(credit: hyatt.com)
I stayed at the Hyatt House Denver Airport for one night ahead of a ski trip. It happened to be the weekend the severe snow and ice hit much of the eastern US so there were a lot of canceled flights and the hotel was quite busy.
Arrival
The hotel shuttle leaves the airport every 30 minutes at :15 and :45 after the hour. It departs the hotel at the top and bottom of each hour. It’s not a 24-hour service but I think the first hotel departure is in the 3 AM hour. The instructions I’d received via email say to wait on Island 3 outside door 512 on the baggage claim level but at least for right now there is no door 512 as there’s construction in that area. So just leave via door 510 or 514 and you’ll be fine. These even-numbered doors are on the United side of baggage claim so if you flew in on another airline you’ll likely need to cross to the other side of the building.
The shuttle ride was only about 15 minutes or so and the Hyatt House was the first stop from the airport and the last stop on the way back to the airport, which was nice. I was dropped off and picked up right at the hotel’s front door which was important when you’ve got two huge bags full of ski gear.
Hyatt House Denver Airport Front Desk
The clerk was engaged with other customer when I arrived but once they were on their way I was assisted promptly at the desk that was just ahead on the right upon entry. My Discoverist status (thanks to my World of Hyatt credit card) was recognized and I was given an amenity of a bag with a couple of bottles of water and some trail mix. No, it’s not a lot but it’s something and since I got my status the easy way, I don’t mind at all.
I’d reserved a Studio King with a sleeper sofa which is basically the smallest room they have. I’d used my annual free night certificate that comes with the World of Hyatt credit card. I was given the option of selecting where within the hotel I’d like my room to be and I asked for a ground floor room. It’s so nice not to have to wrestle a gear bag and a skis bag on an elevator. She had one available and I was handed the key card. I didn’t know that my choice of location would also impact my stay.
Studio King Room
To reach the room I continued past the check-in desk and then turned left past the business center and the conference rooms into the ground floor hallway. Room 123 was about halfway down on the left.
Ground Floor Hallway
Guest Room Door
Hyatt Houses are usually meant for longer-term stays and come equipped with kitchenettes. In this layout I stepped directly into the kitchen from the hallway. In addition to the expected refrigerator and microwave, there’s a stove with two burners, a dishwasher and a disposal in the sink.
A standard coffee maker was available as well.
The counter was L-shaped and there was a single bar stool to use while eating there.
Kitchen Stool
While there were plates, glasses, and cups for eating on, there wasn’t a whole lot in the way of cookery. I believe there were a few of those type of dishes in the cabinet over the fridge but I didn’t take a photo.
Dishes
Across from the kitchen area was a little nook with a bulletin board and another cabinet. A great place to set down your keys, etc. when arriving back to the room. There was no safe in this room even though I thought the cabinet in the photo would have been a good place to put it.
Kitchen Nook
Just past the short L-leg of the counter was the pull-out sofa with an ottoman and against the far wall was the desk.
Across from the sofa was a piece of furniture with drawers and the TV sitting on the counter. This served as the division between the living area and the bedroom area. I assume the TV swiveled between the two rooms but I didn’t even turn it on or check.
Those four drawers are the only ones of any substantial size in the room, beyond a couple of small ones in the night stands. That’s not a lot of storage space for someone staying any length of time. Of course there are suites that are full one-bedrooms (or larger) so perhaps those have more storage areas.
The desk had a lamp with a couple of electric outlets, an ethernet cord and a phone. While I just used the wi-fi, it was good to know the ethernet was available.
The bed was a king size, as advertised. It was a bit soft of the right side in the photo, the side near the bathroom, as I assume that’s the side that gets used most often. Didn’t seem to impact the quality of my sleep, however.
The night stands each had a lamp and on either side of the lamp base was an electrical outlet. No USB charging here but that’s fine by me as electrical charging is faster anyway.
The QR code could be scanned to leave a tip for housekeeping. I’m there for one night, I don’t make a big mess. It takes minimal cleaning when I leave. Sorry, not gonna do it.
The bathroom was fairly large. On the left was the counter and sink with the shower beyond that. Why there was a need for a window in the shower is beyond me.
On the right side was the closet and the toilet was beyond that, across from the shower.
I apologize for the blurry shower photos but hopefully they’re clear enough to get the gist. I liked the bench across the back wall of the shower and I adored the adjustable showerhead that allowed me to get a super-strong spray. Kudos!
For many years KenetMD toiletries have been the standard at Hyatt Houses and Hyatt Places. While those were indeed the wall-mounted toiletries in the shower, on the sink were Oasis brand soap and lotion. I did appreciate that the hand soap was just a small sliver. Hopefully there are bigger bars for those staying longer but I was glad a whole big bar wasn’t going to waste just for my 1-night stay.
With my two big bags there just wasn’t a lot of room to maneuver. I was constantly having to step over and around one of the bags once they were opened. Granted this type of room is not made for ski gear but I was a little surprised at how tight it was. The room was also showing some wear. On the photo of the TV, you can see two vertical panels on the chest below. I barely touched one of them and it wiggled loose and I could not get it to stay in place. In the bathroom there was some rush along the outside edge of the shower. Not a huge thing, to be sure, but just signs of a place that could use a little refreshing.
When I returned from dinner in the lobby I noticed my room was still very cool. It hadn’t made as big an impression when I arrived as I’d been wearing my coat and hauling my two giant bags. But it was very noticeable when I returned without a coat. I checked the thermostat and it said 60F so I bumped it up a few degrees only to realize that while it was currently 60 in the room, the thermostat was actually set at 70F, it’s just that the heater couldn’t get the room that warm. I ended up pulling down the cotton blanket meant for the sleeper sofa and added it as another layer but I actually slept quite well as I like it cool at night. In the morning though, it was still only 63F which was quite chilly once I got out of bed! Talking with the clerk the next morning she said it was only that hallway on the ground floor having the issue so I guess I put myself in that position. Hopefully that issue gets resolved soon.
Ground Floor Area
Dining
Breakfast is served each day from 6-10 AM. It’s a buffet and is by no means extravagant but there’s cereal, oatmeal, fruit, yogurt, eggs, sausage, potatoes, etc. If your goal is to keep from being hungry until lunch, this will certainly do. (Normally I’d have the buffet photos in a slideshow but for some reason anything other than single pictures results in some very strange things right now.)
This seating area faces the buffet and is a series of high-top 2-seat tables.
In the evening, the Hbar is open from 5-10 PM. It’s a full-service bar with a bistro menu as shown below. 
The menu is not extensive but the burger is huge (2 patties) and the chicken sandwich I had was pretty good. My only issue with it was that the bartender was also the cook and the waitstaff so she was very busy. It took me a long time just to be able to pay my tab. But then again, I wasn’t going anywhere so it wasn’t a huge issue. (I can’t believe I didn’t get a photo of the bar itself! It was quite busy at night and in the morning I forgot to take a photo.)
Dining/Bar Area Seating
Lobby Seating
The lobby doubles as not only comfortable seating for chatting with others but as the tables for both breakfast and the Hbar. As a result, there are lots of different types of seating groups, which is a good thing.
Market
Next to the front desk was a small hallway. The first section had some books for load as well as pamphlets about the area.
Next to that was the pharmacy area with personal grooming items and over the counter medications.
On the right wall was a selection of snacks and microwavable foods that could be cooked in the room.
Past the pharmacy section were a freezer unit with frozen meals as well as sweets like ice cream and a refrigerator with cold drinks, including beer, and a small selection of refrigerated food.
Business Center
The business center consists of a couple of computers in this area outside the conference rooms. As the conference rooms were in use during my stay (the two rooms can be combined into one) I don’t have a picture of them.
Fitness Center
The small gym is also on the ground floor. It’s open from 4 AM to 10 PM and is located in an area where those who use it in the early morning shouldn’t bother any guests.
It had a couple of treadmills, a stationary bike and another cardio machine, a universal machine, weight bench and a good selection of dumbbells.
Pool
The pool was next door to the Fitness Center and is open from 6 AM to 10 PM. As one would expect, it’s not very large but the pool is not why people are staying at Hyatt House.
There’s seating around the pool area. Both the pool and the hot tub have chair lifts to assist mobility-impaired guests.
I’m not sure if it’s just the lighting or what but the hot tub did not look very inviting to me.
In the end
This was a fine use of my free night certificate, despite the heating issue. This was the first super-cold few days of the season and so the first big test of the heater. Hopefully that’s rectified soon. I would be fine with staying here again for another one-night stay.
2B Traveling 
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