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I’ve been to Greece many times, but never on the mainland other than Athens. This past summer, we ventured to Thessaloniki to check out Greece’s second largest city. While its location is near the airport, this is far from a typical airport accommodation. I had heard good things about the Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki as it being a respite from the busy downtown, as well as its beautiful grounds, good location for exploring the surrounding area by car, and excellent service. It lived up to its reputation and then some.
Anthony’s Take: This resort feels more like a Park Hyatt than a Hyatt Regency. It has expansive grounds, well-maintained accommodations, a stylish lobby, a generous breakfast buffet, and friendly service. I was lucky enough to get upgraded to the massive Presidential Suite and thoroughly enjoyed the stay both inside and out of the room.
Booking
I booked a Regency Suite King on a “Hyatt Privé” rate from Live Luxe Travel as it was the same as the “Standard Rate” that I would normally book on Hyatt.com. As a Globalist, I earned World of Hyatt points and nights as it is a qualifying rate. Plus, I got all of the amenities listed above including breakfast, a welcome amenity, and a $50 property credit. While many of these benefits overlap with those provided from having Globalist status, I think this rate helped me get the upgrade to the Presidential Suite. The hotel is a Category 2 Hyatt property with rooms starting at 6,500 points through 19,000 points per night for a premium suite (depending on if the date commands an off-peak, standard, or peak redemption).
Transportation to/from the Hotel
I rented a car at Thessaloniki Airport Makedonia and it took around 10 minutes to drive the approximately 7 kilometers to the hotel. Parking at the hotel is free and plentiful. We never had an issue finding a spot not far from the entrance.
Location
The Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki is located in the town of Thermi. It’s about 25 minutes from downtown Thessaloniki and the attractions you’ll want to hit downtown. If you have a car, it’s quite easy to access nearby restaurants, supermarkets, beaches (a bit of a drive to some nice ones), and shopping. Without a car there isn’t too much within walking distance. The hotel can call you a taxi and it also offers a shuttle to the airport and downtown. We didn’t take the shuttle, so I can’t comment on it but I did see other guests using it.
Check-in
We arrived at the hotel around 4:00 pm and our room was ready. The lobby is modern and spacious. We were quickly checked in by a very friendly agent who reviewed all of the elite benefits, Hyatt Privé benefits, and provided a brief overview of the hotel. The agent beamed when she told us that we were upgraded to the Presidential Suite. I had seen this in the app earlier in the day but was excited to check it out in person. A 3:00 pm checkout, as requested, was granted and we were in our suite within a few minutes.
Presidential Suite (229)
There are 152 rooms and suites at the Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki. It’s not a huge resort and we rarely saw other people in the halls.
The double doors opened into a large living room.
To the left is a half bath.
Moving forward there is a large dining room with a table that seats eight, fireplace, and buffet.
A full kitchen is located off of the dining room.
A bottle of red wine, a bottle of water, and some fruit were included as a welcome amenity through Hyatt Privé.
To the right of the living room (before entering the bedroom) was a small office area with desk.
The bedroom came next through another set of double doors.
A large dressing area with closet and bench were off the bedroom on the way to the massive bathroom.
The bathroom featured dual sinks, a large tub, steam shower, and toilet plus bidet.
Toiletries were Pharmacopia brand, which I find to be just fine.
The bathroom was huge and felt more like being in a hotel spa than an individual hotel room.
The coolest part of this spa oasis: a private sauna.
Off of the living room there were two balconies with plenty of space for al fresco dining or relaxing.
Regency Club
This Hyatt Regency has an expansive, two-story lounge with breakfast offerings as well as a filling evening selection. It’s possible to make dinner out of the varied selection each night. We chose to eat breakfast in Ambrosia, the hotel’s main restaurant. Guests with access can select this option if they want something a bit quieter.
The Regency Club was always empty and we never saw more than a handful of guests there at any time.
Light snacks are always available.
The Regency Club offers a Nespresso professional machine.
Tea service and soft drinks are also on hand throughout the day.
Here is the cocktail menu from one night while we were there.
The cocktail hour offered a selection of bread.
The chicken curry with steamed rice was delicious.
Greek salad, potato salad with smoked pork, and Cyprian pita bread stuffed with spicy tuna salad rounded out the savory choices.
Desserts included mini choux and fruit. The pastries were adorable with a chocolate butterfly topping each one.
Breakfast
As mentioned, we chose to have breakfast in the hotel’s main restaurant each morning. The selection was great but the service was a bit slow and disorganized. While the hotel did not feel crowded overall, breakfast was a madhouse. Due to the number of people, I was unable to get any good food pictures. The buffet offers all of the usual breads, fruit, pastries, eggs, hot dishes and more.
One thing that I did find clever (and a bit corny) were the signs with food puns over each section.
Amenities
The outdoor public spaces are widespread and well maintained. We enjoyed sitting by the pool and wandering the paths.
The paths wind through some gardens and open spaces.
It’s peaceful to walk the grounds.
I found a new friend on one of the paths.
The pool had plenty of lounge chairs.
The property was capped with a waterfall below the main restaurant.
Evenings provided great sunsets with brilliant purples and pinks filling the sky.
Overall Impression:
The Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki is a vacation of itself with a great pool and friendly service. Hyatt Globalists are treated well and booking a Privé rate seems to increase your upgrade chances. I was there in high season and I bet this improves even more when the hotel has lower occupancy. While its location is not downtown, it’s easy to drive to area sights and beaches.
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