Win 44,000 points from Hyatt Gold Passport when you share your New Years travel resolutions!

Want to start the year off right by adding a nice chunk of Hyatt Gold Passport points to your account? With rooms starting at 5,000 points, this contest could take care of an entire week of accommodations for your summer vacation, or how about two nights at one of the luxurious Park Hyatt properties?

Entering the contest is as simple (or as complicated) as you want. Because we love spreading the love around, we are sharing things with our friends at AOL Travel – but this also means you have three different ways to enter – which means three chances at snagging this prize!

To enter:

  1. Leave a comment below, telling us your New Years travel resolution
  2. Head on over to Gadling on Facebook and reply to the Hyatt post on our wall.
  3. Head on over to AOL Travel on Facebook and reply to the Hyatt post on their wall.

Once you have entered the contest – head on over to the Hyatt Gold Passport Facebook page to learn more about their program and promotions!


To enter, simply leave a comment answering any of the questions posted above.

  • You may only enter *each entry method* once.
  • The comment must be left before Monday January 24 2010 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
  • One Prize Winner will be randomly selected to receive 44,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points.
  • There is no requirement to sign up for a Gold Passport account for entering the contest unless you are selected as a winner. If you are selected as a winner, the free night will be credited to your Hyatt Gold Passport account and can be cashed in much like frequent flier miles. Winners can sign up for a Gold Passport account at no cost.
  • Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
  • The total value the prize is approximately $499
  • Click here for the complete official rules of this giveaway.

Pets at Hyatt Regency Mission Bay get their own “Pawsport” loyalty program


Do you own a pampered pooch? Thanks to Hyatt Regency Mission Bay‘s new Pawsport program, your four-legged friend can receive “top dog” treatment during their stay.

“Stainless steel bowls, plush dog beds and a haute-dog menu ensure your pooch will be lavishly spoiled while away from home,” said leader of the hotel pack, General Manager Moshen Khaleghi.

At check-in, furry friends will receive their own Pet Pawsport with vital information about program offerings and stamp boxes to the track number of hotel visits that quickly add up to posh pet prizes.

Similar to the Hyatt Gold Passport program for their two-legged guests, the Pet Pawsport rewards your critters frequent stays with added amenities and amazing awards, including cool gift certificates and personalized identification carrier tag. “The more times your dog stays here, the bigger and better the prize,” noted Khaleghi.

Even first-time guests can enjoy the in-room doggie menu with its mouth-watering and tail-wagging entrees. For $5 each, order up all-nature human-edible items such as Breath Bustin Biscuits, Woofie Cookies, Snicker-Poodles and Mission Bay Liver. The hotel offers tons of shady and sunny places for dogs to romp and roam. There are plenty of parks and “barking lots” with disposal bays and trash bins as well as fresh watering holes.

Pet-friendly room rates start at $189 per night with a daily $30-50 service fee for guests traveling with their dog. Pets up to 50 pounds are allowed, multiple dogs cannot exceed 75 pounds in total. Guests must sign a waiver at check-in.

Gadling Giveaway – Win a free night at any Hyatt Resort!

To celebrate the launch of their Resorts Facebook site, Hyatt has asked us to pick two lucky winners for their own free night at any Hyatt resort. Hyatt has 46 resorts worldwide, from luxury downtown properties like the Park Hyatt to beachside properties in Hawaii and Key West.

To enter the contest, head on over to the Hyatt Resorts Facebook site, click on “trip generator” and tell us what Hyatt considers to be your perfect resort. Leave your answer in the comments below.

  • To enter, simply leave a comment answering the question posted above.
  • The comment must be left before Thursday October 14 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
  • Two Prize Winners will be randomly selected to receive one free night at any Hyatt Resorts property. The included properties are listed here.
  • There is no requirement to sign up for a Gold Passport account for entering the contest unless you are selected as a winner. If you are selected as a winner, the free night will be credited to your Hyatt Gold Passport account and can be cashed in much like frequent flier miles. Winners can sign up for a Gold Passport account at no cost.
  • Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
  • The total value of each prize is approximately $220
  • Click here for the complete official rules of this giveaway.

Discounted package at Curacao’s new Hyatt Regency

Curaçao is holding on to its reputation as an overlooked jewel, despite a slow tide of increased travel media attention. Among other draws, the most populous island in the Netherlands Antilles has its quaint capital Willemstad, good diving, and some lovely restaurants on offer.

The 350-room Hyatt Regency Curaçao Golf Resort, Spa and Marina (quite a mouthful, yes) opened with a high profile in April in Porta Blancu in the southeastern corner of the island. To encourage prospective guests, the resort is currently offering a “Three for Free” package, which offers a free night, a complimentary breakfast for up to two adults and two children, and a room upgrade. Any booking for four days or longer is eligible for the package.

The resort is swank and brand-new. Among its more impressive features are an 18-hole golf course, a farm-to-table dining program, and the in-house Atabei Spa, which incorporates Curaçao’s indigenous plants, herbs and sea salts into its treatments.

Most notably, the “Three for Free” package is available through December 22, which means that it will be available long after the slow summer season has drawn to a close, and in fact right up to the start of winter high season in the Caribbean.

(Image: Flickr/Jessica Bee)

Hotel review – Summerfield Suites by Hyatt

In line with our regular reviews of budget friendly hotels, our travels took us to a Hyatt Summerfield Suites. This chain joined the Hyatt brand in 2005, and currently has 34 different properties throughout the country.

Summerfield Suites are extended stay hotels – so rooms come with the kind of amenities you need on stays of more than a couple of nights. Of course, this does not exclude them from people looking for a short term stay.


Check-in was extremely efficient and came accompanied with freshly baked cookies – something all hotels should consider. Within a few minutes I was on my way to the room.

The chain offers several types of room – studio, one bedroom and two bedroom. I had booked a one bedroom, and at just $63 this was probably the best hotel bargain I’ve encountered all year.

The room had obviously been renovated in the past 12 months and was outfitted with a decent flat panel TV (with line inputs on the side for your iPod). The sitting area/sofa bed was quite comfortable, and a very nice corner to sit and watch some TV.

The desk comes with a comfortable office chair, cordless phone and Ethernet cable. The hotel offered wired and wireless Internet (both free) as well as in-room printing to the business center. Internet speeds on the weekend were around 2 mbit/s, but those will probably drop during the busier week.

The bedroom has all the small touches you’d expect from a hotel room – its own AC unit, an alarm clock with line-input and surprisingly decent bedding. For me, a good bed and reliable climate control are all I need to be happy – but I could have done with a flat panel in the bedroom, sadly this property had left the bedrooms with old tube TV’s with lousy reception.

No surprises in the bathroom – but they did provide the nice massaging soap bars I’d encountered at the Hyatt Place properties.

The well equipped kitchen is perfect for a TV-dinner, or a more adventurous cooks. A dishwasher means you also don’t need to worry about making too much of a mess. The hotel also provides a grocery shopping service, and will pick up anything you need and place the items in your kitchen/fridge for you to prepare your own meal when you get back to your room at the end of the day.

The (free) breakfast was also one of the better I’ve come across – the assortment included eggs, French toast, sausages, a variety of fruits, cereal and yogurt and fresh baked cinnamon rolls.

On a busy Saturday morning, the line took some time to pass through, but the staff did their best to keep all stations fresh and full.

A decent pool, sauna and fitness center provide a great way to end the day or to to keep your kids entertained – the hot tub was a huge hit.

Final thoughts

As I mentioned earlier, Summerfield Suites are a fantastic bargain – prices will of course vary from location to location, but in most cities, you’ll be able to find weekend rates around $75 (lower with a AAA membership) – and when you consider that you get a large room, pool access and free breakfast, you’ll understand why I’m so impressed.

With prices like this, you don’t even need a reason to visit a hotel – I find a trip to a local hotel to be a perfect way to get away from it all. Best of all, if you enroll in the Hyatt Gold passport program, you can get one free night for every two nights you spend at a Hyatt property. You do the math – two nights at a $75 hotel, and you can treat yourself to a free night at a luxury property that normally goes for $300 a night.

Click here to learn more about this chain, or to find locations near you.