Phoenix and the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch
A Sedona and Phoenix Trip on Miles and Points
- Southwest Airlines to Arizona
- Silvercar Phoenix Rental Experience
- Sedona and the Adobe Grand Villas
- Phoenix and the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch
The next – and final – stop on our Arizona adventure was Phoenix, Scottsdale to be specific, and the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch.
It was a hard transition coming from the stunning vistas of Sedona and the unique charm of the Adobe Grand Villas.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the Phoenix metro area…in fact I’ve been there many times and have always enjoyed my stays.
And the Hyatt Regency was a very nice property, with a huge pool complex and much to do…if it wasn’t so incredibly hot.
During our time there, high temps were in the 115-degree range with overnight lows staying in the upper 80s to low 90s. I’ve always subscribed to the “it’s a dry heat” philosophy, but 115 in the full sun does make doing anything outdoors uncomfortable.
So our sightseeing and enjoyment of the Phoenix area was limited.
No matter, these reports aren’t so much about the destinations as the accommodations and how we were able to stay for free.
Which is exactly what we did at the Hyatt Regency Gainey Ranch.
What it Cost
Hyatt is our favorite hotel chain. Out of all the major hotel brands, Hyatt’s loyalty program…World of Hyatt…allows for reasonably priced award redemptions at a wide variety of really nice properties.
The Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch award redemptions are priced at 20,000 points/night. A really nice value considering the property.
For 7,000 more points per night – a total of 27,000 points – you can upgrade your award (rooms available, or course) to a Regency Club award, providing access to Hyatt’s Regency Club which offers a variety of free beverages and food items throughout the day.
In previous Hyatt stays we’ve used Regency Club awards to take advantage of the free food/drink to reduce our overall dining budget.
Seeing Regency Club award availability for the dates we’d be staying, we jumped at the opportunity.
So, for our 2-night stay at the Hyatt Regency, we “paid” 54,000 World of Hyatt points.
If we had actually paid for our Regency Club room, the out-of-pocket cost would have been $724.54.
Thanks, Hyatt points!
The Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch
Hotel Resort Fees are an annoying part of traveling. It’s hard to find full-service hotels that don’t tack on some sort of additional fee – whether they’re resorts or not.
However, the nice thing about using points to book award stays at Hyatt is that Resort Fees are included in the award.
If we had booked a paid stay, we’d have also been charged a $29+tax Resort Fee daily. Since we booked an award stay, no Resort Fee was added to our bill. A savings of over $60 for our stay.
Unfortunately, the parking fee was unavoidable, and thus we had to pay $21 per night to self-park our Silvercar rental.
Upon Check-in, we had one of the most professional, personable, and helpful front desk agents we’ve ever experienced. A very customer service focused experience…something that’s rare to find these days in any business. Hotels take note, when a stay begins this way it really makes an impression.
Our photo taking was limited during our time at the Hyatt Regency and in the Phoenix area. Here are a few images to give you a feel for the hotel and its grounds.
The rooms were nice and more than adequate for our two-night stay. The key was the air conditioning worked well and allowed for a respite from the heat that hit every time you stepped outdoors.
As I mentioned, there’s a huge pool complex at which many an hour can be whiled away. And, a somewhat unique offering, evening gondola rides are offered on the property’s adjacent waterway. I believe it was $10 per ride, but don’t hold me to that.
The Regency Club was clean and of decent size. During our time I never saw it more than half-full. In all fairness, we had been told at check-in roughly three-quarters of the hotel’s rooms had just departed…I’m sure if we had been there a few days earlier, we’d have experienced a more crowded Club.
We used our Club access – as we have in the past – to reduce our dining expenditures.
During the mornings, there were 3-4 hot offerings, including scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and potatoes/bacon/sausage. A nice selection of bread, bagels and pastries were also available in addition to fresh fruit, cold cereals and various meats and cheeses. Coffee, juices and milk were, of course, offered, too.
My favorite part of Regency Club access, the automated latte maker, was unfortunately out of service our whole time there.
While there is usually no “lunch” offered in the clubs, a selection of nuts, cookies and crackers/cheese, as well as sodas, coffee, bottled juices, etc., are supplied from late morning through late afternoon. Need a quick pick-me-up at 3:00 p.m., just stop by the Club, grab a canned soda, a handful of nuts and, of course, a freshly baked cookie to keep you going.
The evening offerings are referred to as “Light Hors d’oeuvres,” but can definitely be enough to replace an evening meal. One hot offering was available each of the nights we were there. The first evening it was a shrimp and chicken fried rice with the other evening’s hot dish being really nice sized shrimp tempura. Each night there were accompanying varieties of salads along with the typical selection of meats, cheeses, crackers, vegetables, hummus, and dips. And of course, whatever beverages you wanted. During the evenings, you could order select alcoholic beverages for a significantly reduced price.
And, beginning around 7-8 p.m., a variety of desserts are laid out for anyone wishing to satisfy their sweet tooth.
As you can see, redeeming points for a Regency Club award room can really benefit your budget.
If nothing else, you’ll get a nice breakfast and access to beverages throughout the day. It is important to note, Regency Clubs seem to have stopped stocking bottled water. The reason is obvious, I’m sure the stock was cleaned out as soon as the bottles hit the refrigerator…a major expense to the hotel. But, sodas, juices, and coffee remain as items that you can grab and go.
I doubt I would actually pay for a Regency Club room – the additional cost over and above a standard room usually isn’t worth it – but as an award stay, more times than not, yes, I’ll spend the extra points.
Wrap Up
We were more than satisfied with our decision to use points for our stay at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale. And especially to use the extra 14,000 World of Hyatt points to gain access to the Regency Club. I just wish the latte machine had been up and running.
The service we experienced was good and the hotel was what you’d expect from a Hyatt Regency.
I think we’d have enjoyed our time at the Hyatt, and in Phoenix, more, if the trip had been in April or October. But, that’s no fault of the hotel or Phoenix.
If you’re looking for a Phoenix-area hotel at which you’ll get good value for your points – or dollars if that’s the way you want to go – and, especially if you enjoy spending time at the pool, definitely give the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale a look.
unless noted otherwise, images were taken by, and are the property of, the author.
