Review Hyatt Regency Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
On a recent overnight layover at LAX, I had the pleasure of staying at the newly renovated Hyatt Regency Los Angeles International Airport. Here is a full review of my stay.
Overview
The Hyatt Regency LAX has a long and storied history. It opened decades ago as a Hyatt and then spent many many years as a rapidly deteriorating Radisson hotel. A couple of years ago Hyatt took over the property and rebranded it as “The Concourse Hotel” since it didn’t live up to the Hyatt name. After a $75 million renovation, it finally took its place as Hyatt’s full service option at LAX.
- My Cost: Hyatt Credit Card Free Night Certificate
- Alternate Rates: 12,000 points, 6,000 points + $75 cash or $264 cash
Location
The Hyatt Regency LAX is the closest hotel to the airport. Terminals 1 & 2 are a 5-10 minute walk away and you can reach any terminal within 20 minutes by foot. I actually walked to Terminal 4 which is probably the furthest away and it took just shy of 20 minutes. Alternatively, the hotel shares a shuttle with Quick Park next door which can get you to/from any of the terminals.
Check-In
I arrived at the hotel just after 9pm having just booked the hotel while on the shuttle. After a brief wait, I was greeted and recognized as a Globalist member. At first the agent was giving me a regular room, but I asked if I was able to get a suite since this is now a published Globalist benefit.
At first she said they were “sold out”, but I explained that when I was booking a minute before arrival, I had seen the base suite being sold. She then asked a manager who told her to provide me with a Studio Suite.
Room
Having seen the way this property used to look, I was incredibly happy with the post-renovation results. The Studio Suite is the size of three rooms. The “bedroom” is just a regular room connected to a parlor by a door. The parlor is the width of two normal rooms and contains a small kitchenette, dining area and a living room/office with an “L” shaped couch.
As you can see, the decor is what I would call “modern Hyatt”. You will find contemporary artwork and lots of grays. I tend to really like this design aesthetic and it thus it is no surprise that I really liked this room. All of the furniture is attractive and comfortable. The beds are pretty standard for a Hyatt, which is to say they are good, but I still prefer Hilton and Starwood mattresses a bit more.
The regular room’s bathroom was another area I was impressed. In so many old hotels which have been renovated, they do a good job on the room but leave that crappy old tub/shower combination in the bathroom. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Hyatt ripped out the old tub and made a standalone shower. The bathroom is small but functional.
Club Lounge
As far as I understand, the Regency Club lounge is relatively new. It is located on the 3rd floor of the hotel and is a beautiful space. You will of course find the same modern decor and the furniture is varied and comfortable as well.
I arrived at the lounge at 9:15pm after checking in and was pleasantly surprised to see everything but the hot items from the evening spread still out despite the check-in agent telling me the lounge was closed. I hadn’t eaten dinner so it was nice to get a bit to eat.
During my stay I also was able to get breakfast in the morning. Besides the normal spread of fruits, pastries, cheeses and meats, the lounge also had hot oatmeal along with Mini Huevos Rancheros which were good. Sodas, juices, coffee, tea and water are available all day long. This lounge isn’t raising the bar on what they serve, but everything was fresh and good. (Find more pictures at the end of this review.)
Amenities
Despite being an airport hotel, the Hyatt Regency LAX has a fairly large pool area along with a nicely equipped gym with views of the airport. The hotel also has a ton of meeting space and two restaurants in the lobby.
Conclusion
As a World of Hyatt Globalist, I am happy to finally have a full service option at LAX. After having heard horror stories about The Concourse and the Radisson before it, I was a bit hesitant to stay at the Hyatt Regency, but it is a completely different hotel. The renovation took an old beat up hotel and gave it new life. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here if I had a layover in Los Angeles or if I wanted to be close to the airport.
More Photos
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What was the name back in 1980? I stayed there and I can’t remember?
I have been there many times but it looks really nice now. I’m really impressed..
[…] of having to fly all the way to Haiti, I just had to fly to LAX where I stayed in the beautiful renovated Hyatt Regency and then boarded a plane back to SEA the next day. Pretty nice. This experience once again reminded […]
I went through the same song with the suites where they “checked” with a manager. It was definitely choreographed. I guess the squeaky Globalists are getting the grease. Maybe there are too many Globs for it to be any other way
I stayed there 3 times in August and was always upgraded to a suite as a Globalist. The staff are all really nice.
I have been there many times but the club was still a work in progress and was closed. On the other side, this gave me frea breakfast at the morning buffet. And this buffet is amazing. I would say one of the best I have seen. I hope the lounge can keep up with that….
Is breakfast in the restaurant an option for globalists? The breakfast buffet that I had before the lounge opened was great.
Great renovation and hands down best at LAX.
Thanks for the review. We are staying there tomorrow night for a quick 10 hour overnight on our way to Lihue. I was also hesitant, but it looks really nice now. Trying to figure out if I want to burn one of my exploring club upgrades for breakfast…..