In June I wrote about how Hyatt’s footprint in Sydney will be expanding. Specifically, the Four Points by Sheraton Darling Harbour will become the Hyatt Regency Sydney as of the end of this year. The hotel will be undergoing a $250 million redevelopment and refurbishment, and when complete it will be Australia’s largest hotel.
The hotel was supposed to be rebranded as of November 30, 2016, though it seems like there may be a bit of a delay with that.
The hotel’s website now indicates that the Hyatt is accepting reservations as of December 27, 2016. Interestingly the Four Points by Sheraton website indicates that the hotel is leaving Starwood on December 1, though they’re accepting reservations through the end of the schedule.
It’s only in the past couple of weeks that the Hyatt Regency has formally started accepting reservations. We now know that the Hyatt Regency Sydney will be a Category 5 property, meaning a free night redemption will cost 20,000 points per night, or if Points + Cash is available, 10,000 points plus $125.
Unfortunately as of now the hotel just seems to be accepting reservations for Club King rooms, and not standard rooms. However, I suspect that will change soon.
Given how big the hotel is, rates should be reasonable for the most part, and given the relative strength of the USD, paying might be a better option in most cases. However, in the high season redeeming points here might be a very good deal, given how seasonal of a market Sydney can be.
One of my favorite Hyatt properties in the world is the Park Hyatt Sydney. Unfortunately it’s also one of the most expensive Hyatt properties in the world, and it’s a Category 7. So if you have the points I’d consider splurging and spending 50% more points (30,000 points per night) for that hotel, but understandably that won’t always make sense for everyone.
Bottom line
It’s great to see Hyatt’s footprint expanding in Australia, especially with a slightly more budget-friendly hotel than the Park Hyatt Sydney. The Hyatt Regency should be a great option for Hyatt loyalists on paid stays, and also for those looking for a suite (since the Park Hyatt Sydney doesn’t allow upgrades to suites).
Thankfully I read another blog post *somewhere* that straightened me out. The 2 free night rewards from the Hyatt card sign-up bonus are for any Hyatt, any category. It's the free anniversary night reward nights that are limited to categories 1 - 4.
How did you pull off the free nights since as has been pointed out the Park Hyatt Sydney is supposed to be a cat 5, not a cat 4? MS on the card?
We just got back from Sydney, and enjoyed several free nights at the Park Hyatt Sydney thanks to the Chase Hyatt Visa card. The Park Hyatt's location by Circular Quay, and views of the Opera House and harbor are wonderful. Without the free night certificates from the Hyatt Visa, we could not have stayed there (rates are in the ballpark of $1,000 per night). I highly recommend the card if you are interested in staying...
We just got back from Sydney, and enjoyed several free nights at the Park Hyatt Sydney thanks to the Chase Hyatt Visa card. The Park Hyatt's location by Circular Quay, and views of the Opera House and harbor are wonderful. Without the free night certificates from the Hyatt Visa, we could not have stayed there (rates are in the ballpark of $1,000 per night). I highly recommend the card if you are interested in staying there on a trip to Sydney, it's a wonderful city with so many things/places to check out.
I stayed at this hotel in 2003 when it was SPG category 2 and was upgraded to a suite as SPG Platinum member. Another example of how hotel reward category inflation has impacted hotel travel.
@Ryan...no, it's not just you. I remember being pretty underwhelmed by the Park Hyatt Sydney after having heard such glowing reports.
@Ivan Y....Category 5 isn't necessarily something to complain about. But, if it's Category 5 then you can't use a free-night certificate from your Chase Hyatt at the property. Just would make that perk of the card a bit more appealing.
Will be interesting to see how this property is renovated. I stayed...
@Ryan...no, it's not just you. I remember being pretty underwhelmed by the Park Hyatt Sydney after having heard such glowing reports.
@Ivan Y....Category 5 isn't necessarily something to complain about. But, if it's Category 5 then you can't use a free-night certificate from your Chase Hyatt at the property. Just would make that perk of the card a bit more appealing.
Will be interesting to see how this property is renovated. I stayed at it in February when it was part of the Starwood portfolio. It didn't really stand out as anything special from a quality perspective. Decent enough location in an expensive city. But wasn't anything to write home about.
Cat 5 is overpriced for this property.
Cat 4 would have been appropriate.
But then the Park Hyatt Sydney is also overpriced at being a cat 7.
Is category 5 something to complain about? If paid rates are US $300-350, it sounds alright. Most NYC hotels are Cat. 6 and the same is true for Tokyo, for example.
Is it me or are Park Hyatt's usually extremely boring ? No opulence
Hmm...just like Hyatt Centric South Beach started off as a level 6. Look where it's at now.
But I must say, if this is a Category 5 now, are we seeing a preview of devaluations coming in March?
Slightly bummed by this, but not surprised. The cities you'd really love to use your free-night credit from the Chase Hyatt rarely have a Category 4 or lower property.