China's Most Beautiful C4 Hyatt - Grand Hyatt Dalian
China's Most Beautiful C4 Hyatt - Grand Hyatt Dalian
Grand Hyatt Dalian
Although I have lived in Dalian for more than ten years, I have never stayed near Xinghai. This time, before the peak season of primary and secondary school holidays, I stayed at this Hyatt next to the sea on Xinghai Square. Grand Hyatt Dalian is a C4, which is considered relatively high-level in China (of course, it cannot be compared with Europe and the United States). The points are also the standard C4 15,000 points/night. This time I saw that the cash booking was about 1300 RMB per night, which is much more valuable than using points.
The hotel is located on the seaside of Xinghai Square, within walking distance to nearby attractions, and the popular Xi Ding Sea Urchin Dumplings are just a few steps away. It is a 10-minute drive to Xinghai Park, Sun Asia Ocean World, and Dalian Forest Zoo. In the early morning, you can see many people jogging on the seaside trail, and some locals swimming in the sea (the water temperature in June is still relatively low).
The overall check-in experience was good. As a Globalist, I was upgraded to a standard suite on the 18th floor with a 180-degree sea view, separate living room and bedroom, and two bathrooms. The extra bed for the child arrived within a few minutes after a phone call. The welcome fruit plate was quite ordinary, with only apples, oranges, pears, and peaches, and the quality was average. The welcome letter was also machine-printed, with only the signature handwritten. The curtain controller was quite hidden, and it took a while to find it. The drinks in the mini-fridge in the room were all chargeable, and the front desk suggested going to the lounge to get them.
The hotel's 'top floor' is the lounge, where there are small desserts and drinks during the day, and light meals, sushi, stewed beef, cheese, fruits, etc. from 6 to 7:30 in the evening, which are not very abundant. However, the lounge staff were very friendly, introducing where to see the music fountain in Xinghai Square and when to see the light show on the cross-sea bridge. In contrast, the breakfast buffet service the next morning was much lower in standard. The noodle station chef seemed very impatient, the plate collection was not timely, and there was no service to deliver orders directly to the table. The variety of dishes was quite rich, and surprisingly, there was spicy hot pot for breakfast, but it lacked some local Dalian specialties.
The hotel pool is on the fourth floor, also with a 180-degree sea view, the water quality is very good, and there are not many people. The downside is that you have to pass through a section of the lobby from the changing room to the pool, the air conditioning temperature is very low, and it feels a bit cold coming out of the water. Additionally, as a Globalist, I requested a 4 PM late checkout. However, after swimming at 3:30, I found that my room card was already deactivated, and I had to ask the staff to swipe the elevator floor, and luckily my family was in the room to open the door, otherwise, it would have been awkward.
Overall, the hotel location is excellent, the room is well arranged, the bed is comfortable, but some service details need improvement.