Hyatt Place vs. Hyatt Regency: Which Is Right for You?

Hyatt has numerous brands that offer a hotel for every budget, travel need and interest. If you want a design hotel, for example, Andaz could be your go-to. Convention groups will be wowed by the glitz and glamor of Grand Hyatt. But among the different Hyatt hotels, what’s the difference between Hyatt Place versus Hyatt Regency? It turns out that despite sharing one word in common, these hotels are very different in what they offer and where they are located.

Here's what you need to know to make an informed decision of where to stay on your next trip. In many cities, World of Hyatt fans will have their choice already made for them. You’ll soon find out why.

The major differences

Hyatt Regency and Hyatt Place have several differences that are important to understand. Depending on where you travel and your budget, the decision between the two will be clear.

• Hyatt Regency hotels are full-service and include both a restaurant and bar. Hyatt Place hotels typically stick to a breakfast offering in the lobby and grab-and-go snacks available throughout the day. Some will also have a bar, prepared meals and maybe even room service. If you’re hungry all day long, choose Hyatt Regency, as these are more likely to have a dedicated restaurant rather than a lounge menu.

• Hyatt Regency properties are usually located in urban and resort destinations while Hyatt Place hotels are in communities of all sizes since they are usually smaller.

• Hyatt Regency targets business, convention and group travel, while Hyatt Place has fewer meeting room options with less space to accommodate large conferences. It operates in the select-service space with fewer amenities, but can serve the needs of almost every type of traveler.

» Learn more: The guide to World of Hyatt brands

Best for availability and locations: Hyatt Place

Hyatt Place is simply in more places than Hyatt Regency, which means you are more likely to find one where you are traveling.

Hyatt Place

With 413 open hotels in 325 cities, Hyatt Place is a versatile brand and can be found in urban, suburban, airport and even hospital-adjacent locations. These hotels operate on the upper end of the select-service category, which means they target middle to upscale business and leisure travelers. Hyatt Place competes with other brands like Hilton Garden Inn and Courtyard by Marriott.

Hyatt Regency

Hyatt Regency hotels are currently in 236 locations in 208 cities. You’ll often find them in larger cities like New York and Madrid, but they are in smaller destinations, too, like Sacramento, California, and Wichita, Kansas. Hyatt Regency competes with brands like Marriott, Sheraton and Westin.

Best hotel for family travel: tie

Family travel often entails finding entertainment and amenities that will keep everyone satisfied and busy. From restaurants to swimming pools, the more distractions the better. You’ll find both brands in resort destinations like Orlando, Florida, and Honolulu, but only Hyatt Regency comes close to offering the breadth of dining and recreational amenities that families will appreciate. Where Hyatt Place excels, however, is on price point as it typically competes with more affordable brands, which earns it a gold star for budget-conscious families.

Hyatt Place

Affordable grab-and-go items at all hours and free breakfast at U.S. properties are a definite win for families. These can be huge money-savers when it comes to feeding your crew throughout the day. Many Hyatt Place hotels also have swimming pools, which can come in handy when you want the little ones to burn off some energy. However, Hyatt Place properties tend to be smaller and more select-service, which puts them at a disadvantage to most Hyatt Regency hotels when it comes to the amenity roster.

Hyatt Regency

Hyatt Regency hotels have multiple food and beverage options including full-service restaurants and bars. Many will have swimming pools and recreational amenities, and in resort destinations like Scottsdale, Arizona, or Puerto Rico, you’ll find organized activities suitable for kids.

» Learn more: Tips for family travel on points and miles

Best hotel for business travel: Hyatt Regency

Road warriors want to know their needs will be met when staying at a hotel. This includes things like fast wireless internet, multiple dining options, shared workstations, meeting space and sometimes even club lounges. Hyatt Place ticks some, but not all, of these boxes. For those that it does, it’s usually only a half check mark.

Hyatt Place

Corporate budgets may curtail doling out big cash for a nice hotel, and that’s where Hyatt Place fits the bill. Free breakfast, easy-access food and dining, flexible workspaces, and solid wireless internet win the day. But, World of Hyatt elite members will miss out on familiar perks here (like club lounges), and those planning a meeting will be at a disadvantage.

Hyatt Regency

Hyatt Regency earns kudos for its meeting and event space options. It even participates in an alliance of Hyatt convention hotels that shares best practices to provide visitors with the best event protocols. Hyatt Regency also has multiple food and beverage outlets plus Regency Club lounges in many properties.

Some of these lounges, like the Regency Club at the San Francisco Hyatt Regency, are an experience unto themself. That particular club is perched on the top floor of the building, which actually rotates, offering 360-degree panoramic views of the city skyline and the San Francisco Bay.

Benefits of staying as a World of Hyatt elite member

World of Hyatt offers some solid perks for members, especially for its top-tier Globalist members who have access to club lounges, breakfast perks and Guest of Honor privileges among others. This helps to make up for its smaller footprint in comparison with other big loyalty brands like Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy. Late check out and waived resort fees on award redemptions are other excellent perks.

Hyatt Place

All World of Hyatt members will receive 5 base points on every eligible dollar they spend. Elite members receive a complimentary bottle of water each day, premium internet and bonus points on eligible purchases. Since breakfast is complimentary for everyone at U.S. hotels, you don’t have to be a Globalist to enjoy this perk.

Hyatt Regency

Members and elite members at Hyatt Regency share many of the same benefits as they would at Hyatt Place. However, unlike Hyatt Place, many Hyatt Regency hotels have a club lounge, which is a popular perk for Globalist members. There, you’ll find breakfast, all-day refreshments and evening happy hours.

Credit cards that earn World of Hyatt points

Any travel card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® lets you transfer points to World of Hyatt, which can be the fastest way to build up your points balance if you don’t frequently stay at Hyatt family properties.

For those that do, consider the World of Hyatt Credit Card: Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent. That’s some fast points earning right there.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

If you’re choosing between Hyatt Place and Hyatt Regency

Your destination, travel purpose and budget affect the choice of where to stay. Meeting groups and conference planners will find that most Hyatt Regency properties offer far more than Hyatt Place.

Those with Globalist status will also want to choose Hyatt Regency in most cases thanks to better perks. When presented with both choices, families will need to consider how long they plan to stay at the hotel and their budget for food and activities during their visit.

In reality, these are two different Hyatt hotel products and aren't geared toward the same price points and travel needs. Looking into the amenities each specific hotel provides can make your travel planning, and decision making, much easier.

Photo courtesy of Hyatt.