I’m sorry it’s been so long since I’ve written my last article. Life gets in the way sometimes and well you just have to go with the flow. I will try to complete my India trip report from last year before I embark on another trip there this year. Yeah I know wonderful on the timeliness part right?
My usual place to stay in Hyderabad has been the Westin Mindspace, but this time my dad needed like seven more nights to reach Hyatt Globalist status and so we decided to take a chance and try the Park Hyatt Hyderabad instead. I ended up booking our 10 night stay at this hotel using Hyatt points and it cost me 8,000 points per night per room as this property is a Hyatt Category 2 property. The property is located in arguably Hyderabad’s most prestigious neighborhood, Jubliee Hills. This is right next to the homes of many Tollywood stars celebrities and movie studios. If you aren’t familiar with Tollywood, it’s the world’s third largest film industry.
The Lobby:
The Park Hyatt Hyderabad has an atrium style layout with the guest rooms on one side of the property and the apartments on the other side. There is a gigantic 27 foot sculpture in the center of the lobby called “Becoming” which is adjacent to a small reflection pool and a spiral staircase to nowhere. I wouldn’t call it the finest hotel art, but it does give the lobby a unique look. Since it was Christmas time, there was also a Christmas tree at the center.
Arrival and Check In:
We arrived at the hotel around 2 pm local time and were immediately helped with our bags and checked in. As a Hyatt Globalist, my dad’s room was automatically upgraded to the Park Executive Suite. My sister and I ended up sharing a 2 Twin Bed City View Room. Breakfast ended up being included for both of our rooms, which was very nice of the hotel to offer as I have no status on my World of Hyatt account.
The “Smoky” Park Executive Suite
Our rooms were located on the third floor, down the hall from each other. The moment you stepped into the room, a pungent, stale smoke odor permeated the air, only slightly masked by a faint hint of air freshener that the hotel had attempted to use to cover up the unpleasantness. When we asked for a different room, the hotel staff insisted that this was the best they could offer given that the suites at this hotel were not nonsmoking. Being a hotel that is frequented by Bollywood and Tollywood celebrities, I guess they can’t afford to ban that?
Entering into the room there was a powder room or half bath to the left. I don’t know who thought of the sink, but it looked like it came straight from an airplane lavatory.
Walking into the main part of the suite, there was a large living space with a large wooden desk on the side with a massive granite counter next to it with a coffee machine, and minibar. Please look at the expiration dates on the sodas in the minibar before you drink because I took a Coke Light one afternoon and it ended up having been expired for over 6 months. At the very center of the room is what I can best call a portable toilet without the needed openings? I don’t know who designs these places SMH.
At the end of the hallway past a door was the main bedroom which was rather large on space. The room featured a massive couch stretching most of the wall and a very cheap looking coffee table. It was nice that universal electrical outlets were readily available next to the bed making it easy to charge devices from pretty much any country.
Attached to the bedroom was a massive bathroom with a separate powder room, double vanity, and a massive shower alongside a deep soaking tub. There was also a fairly large closet.
The most annoying part about the entire space were the 270 degree floor to ceiling windows. The curtains available weren’t exactly the most covering and I’m pretty sure anyone at the building across the street can see you taking a shower through the openings in the shades. When I was at the hotel that happened to be construction workers. My cousin had a similar suite that she stayed in and that room happened to be exposed to the other end of the atrium. Frankly that was even more annoying.
The City View Twin Room
The Twin Room wasn’t designed well either. While it looked modern and classy with the black marble flooring and massive granite wall, the open concept was just too open. While the toilet room had a door thankfully, the shower/tub room had an open window to the rest of the room. The door leading to the shower always ended up hitting the nob so you were always sprayed with water unless the head was turned away. And then there was the shade which covered the window to the bathroom. Let’s just say it wasn’t very effective at blocking out the view from the outside. It was a good thing my parents had a suite because my sister and I would just trade places while the other showered. These hotels really need to think about privacy especially in the Twin Rooms.
On the other side of the shower and the toilet was area with a sink and a vanity mirror. This is an area which was acceptably open to the rest of the room.
The rest of the room was fairly standard with two twin beds and a large LED TV. Again it was nice that outlets were conveniently located next to the beds.
Breakfast at the Dining Room
Breakfast was served at the Dining Room daily from 7:00 AM to 10:30 AM and was complimentary for Globalists and most cash rates at the hotel. The selection was massive and you could easily skip a day worth of meals after eating here!
Finding a seat can be a challenge on weekends so I do recommend going early.
The restaurant has a large open kitchen and serves cuisines from all around the world. The Indian food at the Park Hyatt is a step above what’s offered at the Westin Mindspace across town. My favorite is always the Masala Dosa, which is a thin, crispy pancake made from a fermented batter of ground rice and lentils which is accompanied by mashed potatoes seasoned with chillipowder and garnished with cilantro.
The Gym
When you eat like that you have to use the gym to pay your taxes. The gym, spa, and salon are all located on the second floor of the Park Hyatt adjacent to each other. Luckily the fitness centre is decent and has an above average array of strength training and cardio equipment sets. It’s not exactly the best or biggest gym I’ve ever seen, but was for the most part empty throughout my stay. Some of the weights, jump ropes, and other stuff are located inside a closet, which didn’t smell the greatest though.
If you get tired and fancy some flavored wateror a banana that’s also available.
Service and Comparison to the Westin Mindspace
The service at this hotel was ok at best with the exception of the reception. The front desk is outstanding and they did really try to make sure we were comfortable with what was available. The rest of it was truly hit or miss. I would say the Westin was certainly better in this department across the board. At the Westin, hotel guests were recognized in the dining areas and were treated better than visitors (except on Holidays and certain busy weekends). At the Park Hyatt, you are pretty much just part of the crowd.
The Westin Mindspace also has an executive lounge which is very useful for business meetings, grabbing a quick drink or snack, or just enjoying the views out the window. It still remains my top choice for stays in Hyderabad.
Bottom Line:
I would say the Park Hyatt Hyderabad is an ok choice for a stay in Hyderabad. The rooms and suites are problematic if you ask me, especially if you don’t smoke and have to share a room with a sibling or friend. With that being said, the food is immaculate and the location is terrific for accessing most restaurants and shopping malls that Hyderabad has to offer. At 8,000 points, it’s a solid value for World of Hyatt members. Does it befit the Park Hyatt name? I’m not really sure when it comes to hotel design, room condition, or service. There was no real “WOW” factor.
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