Review: Park Hyatt Hamburg

A great option that doesn’t fit the traditional Park Hyatt theme. Sadly, the option will be missed now that it has closed for needed refurbishment.

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Booking

I booked this hotel using a combination of Hyatt points and cash, but not the normal Points + Cash booking that immediately comes to mind. I needed a room that fits four people. Unfortunately, Europe tends to have smaller room sizes and very strict fire codes. Thus no base room could fit four, but there was a premium suite that could fit four. And so I was left with two options: book two rooms (and request them to be connecting) or book the premium suite.

For our stay, a base room cost about 250 euros or 20,000 Hyatt points per night. And I was faced with the following options:

Book two rooms using only cash (500 euro/night)
Book one room using cash and the other using points (250 euro + 20k points/night)
Book one room using either cash or points and the other room using the Hyatt Family Plan Rate with rates up to 50% off (either 375 euro or 20k points/night + 125 euro)
Book a premium suite using only points (40k points/night)
Book a premium suite using only cash (1000 euro/night)
Book a premium suite using the standard Points+Cash option, which corresponds to half the points (20k points) + half the cash for the room (500 euro) per night
Book a premium suite using cash plus a premium suite upgrade. Here, you book a base room using cash (250 euro), and then use 9k Hyatt points to upgrade it to a premium suite

Of the options above, it is likely obvious where I settled. The cheapest option here was the last one. Plus it’s certainly a lot more fun and convenient to have a bigger room rather than two smaller rooms.

After the hotel gets refreshed, it will no longer be affiliated with Hyatt, instead becoming a Conrad. Unfortunately, premium rooms are expensive using Hilton points, so going forward, booking two base rooms is likely the best option when using points.

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) has a limited-time offer of 100,000 points for spending $5,000 in the first three months. It has a $95 annual fee.
There is currently a limited-time offer (refer-a-friend link) on the Chase Ink Business Unlimited that gives an excellent 100,000 points for spending $8,000 in the first three months. There is no annual fee.

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 60,000 point bonus when spending $5,000 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

We arrived off the long-distance train at the main train station in Hamburg. Thankfully, the hotel is a short five minute walk from the train station. The hotel is attached to a mall in the middle of a cute shopping district. We entered the hotel on the ground floor and were directed up a level to check in.

The front desk was nicely decorated for the holidays, with several Christmas trees and beautifully wrapped presents. The check in agent recognized my Globalist status and mentioned that breakfast would be provided in Apples restaurant. He also proactively offered us a 4 PM checkout.

The Room

We were assigned room 441. This room is massive and truly feels like a premium suite. The front door opens into a spacious living room, with plenty of seating around a small coffee table. In the back of this room by the window is a large desk with plenty of space to work (or blog).

Waiting for us in the center of the coffee table was an extensive welcome amenity. A bottle of wine for the adults, an assortment of fruits, plenty of desserts, and some baby treats (which they must have inferred based on the ages of the children on the reservation). In the center was a note from the hotel, which is always a nice touch.

The bedroom was tucked away along the left side of the room. Inside were two queen sized beds, with a small gap in between. I’m sure the beds could have been pushed fully together if needed, but we left the gap since the kids thought it was fun. There was also a chair in this room, positioned towards the television, but we ended up not using it aside from a place to store some smaller items. And this is perhaps the first time I’ve seen this set up, but the controls for the AC are built into the night stand near the bed instead of being placed on a wall.

Adjacent to the bedroom is an enormous bathroom. The counter features two sinks and a small stool that made it easier for kids to reach the sink. The shower and bathtub were just next to the vanity. While I normally fault hotels for not having a proper door on the shower, this one was actually big enough and had plenty of hot water to keep the air temperature cozy while taking a bath. Toiletries are from L’Occitane.

There was also a full closet, a separate restroom near the front door, and plenty of artwork throughout the suite. Thankfully the artwork was high enough off the ground to prevent the kids from accidentally damaging it. We almost felt like we were staying inside an art museum.

The room overlooked the cute shopping district, which is much better than the other side of the hotel overlooking a back alley. The view made it fun to people watch and the lights went out around 10 PM. Thankfully, the lights did not distract us when trying to sleep and we were able to leave the curtains open at night to let the natural light wake us each morning.

Breakfast at Apples Restaurant

Included with my Hyatt Globalist status is breakfast for two adults and two children at Apples Restaurant. Apples can be found just past the lobby and naturally is decorated with many apples. Each morning was just a short wait for a host to take us to our seats.

The breakfast here is served as a buffet, with plenty of options. Everything tasted freshly prepared and I will say it is an above average buffet. The only complaints that come to mind are that the pancakes ended up a bit dried out around the edges as they sat under the heat lamps, and that I wish there was a bit more variation each day. It’s always a plus to not get tired of the options at the end of the trip and that thought was creeping into my mind at the end of the trip.

Pool and Spa

Taking the elevator down from the lobby will drop you off at the indoor pool and fitness center. We did spend one evening here relaxing at the pool, but note that children are allowed only during certain hours. The pool is more of a lap pool and not designed for lounging or splashing and has seating all around the pool. It would be nice if they stocked towels next to the pool; the towels are stored at the entrance to the pool and spa area, which is a very long walk from where the pool is located. If you forget to get your towels when you first arrive (which is what we did), be prepared for a very cold walk back to the front.

While the lap pool isn’t the best for kids, the jacuzzi was very suitable for kids. The water here could best be described as warm as the temperature was much lower than most hot tubs.

There was a nice waiting area down here and plenty of lockers if you plan to spend some time. There are a couple of steam rooms where guests can enjoy their time without clothing. I wouldn’t say that bothers me, but the kids did whisper to me that they saw some people naked. Kids…

*Machine to help dry wet clothes, a great addition to the pool*

Odds and Ends

Right outside the Apples Restaurant is a small room where a few children’s toys can be found. The kids loved spending time here after breakfast to play with the toys. With most of the hotel feeling more like it was intended for German businessmen, this was a nice reprieve and while it could have used more toys, I think the kids were satisfied enough with what was provided.

And making it great for tourism, the hotel is quite literally right outside one of the subway stops. Just note that this subway stop isn’t conveniently connected to the main train station, so if you are arriving from the airport or the train, you’ll have to take a short five minute walk to the hotel.

Recommendation: Yes

We had a great time here at the Park Hyatt Hamburg. The hotel was clearly intended more for business than for families, but we never felt like we didn’t belong here. The front desk and restaurant staff seemed to enjoy seeing the young, bright faces of our children and helped make sure we had a great stay. The room itself also felt like one heck of a deal under Hyatt’s cheaper rates for premium suites.

While the hotel is closed for remodeling, it is sad that it will no longer be part of Hyatt when it reopens, instead being rebranded to a Conrad. However, I will say that the next time I am in Hamburg, I will absolutely think of this hotel first and stay here again. The elite benefits at Hilton don’t compare to the elite benefits at Hyatt, but the location is perfect and I imagine the hotel will be refreshed during its closure. I just will end up staying in two base rooms next time if bringing the kids rather than staying in a premium suite, purely due to how Hilton prices rooms.

Author

Chris Wada

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food.wada.travel

experiencing the world via gastronomy with our children