This week the Compensation Clinic case deals with a Hyatt-affiliated hotel in Spain called Hyatt Regency Hesperia Madrid.
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You can access Hyatt Regency Hesperia Madrid’s website here.
READ MORE: World of Hyatt Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions
The Hyatt Centric Gran Via Madrid is one of the better Centric-branded hotels where I have stayed at, not a huge fan of the ones in Lima and Santiago. However, the Hyatt Centric Kanazawa, Japan is a good one as well (I was the first guest to check-in last year).
I was at the Madrid Centric for four nights the other week but decided to burn the last three at the Hyatt Regency Hesperia, as I had expiring free nights certs that I had had trouble using (not worthy hotels to stay at).
The hotel’s location is fine – a block away from the InterContinental, where I had stayed a few times back when I was still a Royal Ambassador. I also liked Hesperia’s well air-conditioned fitness center on the rooftop.
The hotel had upgraded me to an executive suite that was not very functional. The bedroom was super tiny. The suite was also facing the main road, with some traffic noise coming through the windows. The toilet flush didn’t always work.
The hotel also had trouble bringing me mouthwash. I requested it three times, and they always brought more dental kits. Finally, after the third or fourth failed attempt, I sent an email to the front desk that took care of the issue.
They didn’t have a Manager on Duty available during the weekends.
These were minor issues, however annoying. The reason why I ended up requesting compensation from the corporate was failed wake-up calls on Monday morning.
On Sunday evening, I requested two wake-up calls at 5:30 and 5:45 AM for the following morning, as I had an Iberia flight to Munich at 8:10 AM. The calls never materialized. The person working at the front desk claimed that they didn’t have a record of this request when I asked when leaving the hotel.
I dropped a note to my Hyatt Concierge requesting 10,000 points for the inconvenience, and they were posted to my account.
Conclusion
If you ask me, how was the breakfast or the Regency Club at this hotel, I have no idea. The hotel didn’t provide a welcome letter or sent me an email before the stay explaining the benefits.
There was a roped-off area at the lobby bar that indicated that it was the Club, but I got zero service when I went there once during my stay.
I believe that this Hesperia was part of NH Hotels previously. Unfortunately, Hyatt and the owner/management have not spent enough money on employee training to bring it up to the standards you expect at the Hyatt Regencies.
There is at least one more misbranded Hyatt hotel in Europe – Grand Hyatt Athens that is at best a Hyatt Regency if even that.
There used to be a lovely Park Hyatt in Madrid called Villa Magna that was reflagged years ago. It is reopening this year as part of Rosewood.
I couldn’t agree more with you on Grand Hyatt Athens, I didn’t believe it because the hotel supposed to be new but nothing showed that including the breakfast which was …. simply sad!
What exactly didn’t you like? My wife and I stayed there in 2018 and I had a Guest Of Honor room for another couple. There was no club lounge, which was annoying, but both rooms were bumped up to large suites with superb views. Breakfast was just wonderful. The swimming pool was rather small but quite pleasant. The staff were uniformly simply outstanding. The biggest negative was that there were only about a half dozen restaurants in easy walking distance due to the location but I knew where the hotel was before booking. Maybe things have changed drastically since 2018. If so, better to know before going back.
Agreed! The grand Hyatt Athens was one of the worst hotels we have ever been in. I am a globalist, and the front desk manager treated us like riffraff. Gave us an absolutely dreadful room, small, dark, no balcony, He told us no suites were available, and nothing faced the Acropolis, even though we could see them bookable immediately. Promised to move us and did not. And each time gave us a running list of excuses why nothing could be done. This was the day Greece opened… Hotels were empty. He was just The worst manager and biggest bullshit artist I have ever seen. The worst. My partner was so disgusted he said “I’m not staying here another night”, turned his back on the asshole, and walked away.
And just to mention, the location is terrible, and it’s not easy to get around. Few restaurants in the area.
We left after two night‘s bullshit and fake moves, and went to the Marriott and had nice room with a balcony overlooking the park. The road noise is Bad, but the service was excellent. Well the breakfast was dreadful too… but the service was excellent. And there were plenty of restaurants nearby
The only positive experience at that hotel was with the Albanian lady who checked me out.
Have any of the Loyalty Lobby readers booked a “Great Escape” Hyatt rate in Europe recently (29 nights minimum stay)?
I am location independent solo traveller and looking for recommendations for the best value properties for Globalists.
Would be great to see some suggestions since John originally posted about these cool rates in a separate post.
Would the 3x Points bonus promo work as well?
The bonus points do apply if your stay falls within the promotional period.
I would choose a city, where you would prefer staying for an extended period, and hotel that offer SIGNIFICANT discount over their usual rates.
@John_Ollila:disqus Thanks for the feedback. I am indeed eying on a city property.
Are there any Globalist friendly Hyatt properties you would recommend in Central Europe?
Have you shortlisted some specific ones as you mentioned in an earlier post that you were looking at some properties?
I saw Hyatt Regency Sofia, Kiev, Vienna and Andaz Amsterdam that have solid reviews
The rates in Vienna (Andas and Park Hyatt) and Amsterdam (Andaz and Hyatt Regency) were something that I would consider.
It would be a long stay and you may have to negotiate about the upgrade at the time of checking in and be flexible to switch rooms/suites if someone books them solidly for some dates.
Looks like one of John’s personal ‘compensation clinic whines’ since he didn’t mention that it was received by a reader. Moreover, it’s the second whine over a ‘missed wake up call’ warranting compensation. Get a life John and stop skimming properties for points for reminders you could have easily set on your phone. FYI: I’m not a service industry employee. I’m just finding your constant whinging ‘zum Fremdschämen’ at the very best. May every hotel and airline refuse any booking made by you because let’s face it: You are an entitled spoilt brat.
The text refers to “I” several times.
I only request wake up calls when I have an early morning flight as a backup. If I am in deep sleep, phone alarm alone won’t wake me up.
Hotels can choose not to offer wake up calls, but if they do, they better have system in place that ensures that they take place.
As a seasoned traveler you very well know that wake up calls work 50% of the time. If your phone doesn’t wake you up (I’m setting 10 Alarms – at 15min Interval – in Japan as nights get heavy) then the front desk calling you won’t do the job. The last fail safe is a rather insisting housekeeping knocking on the door. I’d never think of demanding compensation from a property for a missed wake up call. That what mobile phones are for. Seriously John? It’s skimming points on a banality. Do you pay the taxi when stuck in traffic to the airport?
Mouthwash and wake up call, and the points crook entitles himself to say ‘ I dropped a note to my Hyatt Concierge requesting 10,000 points for the inconvenience’ If he dares to ask that to me he gets a 10000 USD stupid tax
Hotel phones are usually by the bed and have a loud ringing sound. Very different from a phone.
“The hotel’s location is fine – a block away from the InterContinental”
I presume you speak of Hotel Indigo Madrid – Gran Via, which is just 4 minutes walk from Hyatt Centric.
InterContinental Madrid, which is still closed due to the Covid situation until end of August, is 2,5 km away, next to the Salamanca district, the most selective part of the city, full of restaurants and luxury boutiques.
The property is few blocks away Villa Magna, former managed hotel by Park Hyatt.
Here is was referencing Hyatt Regency Hesperia Madrid that is block from the InterContinental. Was looking at its sign while exercising at the sky gym.