Review: Park Hyatt Hangzhou

Confession: when flying to Bangkok last month I chose to connect in Hangzhou just to spend a night in this new Park Hyatt property. It did not disappoint.

Admittedly, I hate splurging for a nice hotel when I arrive into a city late in the evening, but since I had a late flight the next night I figured that would still give me about 24 hours at the property.

Uber is technically available in Hangzhou, but no drivers were found. After 15 minutes of waiting I just hopped into a taxi. Metered taxies tend to be cheap in China and Hangzhou is no exception.

The hotel is not located in the heart of Hangzhou so the Hyatt Regency may be a better option if you are a tourist. I never left the hotel during my one night stay, but it would have taken about 20-30 minutes by taxi to reach popular tourist spots such as West Lake or Lingyin Temple.

Upon arriving at the hotel I was directed up to the 38^th floor for check-in. The common areas of the hotel is really beautiful. The ground floor had a distinct art deco feel.

An agent welcomed me, taking my passport and credit card and handing it to a colleague to make a physical copy. I was assigned a corner room on the 44^th floor (the hotel only has 13 suites and I was told all were reserved for a large wedding party). I was escorted up to the room by another associate and given instruction on how to use the electric shades.

Park Hyatt Hangzhou Room

The room was spacious and I appreciated a large desk where I spent several hours working the next day. The bed was plush and the views great from the room.

A Bose Bluetooth speaker meant I could enjoy my own playlists from anywhere in the room.

A wardrobe contained an espresso machine, tea kettle, and mini-bar.

A very handy “power station” was available on the end of the desk with universal plugs. A bowl of fruit was also waiting.

The room was laid out in an L-shape. Stepping inside, I turned right where a walk-in closet was on the left side.

Entering the main room, the bathroom was on the right and included a double sink, large tub, and a fully-automated Toto toilet.

Park Hyatt Hangzhou Dining

Breakfast was in Forty8, a beautiful high-ceilinged restaurant. Nothing stood out in particular, but I enjoyed a hearty breakfast with my usual favorites. One complaint: the coffee was quite unremarkable. The cappuccino was brewed from a machine (not uncommon, but not a great machine either) and something was off: either the coffee or the water. Still, a nice breakfast overall with a huge variety of breakfast specialties from around the world.

I asked for a glass of water (expecting tap) and they brought me Voss:

I also enjoyed a proper cup of coffee in the Living Room, the hotel’s lounge. A shame breakfast did not include cappuccinos like this!

Afternoon tea is also available.

The Dining Room serves traditional Hangzhou, Zhejiang and Cantonese cuisine.

Finally, note that if you want to order in from outside the hotel, you will need to proceed down to the lobby to get your food. This letter was sitting on my desk in the room:

The hotel claims this is for safety reasons, but let’s not kid ourselves: it must be cutting into room service revenue.

Park Hyatt Hangzhou Pool and Fitness

The indoor pool was beautiful, reminding me a bit of the Park Hyatt New York. As I prepared to go swimming, a hotel associate brought me over a speedo swim cap and told me it was required in the pool.

Inside the locker room is a stream room, but not a sauna.

The fitness center has brand new equipment and while not as large as the Park Hyatt Bangkok I would visit the next day, was varied enough for a full workout with free weights or machines.

A Note on Late Checkout

I was very grateful that the hotel extended me a 7pm checkout. The hotel was fully booked due to a wedding party from Guangzhou (it must have been a very wealthy family, for I noted several Rolls Royce Phantoms pulling up and the hotel bar was closed: the family had reserved it for the wedding party), but they still gave me an extra three hours. Gestures like this are one reason I am having such trouble weighing how valuable Hyatt Globalist status is.

English?

Admittedly, a problem many have experienced at Park Hyatt properties in China is an English barrier. I was expecting the same at this property, particularly since it is a new one, but every associate I encountered appeared to have a decent command of English. I wish my Chinese was halfway decent!

CONCLUSION

I had a very lovely stay at this property and recommend it as a sanctuary from the heat and hustle of a storied Chinese city. Next time, I hope to stay longer. I paid $178/night for my room, including taxes. The cost in points would have been 20,000 points per night or 10,000 points + $100 so I believe I chose the best option.