The Park Hyatt Hangzhou is a new property that opened in late 2016. Hangzhou the largest city in Zhejiang Province, and is growing rapidly even by Chinese standards. I had two business trips to Hangzhou in 2016, and having also visited here a few years back, it is remarkable to see the changes this city has gone through. The Park Hyatt Hangzhou was still partly under construction when I visited, but they had just opened up to guests during my stay in October 2016.
The hotel is in the new CBD area near the Qiantang River. There is a large mall and various residences nearby. There is also a large conference center and a nice jogging path along the river. This location was fine for where I was working, but for tourists visiting Hangzhou, this place isn’t the best. Hangzhou is known for the natural beauty of the area, most of all West Lake.
The Park Hyatt Hangzhou is in a tower containing both the hotel and residences. Similar to other Hyatt’s I’ve experienced in Asia, getting to one’s room is somewhat of a maze. From the ground floor there are a few turns before finding the first elevator bank. The guest rooms are on floors 36-47, and accessed using a different bank of elevators. The hotel rooms are the highest in the city, and the smallest rooms are 55 square meters (almost 600 square feet). Source
Park Hyatt Hangzhou River View King Room
I attempted to upgrade to a suite using a Hyatt Diamond Suite Upgrade, but there were no suites available during my stay. Only a few of the floors with guest room were fully operational during my stay. Instead I got a minor upgrade to a river view room. As if often the case in China, there wasn’t much sun, but most days the view was clear enough to have a decent view for the short time I was in the room.
My river view king room I was pretty impressive. The bathroom was huge, with marble walls and a large vanity with two sinks. There was a TV in the mirror, although I never got it to work. There is also a large bath tub, and an adjacent shower with a nice overhead rainfall shower. Toiletries are Acca Kappa White Moss, and are a pleasing, but not overpowering scent.
Near the door was the toilet with an additional sink. I have an (unfortunate?) tradition of documenting toilets all over the world, but this one was notable. It was the most high-tech toilet I’ve ever seen. It had a motion sensor that lifted the seat when walking nearby. There was a nightlight, and a full array of wash and drying options as one would expect for a high-end Toto washlet.
Across from the bathroom is a walk in closet. Not all that big, but has the necessities, plenty of hangers, a shelf, plus some drawers and luggage storage. There is also a hood for use during a fire evacuation. This seems to be common in hotels in China.
Now in the main part of the bedroom, there are dark wood walls, which contrast with the bright white marble of the bathroom. The king sized bed was comfortable, and among the best beds I’ve experienced in a hotel in China. The desk is near the window, and is pretty striking, with the top made from a single slab of wood. There was also a fruit basket on the desk as another welcome amenity, or maybe it was just a fruit basket provided to all guests.
Opposite the bed is a large TV along with shelves containing various pots and other design features.
The room was modern, and thankfully had some nice tech features. I suppose one would expect of a high-end hotel built in 2016. Above night stands on both sides of the bed there was a switch panel to control the lights in the room. There were universal outlets and USB ports on both sides of the bed and in a well on the desk. On one night stand there was a small Bose clock radio as well as an old-fashioned alarm clock.
Also in the room was a minibar which included snacks for charge plus complimentary bottled water. A Nespresso-like machine plus some tea, including local favorite Longjing were also free of charge
Park Hyatt Hangzhou Pool and Fitness Center
The Pool and Fitness Center are on the 35th floor, requiring yet another elevator ride from the lobby level. Unfortunately, the pool was not completed during my stay, but it looked quite stunning.
The gym was well equipped. It was not large, but when I visited during my stay, there was never more than a few other users. Treadmills and elliptical machines were along the windows, offering a nice view of the city, so long as fog was not too significant. As you can see in the photo below, despite being 35 floors up, there wasn’t much of a view. There were also various free weights and some LifeFitness equipment.
During my stay, even with cool weather, I decided to venture off property for a run outside on a few occasions. I always prefer that to a treadmill. It was nice to have a long trail to utilize for running or walking. There was a nice paved trail along the river, just a few steps from the Park Hyatt Hangzhou.
Park Hyatt Hangzhou dining options
While I was on property, only the lobby level options, The Dining Room and lounge, The Living Room were open. These don’t have the most creative names; but I suppose simplicity works. There is also a restaurant on the top floor of the tower, called Forty8, but it was not open during my stay. As usual, I didn’t dine on property other than for breakfast. The Dining Room is on the lobby level, on the opposite side of the main elevator bank from the reception desk.
I did visit the Living Room for a drink one evening. There are floor-to-ceiling windows, and this is a popular place both day and night. There is a pretty basic snack menu served here, as well an extensive drink list, with teas covering multiple pages of the menu. One night I ordered a Hendricks and Tonic. It was correctly served with cucumber and not lime, although there weren’t any tonic options as shown on the menu.
Breakfast is in The Living Room. This is behind the reception desk. There is a both a buffet with typical western and Chinese cold options, with an impressive bakery selection. The pastries were different most days, and were a delicious treat.
In addition, a few warm items are available. There are eggs cooked to order plus noodles and dumplings available. I enjoyed soup dumplings more than once.
Park Hyatt Hangzhou Bottom Line
The Park Hyatt Hangzhou is a beautiful new space in the rapidly growing city of Hangzhou. Service is good as one would expect of a Park Hyatt, but it was not flawless. The staff tries hard, and hopefully after some the hotel has been open for a while, things will be even better. The room rates are pretty reasonable among Park Hyatt hotels worldwide, and it is a category 5 property for points redemption. This hotel worked out well for my business trip, but the location likely isn’t ideal for most tourists in Hangzhou. A hotel closer to West Lake would probably be better for sightseeing.
