The World of Hyatt credit card offers a free night each year at account renewal, valid at any category 1-4 property with standard award availability. That was admittedly a great deal for years.
Unfortunately, Hyatt has devalued this popular benefit by increasing the category levels of many of their hotels. Many properties that were once prime redemption options, such as Gild Hall in New York and the Grand Hyatt Washington, D.C., have climbed to Category 5 or higher. In major destinations like Hawaii, only one eligible hotel remains. In Tokyo, the last two Category 4 properties are moving up, as is the one in nearby Yokohama. And if you’re hoping to stay in Manhattan, forget it…there simply are no Category 4 options left. The closest alternative is Long Island City, where award availability is often scarce.
We Found a Category 4 Hotel—But Something Didn’t Seem Right
Anyway, we have a free night certificate that’s going to expire soon, so we were looking for a quick weekend trip somewhere. While perusing potential hotels on Florida’s west coast, I was happy to find a Category 4 hotel in Sarasota that could potentially work for us. Unfortunately, the more I delved into it, the more convinced I became that staying at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota would be a very bad idea.
The Hyatt Regency Sarasota’s Days Are Numbered
Built in 1970, the Hyatt Regency Sarasota has been a downtown landmark for 55 years. The 294 guest rooms and a 9,875-square-foot ballroom tout a touch of elegance, waterside views, and a variety of on-site recreational activities, which would all be suitable for a 4-star resort.
However, in December 2024, Business Observer FL reported that the Hyatt Regency Sarasota had been purchased in 2022 for $30.67 million. You’d typically think that maybe the hotel was simply going to change brands, right? Depending on when that was going to happen, I figured my free night certificate wouldn’t work there anymore, right? Well, yes. Except it’s more than that. The hotel is scheduled to be demolished to make way for a new mixed-use development. Granted, the new development will include a Thompson hotel, which will mean it’ll be an upper-upscale boutique hotel under the Hyatt umbrella. However, that won’t help me redeem my free night certificate.
I still had a few weeks to use my certificate though, and the demo isn’t scheduled to begin until June. So then I started reading reviews. And wow, am I glad I did! It really sounds like management has let this property go to pot in its last few months of use.
Recent Guest Reviews Paint a Grim Picture
Here are some recent reviews form Tripadvisor:
- 1 Star – Broken AC – We had a horrible stay. Building is very run down. Our towels were dirty. AC did not work during our stay and it was 90 degrees out. Hotel provided no compensation and was not upfront on how long it was going to take to fix the issue. I expected a Hyatt Regency to be much nicer and more responsive to guests. We left and stayed at the Voco hotel across the street which was lovely. (William V., 1 week ago)
- 1 Star – Pool was nice, that was all – Hotel is being shut down in May. the property was having issues with air-conditioning in the complete building, we were not told of this until after we checked in. Hotel guest were buying box fans to put in there room to keep cool. Guest were mislead. (Jeff D., 1 week ago)
- 2 Star – Recent Stay – Hotel is in a state of disrepair. Slow elevators, poor lighting, non working jacuzzi, broken furniture…needs a makeover. Staff is very polite, but this does not make up for the condition of the building. I expected more from Hyatt brand. (Sightsee28246103262, 2 weeks ago)
- 1 Star – Not up to Hyatt standards – I had to go out of my way to warn future guests about the experience. We are world of Hyatt members and stays at Hyatts all over the globe and always feel that the level of service is above the rest, however this resort is a rare exception to this rule. From the front desk staff (we worked with more than one) to the pool staff and the restaurant staff, the lack of service and general “could care less” personality is like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s not just one person or two having a bad day, it’s the culture of the resort. No one greets you or wishes you a nice stay, no one helps you being in your bags, no one helps you bring towels to your pool chair, no one offers you drinks or food from the bar and whenever I asked for anything I was given a general “I don’t care” attitude from each and every person I encountered. This is not typical for Hyatt and certain not for Hyatt Regency. Rooms are subpar, pool is stained and not maintained. Our “suite” looked like something out of a bad 80s movie. We’re likely going to check out early. Avoid the disappointment, stay elsewhere and typically where we you find a Hyatt, stay there….just not this one!!! (Diana C, 3 weeks ago)
- 1 Star – Avoid this hotel – This property is terribly old & outdated. The furniture in the first room we were put in had huge dents & chunks broken off the wood. Carpet was in bad shape. One peg-legged side chair to sit in other than desk chair. Unlike any Hyatt REGENCY we’ve ever stayed at. Great location- terrible property. (TLFay, 1 month ago)
- 2 Stars – Not what I expected from a Hyatt – The hotel is getting run down. It’s not clean. There is mold on the ceiling tiles. The room smelled stale. The bathroom smelled like urine. The ac wasn’t working correctly. The value isn’t there for the money. I wouldn’t stay there again. I’d choose the Westin. (Cherie F, 2 months ago)
There were “the place is dated” and “the A/C doesn’t work” reviews, on and off, that go as far back as, you guessed it, 2022. However, the near-consistently 1- and 2-star reviews really started coming in fast and furious over the past 4 months or so. Management apparently stopped putting any money into the upkeep of the place. And when employees know they’re going to be out of a job when the hotel closes, you almost can’t blame them for not giving a damn, either.
The Bottom Line
I’ll continue to look for a place to use our certificate. And I don’t recommend anyone stay at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota.
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