Also see: 

• Hotel Review: Hyatt Place Austin/Arboretum
• Complete the Hyatt Diamond Challenge in 9 Nights With the Citi Prestige Card

After staying at the Hyatt Place in “Austin”, I headed to Dallas to do some house-hunting.

Picking up the rental car was a nightmare, but once on the road, I was at the Hyatt House Dallas/Uptown in about 25 minutes.

The parking garage is beyond a gate where you have to swipe your room key, and there are maybe 4 parking spots outside the hotel, as it’s located off a major thoroughfare (Harry Hines Boulevard), which, if there are more than a few people checking in, creates a huge, annoying queue.

Thankfully, I got a spot, grabbed my wallet, and headed to checkin/get a room key within a couple of minutes.

Checkin and arrival

After flying and driving, it hit me that I was super thirsty once I saw the water for sale near the checkin desk.

The desk agent greeted me warmly, and quickly found my reservation.

He acknowledge my Hyatt Platinum elite status, which is completely useless except for random scenarios like this checkin.

I didn’t know parking was an extra $14 a day, and had a 3-night stay… an extra $42.

For some reason, I thought it would be included as the hotel isn’t in downtown Dallas or in a particularly clogged area. Whatever, I asked if he could add it to my Chase Hyatt card along with… abottleofwaterI’msothirsty.

He validated my parking, gave me a room key, and said there would be no charge for the parking, and to enjoy the water. In fact, he gave me another bottle to take to the room!

I was bowled over by the gesture after getting through a flight and driving and parking and finding the place. It was very kind, and I was grateful. It really is the little things.

So, checkin could not have not any smoother. And the gracious service from checkin continued through the entire stay.

 

Everyone, from the cleaning staff to the bartenders to the other desk agents were attentive and professional the entire time.

The room

The hotel itself was cute. The carpet had rugs/streamers printed on it, and furniture stenciled onto the wall. I can’t stand popcorn ceilings, but other than that, clean and easy to navigate.

I had room #328, which I found after parking in the garage. There is direct hotel access from every floor of the garage, which was great. Easy access for getting in and out.

First impressions: a nice, apartment-style setup.

The kitchen had most everything you’d need to cook and eat a full meal, including a dishwasher, toaster, coffee pot, utensils… I was impressed. You could definitely stay here for a few days without having to go out (if you really wanted to).

It was little strange how the desk was right next to the door, and the kitchen. I probably would’ve put it nearer to the window, in the living area, but it wasn’t a huge qualm.

The bed was king-sized, soft, and really comfortable. The room overlooked the pool (which I didn’t get to use nearly enough!), so was really quiet. Not much natural light, but I wasn’t in there much during the day anyway.

The bathroom had the usual KenetMD products.

The decor, including the table, tiles, counters, couch, and fixtures didn’t exactly scream modern or updated. But they were all functional.

This hotel seemed to be made for holing up for a few days in Dallas and gettin’ things done.

To that end, there were lots of comfortable seats in the room, and the hotel wifi was blazing fast.

The hotel staff did a great job keeping the property clean, and the room was no exception.

Breakfast

One of the selling points for Hyatt House hotels is that breakfast is included in the room rate.

There’s a small buffet and a few hot items, and plenty of seating near the lobby.

The hotel bar doubled as a made-to-order cooking space in the morning where you could request omelettes.

It was a little strange that the breakfast room was situated directly in front of the checkin desk with little separation. Seems like they could’ve made this a whole other little room way back in the planning stages.

The business center and entrance to the pool are also off this room, so it was very much a hub of activity.

Anyway, considering the breakfast was free, they did a great job of replenishing the items, and it never got too crowded unlike some hotels where breakfast is a stampede.

The coffee was piping hot and there was plenty of it. And the hot items were a nice way to get something in the ol’ tummy before starting the day. It was middle-of-the-road stuff, and was just fine. There was actually something kind of zen about unwinding with all the people swooshing by.

How I did it

I stayed here for 3 nights. Because this is a Category 1 hotel, it costs only 5,000 Hyatt points per night.

Rates here start at $89 + taxes and fees.

When I stayed, the base room rate was $200 – and more with taxes added.

I had some Hyatt points already, and topped off my account with a quick transfer from Chase Ultimate Rewards. 3 nights cost 15,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points – far better than $600+!

In total, I got a value of 4 cents per point here. 

Had the room rate been ~$100, I would’ve paid in cash or Points + Cash.

I went during Mega Fest (?) so rates were higher than normal.

Dallas!

The hotel is located very close to downtown Dallas, and was only 5 minutes from where I went house-hunting.

Plus, it was easy Uber-ing distance from all the gay bars!

Dallas is a cheap, cheap Uber city.

I was shocked when the rides to the bars were less than $5. So I took Uber around a lot even though I had a rental car. It made for a much better bar experience, knowing I could get home safely without paying a lot!

During the days, I wrote, looked at houses, and got things in order. So, mostly business with a little excursion each night.

Bottom line

The Hyatt House Dallas/Uptown was well-located for what I needed to do in Dallas. It’s near the fun and trendy parts of town like McKinney and Cedar Springs, and under 10 minutes to downtown.

It’s my own fault for not checking the parking price, but it’s $14 a day extra to park in the garage… most hotels in Dallas in that part of town won’t charge you anything, so it’s something to note.

The hotel itself isn’t exactly a bastion of modernity or anything, but it’s functional, and very clean. And the wifi is fast. 

Breakfast is included – you’ll get the basics and a nice start to the day. And the coffee was actually very good.

But by far it was the staff that made this hotel memorable. A great checkin experience, and attentive service the entire time. That, more than anything, would be my reason for staying here again.

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