9 Common Tourist Complaints About Hyatt Hotels

As one of the top 10 largest hotel brands in the world, Hyatt offers a wide range of properties, including limited-service hotels for travelers on a budget, extended-stay options, all-inclusive resorts, and high-end establishments for discerning guests. In total, Hyatt operates over 1,500 hotels across more than 30 distinct brands. Because the Hyatt name appears on so many different kinds of accommodations, guests' experiences can be wildly different from one individual hotel to another.

A complaint about a Hyatt Place, for example, probably won't be particularly relevant to someone booking a room at a Park Hyatt or even at the Hyatt Regency Maui, which has been hailed as the world's first destination resort and spa. Even so, there are some frustrations that seem to transcend all Hyatt properties. Here, we'll look at nine tourist complaints about Hyatt hotels, and provide helpful solutions to each problem where we can.

To put together this guide, we used official Hyatt websites, firsthand accounts from Tripadvisor, Facebook, and Reddit, as well as information from high-authority blogs like Upgraded Points and One Mile at a Time. Finally, I pulled in some personal knowledge from periodically staying at Hyatt properties during my own travels.

Hyatt's portfolio gives travelers a wide array of choices but, it also means that the quality of a stay can vary dramatically from one brand to another. High-end Alila resorts, for example, focus on sustainable luxury in some of the world's most stunning places. Park Hyatt hotels, meanwhile, focus on modern luxury experiences in places like New York. Then, there are more budget-friendly properties like Hyatt Studios, which are designed for extended stays.

Some people find the range of Hyatt properties, even within the same category, to be frustrating. One Redditor complained that they were worried about "Ziva, Zilara, Secrets, Dreams, Breathless, Zoetry, Vivid, etc." being third-party hotel brands that were simply partnering with Hyatt for name recognition. They went on to say, "I am not sure what the quality of these brands will be and if they will meet my expectations." It can be very difficult for travelers to know where to book when brands within the same class of hotel have different baselines for quality.

Reviewer Ryan Smith at Upgraded Points, for example, had an unpleasant stay at the Hyatt Vivid Playa Del Carmen. He noted that, during his single-night misadventure, his problems ran the gamut from poor customer service to dirty spaces. He even started texting his friends and family, basically giving them a play-by-play of how bad it was. Another Reddit user called out the Hyatt House Dallas Uptown, where the imprint of a dead cockroach was in wet paint on their wall. This is why it's critical to research your individual Hyatt property, not just the overarching brand. Redditors suggest using the hotel's category as a baseline for quality standards, with one person sharing that Park Hyatt and Andaz tend to be the top tier options for guests.

Since Hyatt is such a well-known name within the hotel industry, many people expect the rooms at all its properties to meet certain standards as far as amenities and modern features. Some Hyatt guests, however, are sorely disappointed when they actually enter their spaces. On Tripadvisor, one person encountered numerous issues at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee during a recent stay. They shared that their "room was very outdated. Shower had tub with moldy curtain and water that didn't drain well ... Pillows old and gross. Room was dark and dreary."

Another Tripadvisor traveler had a similar experience at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco. That reviewer reported that the property was a "dated hotel with no visible updates." A Hyatt representative responded that they had passed the negative feedback about the hotel's condition along to the appropriate channels, proving that the brand does pay attention to its social media reviews. One thing future guests can learn from this type of criticism is that it is wise to look at photos on review websites, not just the hotel's official page.

Hotel brands obviously want to show their properties in the best possible light, so they may not showcase unrenovated guest rooms or outmoded public spaces. Furthermore, bear in mind that hotel remodels often happen in stages, so you might see pictures of upgraded rooms, but be given one that still has the older style. If you know a phased remodel is happening, calling ahead of time to ask if a renovated room is available can alleviate this potential problem.

All hotel rooms have some pretty horrifying secrets travelers should be aware of, and this rule can certainly be applied to Hyatt properties as well. Past guests report issues ranging from dirty bathrooms and unkempt breakfast areas to stained bedding. One guest who stayed at the Hyatt Place Cincinnati in the Blue Ash area wrote on Tripadvisor that their original room "had a ceiling leak and the ceiling was crumbling." Upon reporting the issue to management, they were moved, but the new room was even worse with "urine stains on the pullout mattress" and, perhaps most disturbing, "sheets and pillows were dirty with hair and bodily fluids."

While one might think that these issues would be most common at limited-service properties like Hyatt Place, but they affect guests at higher-end properties too. Another Tripadvisor guest noted that their room at the supposedly upscale Hyatt Regency Chicago found multiple problems, including toothpaste smeared on a shelf and used toilet tissue floating in the toilet. In another instance, a Facebook user who stayed at the all-inclusive Sunscape Coco Punta Cana discovered a "lack of cleanliness throughout the entire resort," including rusting furniture, cracked tile work, an unpleasant buffet experience, and even sullied pool water.

Given these experiences at multiple classes of Hyatt properties, it's a good idea to inspect your entire room as soon as you arrive, including all the nooks and crannies. If you find a problem, report it to the front desk immediately. In the event that a concern is not resolved in a satisfactory manner, contact Hyatt via their official feedback form. The hotelier has a Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment, so it is certainly worth contacting them if you are not happy with how a cleanliness situation was handled.

Hyatt offers different types of breakfast at different hotel brands. Most Hyatt Place properties, for example, give guests a complimentary continental breakfast with items like eggs, breakfast meats, fruit, cold cereal, and basic baked goods. At more discerning options like the Hyatt Madeleine in Paris, though, guests can often choose from a comprehensive menu that includes both individual items and a fee-based continental breakfast. On both ends of the spectrum, though, guests sometimes find that their Hyatt hotel breakfasts are not satisfactory.

On Hyatt's official website, someone who stayed at the Hyatt Place in Lake Buena Vista, Florida wrote that their breakfast options were not appealing, specifically the "sausage patties were overcooked and over processed, looked more like brown chocolate cookies." Another Hyatt Place guest on Reddit begged the brand to "spend a little more on breakfast so the powder eggs have decent company instead of whatever's happening most mornings."

Yet another person, this time at a higher-end Hyatt Regency in Rochester, New York, left a Tripadvisor review maligning the breakfast. They wrote that "breakfast was particularly disappointing—poor quality and poorly presented." This, of course, was not expected at a brand that caters to upscale business conventions and high-end weddings. If you are concerned about the breakfast experience during an upcoming Hyatt stay, it's wise to have a backup plan. Research local restaurants within walking distance and pack some in-room options, like granola bars, that you can keep on hand.

Many people who choose to stay at Hyatt are surprised to discover the cost of parking when they check in. Many of today's Millennials and Gen Xers grew up stretching dollars on road trips with their parents, and remember nostalgic interstate exit hotels like Holiday Inns and Super 8s. When your family chose these iconic brands, parking was usually included with your room rate. Today, though, many hotels charge extra to park your car.

In a Reddit conversation about this topic, users discussed that parking fees are now the norm at many hotels, even those where one wouldn't necessarily expect it. One person noted it "happened to us at 2 of 3 hotels recently. These weren't downtown, no bus went there. You were only staying at these places with a car." Hyatt guests seem to experience this issue on a regular basis. A Tripadvisor user was appalled at being charged $60 daily to park at the Indianapolis Hyatt Regency without being given advance warning of the cost.

Other Hyatt loyalists have noticed increasing parking rates at their regular hotels. One Redditor shared that they frequently visit the Hyatt Regency San Francisco and noticed that the previous valet parking fee of $45 had increased by $20, and no longer included valet service as a perk. If you are planning to park at a Hyatt hotel soon, research its on-site parking fees first, as you may find a nearby third-party lot to be a more cost-effective option. SpotHero and ParkWhiz are both helpful resources for finding parking spots wherever you are in the U.S.

Any hotel's advertised check-in time can feel like a promise to guests, so it's unsurprising that people become frustrated when their rooms are not ready when they're supposed to be. This is certainly not a Hyatt-specific issue. Rooms not being ready on time is also a common complaint among Great Wolf Lodge Resorts guests, for instance. However, it's absolutely something Hyatt guests have noticed and posted about online.

On Tripadvisor, one person said their room at the Park Hyatt New York City wasn't prepared at the set check-in time, and rather than quickly finding their party an unoccupied room in the right category or upgrading them, the front desk suggested paying a total of $2,100 nightly to get into a room that had already been cleaned and set up. They found the so-called solution to be "totally unacceptable at this price point." Another person on Reddit is a high-tier Hyatt loyalty member who found themself waiting for a room until two hours after check-in.

In neither of these cases were the guests given monetary compensation or an apology, which they both found frustrating. Fortunately, there are a couple of steps you can take to help avoid the exact same situation. First, call ahead with your anticipated check-in time so the front desk is aware of how early (or late) you'll be. Additionally, keep medications and other necessities in a purse or backpack that you can easily have on your person at all times in case there is a delay. Some Hyatt properties will stow your luggage if you go out while you wait. The Hyatt Place at London's Heathrow Airport is one such hotel. Call your property to find out its individual policies.

Even hotel stays that are otherwise perfectly pleasant can be wrecked by too much noise. Hyatt guests often share reviews about excessive noise, from hearing their neighbors to event noise traveling through thin walls. The severity of the issue can differ from property to property, but reviewers across social media regularly complain about this problem at various Hyatt hotels.

On Tripadvisor, one person said that the Hyatt Regency Chicago has "no noise insulation between rooms" and one can "hear every single noise" in adjoining rooms. They advised that guest services at the hotel didn't attempt to resolve the problem when they complained, though they did not specify if the noise in this case was overly excessive or if the walls were just so thin that normal noises carried. In another situation, one guest on Tripadvisor, who stayed at the Hyatt Place New Orleans, was "unable to get any rest because of a loud event." They also shared that they found the staff members to be unhelpful when they called to complain.

Hyatt is not the only hotel brand that deals with noise complaints. As a matter of fact, noise is a major hotel complaint nationwide. Hotels that are under construction can be especially bad. To contend with this issue, at Hyatt or anywhere else, take your own noise survival kit. Pack foam earplugs, download a white noise app, pack a small fan, or listen to soothing music with noise cancelling headphones. While noisy hotel rooms can be frustrating, there are lots of things you can do to cope.

Not every Hyatt property charges a resort fee, but those that do are known for being especially pricey. As a matter of fact, the brand charges some of the industry's most expensive fees, which can lead to sticker shock for guests in popular destinations like Hawaii. On Reddit, someone who stayed at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki called resort fees "theft," noting that many of the so-called amenities it purportedly covers — things like a fitness center and Wi-Fi access — are required by the hotel company.

Another Redditor was appalled by the fact that Hyatt is now charging a $20 destination fee at a Regency property that overlooks a suburban mall, quipping that guests are being asked to "pay a premium for proximity to Dick's Sporting Goods and Boot Barn." Yet another person in that thread noted that "Hyatt Regency PR charges 15 percent which is crazy when it regularly runs $300-500/night." Hyatt Globalist members should also be aware of the fact that not all properties waive nightly fees, even though many people are under the impression that it's a blanket perk of having this loyalty status.

In 2023, the hotelier was even subject to a lawsuit regarding it's "junk fees," such as resort fees. Before you book a room at any Hyatt hotel, take a careful look at the fine print. If you see any language about resort fees or destination fees, you may want to call the property first to find out exactly how many charges will be added to your final bill.

The World of Hyatt loyalty club can be valuable for people who frequently stay at the brand's hotels. The program has three membership levels called Discoverist, Explorist, and Globalist, each of which comes with its own perks. These benefits include things like upgrades, late checkout times, and resort fee waivers at select properties. Unfortunately, despite the fact that the point perks are appealing on paper, the program can be complicated in actuality.

On Reddit, one user complained about the brand's continued devaluation of points. They had an experience in which a plane delay caused them to alter a hotel stay by one night. Hyatt ended up charging them 11,000 additional points while failing to refund the original 25,000 they did not use. Another person on Tripadvisor had a poor experience at the Hyatt Regency Aruba. They encountered multiple issues, specifically noting that "Guests of Honor are intended to get late checkout upon availability. They couldn't even grant it for one room." In short, stated perks are not always honored, which can lead to serious disappointment for guests.

If you experience any issues using your World of Hyatt membership, first contact the front desk at the property where you're staying. Should your problem not be resolved, you can escalate the situation to Hyatt's corporate office. Redditors recommend emailing their Customer Service department for the best chance at a satisfactory solution.