Hotel Review: Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa
I was looking for a hotel near Santa Ana airport with easy access to the beach. The Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach property fit the bill at just 13 miles away (LAX is about an hour away), so I booked a stay there for a few nights.
As a Diamond member, I did not use a suite upgrade but requested a room with a view. The check-in area was busy and slow. They were able to offer me a club level room with a view, but it was just a regular room as there were no corner rooms available.
The room was nice enough, though the neighbors next door could be heard talking out on their balcony.
The hotel charges a mandatory resort fee of $28 for:
- Internet access
- Phone calls
- Faxes
- In-room safe
- In-room bottled water
Which really doesn’t add any value for a Diamond member. In fact, there was no in-room bottled water so I had to run over to the club to get a few bottles.
There was a desk/seating area. The Internet was slow, maybe because all guests have “complimentary” access via the resort fee. There was the hotel’s suggestion of the dreaded short corded ethernet cable on the desk, but that connection is hardly convenient.
The room was clean and had an older LCD TV.
There was an organized coffee area and fridge, which was great for keeping the water bottles cold.
A Starbucks cup was all ready to go, along with some tea choices.
The spacious bathroom featured a full bathtub.
Double sink vanity with plenty of room.
Walk in shower.
The bathroom amenities were by Kenet MD.
The closet was huge! There were lots of hangers, extra blankets, and two robes. This actually may have been my favorite part of the room, even if I only had a single rollerboard suitcase.
A quick stop at the Regency Club resulted in a couple of tasty treats for the evening. With 517 rooms, it is a large property, and it felt crowded in the club.
To get to the beach from the hotel, there is a pedestrian bridge leading over the freeway directly from the hotel courtyard, which ends up just steps from the sand.
This was a great way to get to the beach without using a car.
I woke up early in the morning, went over the bridge to the beach for a run, and got back in time for breakfast. It was nice not having to deal with traffic at all. I loved the convenient beach access!
Upon returning to the hotel, it was disappointing to find that several guest rooms’ trays from the evening room service were still in the hallway. I had called down the night before to let them know I was finished with the meal, as I suspected others has done as well. Maybe they were understaffed, but by the morning I figured they would have been removed.
Stopping in to the Regency Club for breakfast, it was noisy and there were very few seats available. The options were picked over and not replenished, so I decided to eat elsewhere.
In conclusion, the location of the hotel is great. The beach is close, as is the famed Huntington Beach pier. Bike rentals can be arranged at the hotel, and there are numerous restaurants on property as well as a good spa. Unfortunately, with so many rooms the resort feels busy and crowded. The level of service isn’t quite up to par, and the resort fee just seems unnecessary.
Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa
