Last week, my kids and I flew to Miami a few days before our cruise. I decided to stay downtown at Hyatt Regency Miami instead of on the beach like our previous stay in Miami. How did the hotel measure up?
Location, location, location
Hyatt Regency Miami has a great location. It’s 11 minutes from the airport and 8 minutes from the cruise port.
The hotel has a tunnel that leads to the nearby Knight Center Metromover station. This elevated mass transit is FREE! My kids and I took the Metromover one stop to Bayfront Park to ride the Skyviews Miami Wheel. We also rode it a few more stops to the Frost Science Museum. So convenient!
Miami River is behind the hotel. You can catch a ferry to the beach here or hop on a boat tour of the city.
In addition, Brickell City Centre is a short walk away, with tons of shopping and restaurants.
Arrival
Before we arrived at the hotel, I received a text that my room had been upgraded (due to my World of Hyatt Explorist status). Woohoo!
The hotel was pretty dead when we arrived, and the staff was very friendly. The lobby area:
There’s a lot of convention space inside the hotel, so I imagine it gets busy at other times of the year.
Our Room
Instead of a regular room, we were upgraded to a deluxe corner room. It was big!
Entryway with desk
King bed and sofa bed
Closet
Sink area with half wall
Shower and water closet
Our beds were comfy, which is the norm for Hyatt. We did appreciate the white noise machine in our room due to the city traffic below.
Hotel Amenities
The hotel has a restaurant and a small grab-and-go market. We didn’t try the restaurant, but we did grab some food from the market for breakfast.
Hyatt Regency Miami has a heated outdoor pool and a fitness center. We didn’t use either since we were busy sightseeing.
Price
Hyatt Regency Miami is a Category 3 World of Hyatt hotel. It costs 12,000 points per night, but can cost as little as 9000 points during off-peak dates or as much as 15,000 points during peak dates.
I used two free night certificates from my husband’s and my Chase World of Hyatt credit cards. We pay a $95 annual fee on each of our cards, so essentially my stay cost $95 X 2. The cash price was ~$300/night if we didn’t use points or a free night certificate.
Overall Thoughts
Downtown Miami is a vibrant scene with a lot to see. I’m glad we chose to stay at Hyatt Regency Miami before our cruise. The location was convenient for everything. Of course, if we were staying in Miami longer, I’d want to split our stay with a hotel on the beach. But for a pre-cruise stopover, it was perfect!
How does my family travel so much? We use miles and points from credit card bonuses. See my Travel Hacking 101 post as well as current credit card offers here.
