to stay at. It was very simple, and its no frills design made it very modern.
My favorite hotel stay in Berlin was at Hotel am Steinplatz, part of the Autograph Collection in Charlottenburg. That was an awesome little hotel in the middle of a neighborhood. Much like the Park Hyatt Hamburg, except instead of being connected to a pedestrian mall, this is literally in a residential area. The hotel is very modern, quiet, and luxurious. It’s certainly worth a look the next time you are in Berlin.
Hi Lucky, I’m curious how you were about to get into the EU. Dual citizenship?
Big fan of this hotel. Also loved Hamburg as well. Good stuff.
I second Max here, the Fontenay is an outstanding hotel.
Lucky, while your business is points&miles, I highly recommended that you stay one night in the Fontenay in Hamburg during the next visit. Even if you don't write about it and quietly enjoy it - I am sure you will appreciate the design, service and attention to detail.
Maybe I missed a post... how did you manage to get Winston along on an international trip?
Good to see Winston adjusting. So relaxed!
Hamburg has several great hotel options. I also liked the Park Hyatt and you really can’t go wrong with it. I also agree that the Le Meridien is a great option in Hamburg.
However, next time, please visit the Westin in the Elbphilharmonie building, get a nice suite with a view (Panoramic Suite or above). While service etc. at the Westin is not perfect, the one-of-a-kind location and views make it well worth a...
Hamburg has several great hotel options. I also liked the Park Hyatt and you really can’t go wrong with it. I also agree that the Le Meridien is a great option in Hamburg.
However, next time, please visit the Westin in the Elbphilharmonie building, get a nice suite with a view (Panoramic Suite or above). While service etc. at the Westin is not perfect, the one-of-a-kind location and views make it well worth a visit.
I would even suggest this as a great getaway for the poor weather season. Just stay in your suite with amazing views of the harbor.
It’s barely adequate. The great location is offset by dull interiors and indifferent food/service. The club lounge, when it was open, was nothing special ..and certainly not a patch on either Melbourne or Canberra. Perhaps it has improved since my last stay in 2018, but at that time I strongly preferred Le Meridien, even though it’s less well-located.
That's an underwhelming looking hotel. Would not have picked it as a Park Hyatt.
Stayed there when I visited Hamburg (long before corona) but the service was not on par with other PH properties. Usually I get some sort of recognition for being an elite, always at least some sort of room upgrade. But at the check-in I was not even addressed by my name, not to mention no upgrades. Wifi was spotty in my room and couldn't complete my skype call, so I asked them if they could...
Stayed there when I visited Hamburg (long before corona) but the service was not on par with other PH properties. Usually I get some sort of recognition for being an elite, always at least some sort of room upgrade. But at the check-in I was not even addressed by my name, not to mention no upgrades. Wifi was spotty in my room and couldn't complete my skype call, so I asked them if they could look into it. No one came. Tried the skype again, the same issue, so I called again and pressed, finally the IT person came and walked around the room with his phone and couldn't figure out why WIFI was spotty. So he said I had wait until next day because the IT company was not operating in the evening (he said he was the IT guy, though) So no solution for the night....I thought they could check if the other parts of the hotel had strong wifi and see if there are other solutions but they were not very willing to solve the issue. So I went out and used coffee shop instead. After my stay, I received a survey and noted the issue. The manager emailed me and apologized and offered me an upgrade to a deluxe room when I visit next time....I just laughed at them because they didn't offer that minimal upgrade due to my status, so now that is the best they can do???
Overall, the hotel is next to the main train station, which I thought was the best place to stay but apparently not in Hamburg. If I visit Hamburg again, I would stay by the lake. There are quite a few nice hotels on the lake, which is also close to everything and the area has nice restaurants. The main station area is shady...
Nothing beats the Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg!
If you travel around Germany, please make sure to visit Breidenbacher Hof in Düsseldorf. One of the few true five star hotels in Germany. Bookable with Virtuoso.
Kind regards from Düsseldorf,
emwe
The side hotel Hamburg is incredible. You should stay there! Also miniatur Wunderland is incredible!
Before Covid-19 the breakfast at the PH Hamburg was opulent and stunning. Now apparently not so much.
I advise against making points bookings here. You will get a room with a quite tiny queen-sized bed, which is uncomfortable for 2 people.
The Fontenay is the undisputed champion of luxury hotels in Hamburg!
Brand new, not built to transfer all the yield to some American corporate chain, but built by a billionaire to show off what real luxury is.
Personally I prefer smaller hotels with local charm when I'm in Europe. Not 100% of the time but they are often quite nice. I stayed in one in Wurzburg that was quite nice. No idea the name since it was years ago
No Le Labo???
BTW the Hyatt Canberra which is referred to as a Park Hyatt hotel, has an “ambassador “ lounge which globalists have access to.
@ MDA -- Good point about the quirky Park Hyatt Canberra, let me add that to the post. Thanks.
My dad worked in Hamburg for 4 years and I loved the city when I visited him every summer. I was wondering why you chose to stay in Berlin rather than Hamburg.
This is the only Park Hyatt I stayed at and while it felt slightly dated, it was a sort of old-world but not too-old-world luxury that made it very appealing to me. A... just-right amount of warmth and comfort. The service was warm and sincere and I regret not staying longer and experiencing more of the hotel's amenities and Hamburg in general. The only complaints: the light switches made almost no sense at all and the USB charging ports didn't work all that well.
@ Euro -- Beautifully described, I think that sums up exactly how I felt.
Thank you for including a few comments and pictures about Hamburg. If possible, include a few more Hamburg comments and pictures with future articles. I've always been curious about the place but have never visited that part of Germany.
We really enjoyed our stay there last year . Great lounge and staff . Booked through amex FHR and was upgraded to a park suite . Apple’s restaurant for dinner was great . Looking forward to returning .
Were the staff wearing masks?
@ The Concerned Jane -- Mask compliance among employees was perfect.
I can confirm the street side rooms don't have much of a view. The building is too low. Great review.
Why did you decide to move to Berlin if your mom is in Hamburg? Hamburg would have been a great city as well, except that is is likely colder and doesn't have EasyJet.
@ Nate nate -- My mom spent several weeks in a few different places, to be with family and close friends. She spent most of her time near Frankfurt (where most of her family is), and then headed to Hamburg to be with one of her best friends there. Berlin was the next stop on that journey.