We arrived at London Heathrow terminal 4 off of Etihad’s Airbus A380 flight from Abu Dhabi. Immigration was fairly quick and there was no wait for bags. Well into the evening we made it to Hyatt Regency The Churchill in London, where I had booked for 25,000 Hyatt points per night with a confirmed suite upgrade.
There was no wait to check in and I was given the key to our room promptly. I asked about the accommodation for my daughter since she was tired and we’d want to do bedtime with her as soon as possible.
I verified in advance through my concierge that the suite I would have would have a fold out couch for my daughter. At check-in I learned that it did not. The woman checking me in, it turns out, is the same person my concierge spoke to. The front desk agent explained that she’d been given bad information by housekeeping. No problem, they were aware of this, and had already set up a rollaway bed in the room.
Except we got up to the room and there was no rollaway. So I called down and they promised to send one up right away. Instead they sent sheets for a rollaway bed. I called back down,
- I was promised this would be fixed right away
- And that I would receive an immediate call back to confirm
- But no call back came, no one came with the rollaway bed.
Here’s the living room, with no rollaway:
It turns out that the hotel was refusing to release a rollaway bed for my room because their records showed I already had one, and I could not have two. And further proof was that they’d just sent up sheets for it, so it must be there! I thought I was in a Joseph Heller novel.
A manager finally got involved, a rollaway bed was set up, and I had to help bring it into the room because the staff member couldn’t figure out how to angle it in low ceilings without taking out the sprinkler. This all took nearly two hours.
The room itself felt small coming off of suites at the Park Hyatts in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but was actually perfect for us. The Executive Suite gave us the extra room we wanted for 3 people, with a living room, bedroom and large enough bathroom.
I thought the bathroom was nicely-sized for London.
And most of all, though, the hotel was a value on points when rooms in London were frighteningly expensive. The Churchill was getting $750 per night. I wouldn’t regard it as a $750 per night hotel, but was more than happy with it given the alternatives and paying 25,000 points per night for a suite I’d confirmed at the time of booking.
If I had a complaint about the room it’s that it felt a bit dark, largely a function of not having much light given where it was located and also that it was unsurprisingly dreary in London while we were there.
Globalists receive access to the hotel’s club lounge, which had a morning breakfast spread and evening appetizers and desserts. It was never crowded when I was there. Even at what should have been peak times there were never more than a few people in the lounge.
Meanwhile, Globalists also receive buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant on the ground floor, which I expected might be busy but always had plenty of seating available while we were there. The breakfast is quite good, offering cooked to order eggs as well as hot and cold stations.
I wouldn’t call the hotel special but it was more than serviceable and a strong value given the Globalist upgrade, lounge and breakfast benefits. I was proactively offered 4 p.m. late check-out but we’d be taking a flight departing just after noon back home from Heathrow so we didn’t avail ourselves of that.
The location for us was the main driver in choosing the hotel. It was walkable to several things we were looking to do, and we took the opportunity to introduce our daughter to a proper fish and chips, and also to walk over to the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland which was a fantastic fair with rides, games and food and she had a fantastic time.
I had no real complaints about the property, though things were quite confused at check-in over the fold out couch versus rollaway bed in our suite and getting additional coffee from staff in the restaurant after first being seated took some doing. I’d definitely return given the overall elite value proposition here on points versus prevailing rates.
It would be helpful to know the hours of the club lounge evening offering. The newish Hyatt Regency Blackfriars is cheaper on points and cash. Hyatt Regency Churchill has always positioned itself as 5 stars and equivalent to the nearby JW Marriott Grosvenor House. The Hyatt Regency Blackfriars is more cookie-cutter chain generic and more like 4 stars, but it’s cheaper and maybe a better location. Do avoid the Hyatt Regency Albert Embankment.
I think the lounge/offerings are superior to the Grosvenor having stayed at both. The Churchill has been my main “squeeze” for years. During Christmas week they have a children’s choir come which lights up the first floor. I have a greta picture not sure how to attach. Anyway Some seem to be picky about lounge offerings here they have been above the rest, Gary was the “other lounge open” or was it lost in the remodel.
Happy Holidays to all.
This is why I never even bother with hotels when traveling with my family. Yes, there is a nice breakfast and all of that jazz but I want my kids to have their own bedroom. It’s never going to cost me $750/night to find a nice apartment even in London that will fit my family unless there is some massive event. Value on points for a solo traveler or couple but imagine subjecting kids to a rollout bed just to claim 8.41 CPP on a redemption.
Where was the fish and chips served? it looks delicious
The newish Hyatt Regency Blackfriars is a much nicer property, and somewhat better located.
I have been to this property a number of times. Location is excellent near Marylebone, Oxford Street etc. The regular rooms are very small with a bathroom you will not believe. So small the door just clears the toilet. One time when an upgrade didnt clear I was in the regular room a few nights. The suite was fine and they have renovated them since I was last there. They get alot of middle eastern clients. That can mean lots of doors opening and closing all hours of the day and night. The lounge I think is open to 10PM. They used to have two lounges, one more for families. I think they still have that? Gary must have been there on a slow week. Front desk is mixed. Sometimes they are not very friendly and you have to push hard. Housekeeping I had the funniest situation there. In a way similar to Gary with the bed. My wife wanted a top sheet for the bed. Total confusion with the head of housekeeping. If I filmed it, it wouold have gone viral. We had two maids in the room plus the head of housekeeping and my wife was instructing them how to put a flat sheet on the bed. Hilarity. But they got it done. They had no idea about using a flat top sheet like that.
Gary, did your suite have a door?
Nice review, I love this property. Only drawback for me is entry level suites don’t have doors if I recall correctly.
This property is a good example of how the Hyatt program causes its members to make irrational decisions for the sake of status. There is absolutely no plausible reason why one would stay here without status/points in mind for the price.
Well, at least you got single use toiletries……
@robertw touches on a real bugaboo for my wife and I — hotels insisting on using quilts with no sheets. So, you either bake or freeze.
Is there a preference in the community to stay here instead of the Great Scotland Yard property?
I’m a Globalist if that matters.
“This property is a good example of how the Hyatt program causes its members to make irrational decisions for the sake of status. There is absolutely no plausible reason why one would stay here without status/points in mind for the price.”
@Omar: You could say that about the major chains in just about any market. Seldom is a chain hotel the best hotel in major cities. Certainly in London. London has more legit 5-star hotels than probably any city other than Paris. The Hyatt Regency Churchill or Hyatt Regency Blackfriars claim to be 5 stars, but neither are anywhere close to the real 5-star hotels in London.
Gary, what would you recommend between the Churchill and Great Scotland Yard for a Globalist using a SNA? Thanks!
I’m sorry to hear you struggled when you needed to put a kid to bed, but I feel a bit of redemption knowing that this stuff happens to you, too! We were there in 2018, and there was a VAST difference between renovated and unreonovated rooms.
Checking out of the Hyatt Regency Embankment. Booked last night because I needed to be at the embassy early. 20k points and was upgraded on arrival to a king suite balcony room. The friendliest staff, great room, and a decent breakfast! Shout out to Mundia!
@Roberto: Isn’t that the hotel owned by an exiled Iraqi with questionable links? Some have claimed it’s a listening post.
Earlier today I read a story here regarding Hyatt and the lack of room service at many of their franchised properties. You mention nothing about this service here, anything occur with this property during your stay.
@Omar I second the comments by FNT Delta Diamond. Even some of the most expensive properties in London have small standard rooms. That includes rooms that go for 600-1000.00 a night or more. Most rooms are small unless you get some sort of suite upgrade or pay for it. And London has plenty of rooms they call suites, that are regular rooms here in the US. I have been to London many times staying at Starwood properties/now Marriott, Hyatts and Thistle. Its one of the toughest cities and generally I find status to be a mixed bag in London.
@Kyle From what i see online Great Scotland Yard has smaller rooms including suites. Thats one hotel I have not stayed at. Its a great location there but Churchill is very good as well.
Gary, excellent report. And this sort of reporting style is why we always read your reports:
“It turns out that the hotel was refusing to release a rollaway bed for my room because their records showed I already had one, and I could not have two. And further proof was that they’d just sent up sheets for it, so it must be there! I thought I was in a Joseph Heller novel.”