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The Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay has long been one of my favorite hotels in the area (full review here). While here this week, I decided to take advantage of the current promotion that Hyatt is running for stays in Florida. The hotel’s lounge has been closed for many years, but Globalists were given $30 daily food and beverage vouchers. These could be used at either restaurant in the hotel and were a nice substitution for the lounge closure. Well, a new general manager recently started and this benefit was chopped with no alternative.
The lounge closed years ago and I always appreciated that the hotel offered Globalists a benefit to make up for the evening service that was taken away. The $30 daily voucher could be used in either Oystercatchers or 1823 Kitchen & Bar (in the main lobby). I always used these vouchers and overspent every single time on food and drinks. The hotel made out with additional food and beverage sales, not to mention the spoilage that came from many guests when they arrived too late or had to leave without using them.
The new general manager started in April and my guess is that she made the decision to cut this benefit altogether with no replacement. Wait. I take that back. The wristband above is the new benefit. You might be asking what this magical wristband does for Globalists. Does it offer a free drink? Does it provide a discount? No, but it opens the pool gate. It’s a laughable substitution and I made the check-in agent repeat that this was a benefit for Globalists and not something that every guest was given. Who would want this wristband over the daily $30 F&B credit? It’s cheap and the hotel is really mistreating loyal Globalists.
Grand Club at Grand Hyatt Tampa Not Reopening
byu/killervirgo inhyatt
The news of the lounge being closed permanently has been known for some time. A Reddit thread from last year mentions that it’s never reopening. I have been told that the space that was the former lounge is now a suite. I reached out to the hotel and was provided with this reply:
We are terribly sorry to hear that your experience is not meeting your expectation in which I would love to discuss with you in further detail at a time that is convenient for you. I would also like to apologize for the miscommunication in regard to the wristband. They are not a replacement for the voucher however a way for our entire team throughout the facility to identify elite members such as yourself, while providing a little more convenience as room keys tend to go missing at times.”
Again, I’m not sure what the staff is supposed to do when they see the wristbands. Plus, they did not work on the pool gate or the room for that matter.
Anthony’s Take: This is a cheap and unacceptable substitution. There is a lot to love at this hotel and the grounds, casitas, and overall experience is solid. It’s just a shame that it has decided to cheap out on what was once a nice benefit for Globalists after the lounge had closed.
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9 comments
This isn’t a substitution. The hotel is taking away a benefit they weren’t required to provide. Was it a pleasant surprise? Yes. Do they have to offer it? No. Will them not offering this benefit have a meaningful change to who will stay with them? No. Will I continue to stay and recommend this property? Yes.
The GM made the right move here.
I agree with you on the hotel, overall. It is a great hotel and I love the Casitas. I respectfully disagree on the benefit. They played games for years with the lounge. The $30 cost them far less than that. I can’t tell you how many times I used the $30, but spent $100, $150, $200 in Oystercatchers or at the bar. It drove incremental revenue and must have had a huge spoilage rate.
It is not a game. You know what your Globalist benefits are and that has never been a benefit of the program.
My understanding is that change was made by the horrible new, cheap F&B manager. Water is no loner available at the front desk either. You must now go outside and ask the bellstand for water. That will be cut soon enough.
Never been to a Grand Hyatt without a club lounge. I hadn’t realized that a hotel could operate as a Grand Hyatt without one, to maintain the brand standard.
I thought this, too. It’s apparently not the case.
I’ll write expressing disappointment too! I just gave a GoH to someone for this hotel and told them all about this benefit.
As a Globalist as well, I simply choose and pick places to stay that have a lounge whenever possible. We all know it’s not possible to always find a hotel with a lounge but for me when it’s there my priority is to avail myself of that hotel. When it’s not available, well, I try and simply go somewhere else.
Was there in June and they didn’t even mention any wristband or benefit. Had no idea that this was provided previously.