Getting Lost in the Skies with Park Hyatt Tokyo

Living the High Life in Tokyo

And having my acrophobia acting up

Stayed August 2016
Written March 2017

Gloomy skies hiding Mount Fuji

The Park Hyatt Tokyo has been a favourite of many Hyatt members and it's 'role' in the movie 'Lost in Translation' made it an international hit.

However, I have not watched the movie before so I do not really know what it is about.

The dates that I looked at to stay fell within the Bon Festival and is a long weekend holiday for the Japanese. As such, the prices were very substantial.

Hyatt Regency DaNang: Luxurious but perhaps forgettable

Hyatt Regency DaNang

Right at the Marble Mountains, Luxurious but perhaps forgettable

Stayed March 2016
Published June 2016

My first long visit to Vietnam and I really loved it!

This was over the long weekend of Good Friday and I had already booked my stay at a different hotel much earlier. A very fantastic one. But this entry on the Hyatt Regency, so please 'stay tuned' for the update.

While planning for the flights, I found out it was much cheaper to fly the day before my confirmed hotel booking and thus I had to extend my stay for a night in DaNang. As I love to try different hotels, I looked for another place to stay. After some research on the (poor) availability (of chain hotels) and prices, I settled on the Hyatt Regency.

The price was less than 5 million Vietnamese Dong (I really had problems with the currency), which works out to be less than SGD$300 for the night.

Andaz Amsterdam: Deserves an A and no less

Andaz Amsterdam: Deserves an A and no less

Smooth from the Start to the End

Visited Jan 2016
Published Apr 2016

Entrance

After the elegant (and missing George Clooney) Intercontinental Amstel, my next hotel was the Andaz which I was keen to try as a new Hyatt Diamond member.

There are 2 Hyatt hotels in Amsterdam and 1 of them is at the airport. I prefer to be able to return to the hotel to rest in the afternoon and hence, am not too fond of staying at the airport.

So the Andaz was my only consideration.

The name of the hotel in full is the Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht.

The theme of the hotel is the 'Prince of Lost Dreams', which according to the Facebook of the hotel:

" The prince who gave his name to the Prinsengracht (Prince’s Canal) is also remembered as the ‘Prince of Lost Dreams’.
This prince was known to answer questions of people in such a way that they were able to vividly remember their inner strengths and most exciting dreams.
The Andaz Prince represents this legendary personality.
The silent scream of the Andaz Prince also has magic powers of its own. "

The statues of the mystical Prince are scattered throughout the hotel and can also be seen in the picture of the entrance above.

Grand Hyatt Erawan, Bangkok, Thailand - September 2014

Hotels are aplenty in Bangkok and I have a previous entry on the Intercontinental Bangkok which is actually in the same area.

The political situation seems stable for now, but still very guarded.

The stability of the Royal Family is crucial in Thailand.

Why choose this hotel?

The Grand Hyatt Erawan is one of the representative properties of the brand in Asia.
The hotel is next to the famous Erawan Shrine.
The property is simply gorgeous!
A direct link to the metro is available.

The Management

Hyatt, as stated in the name of the hotel.

Getting to the Hotel

Taxi is definitely the way to go in Bangkok most of the time.
If not, the hotel is at the Chit Lom BTS (metro) station with a connection from the sky-bridge through the mall.

The Hotel

Classic colonial grandeur is evident from the entrance!

Well, take a step back to look at the impressive driveway too!

The lobby is similarly just as breathtaking!

The front desk is at the other end of the lobby, but is easy to spot.

Small ponds filled with koi adorn the lobby. Maintenance must be very costly and labour-intensive.

 The corridors are brightly lit with many nice details such as a chair for sitting and flower bowls.

The basement which is linked to the Erawan Mall is decorated as well.

The Rooms

We had a complimentary upgrade to a Deluxe room upon request. The room was a rather spacious 40 sq m room.

The toilet also has an opening from the bathtub into the room. I wonder why this voyeuristic setup is becoming more prevalent. There is an adequate separate standing shower.

 The bathroom amenities were fine but not memorable.

The view from my room was not too great, blocked by the tall building on the other side of the road.

A special octagon table with an animal (Pardon my ignorance if this represents something divine). It actually holds the LAN wire.

There are some universal plugs in the room if one forgets to bring.

The Food and Drinks

There are quite a number of cafes, restaurants and other shops in the basement of the hotel.  I didn't take any meals here so I cannot comment on the quality and range.

 A restaurant is located at the lobby as well.

The Pool, The Gym, The Spa

I did not get to use any during this stay. Guess I would return someday...

The Service

This made this understand why this hotel is a truly remarkable representative of Hyatt. The room rates are very high for a hotel in Bangkok but I was blown away by the whole service experience.

Firstly, there was a pre-arrival email which arranged for a complimentary room upgrade.

Secondly, we were greeted by almost every staff from the moment we reached the entrance through to the front desk. This was the first time I felt like royalty on arrival to a hotel.

Thirdly, we were given free internet as well which was of good speed.

Lastly, there was even a personalized follow-up email after checkout.

In Summary

Beautiful and big hotel, good location with convenient access and, most importantly, with very impressive service. What more should I add?

Happy Travels!
fred