“Wow, I really love this airport hotel”….said no one ever. Until now. Max and I had the chance to attend the opening party at the Grand Hyatt at San Francisco Airport at the end of October and it was quite a surprise. This property is partially owned by San Francisco Airport and it’s the first hotel onsite at the airport in decades. There are a number of typical “airport hotels” within driving distance, but none physically on airport territory. Hyatt and SFO were trying to make a splash and they sure succeeded. While we did not stay on property, we wanted to share our initial thoughts from exploring the hotel in the event you need a hotel if you pass through San Francisco.
Location & Lobby
There are a couple of ways you can get to the Grand Hyatt. There’s valet parking available ($36 nightly), and a beautiful front entrance. The more common entrance, I imagine, is the access from the AirTrain that connects you to the airport and to BART (public metro that services San Francisco and beyond).
In terms of location at the airport, you cannot get any better. It takes about 40 seconds to get from the platform of the AirTrain to the lobby. The lobby is stunning and the hotel has really embraced the artisanship nature of San Francisco. Massive murals greet you, whether you’re accessing from the AirTrain or the downstairs lobby. The lobby also features a large, yet cozy, bar as well as a restaurant overlooking the international terminal.
Rooms
We saw three room types at the Grand Hyatt at SFO.
First we saw a Runway View King room. At 350 Square feet, this room features a large floor-to-ceiling window with a great view of the runway. If it were me, I’d pay the extra few bucks to get the runway view, but this is coming from someone obsessed with planes. The important thing to note here is that the room is SILENT to the outside, and I mean, I can’t hear a single thing from the outside. I’m not sure how they did it, but I was impressed.
There was ample closet space for a carry-on and the bathroom was a good size. The sliding door to the bathroom had hydraulics that allowed it to close softly, so you don’t need to worry about waking your partner.
The second room we saw was the Corner Suite. The Corner Suite was probably my favorite of the three, because you get an excellent view of the runway from all rooms, including the bathroom with the free-standing tub in the window! It felt spacious, airy and bright. There was ample space to relax and more than enough space for luggage (including checked bags). The tub was my favorite asset here, as was the Toto Toilet that opened and closed as you shut the door to the toilet room.
The third room we saw was the Grand Suite. The room is 715 Square Feet and includes 1.5 bathrooms. I really enjoyed the spaciousness of the room, and you can easily accommodate a family in this suite. It featured the same elements as the Corner Suite, but did not have the same corner views and was more of a traditional one-bedroom.
All of the rooms have some incredible features. Every room had a nespresso machine and bottled Pathfinder water (not plastic). They also all had Toto toilets, which is personally love, and a little plane spotting guide with binoculars. Also, I love that there are charging ports on literally every surface. Lastly, every door has an incredibly powerful and modern peephole:
The rooms felt very luxurious, cozy and modern. I’ll have to stay there to find out if this is true, but it really did feel very quiet in there, so I’d be curious to find out if you can hear any runway noise once the curtains are closed and you’re trying to sleep.
Restaurant
We did not dine in the restaurant, but I can tell you with confidence that I would come here if I had a long enough layover in SF. The restaurant is beautiful and has gorgeous views. While it is outside security of course, I would not hesitate to hop over on the AirTrain if I had a moment.
We were served a number of dishes at the opening party that indicated the food has to be good, but TBD on that. I’ll be sure to update this review if we dine there.
Amenities
It’s worth noting that the Grand Hyatt at SFO has all the makings of a great hotel. They have a fitness center (with a Peloton), restaurant, room service, bar and small gift & sundries shop. I hear the room service is 24/7, which is also a huge bonus to the traveler arriving at odd times.
Overall
We were so impressed with the property and how luxurious and non-airport-hotel-y it all felt. At 20,000 World of Hyatt points (category 5), it’s a bit on the steeper side of the points scale, considering the Regency a short drive away is 12,000 points. I’ve seen the rates fluctuate quite a bit, but at the higher priced nights, it could be worth the points if you have them. We’re looking forward to experiencing the hotel for a little staycation and will be sure to update you when we do!
