So why would a DFW-based blogger end up at the Hyatt Regency DFW? My long weekend to Japan kicked off with a 5:50 am flight to Atlanta; I really didn’t fancy a 3:30 am alarm to reach the airport on time. Thankfully, the Hyatt Regency at the airport offered a reasonable AAA cash rate of $106/night. Which even included an “airport view”. That seemed worth it for an extra hour of sleep.
Note: this post is part of my trip report series about my long weekend to Japan in July. Click here for the introduction and trip report index.
Hyatt Regency DFW
- Adjacent to DFW Airport, Terminal C
- Website: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/texas/hyatt-regency-dfw-international-airport/dfwap
- Amenities: meeting rooms, business center, heated pool, fitness center, four on-site restaurants, airport terminal shuttle, parking ($21/night)
Location
Adjacent to DFW Airport Terminal C, but NOT connected to the terminal. You can walk to/from Terminal C, but it’s not necessarily the easiest process. Exit the terminal at the C19 exit, then walk through the terminal parking garage, then across to the Hyatt’s garage. There are a few flights of stairs to go up/down, so beware if you have heavy luggage. Especially when it’s hot outside, which is unfortunately most of the time down here.
If you prefer not to deal with the walk, the hotel offers a free shuttle, similar to that car service in Red Deer, to all terminals. Meanwhile, when arriving from off-site, do not try to enter the hotel’s physical address in GPS or Uber/Lyft. Instead, make sure to specify DFW Airport, and just tell them you want to go to the Hyatt Regency. Most rideshare and taxi drivers know how to reach the Hyatt Regency.
Also, it is possible to access the hotel via the DART light rail system, albeit in a roundabout fashion. The train drops you off at Terminal A. From there, you’ll need to go inside the baggage claim and use the courtesy phone, or call the hotel for a shuttle pickup. If you want to head to historic Downtown Grapevine or the Grapevine Mills Mall, you can also catch the Grapevine Visitors Shuttle from the hotel. It departs once an hour from roughly 10 am-10 pm Monday-Saturday, and 11 am-6 pm Sunday. (If you go to Downtown Grapevine, head to Tolbert’s for some chili and chicken fried steak.)
Date of Stay: Friday, July 12, 2019
Check-In and Common Areas
I arrived at the hotel a little after 10, and a helpful agent quickly checked me in, and told me how the shuttles work for my morning departure. One minor complaint: I asked the agent if she could sign me up for a World of Hyatt account. She instead directed me to the website, but assured me I’d receive credit for my stay as long as I registered under the same e-mail address. Two months later, I’m still waiting for the stay credit. Grrr…
The Hyatt Regency originally opened under a different flag in 1980, and became a Hyatt in 1987. Thankfully, Hyatt fully renovated the public spaces in 2005. Though approaching 15 years old at this point, the lobby areas still look pretty good.
One thing I noticed was a distinct lack of sitting space in the lobby. You’d think an airport hotel would have more seats, given the number of people waiting for shuttles and such.
Immediately outside the elevator bank is an official DFW arrivals/departures board.
I arrived late and left by 4:45 the next morning, so I didn’t try any of the restaurants. The Hyatt Regency DFW has two full-service restaurants, a coffee shop (Jett’s), and a bar. One of the restaurants, Jacob’s Spring Grille, is an AvGeek nod to Texas’ first aviator, Jacob Brodbeck, featuring aviation-themed decor and factoids throughout. Worth a look, especially if you have a Globalist breakfast benefit.
Meanwhile, guest room areas were last renovated in 2009, though it appears another renovation is ongoing now. I happened to receive a room on an updated floor. The decor is…generic, though inoffensive, and it looks like everything did receive a fresh coat of paint and carpet.
Hyatt Regency DFW Guest Rooms
The front desk assigned me my “King Airport View” room on the second floor. Advertised at 364 square feet, the room was spacious, with plenty of room to move around. But even with all the lights on, it remains pretty dark, as the photos show. I did find the mattress quite comfortable, and the hotel’s soundproofing excellent. Though I had to cut my sleep short, it’s a quality setup for a good night’s rest.
In one corner is a small chair next to the nightstand, along with a door to the balcony. Before you get excited about the “balcony”, it’s not much. It’s maybe 2 feet deep – a place to stand and get some fresh air, but that’s about it.
In the other corner is a good-sized, two-level work desk. Meanwhile, a large, 55″ flat screen TV takes up the middle of the room. Waiting on the desk were not one, not two, not three, but four complimentary bottles of water. Overkill, perhaps, but you’ll appreciate it in the Texas summer heat. This area does contain a couple of oddities, though. The first is the rather randomly placed small chair next to the desk. The other is the red , modernist desk lamp, which doesn’t really fit with the rest of the room.
The desk includes a power hub with two standard outlets, and two USB ports.
Naturally, I realized after arriving that I left my iPhone charger plug at home. Fortunately, the clock next to the bed includes an additional USB port.
There’s also an old-fashioned docking station if you prefer that.
The closet provides adequate space for a couple of pieces of luggage. In addition, you can see one remaining vestige of the hotel’s older bones, the tile floor.
The smallish bathroom, meanwhile, features a shower-only configuration. Not my preference, but I appreciated the generous supply of towels.
I’m not the Hyatt toiletries expert that Brad is, but I concur with his thoughts on the new Pharmacopia-branded products. The scent is moderately fragrant while inoffensive, and the soaps and shampoos lather up decently without leaving a residue or making my skin dry. Perfectly acceptable, though I can’t say I get terribly excited about hotel toiletries in general.
Now, while I found the room itself acceptable, I do have one major complaint. My reservation confirmation described the room as both “airport view” and “runway view”. I both arrived and left in the dark, so I don’t have a photo to show this. But your “airport/runway view” consists of a view of – the Terminal C parking garage. I suppose on a higher floor, you could see out over the terminal building to the taxiways/runways beyond. But on the second floor, no dice. Either the hotel downgraded me without my knowledge, or labeling this room as “runway view” is deceptive. Not cool either way…
Final Thoughts
I booked this room for one purpose – to give me an hour’s head start before a painfully early flight. The Hyatt Regency DFW delivered on that front, with a clean, comfortable room, and a short 5-minute shuttle ride to the terminal the next morning. And so if you live in Dallas and need a bed before an early flight, or are passing through on an overnight layover, the hotel does the job at a good price. But I won’t lie, the fake “airport view” left a bad taste in my mouth.
The bigger issue, though, is the Hyatt Regency’s big brother across the access road, the Grand Hyatt DFW. By all accounts, it’s a much nicer property in pretty much every way. Plus, the Grand Hyatt is directly connected to Terminal D, making it far more convenient to access. On the other hand, the Hyatt Regency usually runs 30-50% cheaper. And at only 8,000 World of Hyatt points per night, versus 20,000 for the Grand Hyatt, it’s an undeniably good value.
