At the Hyatt Centric Brickell in Miami, it’s a mixed bag of exceeding expectations and falling short even on a Hyatt Privé rate.
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Location
Just off 11th Street and across from the water, the location for this mid-level Hyatt property is stunning. Some of the best food and shopping in a city known for both are a short block or two away. I was even able to walk to a meeting at the nearby WeWork. The hotel is about 18-20 minutes from Miami International in normal off-peak travel conditions but can be substantially longer during peak traffic periods. The Port of Miami (cruise terminal) is a 15-20 minute drive though just a couple of miles away, again dependent on traffic. The Hyatt Centric Brickell Miami hotel is in the heart of the downtown Miami financial district.
Phone: +1 (786) 441-1234
Address: 1102 Brickell Bay Dr, Miami, FL 33131
Property
A driveway from Brickell Bay Drive welcomes guests checking in. Valet is available for $41/night for guests, and $20/day for daytime visitors.
The hotel is full-service, something refreshing as the Centric line continues to expand. Included with a resort fee, daily turndown with a chocolate on the pillow is included – a nice touch.
On the 19th floor (roof) a very large outdoor pool deck awaits. The pool itself is also large and there’s an available hot tub too.
A remarkably tiny pool bar that was entirely understaffed on the one opportunity I had to use the pool is positioned near the elevators. About one-third of the available pool loungers were occupied but they left just one bartender to serve the masses, and the hostess from the restaurant was shuttling food orders in a constant rotation.
On the 4th floor, a small fitness center offers a handful of treadmills and some free weights. When I visited, one of the treadmills was being worked on, three guests were using the gym and I did my best not to photograph them but it was a crowded, windowless room.
The lobby is home to a small shop with some branded items (it smelled great throughout the property and they sell the scent) as well as the world’s smallest CVS.
The Cuban theme was reflected in the bright colors, large oil paintings, and cigar box lids lacquered into the reception desk.
Benefits (Discoverist/Privé)
I was recognized as a Discoverist at check-in and all of my Privé benefits were honored because my travel agency was approved to offer the program. Program benefits can differ slightly from property to property, here’s the Hyatt Privé benefits at the Hyatt Centric Brickell Miami:
- Early check-in
- Late check-out (4 PM)
- Upgrade to a suite
- Daily breakfast for two in the hotel’s restaurant, Caña
- (2) Drink coupons
- $50/stay on-site credit (I used mine for valet parking fees)
Breakfast (Caña)
I was only able to use the breakfast benefit one of the two days of my stay due to work commitments. While they seated me close to the end of breakfast (always appreciated), the meal itself was a microcosm of the stay itself.
I ordered a Cortadito Nutella, something I haven’t tried before but I love a cortado and I love Nutella. This was, by far, the highlight of my experience.
The tortilla on the burrito was fresh and nicely grilled. However, the scrambled eggs inside were almost certainly microwaved in a bag possibly with the peppers as well. There were simply no signs it had ever hit a pan and they were bland. The color and consistency of the guacamole were also that of a bagged product. So I asked the server if the guacamole was fresh and he stated it was a combination of a bagged product with fresh guacamole. (Just no.)
This is more or less the point. Caña is in an area with incredibly fresh ingredients year-round and describes the restaurant as such: “Rooted in Cuban culture, Executive Chef Milian created a vibrant menu that is prepared using only the freshest regional ingredients.” Why am I whining about an included hotel breakfast? Simple, this is a case of mailing it in. Other than the grill marks, this could have been put together at any Hyatt Place but for $15 – it’s insulting and it’s mailing it in.
But it’s Miami, what do you expect for $15, right? Pilo’s Street Tacos in Brickell is about two blocks west and for the same price I had a remarkable burrito with fresh ingredients. The grill marks, the coffee, and the ambiance were excellent, but the burrito ingredients advertised with guacamole are neither fresh nor good.
The check came in a cigar box but had an automatic 18% gratuity which is below what I normally tip. As stated in another poststated in another post, if the restaurant adds an automatic gratuity, like 71% of the population I am not going to add a second tip so management’s decision to include it cost the server a small amount of money I normally would have left. Much like the packaged guacamole (sour cream was also in a self-service package) it feels a little like they think their customer will just accept whatever is in front of them. It was a disappointment, outside of the coffee.
Double Queen Junior Suite
Not a true suite, but it certainly was a very large room with plenty of space, this corner room (1013) had floor-to-ceiling windows with plenty of light.
The view was incredible and though I was offered a King Bed Junior Suite as part of my Hyatt Privé rate, the double Queen Bed Junior Suite was located in a better position with an unbeatable view.
Bathroom
The bathroom was fairly large with a huge shower equipped with both a rain shower head and sprayer. The toiletries are attached to the wall. Unfortunately, the shampoo dispenser wasn’t functioning properly, it appeared to be out of shampoo. In fact, there was shampoo inside but the dispenser wasn’t working properly. I informed housekeeping who claimed to have refilled it, however, they didn’t close the fixture and left a gallon bottle of conditioner in my room. What was I washing my hair with? I have no idea.
Service
Everyone at the hotel was very friendly and courteous. But some moments just didn’t stack up to an elevated experience. I used the valet a few times, and one employee was consistently contentious while the rest were great. Smiling and helpful staff greeted me in the lobby every time, but other staff members would pile into the lift to go up one flight while guests waited. At check-out, I noticed that I hadn’t received my on-site credit of $50 (Hyatt Privé is usually $100, but some properties are lower) so I asked about it. The reception staff had to call over a manager, who thought I was asking for something to come off my bill. I explained it and it was handled.
A lot of these are minor issues but for Privé rates offered through approved agencies whereby additional amenities are granted and the hotel is evaluated for approval in the program, it felt like the property fell short of the mark. All of these issues are repairable and service was friendly, but it’s not quite where it needs to be at almost every level of the experience.
Value
The Hyatt Centric Brickell Miami normally sells for about $250/nt plus the destination fee of $35.40 plus tax (bringing it to $40/night.) Better deals can be had in low season. However, my Privé rate that included early check-in, late check-out (which they honored and I absolutely needed), an upgrade to the highest suite they offer, daily breakfast (only had time one of the two days) and my on-site credit pushed the cost to about $372 all-in per night. I wouldn’t choose a Privé rate for my next stay at the hotel. Point redemptions start at 20,000 points pushing it outside of Category 1-4 certificate. I value Hyatt points at 2¢/each so I’d opt for a standard cash stay in the future.
What do you think?
Nothing like a cigar themed place that is actually hyper non-smoking.