Review: Hyatt Regency Perth hotel
Hyatt Regency Perth isn't the most centrally-located, but its Regency Club lounge may be enough to tempt World of Hyatt elites.
By Chris C., January 22 2020
Country
Australia
City
Perth
Hotel
Hyatt Regency
Notes
The Good
- Evening service at the Regency Club lounge
- The location, when the stay is more relaxation than business
The Bad
- Restaurant service doesn't match the five-star label
- Extended closure of the tennis court
X-Factor
- The conservatory design gives the hotel a unique feel
Introduction
Offering 366 guestrooms and suites – many of which enjoy sweeping views of the Swan River – the Hyatt Regency Perth hotel is the go-to choice for World of Hyatt members venturing to the WA capital.
Location & Impressions
Situated on Adelaide Terrace towards the eastern edge of Perth's CBD, the Hyatt Regency Perth welcomes guests with a spacious conservatory-style lobby with water features, and at selected times, live piano music.
The grand affair is made less so when one of the first interactions at check-in is the agent asking whether they can assist with booking a taxi – despite having just arrived, the agent knowing it was a check-in rather than a check-out, and being more in need of a bed here than a lift someplace else. This was followed by an attempt to upsell breakfast, which was already included with the Club floor reservation.
Nonetheless, once armed with a room key, the Hyatt Regency is an interesting hotel to explore: particularly the top floor with its glass ceiling as extends over that central conservatory space.
Inside the Regency Club River View room, the view promised by the title is exactly that:
While nestled in the CBD, the area around the property is more laid-back than your typical business centre, with Langley Park lining the river and Queens Park just a block in the other direction, where you'll find more shade and places to sit and work, as a nice change from the typical room desk or business centre.
Speaking of business travellers, that location won't be perfect for all, with Perth Station a 26-minute walk from the hotel, or 12-15 minutes by bus including walking time. Fortunately though, buses are free within the CBD and come regularly, so you won't be kept waiting long.
This made it quick and easy to hop aboard and connect onto a Fremantle-bound train from Perth Station for a day of exploring.
Credit card payments at this hotel attract a reasonable 1.35% surcharge including AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, UnionPay, Visa and others, while for World of Hyatt points bookings, this property falls under Award Category 2.
Room
Regency Club River View rooms come well-appointed, with the desk over near the window making it easy to work while taking in that view.
These rooms provide a comfortable king bed with sizeable bedside tables, although easy access to power is only available on one side.
Next to the bed resides a personal sofa chair and ottoman, conveniently facing the TV.
While modern touches and colours in the room keep the space from feeling 'dated', the plain timber furniture certainly makes the room feel somewhat 'older' than the rest of the design reflects.
Staining this timber a darker brown or even black – and retaining the silver accents of the lights, power points and handles – would go a long way to making the space feel more modern, without diminishing the charm reflected throughout the broader hotel.
Helping to keep the room relevant for the modern traveller are power points in these shelves, making for a great space to recharge electronic devices when not in use, without occupying the more convenient power points in the desk area or at the bedside.
The tiled bathroom keeps things simple with bright lighting and large mirrors at multiple angles.
Pharmacopia amenities are supplied and the walk-in shower provides an adjustable head.
Back in the room, there's still something to look at in the evenings when the curtains are open, thanks to the lighting of Langley Park and across the river.
Still, the best views come at sunset, which can be taken in from the room, or in the Regency Club lounge as guests staying in this room also have access to.
Basic Internet access is complimentary with download speeds measuring at 13Mbps and uploads at 8.5Mbps during the stay. Faster access is charged at $15 per day, or free for World of Hyatt Discoverist members and above.
Eat
Guests staying in eligible Regency Club rooms, as well as World of Hyatt Globalist and Lifetime Globalist members staying in any room type, enjoy complimentary Regency Club hotel lounge access.
This sees each day begin with complimentary breakfast. On this visit, that was offered in the hotel's "Cafe" restaurant near the lobby rather than in the Regency Club.
Among the buffet choices were an array of fresh fruits and nibbles, joined by yoghurts.
Also at-hand were salads, meats and cheese.
Hot items such as hash browns, sausages and egg dishes made-to-order are available too. These attract an extra charge for Club floor guests, but are included for other guests when purchasing breakfast outright.
Barista-made coffee is offered to all breakfast diners and attracts no extra charge, but having ordered a latte when taking my seat upon arrival, it still hadn't turned up by the time I'd completely finished breakfast and was ready to leave the hotel on check-out day.
While this may have been understandable had the restaurant been busy and short-staffed, it was a quiet morning with few other diners. Coffee service the day prior wasn't much faster, but at least the coffee arrived before the meal had concluded.
You'll have much better luck in securing a coffee at the Regency Club lounge, albeit a DIY brew:
The lounge spans two levels, with seating on the upper level acting as an overflow space during the peak evening service times, but also doubling as a quiet and well-lit place to read or work during the day.
Along with coffee, snacks are found on the main lounge level, joined by self-serve refreshments such as chilled water, juice and soft drinks.
These are replaced by more substantial bites during the evening window, whether you're after something sweet, savoury, fresh, crunchy, or a mix of everything.
Alcohol is complimentary during this time including beer, wine and spirits with table drink service, but with dinner plans to attend to, a simple Diet Coke, mozzarella salad skewer and fresh wrap sufficed.
Continuing that fresh and healthy theme, dinner at Cafe restaurant – the same venue as breakfast – began with a fennel and avocado salad: a lighter choice than the likes of a typical Caesar, avoiding the calories that come with the creamier dressing, bacon and cheese.
For the main, a medium rare 250g Angus Scotch Fillet with sides of whipped potatoes, seasonal leaves and broccolini stems, paired with a glass of West Australian Snake + Herring Cabernet Sauvignon.
The steak was deliciously tender and perfectly cooked, with the whipped potatoes fluffy and creamy, and the local wine being a perfect match. However, what had been ordered as a mushroom sauce instead bordered on a tomato-based pizza sauce.
As at breakfast, service could again be improved. Before receiving the first dish, a waiter came by to ask "How was everything?", and when placing that initial order, asking for a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon was met with confusion until "red wine" was appended to the request.
Relax
When your schedule allows for some relaxation, the hotel's 20m heated pool is a great place to kick back, with a late afternoon visit on a hot day finding the area almost empty, which made swimming laps easy.
There's also a tennis court in the same area as noted on signs around the hotel, but it's currently out of service. The hotel expects this amenity to return in mid-2020 after changing to a new playing surface.
It's worth noting that the hotel has rightly removed all references to the court from its own website and from listings on other online booking portals, which avoids guests booking the hotel with the expectation of being able to use it.
There's a 24/7 gym as well, although the Regency Club lounge proves to be a relaxing space in the evenings with great sunset views – and of course, complimentary drinks and refreshments.
All in all, the Hyatt Regency Perth has lots of character, and thanks to its design, certainly doesn't feel like your 'average' chain hotel – but there's work to do on the service front to help further that differentiation and give guests a reason to book a stay here, rather than somewhere more convenient for the city centre.
Also read: Hyatt Regency Sydney at Darling Harbour hotel review
Chris Chamberlin stayed as a guest of Hyatt Regency Perth.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
03 May 2013
Total posts 680
That glass roof leaks when it rains(it did last time i was there). The piano blaring projects upwards as does the noise of loud guests in the atrium lounge. Even of you're on the 9th top floor its still loud and annoying when trying to sleep. Also if you're a RC guest you're forced to have breakfast in the main breakfast area. You can upgrade to a full hot breakfast for $15. Its a real pain however, have to get a lift down to cafe, wait to be seated then contend with families kids and crowds; it destroys your privacy and peace of being able to have breakfast in a quiet club lounge which is the whole point of booking and RC room?!. The other pain is there is no self serve drinks in the evening and staff run around trying to keep up with orders. They also allow outside guests to come in to lounge which turns it into a zoo on weekend evenings and sometimes resulting in no tables for in house guests. They allow flouro vests shorts and boots into lounge but look out if you're wearing designer thongs as an in house guest and try head to the lounge for breakfast or evening drinks. How dare you be comfortable in a hotel club lounge after being in a suit and tie all day on business. The bathrooms are a 4 star Novotel style..extremely cheap looking with bath removed and as for the unrenovated suite bathrooms they are still old and showing their age. You don't get any recognition by staff as a returning WOH member-each check-in is teated like its your first time there. The owners of his hotel are all about money. Other than maintaining status there is almost zero redeeming features to this hotel for an RC guest. It was the grand old dame of Perth but alas it no longer is due to poor management priorities and very mediocre staff.
The plus side its very clean...the atmosphere of the atrium lounge is great, also a great place for business meetings. Breakfast buffet and restaurant offerings are pretty good too.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 33
This is actually one of my favourite hotels in Perth (the QT is the other). Yes it is old fashioned and it is a little less enjoyable without the old Joes Oriental downstairs but I have been treated very well here and have found Globalist get very good treatment. The Regency Club is a quite good however (and is open on weekends for breakfast) and some of the long term staff are great.
The other thing is the price can be a bargain and the location for me is actually a positive - great for morning runs or evening walks - with a quick bus into the city or suburbs.
Cathay Pacific - The Marco Polo Club
20 Jun 2013
Total posts 63
I know the hotel very well and have stayed on many occasion, indeed with the changes in local dining habits and increased choices with the loss of "Gershwins" as a restaurant some time back. Reading this review I am aghast that Regency Club guests have to use the Cafe and at add insult to injury be charged for hot items. On that basis alone I would give another stay a miss. So many great alternative choices and the Hilton refurb will be completed later this year and included a new Club Floor.
Cathay Pacific - The Marco Polo Club
20 Jun 2013
Total posts 63
By way of an update, I had Hyatt points expiring so used those to off set a room cost. Turned out not to be much of a bargain either. Thankfully just stayed one night, (Nov 2021). Very lackluster and still peeved about a) Limit on drinks consumption with those now being served in the Lobby) and b) this surcharge for a hot breakfast is ridiculous. Only good point was that it was very quiet due to being a covid stay hotel, so no kids, fluoro's families etc to be seen.
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