Hyatt Regency Kathmandu Review: A Respite from Chaos

Hyatt Regency Kathmandu Review

Overview & Pricing

The Hyatt Regency Kathmandu is a 5 star hotel located on the outskirts of Nepal’s capital city. Designed in the Nepali architectural style, this sprawling hotel is a tiny quiet oasis in what is otherwise a fairly noisy city. The hotel costs about $150 USD on a normal night, or you can redeem 5,000 World of Hyatt points which is seemingly a good value.

Key Stats

• Base Room Prices: $125 – $150 plus tax
• Award Costs: 5,000 points per night or 2,500 points + $50 USD
• My Stay: 2 nights in a Regency Suite for 5,000 points + $100 USD total

Location

The Hyatt Regency Kathmandu is actually located fairly close to the airport, however it can take upwards of 30 minutes to travel that ~2 mile stretch of road. With little traffic plan on it being about 15 minutes, while I am told that on really bad days it can take 45 minutes. Traffic in Kathmandu is really bad.

Like in many developing countries Kathmandu’s airport is quite chaotic when you emerge from customs. There are taxis available for a couple of bucks, but I decided to use the hotel’s car service to keep things simple.

The hotel charges $9 USD each-way for airport transfers, however I was pleasantly surprised to find out that transport for Hyatt Globalist members is complimentary! I was a little worried about the driver being there when I arrived due to a delayed flight plus it taking an hour for me to get through immigration, but he was there holding a sign with my name on it when I emerged!

Most of the tourist sites in Kathmandu are located more towards the center of the city, however the hotel is only a five minute walk from the famous Bouddhanath Stupa which is a must see. Most tourists stay in the Thamel area, but I think the Hyatt’s location is very nice as well.

Lobby & Check-In

The Hyatt Regency Kathmandu while slightly dated is certainly grand. Upon pulling through the gates and up to the hotel, you are greeted with a nice outdoor walkway flanked by water. Inside the lobby are Nepalese decorations including a number of mini-temples.

I walked straight up to the check-in desk and inquired about Globalist check-in. The agent explained I could check-in at the Regency Club and escorted me to the elevator. Before long I was up in the Regency Club with a beverage in my hand. The staff in the Club was incredibly welcoming and friendly.

Before arriving I had emailed the hotel to see if I would be getting upgraded to a suite per World of Hyatt’s new Globalist benefits. I was told that yes indeed I would be getting a Junior Suite which sounded nice to me. Considering my awesome suite upgrade at the Hyatt City of Dreams Manila just days before, I found myself enjoying this new benefit.

Room Review

Once I was fully checked in the agent escorted me to my room. It turns out the room I was given was a two story suite, with a small living room downstairs and a very small bedroom area upstairs. I guess it is technically a suite, however given the way the space is broken up the sleeping area felt claustrophobic.

The room did have a nice floral arrangement, note and some fruit for me to enjoy. After looking around though I decided to ask to be switched to another room. I figured that I would be spending most of my time in the room in bed and I didn’t like the closed off feeling. To change, I headed to the Regency Club and told them that even a single story normal room would be fine.

Instead of a normal room they decided to give me the Regency Suite. This suite had the same “parts” as the other, however it was on a single story and was as wide as two normal rooms. The entry lead to a large living room area and then to a bedroom with an incredibly large bathroom. It was at least 2X the size of the bathroom in my first suite. (Shown above.)

I found the bed to be very comfortable, however the decor does feel a bit worn and dated. This hotel was built in the early 1990’s and is starting to show a little age. I am told that a renovation plan is in the works. Hopefully they can find a way to update it while still keeping its unique Nepali look and feel.

Regency Club Lounge

Regency Club access was complimentary for me as a Globalist member. The Club serves breakfast in the morning, although I opted to eat in the buffet downstairs. (See below.) They also have complimentary beverages throughout the day and canapes with cocktails in the evening. My one complaint about their beverage selection is the lack of Diet Coke. Thankfully they did have Perrier which satisfied my need for bubbles.

I managed to visit the Regency Club during the evening service twice and was quite disappointed with the food selection. There was your typical spread of cheeses and fruits, but the other items were either just ok or not good at all. I felt bad too because the chefs were roaming around and you could tell they cared about their product. I suppose it just didn’t fit to my tastes. The staff in the lounge was excellent though and it is a nice place to work given its views of the Bouddhanath Stuppa.

Food & Drink

As a Hyatt Globalist member I received complimentary breakfast each morning. The breakfast buffet is served downstairs in the main restaurant and has a very extensive selection of Western, Nepali, Indian and Asian foods. This hotel’s clients are business people from all over the world and the buffet does its best to cater to everyone’s tastes.

In addition to the hot and cold buffet lines, they also had a chef cooking eggs and omelettes to order. Instead of making you wait around the eggs are delivered to your table! My favorite part though was their vast selection of homemade jams and jellies. The raspberry variant was truly to die for!

During my stay at the hotel I also had the chance to order room service. Tibetan dumplings called Momos are popular among tourists in Kathmandu, although they aren’t really a local delicacy. Since I had the opportunity to taste local cuisine at an outside restaurant, I decided to try the Momos from room service to check off that box. They were delivered fresh and were a nice lightish meal to end the day.

Facilities

The Hyatt Regency Kathmandu sits on a huge piece of property and thus has several nice amenities. The first thing you will notice is the large attractive pool area. It truly is a peaceful oasis which is surprising considering the utter chaos and painful torturous Thai massages located just outside of the rear gate.

The hotel also has a large spa with baths and a steam room. Access is not included for guests, however Globalist members get to use the facilities for free. I had wanted to use the indoor hot tubs in the spa, but opted out when I was told clothes are not allowed. I was just going for a quick dip and didn’t feel like dealing with the hefty rules of the spa. Thankfully there was an outdoor hot tub as well!

One of the benefits of having so much land is that the hotel has large gardens everywhere. These gardens are a nice place to walk and relax and they also give you a chance to admire the architecture of the hotel. There is also a running track that surrounds the property for those who are looking to stay in shape.

Conclusion

The Hyatt Regency Kathmandu is mostly a business hotel, but it has a ton of charm and character. While the hotel may be a bit dated, the staff is excellent and the food/service are mostly good. If you are looking to stay outside of the main tourist area and want a quiet retreat from the noisy dusty streets of Kathmandu, this hotel is a great choice, especially considering that it only costs 5,000 points per night.