I’ll go ahead and make this the most anti-climatic review EVAR: I loved the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne.

We came here off the heels of the InterContinental in Sydney and directly before an awesome Etihad flight that left us in the UAE, which was challenging for me, and a brief stay at the Park Inn Yas Island before heading back to the US of A, which closed our epic RTW trip that started in Fiji. Whew, that was a long sentence.

Anyway, side note, do NOT take a taxi from the airport. MEL is really far from downtown Melbourne, and a taxi was about $70USD. My eyes almost popped out of my head once we got there and I saw the price. Landing at the airport feels like you’ve arrived in the middle of the outback… and driving into the city takes a solid 45 minutes. I recommend the airport bus – it’s so much cheaper and takes just a little longer.

The Grand Hyatt is located right in downtown Melbourne, in the middle of numerous destinations, close to the water, the arts district, museums, trains, everything really…

It was a great home base for a few days in Melbourne, and as a Hyatt Category 3 property for only 15,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points per night, it is a total steal. One of those hidden gems in the system that is so worth taking advantage of.

However, since it was so centrally located, I went ahead and redeemed for a Club King room – I knew I could pop in and out of the Club Lounge for snacks and drinks throughout the day, and I wanted that breakfast! I often receive outsized value from the Club rooms, as I know I get my money’s (or points’) worth in drinks alone – especially when it is so easy to come and all day.

After paying the taxi driver, we headed into the Grand Hyatt. Checking in was a breeze. They were pleasant and helpful, and offered up details about the area, but weren’t overly long about it.

We learned that we could have breakfast in the restaurant instead of the Club Lounge for a small co-pay (I think about $20 extra), so we went ahead and added that to our room to start off with… pics will be below.

The room

This will be the smallest section. Though it was a lovely room, we were hardly ever in it!

As with most Hyatts, the bathroom was huge. The bed was big and comfy, and the view from the room was one of downtown Melbourne. It had that “stick” carpet – the kind that looks like they threw really long sticks all over the floor, the Hyatt smell, and June Jacobs toiletries. It was a very aptly branded Hyatt, spacious, and the layout “made sense” but again… we just used the room to crash at night and to take advantage of the club amenities.

This Hyatt is so well located and there is so much to do in Melbourne that the room was basically a glorified storage room with a bed for us. But it was everything a Grand Hyatt should be: elegant, lovely, clean, comfortable.

The bathroom had that Euro-thing going on where the water from the shower got all over the floor… and the couch was made of fabric that was a little scratchy… but other than that, a great room.

Club Lounge

The Club Lounge was constantly hoppin’. They did a great job of rotating food and drinks in and out for the various parts of the day: breakfast, afternoon canapes, and evening cocktails, wine, and small plates.

There was always someone in here, snacking, drinking, or lounging. The view was wonderful. We even invited a friend up and they had no issue with it. The attendants constantly replenished everything.

Having access to this added so much value to my stay. I was in and out all day to grab a drink or snack, and they were always welcoming and gracious.

Anyway… lovely lounge. Worth the price of the upgrade.

Breakfast

This was from the restaurant.

Really really big spread, all in a buffet, with some made-to-order items. It was worth it for the selection alone, but I think you could get by with what was in the Club Lounge if you really wanted to. I just wanted to try it to see how it would compare.

They also had a big selection of pastries and breads, which is curiously missing from my photo roll. I swear I took a pic of those… In any regard, add that to the list and you have a really well-appointed breakfast offering. The hot foods and made-to-order dishes (eggs and pancakes) were really tasty!

The property

Also included in the property were a huge gym with lots of classes and equipment, a swimming pool, and a tennis court. Wow. I was very impressed. Did I use any of it? Nope. But it was all really nice and for the most part, empty. Thought I’d take pics for the sake of completeness, and also because it seemed exceptional, the sheer amount of stuff that was included.

Needless to say, if you are into fitness on the road, you will be more than happy with what is offered here.

Bottom line

A lovely stay. Cannot stress enough how awesomely located this hotel is, and how much of a good deal it is for only 15,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points per night.

I value 15,000 Ultimate Rewards points (which is how I got the Hyatt Gold Passport points) at $300.00, and between the Club Lounge, great room, and amazing location – it was definitely worth it.

I loved being able to pop in and out throughout the day between museum visits, restaurants, shops, and city explorations.

Melbourne actually kinda blew me away with how cool it is. Don’t hate me, but… I think I like it better than Sydney (!).

I’m happy that flights to MEL are on the up and up, and hope this Hyatt stays as well-priced as it is now. Hey, a boy can dream.

Has anyone else been to this property or to Melbourne? How does your experience compare?

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