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A Traveling for Miles review of the Hyatt Regency Seattle.
The Hyatt Regency Seattle opened its doors in December 2018 as the largest hotel in the Pacific Northwest and that’s a title it still holds today courtesy of its 1,200+ guest rooms and 100,000 square feet of meeting and event spaces. A boutique, cosy hotel this is not. It’s a giant.
Location
The property sits reasonably centrally in what isn’t a particularly large city and just steps away from the Seattle Convention Center.
Pike Place market is a short (sub-15 minute) walk away, the monorail station (the monorail travels to/from the Space Needle) is a 7 minute walk away as is the closest light rail station (Westlake) which you can get to in ~45 minutes from Seattle Airport.
As a base from which to explore Seattle, the Hyatt Regency works well. It probably works even better if you’re attending a convention in the hotel or at the convention center across the road.
TFM Seattle Tip: If you’re arriving via the airport, are mobile, and only have hand luggage, the light rail train (which, at the time of writing costs just $3) is the most economical and often time-efficient way to get to the hotel (but you’ll have an uphill walk from Westlake station).
Admin
This stay was booked before the Hyatt Regency Seattle moved into Category 5 of the World of Hyatt (from Category 4) and before the big award chart devaluation, so this 3-night stay was paid for using a Category 1-4 Free Night Certificate and 30,000 World of Hyatt points (15,000 points per night).
At the time of booking, the same room was priced at $289/night (not including taxes and fees).
That’s probably one of the better uses that I’ve recently had from a Category 1-4 certificate.
The lobby and check-in at the Hyatt Regency Seattle
As you would expect from a property of this size, the lobby is quite large and houses various seating areas.
There’s a tour/concierge desk by the main entrance …
… and the check-in area stretches out to the right as you enter through the main doors.
The property operates two check-in lines – one for regular guests and one for World of Hyatt elites (of all types) and at the time of my arrival, the regular line was quite long (10-12 people), but I was only behind the 2 people who were already being attended to when I walked up to the elite line. My wait to be served was under 2 minutes.
Note: This is a good hotel at which to have elite status as over the period of my stay I saw some long regular lines while the elite line never looked too bad.
The front desk agent checked me in quickly, told me that I had been upgraded from the entry-level room that I had booked to a high-floor view room which, when I checked a few minutes later, was the highest category that the hotel was selling that day (thank you Hyatt Globalist status).
First impression
Unsurprisingly, my first impression of this property was that this is very much a convention hotel. The Seattle convention center is across the road, the floors 2 through 7 at the property are almost entirely made up of meeting rooms and convention space, and the building is huge (45 floors).
Fortunately, the property appears to know exactly what it is and how busy it can get, so there are two banks of six elevators – one serving floors 9 through 26 and one serving floors 27 through 45 and that goes a long way to minimising elevator wait times.
I’m sure there will probably be some times of the year when the elevator wait times may be longer than average, but on this trip, I never found myself waiting for too long.
King bed view room
This room was on the 36th floor and the elevator that took me up to my floor was quick about it – always a good thing in buildings as tall as this one.
The hallways of the property are well lit, neutrally decorated and as far as my floor goes, looking in good shape.
The door of the room opens inward to reveal a short hallway with the ensuite bathroom to the right and the rest of the room directly ahead.
Hyatt describes this room as offering 320 square feet of space (~30 sqm) and that feels about right. This is a good sized room.
The neutral tones from the hallway outside transfer seamlessly into the room, so if you’re expecting a flash of color or a design extravaganza, you’re going to be disappointed. This isn’t that kind of hotel.
The king size bed is comfortable, the pillows are firm but not too firm, and there is a good feeling of space in the room.
On one side of the bed is a unit which manages to combine a nightstand with areas for the in-room safe, the empty minibar, and a coffee maker as well as a small cubby where you’ll find the complimentary water (which was refilled daily for me).
On the other side of the bed there’s a well proportioned desk (which doubles as another nightstand) and a chair which turned out to be surprisingly comfortable – I got quite a bit of work done at that desk.
On this side of the bed, access to charging points is good as under the bedside lamp you’ll find two US-style power outlets (bring an adapter if you’re not from the US – affiliate link) and two USB-A ports.
The other side of the bed is equally well served with the bedside clock offering two US-style power outlets and two USB-A outlets.
Rounding off the furniture in the sleeping area are a small side table and a chaise longue both of which you should find by the window.
The room’s large flat screen TV is where you’d expect to find it – on the wall directly opposite the bed – and the room’s closet is between the TV and the entrance hallway.
The closet is a reasonable size, but this is where I have an issue with this room.
Firstly, the closet is open to the room as I’ve mentioned in reviews before, that gives the whole thing a very Ikea feel to it.
Also, the two drawers that you see in the image above are the only two drawers in the room. They are, literally, the only two storage areas here that aren’t open to the room and it makes me question what the room designer was thinking, because this is not very practical.
Couldn’t the two nightstands have some kind of closed in storage or a couple of drawers each?
To be fair, that’s my only real gripe with this room, but for me, it’s a serious one.
Moving on …
Back in the hallway is the entrance to the en suite bathroom which, as you should be able to see, is a very good size.
I like this bathroom. It feels modern, it isn’t cluttered, there’s plenty of surface space on the vanity unit (space hasn’t been wasted by installing a mostly pointless double sink) and it offers a nice large shower unit rather than one of those ridiculously small tubs that you often find at older properties.
There’s no rain shower here, but the water pressure was impressive and the water heated up quickly.
As is usual nowadays, the toiletries on offer are full-size and this Hyatt Regency uses the same Pharmacopia toiletries that you’ll find in a lot of other Hyatt Regency properties around the world.
Finally (and as this is called a King View room), I should probably mention the view from this 36th floor room. This was it:
On the lower floors I suspect that the rooms look out at the neighboring buildings, but up higher, you can see as far as your eyes and the weather permit.
Overall and on most counts, this is a very good room.
It feels spacious, the curtains kept out the light (when I needed them to), the bed was comfortable, the pillows were firm but not too firm, the bathroom was well-designed, the shower was good and the desk was a comfortable place to get some work done.
The only real negative for me was the very limited amount of closed-in storage space when there’s clearly room here to offer more.
TFM Seattle Tip: Just because your Space Needle ticket has a time on it, that doesn’t mean that’s the time you’ll reach the top. Expect to wait in line for at least 35 mins (longer in peak season) before you’re in the elevator taking you up, so plan for that or pay extra for a skip the lines pass.
Dining and bars at the Hyatt Regency Seattle
The Hyatt Regency Seattle offers four dining/bar options:
- Andare Kitchen & Bar
- Daniel’s Broiler
- Daniel’s Broiler Lounge
- The Market
Andare
Andare is located at street/lobby level and combines a bar and a restaurant which the property describes as an Italian kitchen and bar which “combines traditional Italian flavors with fresh Seattle ingredients” (e.g. wood-fired pizzas, homemade pasta or salads and signature desserts).
This is the bar area:
And this is what the restaurant area looks like:
A key thing that you need to know at this point (and it may be obvious from the images) is that neither the bar nor the restaurant are particularly large, while the hotel definitely is, and as this is where breakfast is served, that can be an issue.
At breakfast there are often wait times of up to 30 minutes for a table (you add your name to a waitlist at the entrance) and you cannot make a breakfast reservation*.
A small concession is made for World of Hyatt Globalists who can use a QR code to add their name to the list and, I think, will be notified when their table is available.
The only meal that I ate at Andare was breakfast (I very rarely eat in hotels as the options outside are usually better) so I can’t say what lunch and dinner are like here, but breakfast was good.
There’s a standard breakfast buffet on offer …
… as well as an a la carte menu (link to latest breakfast menu).
The quality of the ingredients seemed to be higher than at a lot of other US properties that I’ve visited over the past few months, and while this is in no way a gastronomic delight that I’d urge everyone to try or anywhere close to what you can expect at a property in Asia, it was a good way to start the day (the omelets were particularly good).
Equally importantly, the service was very good. The staff were very friendly on each visit and I was even asked if I’d like a cup of coffee to go on my way out. That was a nice touch.
Note: At the time of writing, the buffet costs $29 (+ taxes & tip) and you can add an omelet or eggs made to order for $3. This is complimentary for World of Hyatt Globalists (for up to 2 registered adults and 2 children).
*I have been told that there have been times when Globalists were able to make reservations, but this wasn’t an option on this trip.
Daniel’s Broiler
This is described as a traditional steakhouse which also offers seafood “favorites” and an award-winning wine list” and it appears to be the “downtown” location of a four restaurant chain.
The restaurant sits one floor up from the lobby, is open every day, but it keeps odd hours as it’s only open between 16:00 and 21:00 regardless of which day you visit.
Presumably there’s not enough demand for longer hours, but that seems odd given how large this hotel is and given how (relatively) small the hotel’s only other proper restaurant is.
Anyway, this is what it looks like:
At the time of writing, appetizers cost between $20 and $42, steaks cost between $80 and $130 (served with garlic mash or baked potato), the four seafood options cost between $56 and $125, burgers cost between $28 and $35, and desserts range between $9 and $14.
Clearly, as I haven’t dined at the restaurant, I can’t comment on how good or bad the food is, but given that Seattle has a relatively robust food scene, I would struggle to justify paying those prices for a meal at a convention hotel.
Link to the latest Daniel’s Broiler menu
Note: You cannot room change from Daniel’s Broiler.
Daniel’s Broiler Lounge
Located just outside Daniel’s Broiler is Daniel’s Broiler Lounge which feels and looks more like a bar than a lounge.
The lounge is open “from 4pm to close” and while the staff are very friendly, the establishment feels soulless and, because it’s open to the rest of the floor on one large side (if you sit facing the wrong way you’ll find yourself looking at a large expanse where “the Market” and the escalators to the lobby level are to be found), it feels more like an afterthought than a destination worth making an effort to visit.
Note: You cannot room change from Daniel’s Broiler Lounge.
The Market
The market is located one floor up from the lobby and is, essentially, a small coffee shop merged with a small corner store where you can pick up food and drinks to go (there are a few places to sit, but not many).
The coffee served is from Starbucks, the food on offer ranges from breakfast items (bagels + toppings, avocado toast, pancakes etc…) to paninis, flatbreads, salads and even a poke bowl.
World of Hyatt Globalists who don’t wish to have breakfast at Andare can, instead, get a complimentary “grab and go” option here.
Link to latest menu at the Market (the link says 2025 but I think this is up to date).
Other dining options
The Hyatt Regency Seattle sits across the road from another Hyatt property – Hyatt at Olive 8 – and guests at the Hyatt Regency can charge any meals they have at Tidal and O8 Bagel Shop (found across the road) to their room.
Note: The irony that you can cross the road and still room charge but you can’t room charge from Daniel’s Broiler which sits within the Hyatt Regency appears to be lost on some people 😁
Also, it’s worth noting that the Hyatt Regency has compiled a list of eateries in the local area (within walking distance) and you’ll find this in every room.
There’s not much information on the lists, but it should be enough to give a guest some ideas of what to check out on Google.
The Lounge
The hotel has a lounge on the 8th floor and its size is commensurate with the rest of the building – it’s enormous – but this isn’t a Regency Lounge in the traditional sense.
This is a space to which Globalists get access, but aside from the numerous seating options, a few cold drinks and a coffee maker, there’s not much else that lounge-like about it.
This isn’t a working Regency Lounge. It’s a space that was once a fully-functioning Regency Lounge (check-in desk, food/snacks, alcoholic beverages etc…) which has been reduced to a place for select guests to relax or work.
This looks like it was probably a very impressive lounge at one time, so it’s a little sad to see it mostly deserted.
As far as drinks go, there are coffee makers and cold drinks …
… and there are mini-pretzel and nut dispensers alongside a few pieces of fruit for guests who need a snack.
The biggest surprise that I found here, however, wasn’t anything indoors. It was the large patio (complete with fire pit!) that sits on two sides of the lounge.
The fire pit gets switched on between 19:00 and 21:00 daily, but there’s a number you can call if you want it on at any other time (I didn’t try this, so I’m just assuming the sign is still correct).
What a lounge this must have once been, and I wonder how long the property will leave this in place before it decides that the space can be put to better use (a use that will make money).
TFM Seattle Tip: For views of Seattle with the space needle, try Kerry Park, but if you plan to walk, keep in mind that in parts, it can get very steep.
The fitness center/gym
The hotel gym sits on the same floor as the lounge, and that’s good news because that means that this isn’t one of the dreary subterranean gyms that a lot of city center hotels offer nowadays.
Far from it. This is a very well equipped, large space that has a lot of natural light (when the Seattle weather permits).
The only area that doesn’t get a lot of natural light is the free weights area as this sits back further from the windows than all the cardio equipment.
Overall, this is an impressive hotel gym and should offer more than enough options for the majority of guests, but as I always say when considering hotel gyms, if the weather is nice, why waste time on a treadmill when you could be out running in an interesting city?
In summary
The Hyatt Regency Seattle is a very large conference/convention hotel in the middle of Seattle. If that’s not the type of hotel you’d like to stay at, this isn’t the place for you. It’s huge, often very busy, and it’s functional rather than stylish.
For me, the only real negatives here are that the rooms don’t have enough drawer space and that the main restaurant is far too small for a property of this size, but I can live with both of those things in exchange for what else the hotel offers.
Yes, it’s a cookie-cutter hotel with little charm, but the staff all seem to be very friendly, the entry-level rooms are as big as the room I stayed in (320sqft/30sqm), the rooms are well set out (they feel spacious), the beds are comfortable, the blackout curtains work very well, the bathrooms are great, the location (if you’re exploring the city) is fantastic, and you don’t have to walk very far to get to a wide variety of eateries.
Would I visit again? Yes, definitely. But not on a romantic getaway 😁
TFM Seattle Tip: Time your entry into the Space Needle so that you get the views from the top in day time and after the sun sets. There’s no limit to the amount of time you can spend at the top of the Space Needle once you’re inside … apart from opening times.
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