The Hyatt is in an excellent location in downtown Phoenix and gave me both a good sleep and a full stomach.

Booking

While I was in town at the Sheraton Downtown Phoenix, I thought it was a decent opportunity to also check out another hotel in short walking distance. In truth, I had an expiring Category 1-4 certificate to use up and didn’t have a better opportunity to use it. The hotel is currently listed as Category 3, which seemed appropriate.

If you’re looking to spend cash at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, expect rates to hover between $200 and $300. As you might expect, cash rates tend to be much cheaper in the summer.

Earning World of Hyatt points

Full disclosure: in this section are refer-a-friend links where I may earn some points for referring. There is no requirement to use the below referral links to apply but note your offer may differ when going directly to the card issuer.

Chase has a couple of cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points that can transfer to Hyatt at a 1:1 rate:

• The Chase Sapphire Preferred card (refer-a-friend link) that offers 75,000 points for spending $5,000 in the first three months.
• There is currently a limited-time offer (refer-a-friend link) on the Chase Ink Business Preferred that gives an excellent 100,000 points for spending $8,000 in the first three months.

The Hyatt personal credit card (not an affiliate link) offers a 30,000 point bonus when spending $3,000 in three months. On top of that, you get 2X earnings during the first six months until you reach $15,000 in spend. At most, this is a 45,000 card for spending $15,000–and most certainly not the 60,000 bonus it claims disingenuously claims. But, on the bright side, if that $15,000 spend happens within the same calendar year, you’ll also get six elite night credits and a Category 1-4 free night certificate.

The small business version of the Hyatt credit card (refer-a-friend link) offers a limited-time 80,000 point bonus when spending $10,000 in three months. The main appeal here is the easier path towards earning elite status (5 elite night credit for every $10,000 in spend per calendar year), but it also gives up to $100 back on Hyatt purchases.

Arrival and First Impressions

I arrived at the hotel to find no wait and was quickly assisted. The agent checking me in briefly walked through the details about the hotel and thanked me for my Globalist status. One of the things I like about Hyatt is the typical consistency with proactively offering a 4PM late checkout.

Though I was here in December, the Christmas decorations were a bit more subtle here than expected. Aside from the wreaths behind the front desk, there really wasn’t anything in the lobby that celebrated the season.

Just behind the front desk is where the elevator banks are located that will take you up to the rooms.

The Room

My room for this stay was up on the 14th floor. Along the way to the room, I spied a microwave by the ice machine. I like having a microwave available in the event I need it. I recognize that having one in every room might not be feasible, so this is a decent enough alternative. Besides, if you end up cooking something fragrant, do you really want that smell lingering in your room? So perhaps it’s better that this is over by the ice machine.

From there, it was a short walk over to my room (1412).

I felt that the room layout here was pretty efficient, with everything arranged in a circle around the room.

The single king bed in the room was pretty comfortable and a good blend between being firm yet soft. The downside was the thinness of the pillows, but at least five of them are provided in case it’s needed.

The TV was fixed to the wall and not in a great position if you wanted to view it while in bed. That wasn’t a problem for me on this particular trip.

Directly across from the TV was the desk. From a functionality perspective, it was fine. But I do prefer my desks to either have a nice view of the outside or of the TV, and this one had neither. Also adjacent to the desk was a safe, a mini-fridge, and some bottled water.

The couch seemed well-maintained as the cushions felt firm and it didn’t seem used all that much. This sofa does have a pull-out bed inside in case you need the extra space.

The view from the room was mostly of other buildings since I was only on the 14th floor.

Bathroom

I hope you trust everyone else staying in your room given the lack of locks on the door. I’m not sure if all rooms have this problem, but this one certainly did. I’m not sure why some hotels don’t bother installing locks.

Anyways, the decor in the bathroom felt a bit dated compared to the bedroom. I’m not sure if it’s from the wallpaper choice or the countertop pattern. It almost seemed like the bathroom didn’t receive a refresh when the rest of the room was touched.

The shower/tub combo was along the opposite wall. I have no complaints about the water temperature or water pressure here.

Toiletries are by Pharmacopia, the standard Hyatt Regency offering.

Breakfast – B&B Market

Here is normally where I talk about my experiences when ordering food and what I liked. Unfortunately this time I just was not feeling hungry at all. Rather than forcing myself to take one for the team and eat anyways, I passed on the option of overeating. That was probably to the benefit of my health, but that means a slightly less useful review (sorry!).

Breakfast for Globalists is complimentary at the B&B Market. When I was checking in, the front desk mentioned I could charge whatever I wanted to the room and it would be taken off. As tempting as it was to take them up on that challenge, I didn’t test the theory. If it is true and people abuse it, that’s why we can’t have nice things.

What is B&B Market like? I’d say the best comparison I could give is to think of it like a Starbucks. The restaurant has plenty of coffees, breakfast sandwiches, and quick to-go items on offer. It also has an omelet station available, but I have to admit it seemed a bit expensive at $18.

Is it wrong to say that I would have risked the discomfort of overeating (by actually eating breakfast) if it was a true sit-down option instead of what felt like a grab and go?

Dinner – Barrel & Bushel

I did end up dining at the hotel restaurant Barrel & Bushel one night while in Phoenix. The location is directly across from the B&B Market mentioned above. Unfortunately, despite there only being a few guests present while I was eating, I found the service to be quite slow. You could also tell it was a slow night because some staff was organizing silverware and napkins at a nearby table.

The one good thing I’ll say is that you feel like you get your money’s worth. Maybe I am just used to prices in Los Angeles, but the Cowboy Burger was absolutely massive and came with an obscene amount of fries. It was certainly big enough to split with Jenn if she were here. Come to think of it, perhaps this is why I simply did not feel hungry for breakfast at all during this trip…

OK, yes, this was the problem. Because after the giant burger mentioned above, I followed that up with ordering a cookie skillet. See, I was silly thinking that it would be on the smaller side, but it was quite massive. The cookie skillet was an interesting blend of flavors (peanut butter with strawberry jam) – like a sandwich. But the kitchen insists the jam be on the side based on feedback from past customers. I think a chocolate chip cookie would have been simpler but also more welcome.

Overall, I actually wouldn’t mind eating here again. It isn’t the most glamorous meal and the service was on the slower side, but the burger was tasty. I’m not sure I would overdo it by myself next time, so hopefully the rest of the family can help me out.

Recommendation: Yes, if you need a hotel in downtown

The Hyatt Regency Phoenix is a good option for you if you need to be in downtown. In comparing this stay against the Sheraton just a couple of blocks away, while the upgrade was welcome over there, I found the sleep and the shower situation much nicer here at the Hyatt. And, really, isn’t that what you’re paying the hotel to provide? It helps that the hotel is relatively inexpensive.

The hotel is also half the distance closer to the Footprint Center, if that matters to you. And a block further from that is Chase Field. Lastly, the hotel is about a block away from a light rail station. In all, that makes for a relatively convenient stay if you’re looking to be in downtown Phoenix.

While you’re here, check out our review of the nearby Sheraton Downtown Phoenix.

When is the last time you skipped out on breakfast because you overindulged at dinner?