While stopping through Georgia’s capitol on a planned trip, I made reservations and was upgraded to The Young Suite at Hyatt Regency Atlanta. Here’s my experience.
I rolled into the hotel’s breezeway where a valet attendant greeted me. He took my information and car keys, then drove off to park my car in the hotel’s underground parking garage.
I entered through the usual large rotating doors into the lobby, which is an atrium viewing all the rooms in that part of the hotel.
Making my way to the check-in desks, I spotted the one reserved for Hyatt Gold Passport Platinum and Diamond members and walked right up (Note: this stay happened before Hyatt changed its loyalty program to World Of Hyatt and everything that means now).
While at the desk, the check-in agent informed me that I would be receiving a room and stay upgrade thanks to my status as a Platinum member. I asked him to help me understand, and I’m glad I did, as the upgrade was more than just a room change.
The agent explained that along with an upgrade to a suite, I would receive a welcome amenity from the hotel’s market up to a $20 value and Regency Club access with free continental breakfast.
For context, an upgrade like this is generally reserved for members with Globalist or Explorist status under the new World of Hyatt program.
The Regency Club is available to guests who book suites and club rooms. It offers daily receptions with complimentary drinks and snacks in the evenings, and daily continental breakfast in the mornings. More of that will be showcased below.
I keep my status with Hyatt by holding the co-branded Hyatt Visa Signature credit card, which allows me to enjoy benefits like these.
- 15% points bonus on stays
- Upgrades to higher floors or larger rooms (but usually not suites)
- Expedited check-in with dedicated areas for elite members
- 72-hour room availability guarantee
- Late check-out requests
- Exclusive line to book reservations
The Hyatt card also delivers one free night stay each year after the cardmember anniversary, which more than makes up for the $75 annual fee.
Once everything was explained and set (which didn’t take that long) I was off to the elevators of the hotel’s International Tower.
There’s a different feeling when staying in a room in the International Tower of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. Unlike the open air of the main tower’s atrium, the International Tower’s layout is more compact. Each floor hosts a limited number of rooms. This wasn’t a problem, just a different experience. I had stayed in an atrium-facing room during a previous visit.
The One Issue
I walked up to the door of my suite with my keycards, and to my surprise, neither of them worked. About 5 unsuccessful attempts later, I decided to search for help.
I walked back over to the elevators on my floor and picked up a lone guest phone mounted to the wall. It immediately rang the front desk without my having to press any buttons. This was a relief, because I really didn’t want to walk all the way back to the lobby.
I explained to the person on the other end of the phone where I was and that my door would not open. The agent was very apologetic and told me he would send a security worker up to me right away.
Several minutes later, a man with a large ring of keys on his belt and a special hotel room key coding machine walked up. He asked for my identification first, and then asked how he could help me.
I told him what the problem was, and he swapped my keys out with some others. But that still could not open the door.
He then took the machine he had and held it up to the door, inserting part of it into the card slot. After pressing some buttons, the machine beeped, and he pulled it away from the door.
He inserted the new keys once again into the door slot, the lock finally turned and he pushed the door open.
I told him thanks, and he said that the hotel would like to compensate me for the trouble in the form of an additional 2,500 points. I accepted, thanked him again, and walked inside.
The Young Suite at Hyatt Regency Atlanta
When you enter the room, you’re immediately at a crossroads: veer left and you’re in the bedroom and bathroom area; veer right and you’re suddenly in the expansive living and dining area of the suite. The two parts are separated by a door that can be closed and locked.
The bedroom consists of a king bed on one side of the room, and a dresser/entertainment center and desk on the other. To the right of the bed near the window was a chaise lounge chair.
Near the entrance of the room, to the left, was the doorway to the suite’s bathroom. It was spacious, and included a separate soaking tub and walk-in shower. The double vanity had an extra large mirror that took up most of the wall, and included a built-in TV.
While the bedroom and bathroom were nice, the rest of the suite was impressive.
The entire room (or rooms, really) is laid out in a giant “L” shape. Walking in from the bedroom places you in the living room, which has two separate sitting areas and a large flat screen TV at one end.
At the other end, an iMac workstation and laser printer are available for use. Back by the TV there was a connected Blu-ray player to the side and wireless over-ear headphones hanging on a charging stand.
Moving through the suite, there’s a right angle turn past the TV that opens up into a hallway-type area. I imagine it’s nice when using the space for entertaining groups of people.
Just past the hallway is another half bathroom with a sink and toilet, and next to that bathroom is another entry door to the suite.
From the hallway outside, the doors to the bedroom and entertaining areas are right next to each other, but I didn’t realize they went to the same place when I first arrived.
Past the suite’s second entrance is a formal dining area with a large table and seating for eight or more people.
Moving toward the end of the room, a large granite bar with its own seating made for a grand finish. Everything from glassware to a microwave to a stocked mini refrigerator was in it. There was even a Keurig coffee maker with K-cups ready to use.
I opted not to use up the kitchen and dining space because it was getting late. Instead I decided to drop by the hotel’s 24-hour market in the lobby. I still needed to pick out something with the welcome amenity voucher they provided to me at check-in.
The market serves as a coffee shop and bistro, offering drinks, muffins, and other breakfast items. They also offer some other hot lunch and dinner items, along with grab baskets of popular candies and snacks. On the left side a row of refrigerators and freezers contained sodas, beer, wine, and even ice cream.
After looking everything over, I opted to purchase a bottle of white wine, which took up the entire value of my voucher ($20). The attendant completed the transaction and handed me a small wine glass, and I was on my way back upstairs.
I spent the evening relaxing with my wine and watching the suite’s massive living room TV.
Hyatt Regency Atlanta Club Lounge
The next morning I walked down a couple of flights of stairs to the club lounge for breakfast. It was spacious and not very crowded, and the bar offered a variety of hot and cold breakfast options. I didn’t take any photos while I was in the lounge, but this one courtesy of Hyatt delivers the overall feel of the place.
The lounge also offers a daily evening reception with drinks and snacks, but it had already ended by the time I checked in the night before.
Upon checkout, I went down to the parking level to retrieve my car. Each hotel in downtown Atlanta handles their on-site parking differently, but I personally like how the Hyatt Regency does theirs. The entire process is indoors and underground, and has a very clean feel to it.
If you are driving, leaving the parking garage is a breeze due to the exit leading out to a one-way street.
Conclusion
So what did I think about The Young Suite at Hyatt Regency Atlanta? For me, the hotel is a high-quality full-service downtown hotel with plenty of rooms and helpful staff. The Young Suite is a spectacular experience if you can swing it. And even if you can’t, the standard and club rooms are comfortable and accommodating.
The hotel itself has easy access to popular destinations new and old in downtown Atlanta (the hotel has direct access to Peachtree Center Mall).
Have you ever stayed in the Young Suite at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta? Share your experience in the comments.
