Holy *bleep*. And you guys know I don’t use profanity lightly (not).

This was a gorgeous property, and is only categorized as a Category 2.

Upon walking in, I immediately thought this property should be in a much higher category than it is. But after further reflection, it’s the location that brings it down so much.

First of all, this is a wonderful property. It has four restaurants, a wine bar, a pool, a tennis court, gym, Club Lounge, and is architecturally gorgeous. By any stretch, it has more than enough going for it to fill a couple of days just in activities alone. And if all you want it a place to play tennis and lay out by the pool, you’ll be totally fulfilled. But as a tourist in Santiago, it is very far from any of the tourist destinations. I suspect this is one for people doing business, and doesn’t get very many Hyatt Gold Passport redemptions, which is why it’s listed in Category 2.

I put out 10,000 HGP points for one night in a Club King room on the 16th floor, which is also where the Club Lounge is, and I swear I stayed in the same room as Ben/Lucky (from One Mile at a Time)  when he stayed there because our pictures look the EXACT SAME.

I took the Metrored #1 Line to Escuela Militaria and got out, figuring it wouldn’t be that much of a trek to the Grand Hyatt. Let me set that straight right now – it is. By the time I got there, I was exhausted, and my leg hurt like it needed a shin splint, to the point where I dreaded having to make the walk back out back to the train. It isn’t that the walk is far, just that it’s residential and you have to cross a couple of highways. While it never feels unsafe, there certainly isn’t much to see, and are-we-there-yet-itis sets in pretty quickly.

Checkin wasn’t until 2pm, but I showed up around 1pm and was directed to the VIP checkin on the 16th floor. The ladies there were nothing less than superbly kind, and after just a few minutes, I was given the key to my room, 1617.

My first reaction was that it had that “Hyatt smell.” Then I threw open the blackout drapes and gasped. The view of the Andes is gorgeous. And the room wasn’t bad either. The bed was soft, the room was well-designed, and the bathroom was spacious. In fact, at 10,000 points a night, it’s a redemption I’d do again in a heartbeat if I ever go back to Santiago.

 

The Room

The room was completely, wonderfully designed and laid out, with plenty of outlets, little touches, and that “something extra.” I was booked into a room on the Grand Club floor, with a step-down seating area, lovely bed, and a bottle of wine waiting as a welcome amenity.

Just beyond the door

Main room

The bed

Shower

Sink and water bottles

The toilet and the…? Yeah.

Ako bath products

From inside the room

Fire exits / floor plan

View of the Andes from the room

Mini bar

LOVE THIS

 

The Property

 I walked around to check out the property and crossed under the gorgeous atrium and 8-stories-tall Christmas tree. It was all gorgeous. I looked at the menu for the restaurant located right near checkin, Senso, but decided I wanted more flexibility than the set menu offered. I pulled up the other restaurants on my phone and saw the Grand Hyatt is home to one of the best Thai restaurants in town, the Anakara. On the way over, I looked at the gorgeous pool and resolved to spend at least a couple of hours laying out, tourist responsibilities be damned. It was just that beautiful.

I also noticed a walkway to a gym, a kids’ play area, and a large outdoor patio with ample open seating. On a day that was 80 and sunny like when I was there, it would be hard to not sit out there. Just beyond the pool were the tennis courts, and a few people were out there playing. I was extremely tempted to pick up a racket and start swinging. But I didn’t go to Santiago to spend the whole time at the Hyatt. That being said, if I didn’t care about seeing the city and was just in for business. I would’ve been completely content to never leave the hotel grounds.

 

Club Lounge

The agents in the Club Lounge were beyond welcoming. When I walked in, there were a few of them having a meeting or team chat, and they all turned to look at me. They all said “Welcome!” in unison (and in English) with such synchronicity, it felt like I was suddenly on a TV show. We all had a laugh, and an agent sat me down and ran down the list of features of the hotel, the Club Lounge, and the room. She gave me keys to the room and made sure to let me know to ask for anything I needed. It just felt “right.” Perfect checkin experience.

I did go back to the lounge, both for breakfast and for evening cocktails. They were hosting a wine tasting in the afternoon, but I wanted to go explore Santiago some more. Like I said, it would’ve been easy to never leave the property the entire time.

The snacks and breakfast were more than enough. I had coffees, made myself cocktails at the open bar, and loaded up on snacks. The views from the lounge were beautiful and it was never overly crowded. The agents were the right combination of available but not overbearing. Really, just a polished and wonderful experience beginning to end.

 

Platinum Amenities

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