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Home » Reviews » Hotel Reviews » Review: Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa
Hotel ReviewsHyatt

Review: Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa

Matthew Klint Posted onNovember 28, 2023November 28, 2023 18 Comments

a sign on a wall

As much as I love the Mar Monte in Santa Barbara, we’ve found a new Southern California weekend getaway at Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach, which checks off (almost) all the boxes for my family and is particularly generous to World of Hyatt Globalist members.

In This Post:

Toggle
  • Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Review
    • Check-In
    • Guest Room
    • Dining
    • Resort Fee
    • Pools
    • Fitness Center
    • Spa
    • Fish Feeding
    • Beach Access
    • Pets
    • Parking
    • CONCLUSION

Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Review

We spent Thanksgiving weekend at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach (we had to skip our usual journey to the Hyatt Carmel Highlands Inn this year due to work obligations). We also spent a night there after the tree accident earlier this autumn. This review will cover both of these two stays.

Nightly rates vary from $228 to over $500 depending upon the time of year and demand. Our nightly rate was $309.

Check-In

As this is a large resort with 517 guest rooms (including three presidential suites and 57 total suites), I encountered a line to check-in on both visits. However, the line moved rather quickly and I was graciously welcomed, thanked my for Globalist status, and upgraded to a room with a king and queen bed with partial ocean view.

a large room with a round table and chairs

a hallway with columns and chandeliers

a long hallway with a sign and rope barriers

a reception desk in a hotel

The common areas are fairly limited indoors, but there are gardens and fountains located throughout the property.

a fountain in a courtyard of a building

a group of palm trees in a courtyard

a fountain with statues of children sitting in a small fountain

a pool with palm trees and a building

a pond with plants and trees in front of a building

a large courtyard with flowers and palm trees

a fountain with a statue in the middle of a courtyard

Guest Room

Our room, 2309, was very spacious and provided more than enough space for my family of four. In addition to the two beds, there was a desk with chair, patio with two chairs, and a large bathroom with two sinks, shower, tub, and a toilet. Shower amenities were from Pharmacopia in large bottles attached to the wall.

a blue and gold circle with a number on it

a white door with a black handle

a room with two beds and a television

a room with two beds and a balcony

a room with two beds

a room with two beds and a television

a chair and a table in a room

a table and chair in a room

a chair and table on a balcony overlooking palm trees and a pool

a coffee machine and coffee cups on a counter
A Keurig coffee machine is available in every guest room.

a bathroom with a shower and bathtub

a bathroom with double sinks and a mirror

a toilet in a bathroom

a shower head and a holder

a group of bottles with dispensers on a tile wall

The room even had a walk-in closet:

a white robe in a closet

Power plugs were located on each side of the nightstand between beds, which was appreciated for device charging.

a close up of a power outlet

In fact, our second room had USB-C charging as well (no picture).

Internet was complimentary and worked seamlessly throughout the property.

Dining

As a large resort, the hotel has several dining options including:

  • Watertable: Contemporary American
  • Pete’s Sunset Grille: Casual, cocktails
  • Mankota’s Bar & Grill: Poolside casual (seasonal)
  • Tower 15: Pizzeria (seasonal)
  • Slyders Poolside Bar & Grill: Poolside casual (seasonal)
  • Shor: Beachside Casual (seasonal)

Let’s start with breakfast at Watertable. First, you should call ahead before going down. We went down at 10:30 am for breakfast and was informed there would be a 45-minute wait for a table (thankfully, it ended up being only about 20 minutes). Breakfast goes until 11:30 am, which I love…the buffet was really not removed until after noon.

a room with a large open door

a building with glass doors and plants

a room with a bookcase and chairs

a room with a fireplace and tables and chairs

a room with tables and chairs

a group of people sitting at a bar

a room with tables and chairs

We ate outdoors.

a patio with tables and chairs

a patio with tables and chairs

a patio with tables and umbrellas

Although an a la carte menu is available, the breakfast buffet here is quite nice and my family loved it. Particularly, I enjoyed the omelets made-to-order, the nuts including pistachios and Marcona almonds (yum), fresh berries, and the cold cuts like salami, bresaola, and cheese. The buffet had a wide selection of baked goods, hot and cold cereal, breakfast staples like bacon, eggs, sausage, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, and a salad bar with smoked salmon.

a menu on a table

a table with different colored containers on it

a kitchen with a counter and a man behind it

a buffet table with food on it

a buffet table with plates and food on it

food on a cutting board

a table with food on it

a group of jars with spoons in them

cereal in a dispenser

a group of trays of pastries

a bowl of food with tongs

a plate of food with a fork and knife

a plate of green and purple leaves

a plate of food on a table

a bowl of blueberries and strawberries

Coffee was just okay…I had a cortado and it tasted like Starbucks espresso (which strikes me as likely considering there is café serving Starbucks on the premises).

a white cup on a plate

Breakfast was fully covered as a Globalist, including gratuity (as it should have been, but sometimes hotels play games…not this one).

a receipt on a table

All sorts of poolside dining was available and the Tower 15 pizzeria was very crowded in the evening. Adjacent to the lobby is a courtyard with the grocery store, pizzeria, restaurant, and a clothing shop.

a building with a fireplace and christmas decorations

a fountain with statues in front of a building

As a Globalist member, I was offered $25 credit at Surf City Grocers. This was quite useful since the room only had a Keurig machine (worse than sludge) and so we got our coffee here. Mind you, I’m not a fan of Starbucks coffee, but it was certainly better than Keurig. Breakfast burritos are available here too along with sundries, drinks, ready-to-eat food, ice cream, and candy (I ended up using my remaining credit to buy my kids some Sour Patch Kids, their favorite candy).

a menu board with a fan and ceiling fan

a woman behind a counter in a coffee shop

a room with a table and chairs and shelves of beverages

a store with shelves and shelves of food

a display case with food and drinks

a ice cream cooler and shelves in a room

I’m still not comfortable taking the kids to nice restaurants for dinner because my little one has trouble sitting still. We actually enjoyed Thanksgiving leftovers in the room…it was perfect. The other night we went out to Whole Foods, located right down Beach Boulevard (though not within walking distance).

a storefront with green neon lights

a plastic container with food in it

a girl sitting at a table with food in it
Augustine unhappy his soup was too hot…

Resort Fee

A daily $42 resort fee is collected, though waived for Globalist members of the World of Hyatt program. It includes:

  • Access to the resort’s heated pools, hot tubs and waterslides
  • In-room refillable water bottles (2 per stay)
  • Hydration stations located throughout the resort
  • Premium high-speed internet access
  • 24-hour fitness center with Peloton bikes and the latest equipment
  • Beach essentials: chairs, umbrellas and towels
  • Sunscreen at pools
  • Daily koi fish feeding
  • Firepit experiences
  • Fitness classes (seasonal)
  • Outdoor movies (seasonal)
  • Cosmic sliding (seasonal)
  • Dig It! interactive sandcastle building (seasonal)
  • Two-for-one half-day bike rental at Toes on the Nose
  • In-room refrigerator, safe and coffee/tea setup
  • In-room Chromecast streaming service
  • Surfboard, golf club and luggage storage
  • Boarding pass printing
  • Local and toll-free calls
  • Incoming and outgoing fax service
  • Personalized guest request texting service for 24-hour assistance

I loathe hidden fees but Hyatt now adds this amount to the room fee when booking online or on the mobile app, which is greatly appreciated.

Pools

If you like pools or your kids do, this is the hotel for you. There are large pools and small, deep pools and shallow, pools intended for children and an adults-only pool area (spa grotto). There’s even a saltwater pool (Mankota’s).

a pool with chairs and umbrellas and a building with palm trees

a pool with palm trees and a building with a beach and blue sky

a flower in front of a pool

a sign on a fence

a sign on a fence

a pool with a metal railing and chairs

a building with palm trees and a fence

Most importantly for our purposes, the Slyders Water Playground was simply ideal for our kids. There was a one-foot (depth) pool that my daughter could frolic in without me having to hold her and both kids loved the water slides.

a pool with chairs and a fire pit surrounded by palm trees

a person in a pool

a boy on a water slide

a girl in a pool

Fitness Center

A 24/27 fitness center is located next to the spa and includes mostly cardio equipment as well as a range of strength-training equipment and stretching gear like mats and foam rollers (something I am spending more time on these days…).

a room with exercise equipment

a gym with exercise equipment

a man standing on exercise machines in a room

a room with exercise balls and weights

Spa

My favorite part of the hotel is the Pacific Waters Spa, which offers excellent wellness facilities including a sauna, steam room, and whirlpool.

a sign on a wall

Access to these amenities is $30/day, but waived for Globalist members.

a door in a room

a hallway with a tile floor and a white wall

a room with a large potted plant

a room with a large plant on top of a pedestal

a indoor jacuzzi with a bench and a bench

a bathroom with a shower and a chair

a wooden bench in a room

a white and blue tiled staircase

a room with lockers and a bench

There’s water and tea available, as well as treats like cake, fruit, and nuts.

a counter with a variety of items on it

a table with food on it

There’s also an indoor and outdoor relaxation area.

a room with chairs and a chandelier

a group of chairs and a umbrella on a patio

Treatments like facials and massages are available, but quite expensive…think $200/hour. I find that rather difficult to justify.

Spa hours are limited: the spa is only open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Unfortunately, the locker room is closed when the spa closes, so you cannot use the steam room, sauna, or whirlpool early or late.

Fish Feeding

If you have young children, don’t miss the daily fish feeding outside the spa at noon. I really feel sorry for these poor desperate koi, but my kids loved feeding them…in fact, they were delighted.

a children playing with a fish in a pond

a boy pointing at something

a girl looking at a fish in a pond

a group of fish in water

Beach Access

The hotel makes beach access quite easy with a bridge linking the property to the beach. My kids greatly enjoyed building sand castles and running along the beach into the waves.

a bridge over a street with cars and a building

a walkway with a couple of people walking down it

a white building with a tower and palm trees

a sandy beach with a pier and a bridge

a child walking on a beach

a child playing in the sand

Pets

Dogs are welcome at this property, but at a charge of $175 per stay up to six nights:

  • Only dogs weighing 50 pounds or under are permitted (service dogs excluded)
  • Two dogs may stay in a room, provided their combined weight does not exceed 75 pounds
  • A pet information card must be filled out at check-in
  • A reservation inclusive of a dog must be made three days in advance of arrival
  • Dogs are not allowed in restaurants or pool areas (service dogs excluded)

Parking

My only complaint at this property is that the parking is expensive and not at all convenient if you wish to self-park.

At such a large resort, it is quite reasonable that only valet parking is available. The cost is $49/night ($29 for up to 12 hours).

a sign with a price on it

Electric vehicle charging stations are available to hotel guests based on availability, but you have to ask (which I neglected to do and ended up stopping at a Supercharger on the way home).

Heidi and I drove separately since she was coming from work and so we paid $100/night for parking plus tip…not ideal.

a large building with a car parked in the front

a fountain with statues in front of a building

When you want your car, you can scan your claim ticket on a kiosk and it will be brought up from the covered carpark below.

a machine with a screen and a phone on it

Metered street parking is available for $3/hour (no charge between midnight and 6:00 am). You can also park in the public parking lot for the beach across the street. It’s $15 to get in and then $15 per night (so $30 for the first day and $15 for each day thereafter). Cars must be parked by 9:00 pm and obtain an overnight parking pass from the hotel valet.

CONCLUSION

I really like this hotel and the amenities it offers. It is extremely family-friendly without feeling like it is only for kids (like the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa) The breakfast is great, the beach lovely, the pools perfect for my kids, and the spa great for my wife and me. We will return…and return often.

Finally, it is also nice to run into readers. I ran into Ismael and his children outside the spa and it was great to say hello. Do say hello if you see me or my family.

a sign with flowers and plants around it

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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18 Comments

  1. CJH Reply
    November 28, 2023 at 8:47 am

    Is the resort fee waived when staying on points, without Globalist status?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      November 28, 2023 at 9:32 am

      I think so.

    • Travis Reply
      November 28, 2023 at 9:38 am

      It is waived on an award stay.

  2. Santastico Reply
    November 28, 2023 at 10:14 am

    Resort fee and parking are examples of armed robbery. Absolutely disgusting. That’s one of the main reasons I haven’t spent a single vacation day in the US in the last 8 years.

  3. bleep Reply
    November 28, 2023 at 10:24 am

    If that’s a picture of the pool your daughter is frolicking in, I think it’s a bit deeper than 1 inch. 😉

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      November 28, 2023 at 11:57 am

      Oops. 1 foot!

  4. Ismael Reply
    November 28, 2023 at 10:57 am

    It was very nice to meet you there Matt. I’ve been a looooong time reader.. since you were on upgrd 😉

    We love this hotel and usually stay at least one night every time we come to the LA area. With easy beach access, amazing Globalist breakfast, covered spa access, great pools, upgraded room it is one of our favorite hotels to stay at repeatedly.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      November 28, 2023 at 1:26 pm

      Great to meet you as well!

      You’re one of the few people to see that Mrs. Klint is real!

  5. Joe Reply
    November 28, 2023 at 11:55 am

    I think this is a great hotel and I’ve stayed several times, but had no idea there was a spa! I definitely would have visited, it looks like a nice complex.. not sure how I could’ve missed that. I agree this is a great spot for kids with the beach across the street and pools and slides on the property itself. Excellent breakfast as you noted.

  6. Stuart Reply
    November 28, 2023 at 12:42 pm

    Never been a fan of these California resort factories. This has that same faux 90’s Mediterranean look of so many resorts there. Park Hyatt Aviara being another one…which ranks for me as the absolute worst PH globally.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      November 28, 2023 at 12:49 pm

      Honestly, this Hyatt is a resort factory, but the breakfast was fabulous, the service was quite good, and the location was nice, other than the parking, which is something I love in Santa Barbara. Plus the spa is a really big deal for me. Sauna + steam room = ❤️ ❤️ ❤️. Yeah, it’s refurbished but still dated, but for two young kids it is difficult to beat.

  7. Mitch Cumstein Reply
    November 28, 2023 at 1:33 pm

    Was just there in August and the resort looks very quiet by comparison, especially the pools and waterslides.

    They comped the parking for me as globalist. I don’t think they’re required to on a paid stay, but it never hurts to ask (granted we had 1 car and not 2).

  8. dee Reply
    November 28, 2023 at 4:57 pm

    SO there is s resort fee for stuff that should be a part of your stay and another?$30 doe amenities like the gym??crazy cali!!

  9. Mike Reply
    November 28, 2023 at 10:40 pm

    Got married here, really is an amazing Hyatt and feel like it should be a bit higher than just a Regency

  10. Randy Reply
    November 29, 2023 at 10:50 am

    No free parking for a Globalist for at least one car?

    • Paul Reply
      December 1, 2023 at 11:21 pm

      Globalists only get free parking on award stays.
      Though another poster in this thread was lucky enough to snag it on a paid stay.

  11. Ethan Reply
    December 10, 2023 at 4:44 am

    If you paid more than $100 per night, why not just redeem points and get parking for free?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      December 10, 2023 at 9:14 am

      I value points at two cents each and it was less than $420.

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