FLL Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Recent Experience?

[TrentS]

Does anyone know whether any of the tower rooms are rennovated, yet? I know DH is going to insist that I do whatever possible to get a room with a view of the port. Two weeks to go!

They appear to be working on the tower rooms now. I don't know when they'll be finished, but I'm pretty sure it won't be in 2 weeks.

[bs0755]

We purchased a room at the Hyatt Pier 66 through Hotwire last summer. I just received a note from Hotwire, stating that Pier 66 has been downgraded from a 4 star to a 3.5 star. In light of this, and the recent negative postings on this forum, I am getting a little nervous...

 

Hotwire has offered us a refund--However, our reservation is for next Saturday 2/4. I did a quick check of the recommended hotels on 17th, and they are all booked...

 

It sounds like if we are able to obtain a renovated garden room, that we should be okay??

[Bequia]

It sounds like if we are able to obtain a renovated garden room, that we should be okay??

 

You'll be fine. Post a review when you return.

[Captaintandem]

We stayed at the Hyatt Pier 66 for two nights post-transatlantic crossing, Jan 11 & 12 and booked through Priceline. We asked for a tower room at check-in, but were told none were available and were placed in a lanai/garden room, on the opposite side of the pool from the lobby building. When we learned that we could not be in the tower we asked initially for a marina room but later asked for one facing the pool because some of the marina rooms open directly onto the parking lot (which was full of dumpsters containing post-hurricane debris.) Note: beware the "marina" rooms unless you see the location.

 

On the day we arrived the new landscaping had been almost fully completed. Paving stones were still being placed on one side of the pool, but by the next day this was finished. The pool area and plantings were lovely. The pools (one large warm pool and one very warm pool, and one pool-shaped hot tub) were full - of water, not people. In fact they were surprisingly empty of people. Our room was wonderful, spacious, with a comfortable bed and large (non-plasma) t.v. The bathroom was also large and nicely appointed. There was an in-room safe in a large closet. It was evidently recently renovated, with new carpeting (although the sliding door to the balcony was a little rough to use). The only real complaint we might have is that the telephone sometimes didn't work accessing 800 numbers. The front desk was polite and seemed to want to help, but it just was inconsistent.

 

Dining was a bit of a problem, to dine off site would require a car, or a long walk. The water bus was fun but shouldn't be considered as transportation. Our first night, we planned to take the water taxi to be near our choice for restaurant, but it never arrived. It is scheduled to stop twice an hour, but the first is only out-bound, so really you have one chance per hour to catch it in-bound to go to the restaurants, shops, Las Olas, etc. We were at the pickup spot 10 minutes early, waited until 25 minutes after the posted time, then gave up (we were quite tired, and DW was valiantly struggling with a bad cold). The second night the water bus arrived and left 10 minutes early causing us to miss it (DW was there, I wasn't yet, she couldn't persuade them to wait). We walked to a great outdoor restaurant at the beach, a long walk but most enjoyable.

 

We can confirm what has been written before, regarding the revolving top-of-the-tower bar, that it is not open to the public, only for private functions.

 

We would definitely stay at Pier 66 again; even though we would have preferred to be in the tower to watch the ships (especially "our" ship) depart, on balance it was a superb hotel stay.

 

Hope this is helpful,

Captaintandem

[bs0755]

Thanks for the reassurance--Do you happen to remember the name of the outdoor restaurant on the beach? Also, it is my understanding that there is an outdoor eating area at the pool?

[Captaintandem]

It's the Oasis Restaurant which is a short distance from the Bahai Mar (another Priceline win for us.) The Oasis is very casual, with reasonable prices and large portions. (I'm getting hungry thinking about the Blackened Grouper sandwich. The fish is twice as large as the roll.) Although we cautioned against the Water Bus as transportation, the Oasis IS two stops inbound from the Hyatt Pier 66.

 

Since the Water Bus didn't work out for us we did walk to the Oasis and back earlier this month. (It's not a short walk but we find it to be fairly pleasant one.)

 

At the Pier 66 we did see a bar area near the pools but I can't say whether there was food being served. There might have been but we didn't spend much time at the pool area (although we did notice waiters delivering drinks).

 

Enjoy your stay!

[bs0755]

Thanks!

[seamare]

We will be at the Hyatt on Feb 10, after reading all the replys, I've started to feel very optomistic, but I've just been over on the Tripadvisor site and it appears that they are still having problems. I'm determined to not let this effect my cruise!

[gailoterson]

Seamare,

Please keep us posted after your stay. We will be staying there for 2 nights pre-cruise in April.

 

Gail

[spindrift]

Let me share with you that the Hyatt as well as the Marriott Marina has been sold to Blackstone Group. I'm sure all the construction, and delays of openings of certain areas, is in preparation for their take-over in later February. I don't know about the Hyatt and what time the take-over is, but the Marriott Marina is 2/20, I believe (or close thereto), so I would imagine the Hyatt is the same. Don't know to whom they have been leased for operation. May stay in the same hands, but I doubt it.

 

We stayed at the Marriott Marina 12/29-31, and their tower was closed with a ton of work going on there. Our room in a lanai area was just fair. We have stayed there for years.

 

And for Bimini Boatyard, we have always gone there over the years, and that as well was terrible, at best.

 

Times--they are "a changing." Anyway, we can all still have a great time in FLL with the right attitude. We did. Just disappointed in what we loved before.

[Bequia]

. I don't know about the Hyatt and what time the take-over is,

 

Old news, Blackstone Group acquired the Hyatt in 2004. In case you have not heard they've acquired Amerisuites (soon to become Hyatt Place) and Extended Stay America as well. That will go along with they're other holdings, Wyndham, LaQuinta, Summerfield Suites, Hawthorne Suites, Wellesley Inns & Suites, Prime Hotels, Homestead Village , Microtel and The Savoy Group, a London super-luxury hotel chain with four of the most famous hotels in the world: the Savoy, the Claridge, the Berkeley, and the Connaught

. On February 1st 2006 they purchased The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club and South Seas Island Resort as well as 58 full-service hotels under brands like Hilton, Marriott and Ritz-Carlton. They are currently negotiating with Hilton's UK hotel group.

The Blackstone Group, a private investment bank with offices in New York and London, was founded in 1985 by its Chairman, Peter G. Peterson, and its President and CEO, Stephen A. Schwarzman. Blackstone's Real Estate Group has raised three funds representing approximately $3 billion in total equity. The group has made around 100 separate investments in hotels and other commercial properties with a total transaction value of about $11 billion. In addition to real estate, The Blackstone Group's core businesses include Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory, Restructuring and Reorganization Advisory, Private Equity Investing, Private Mezzanine Investing and Liquid Alternative Asset Investing.

 

Hotel occupancies are way up, especially in large cities and for higher-priced accommodations. Actual room rates have skyrocketed over the past few years as anyone who has tried to get a New York or San Francisco hotel room can attest. Whatever Blackstone's original plans, their return on investment has been extraordinary. It is likely that when the hotel business shows early signs of a decline, they will spin off the group as an IPO or sell it off piecemeal. As the hotel business concentrates more and more, Blackstone's properties get ever more valuable. Right now they are a safer investment for the real estate arm than office buildings, shopping centers, or apartment buildings.

 

 

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[michmike]

stayed here pre-cruise on 1/20 and 1/21 We had booked thru priceline and got our room for $150 a nite which wasn't bad considering their best web rate at the time we booked was about $250.

 

We were able to get a room in the tower, which was nice as our balcony afforded us a view of the port and we could see the ships departing and arriving on sat and sun. Overall the room was fine although showing some signs of wear such as missing baseboard in the bathroom and construction residue such as bolts and pieces of trim from the balconies above, out on our balcony. Thought it strange that the balconies on the even floors are shared with the room next door, so you want to be sure to lock your slider to the balcony when you are not out there using it.

 

There are signs of wear in the hallways such as stains and abrasions on the wallcovering and carpet. Not everywhere, but certainly quite a few.

 

The pool and hot tub areas were very nice and the lobby and restaurant areas look fine. We didn't get into a lanai room, but from what we could see of them from the pool area, they seemed very nice.

 

Just a note of warning, if you have any sort of mobility issues (wife and I both use canes) it is quite a hike to the Pelican bar area (also where the water taxi stops) and the bar itself is up a flight of stairs with no handicap access at all. As with most facilities in this price range, a burger was $14 at the bar. Breakfast buffet in the dining room was $20. Our service at bfast was terrible, a glacially paced waiter from peru who struggled w/ English. NO supervisory staff to be found. And then they have the audacity to add an automatic 18% gratuity. I finally went and lodged a complaint at the front desk, not to recoup the tip, but to save future guests the frustration we experienced over what should have been an enjoyable morning of the cruise bfast.

 

Another nickle and dime irritant was the $1 charge for local calls from your room. In my opinion, raise the rate another $5 and include it. It smacks of gouging the way it stands now.

 

Overall we had a decent stay and at $150 a nite we were generally satisfied. At $250 a night I would not have been happy.

 

The newly implemented $10 or 12 a day "resort" fee that was supposed to take effect the week after we left would be another irritant. The amenities that is intended to cover are those that should be routinely expected at a hotel in this price range. The other couple who joined us for just the nite of the 21st were told there would be a charge of $10 a day to use the work out room unless they agreed to sign up for the Hyatt's Gold Passport program.

 

So... should you be concerned about staying here? no...

 

do they do the kind of job that would engender rave reviews and a firm commitment to stay here again? no

[spindrift]

Bequia, thank you for additional information. I had familiarized myself with Blackstone "group," but I appreciate some additional information you provided. I wouldn't be surprised if the building was razed and condos put there. What do you think?

[Bequia]

Hmmm, you never know, maybe condo-hotel.

With so many 4 and 5 star luxury hotels being built on FLL beach maybe they'll recreate it as a JW Marriott. Whatever happens it will not be the same property as we know it today.

[tispwisp]

Keep the comments coming! DH and I have reservations for a tower room from April 20-23 precruise. Hopefully, they will be finished renovating the tower rooms by then!

[Izzy Bee]

I sent an email to the Hyatt Pier 66 requesting a renovated garden room or a tower room...and told them we had booked via Priceline. (April 21, 2006 Pre Cruise!) and got a very nice reply from the Hyatt Sales Rep stating they would try their best to honor my request but could not guarantee this. It went on to say that I could be assured the the hotel staff will make every attempt to honor my preferences.

That is great customer service!

[dr.evil]

We just hit on Priceline for $122/night at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 on the night of March 12, 2006.

[XBARBSX]

My DH and I stayed at the Hyatt Pier 66 on Jan. 12-14, 2006 and unless assured of a newly renovated room would not stay there again! The 1st night was a nightmare with 4 different rooms (from them giving one away while we were waiting for it to be cleaned to one without air conditioning). By the time we were in the 4th room (an old one....Yuk!) I just wanted some sleep. The next morning my husband (who never complains about anything) got us moved to a lovely room in the new section.

 

Ours was a Priceline Bid. But........that was for a 4* hotel not the 2* section of a 4* hotel. We paid a lot more that the $106 someone else mentioned. Good price!

 

The Water Taxi is a lot of fun. $7 per person, per day, unlimited use.

 

Have a wonderful time.:)

 

Barb

 

 

 

Hi all,

 

Upon returning home, I decided to e-mail someone at the hotel and relate our problems with our stay ( I should have nicely complained while we were there). They had already looked into our reservation when they called me and were very sorry and have offered us a nice compensation for next time in town. Since we cruise at least once a year, it works for us. I learned, to speak up and you don't have to yell.

 

By the way, the Pelican Grill, out on the waterway, is a great place for drinks and Crab Cakes. Next time there I hope to try the Grill 66, based on the reviews.

 

Barb