We spent the bulk of our hotel time at the Hyatt Place Pasadena and quite liked this property. Our suite was enormous and the breakfast here was solid.
Hyatt Place Pasadena Review
Just 10 minutes from our house, this was the closest Hyatt and as it turned out the best hotel for our needs after a disaster left us temporarily homeless.
We ended up staying here on four different occasions for several days at a time. Our suite was not available every night and some nights were sold out or quite expensive (such that I did not want to risk the insurance company quibbling about hotel costs). Even so, we felt very comfortable here.
Check-In
The staff here were quite nice and when they saw my local driver’s license and learned why we were there, they were particularly sympathetic (unlike some hotels that do not allow locals…)
The lobby is large and full of natural light, with plenty of seating that serves as an overflow or breakfast in the morning.
Room
I’ll show you what a standard room looks like and our suite.
Standard rooms are just like any domestic Hyatt Place: couch, bed, desk, and a small bathroom. Perfectly reasonable, but not ideal for privacy.
The suites at this hotel, however, are quite nice…and huge. Our suite, room 523, had a kitchen area (unfortunately no large appliances or else I do think we would have never left), large bathroom, bedroom, and a spacious living room with a great view of Pasadena outside.
Plenty of power plugs and built-in USB-A ports as well.
We really liked this room…it was by far the best room I have ever had any Hyatt Place worldwide. And we spent quite a bit of time here as well, eating our meals and working here.
Breakfast
Breakfast was served buffet-style downstairs adjacent to the lobby.
Unlike the nearby Glendale location, I quite liked breakfast here. Fresh berries in the morning were a hit with my family and the eggs still may have been powdered, but they tasted fresher and fluffier than the “usual” Hyatt Place eggs. The bacon and sasuage were not bad either. I did not try the bread or French Toast. The kids loved the cereal.
Coffee was not great, but again it was passable at least.
We ate outside most days. There is a pair of tables.
Breakfast was served from 6:30 am to 9:00 am on weekdays and from 7:00 am to 10:00 am on weekends.
The Placery (Bar)
Next to the breakfast area is the hotel bar and café called The Placery. It is open from noon to midnight, with food available until 10:00 pm. Think burgers, turkey pesto sandwich, chicken Caesar salad.
In the morning, you can order premium espresso drinks from the bar (Starbucks coffee). Pasadena is full of great coffee shops so I don’t recommend this if you have the time. Right down the street on Green is a great place called Republik.
Pool
The kids loved the pool (open from dawn to dusk) and we spent a lot of time in it.
Around the pool was a life-size chessboard, fire pit, and plenty of seating.
Fitness Center
The fitness center was located on the lobby level and good enough for a quick workout (with both strength training and cardio machines), though I preferred to use my own gym during this time.
Parking
Parking is available underground for $25/night with in and out privileges. In fact, it is not controlled by gate, though you are given a placard at the front desk to place on your windshield.
There was no electric char charging which was a tad annoying.
Location
Finally, a word on the location. Located in the Paseo (outdoor shopping mall) in the heart of Pasadena, I thought the location was great. Pasadena is such a fun city and while this was not a fun time for us, I do like “city living” and there are os many great restaurants, bars, and shopping within walking distance.
CONCLUSION
My family quite enjoyed the Hyatt Place Pasadena and while we hope our local hotel days are behind us, we would not hesitate to return here.
Augustine kinda hits a bullseye on how staying in a hotel is – most of the time. Smart kid!
Nope. I don’t come close to that breakfast. All processed packaged stuff. Both good there other maybe the banana.
Nice looking suite, even if that foyer is quite a bit of wasted space. Then again, it’s already a nicely sized suite so that isn’t a huge issue…and you could prob fit a rollaway bed in that if you had another child too.
I’ve notice more and more of the hotel have showers instead of bathtubs.
I prefer a shower over a tub any day!
I would imagine they do their best to keep it clean, but just might want to bring your flip flops with you.
Thanks for posting this review. I live in Pasadena and watched the hotel get built as I was spending a lot of time at the ice rink across the street. Based on your review, I’d recommend it to out of town visitors.
Nice review. Were you guys upgraded to a suite? Or did you book it? (I figured you booked it, since insurance is paying, but just wondering.)
We’ve stayed here several times as a family and have never been upgraded to a suite, even though they were showing available.
Upgraded. But had to ask. And many nights it was sold out making a continuous stay impossible at the last-minute. I think there are only a few.