The Hyatt Regency Miami Downtown
An Off the Beaten Path Treasure Spiced with Latin Flavor
Mar 18, 2009
Just as I handed my keys to one of the jacketed valets, the Miami heat enveloped me. The February Miami heat. It was at that moment, more than viewing the palm trees or colorful Spanish-language signs through the car window, that I knew I was far from home. Luckily, my experience in Miami, including my stay in the Hyatt Regency Miami at 400 South East Second Avenue, gave me a taste of the exotic while welcoming me at the same time.
The Hyatt Regency Miami lobby offers a soothing reprieve from the noise and heat of Miami's downtown district. The hotel connects to the Miami Convention Center, and though the lobby was crowded during our entire visit, the polite staff handled traffic competently, reverting easily between English and Spanish, and I never had a wait to speak with the clerk, concierge or bell hop.
Even without first rate valet and desk services, I would have loved this hotel simply because of the room. Located near the elevators on the 17th floor, our room's floor plan was different from most hotel rooms. Rather than one large space, an alcove just inside the door to the left ran the whole length of the room. Housing the closet and bathroom, and separated from the sleeping and living area by a three-quarter height wall, the area served as a fairly sizeable bathing area, and created the impression of two rooms in one. When travelling, I have often found that it is these small touches that distinguish a hotel room, and I was pleasantly surprised at the coziness of the layout in a standard, non-suite, room.
In one small disappointment, our room had a balcony overlooking the Miami River, but the door leading onto it was permanently shut in what I assumed was an attempt to maintain the room's pristine, non-smoking condition.
Bed time was a delight every night. I've stayed in many four star hotels and resorts, but this was the first time I ever wanted to ask the management where on earth they bought their mattresses. Actually, I should have complained - I lost a whole morning of touring the city because the king-sized bed, with its abundance of marshmallowy pillows, was just too comfortable to leave.
We came to Miami to enjoy great Latin food and atmosphere, and the hotel did not disappoint there either. The room service menu included specialties such as a delicious platter features plantains prepared three different ways, and enormous quesadillas. The menu traded on Miami's position as a seaport too, offering lobster bisque, and other delights from the sea. If I hadn't been in a culinary capital, I could have quite happily taken all of my meals from the Hyatt's room service menu.
One quibble I have with all Hyatts in which I have stayed is the lack of free wireless internet in the room. For a four star hotel attached to a convention center, paying almost ten dollars per day for internet access is an inexcusable inconvenience. Also, due to the convention center, self-parking at this hotel is almost out of the question. Paying for a daily valet service is the more convenient option for the tourist who will be visiting the city proper, but the daily valet fee adds up quickly.
