Living proof that airport hotels don’t need to be a disappointment. The hotel is located in the airport grounds, with great service and excellent food.

This stay occurred in May 2023

Booking

The Grand Hyatt SFO is a Category 5 hotel. That means standard rooms here cost between 17,000 and 23,000 Hyatt points per night. Cash rates seem to hover around $350, but we were able to find a sub-$300 rate for our dates. I generally save my Hyatt points for stays where I can get at least two cents per Hyatt point in value, so we paid cash for our stay.

Earning Hyatt Points

An excellent option for earning Hyatt points is the Chase Ink Preferred. Currently, my refer-a-friend link offers a massive 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred into Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio for spending $8,000 in the first three months. Note this is a business credit card, but you may be eligible for your side gig and not even know it.

The personal Hyatt credit card (not a referral link) is also a good option for earning Category 1-4 free night awards, useable at this property. But the current sign-up bonus is lackluster (30k points for $3k spend, and then earn at 2x on everyday spend for the next $15k within the first six months). I’d advise waiting for a better offer.

Arrival and First Impressions

The Grand Hyatt SFO is the most convenient hotel at San Francisco airport with its own dedicated stop along the AirTrain. Personally, I far prefer that over needing to take an unreliable shuttle to and from the hotel. Once you arrive at the dedicated stop, it’s a quick ride down the escalator to the hotel lobby.

Prior to our stay, the front desk reached out to better understand when we would be arriving and if we had any preferences or needs for our stay. I mentioned we were excited for our stay and hoped we would get a room with nice views. From what I could tell, there are no suites that can fit a family of four, but they did upgrade us to a room on a higher floor with a soaking tub.

We arrived at the front desk and were promptly assisted, helped by the same agent I had been in contact with via email. She briefly explained the property and we were on our way.

The lobby had large windows allowing for great views of the airport, along with a good variety of seating and a beautiful decoration hanging over the downstairs restaurant. I normally don’t linger in lobbies but I wouldn’t mind passing the time here.

The Room

We were assigned room 1019. Inside we found a small hallway with a bench helpful for putting on shoes. The beds are comfortable with sheets that helped retain heat at night. The only complaint is the size of the table, which was a bit on the small size if used as a desk.

Inside the closet was a second area to place a suitcase, though it would be tough fitting a large suitcase here. There was also a massage roller, which was intriguing to the kids but not for its intended purpose (Char wanted to bring it around the hotel like it’s a stuffed animal).

Next to the beds were reading lights built into the headboard.

The hotel also proactively provided four Path water bottles. It’s always nice when hotels match the number of towels and water bottles with the number of guests in the room.

The bathroom was a large size with a soaking tub as referenced by the name of the room. The kids enjoyed taking baths in the tub while the parents used the shower. Included with the soaking tub were some bath salts, replenished daily. Toiletries were from Balmain Paris.

Our room didn’t face the airport. Instead we had a view of the cars as they entered the airport. It would have been nice to get the runway view, but perhaps next time.

Grand Club

For being a Globalist member, we received breakfast vouchers and also entry to the Grand Club. Unlike other hotels with a club lounge, this one was only open for evening service, and even then there wasn’t too much on offer. Due to the timing of when we were free, we were only able to attend for the after dinner treats.

The entrance to the lounge is inside the Quail + Crane restaurant. Inside you’ll find plenty of seating and only a small array of items on offer. I imagine the space was better utilized prior to Covid, but now it just feels like an odd space to dedicate to just evening treats. Perhaps the hotel doesn’t have enough guests with lounge access to make it worthwhile to offer breakfast here, but I can’t imagine this is a viable long-term strategy.

The treats for this evening included cupcakes, whoopie pies, and key lime tarts. They also had a small assortment of drinks, along with an honor bar. There weren’t any employees policing the honor bar, so it’s truly on your honor.

In the back corner of the lounge was a small work area.

Breakfast at Quail + Crane

The first morning here, we ate breakfast at Quail + Crane. We arrived shortly after it opened and were seated immediately. I quite enjoyed the decor here, and the tall windows helped ensure plenty of natural lighting and good views of the runway.

Globalist breakfast covered an entree and a drink for each of us, so we ordered a variety of items with the intent to share them family style.

On our first morning, someone working the hotel stopped by to ask how our stay was going and then also gave each child a branded airplane stuffed animal. We were used to receiving toys at check in, but receiving it at breakfast was a nice and unexpected surprise.

As mentioned, we ordered and shared a number of dishes. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Breakfast at Twin Crafts Market

Our second morning here was also the day we were flying out in the morning. Rather than risk being late for our morning flight, we instead tried the quick service restaurant Twin Crafts Market. The food here was a bit more simple and standard. If you have the time, I’d definitely say Quail + Crane is the place to go. Ultimately, I was glad that the Globalist breakfast covers both restaurants, as it is convenient to have a quicker dining option at an airport hotel.

Dinner at Quail + Crane

Our first night, we decided to eat dinner at Quail + Crane given we got in a bit late. The menus are provided on digital devices with a small kids menu available. The kids meals here didn’t feel excessively priced and filled them both up, something that I can’t say about kids meals everywhere. Both Jenn and I enjoyed our fish entrees, both in their presentation and taste. If you find yourself at the airport on a long layover, it might be worth a trip over here as I feel confident in saying they have the best combination of price, quantity, and quality at the airport.

We finished our meal with a bowl of ice cream, which ended up being a selection of all three of their flavors. Delicious and a bit unnecessary, but it is nice ending the meal on a sweet note.

Room service

One evening we got back to the hotel a bit late and the kids still had the munchies, so we decided to order room service. The food is sourced from the same kitchen as Quail + Crane and the to-go market. It’s a better value if you call in the order to the to-go market and pick it up yourself, but we thought it was a better use of time to instead have the meal delivered while we get the kids ready for bed.

The pizza was the same size as the kids meal Alex had the night earlier, but the price at room service was a bit higher, naturally. Char opted for the mac and cheese, which seemed heavy on the cheese. Both kids were fans of their choices.

Recommendation: Yes

It’s honestly a bit difficult to think of anything critical to offer as an improvement to the hotel. The service was impeccable, the food was a highlight of the trip, and the room was clean and functional. Room rates are higher than other airport hotels at SFO, but they honestly feel justified by the quality of the stay. We would absolutely consider returning the next time we need a stay in the area. As of right now, I’d consider this my favorite airport hotel and the standard for others to follow.

Have you stayed at the Grand Hyatt SFO before?