I’ve stayed at a great many Hyatt Place properties at this point, and it’s rare for me to review them. That’s because they tend to be almost identical, which is entirely by design. Each room has the same pull-out couch with chaise lounge, the same wet bar with coffee maker, the same bed or beds, the same entertainment console, and the same bathroom fixtures. Hyatt Place locations are bred for consistency, rather than for unique flavor.
That said, a few locations do stand out as unique. The Hyatt Place Daytona Beach, for example, is an oceanfront property with a slightly more upscale lobby and pool area, and room layouts differ oh-so-subtly in order to accommodate balconies perfect for enjoying the fresh salt air.
The Hyatt Place Lake Buena Vista in Orlando is another example of a Hyatt Place that’s just a little bit better than the norm, in ways that cater to its market. It’s also a brand-new hotel, and could easily serve as a flagship for the Hyatt Place brand.
A key difference at the Hyatt Place Lake Buena Vista from many older Hyatt Place properties is the lack of guest rooms on the ground floor. Relegating guest rooms to higher floors allows for a vastly more spacious and open common area than might be typically seen at older properties.
This space was put to good use here, including a stylish library setting near the entrance, adjacent to an office center with a few computers and a printer.
In addition to the standard, limited array of drinks and snacks available at the front desk, a separate full bar was located at the back of the lobby, near the entrance to the pool.
The pool itself was a clear step above the small affair typically seen at Hyatt Places, with a nice water feature and a brilliant ADA ramp into the pool, with a palm tree backdrop.
The gym had a limited array of treadmills and other machines, as well as a variety of free weights and yoga equipment.
The room was very much in line with Hyatt Place brand standards, with a partial partition separating the same couch seem in so many other locations on one side, and the beds on the other.
One nice touch: the bottles of water and apples left in the room, a nod to Diamond members rarely followed through on by other Hyatt Place properties.
The bathroom was newer and nicer than in older Hyatt Places; here, the sink, toilet, and shower/tub combination were all in the same room, while in older locations, the sink is left outside the bathroom door.
The Hyatt Place Lake Buena Vista is listed as a Category 3 property in Hyatt’s Gold Passport program, meaning it costs 12,000 points or 6,000 points + $75 for a room. However, the hotel is offering bargain rates for the time being, typically as low as $88 per night. Given that other Hyatt Places are available just a few miles away for just 5,000 or 8,000 points per night – and with similar breaks for cash and points bookers – I would only stay at this location when paying the cash rate.
So long as it’s competitive with the other nearby Hyatt Places, and materially more affordable than the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress across the street and Hyatt Regency Orlando a few miles farther away, I’d definitely make a point to choose this property, thanks to its slightly nicer-than-normal touches and its newness.
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