Hyatt hotels offer hypoallergenic rooms

by Melanie Nayer on

While down pillows and duvets add a plush decor to hotel beds, allergy sufferers find this added perk a nuisance and not a luxury. Hypoallergenic pillows and non-fragrant amenities can be requested from any hotel guest, but would it be easier to just designate a few rooms in the hotel as “hypoallergenic rooms”?

Hyatt thinks so, which is why the hotel company announced their “allergy friendly rooms” across its brand of hotels.


The rooms will be priced at an extra $20 to $30 per night, but will be free of dust mites, which live and multiply in bedding, carpeting and upholstered furniture. The move comes as Hyatt and other hoteliers look to capitalize on the growing number of allergy sufferers. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 54 percent of Americans are sensitive to at least one allergen, which results in sneezing, itching and in some cases, asthmatic attacks. The presence of odors, mold, dust or animal dander can be harmful to those with severe allergies.

To help alleviate the suffering for some travelers, Hyatt is relying on Pure Solutions, a privately held New York-based company that claims it can remove 98 percent of bacteria and viruses from hotel rooms. With this new partnership, Hyatt plans to designate a total of 2,000 rooms at 125 Hyatt Resort, Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt and Andaz properties across the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean as hypoallergenic rooms available by the end of 2010. If the rooms prove to be popular, Hyatt will pay to expand the program.Just how will Pure rid the rooms of allergens?

“Pure’s technicians first take apart the air-handling system in the room, disinfect the parts, treat them with an agent to ward off moisture and add a tea tree oil cartridge that releases a natural anti-microbial agent. After disinfecting every surface in the room, Pure “shocks” the room for two to three hours with highly concentrated ozone to kill mold, bacteria and other unwanted organisms. They then spray carpets, curtains and surfaces with a bacteriostatic shield, Brault said, which lasts up to two and a half years and bonds with bacteria on a molecular level.”

The rooms are also equipped with medical-grade purifiers that eliminate dust, odor and small particles; beds and pillows are encased in microfiber that is impenetrable to dust mites, and allergens in the pillow feathers are removed.

The idea and effort behind these rooms are worthy of accolades but I have to wonder: Why not just do it for all rooms? Surely, everyone would appreciate breathing a little easier at night.

To find a hypoallergenic room, visit pureroom.com.

Hyatt is heading to China; plans 11 new properties in China

by Melanie Nayer on

Hyatt Hotels Corporation is expanding across the Pacific, announcing plans to open 11 new Hyatt-branded hotels in emerging cities and resort destinations in China. The addition of these hotels means Hyatt has 22 properties under development in China across all of its full service brands, including Andaz.

The 11 new Hyatt hotels announced are:

  • Park Hyatt Changbaishan
  • Hyatt Regency Changbaishan
  • Hyatt Regency Changchun
  • Grand Hyatt Dalian
  • Hyatt Regency Guiyang
  • Hyatt Regency Jinan
  • Hyatt Regency Qingdao Grand
  • Hyatt Sanya Haitang Bay
  • Grand Hyatt Shenyang
  • Hyatt Regency Tianjin East
  • Hyatt Regency Wenzhou

Hyatt previously announced additional properties under development in Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Sanya Sunny Bay, Suzhou, Wuxi, and Xuzhou.

Four properties are slated to open in 2011:Park Hyatt Ningbo, a 253-room property, will be located on Dongqian Lake, one of the most scenic destinations in eastern China. About two hours drive from Shanghai, the hotel will feature low-rise buildings, private villas with spa and recreational facilities, meeting and banquet space and specialty restaurants.

Hyatt Regency Jinan, a 350-room property, will be part of the Wanda Plaza development, located in Shizhong District, one of the two central urban districts in Jinan. The hotel will offer meeting facilities, a spa and fitness center, and food and beverage outlets.

Hyatt Regency Guiyang, a 364-room property, will form part of the planned Guiyang International Conference and Exhibition Center located within the Jin-Yang New District of Guiyang, the economic and commercial hub of the Guizhou providence in Southwest China. Designed for the business traveler, the hotel will be adjacent to government offices and prime office and commercial space. Amenities will include five food and beverage options, meeting and residential style function space, ballroom, indoor pool, fitness center and spa.

Hyatt Regency Qingdao, a 450-room property, will be part of a high-end mixed-use development located on the Western end of Old Stone Beach in the Laoshan District of Qingdao, which is in Eastern China. The hotel, tailored to both business and leisure travelers, will enjoy unique ocean views and immediate beach access and will also provide a full range of amenities, including four restaurants and bars, multi-functional meeting space, indoor swimming pool, fitness center and spa.

The additional Hyatt hotels in China will be open in 2012.

Hyatt Resorts director dishes on Hyatt’s new promotion

by Melanie Nayer on

Last week we announced the launch of Hyatt’s new promotion on their Resorts Facebook page, the Best of All Worlds program. Hyatt has asked Gadling to pick two lucky winners for their own free night at any Hyatt resort. But we wondered … just why is Hyatt doing this? What’s the motivation behind the promotion? We caught up with Doug Sears, general manager of the Grand Hyatt Kauai, to get the dish on the free stays.

Q. Why did Hyatt decide to launch the Best of All Worlds program?

A. People travel to experience something different than their everyday life. Many travel to learn about different cultures and do activities that might not be readily available to them where they live. Hyatt Resorts are located in uniquely different locations that can provide visitors the opportunity to do just these things in a comfortable setting.

Q. What is new and exciting about your property?

A. We are currently renovating our guest rooms to bring the beauty of Kauai indoors. With clean and simple furniture, the 600 square foot rooms are maximized while creating a comfortable atmosphere for guests. Elements of Hawaii’s culture are ever present from the artwork which is based on petroglyphs found in nearby sandstone to the headboard carved with the shape of native Hapuu ferns. Our Hawaiian classic style melds a relaxed yet timeless elegance.

We also are very committed to reducing our environmental footprint and have an exciting new opportunity for guests where they can rent hybrid cars by the hour from Green Car Hawaii. We are the first resort in Hawaii to offer this. It is modeled on car sharing programs. Next year they will be adding full electric vehicles to their fleet and slowly weeding out the hybrids. We are hoping we will be able to power these cars directly from our photovoltaic system that currently creates clean power for the resort.Q. Your campaign is all about the best of all worlds, what are some of the best activities on and off that hotel goers could enjoy?

A. The resort’s water wonderland featuring a quiet adult pool, active river pool, 150-ft water slide and saltwater lagoon provides endless fun. In addition there’s:

  • The National Tropical Botanical Garden is nearby with lovely gardens to tour.
  • Waimea Canyon and Kokee State Park make for great sightseeing and hiking.
  • If adventure is your style there are ATV rides, ziplining, kayaking, horseback riding, and more all available nearby.
  • Spend the day simply driving and enjoying the island’s beauty, stop at some beaches and waterfalls along the way.
  • Make your vacation more meaningful by volunteering at one of our ENRICH program partners – The Kauai Humane Society, National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hui o Laka, or Surfrider Foundation.

Q. Since the recession, have you noticed any changes in the way people are vacationing? Do people spend more time relaxing or more time doing activities?

A. I think there is still a nice mix of active days and relaxing days. Most people do at least one or two activities while here, whether it is a sunset cruise or something more active like a bike or kayak tour, but everyone is looking for great value for their time and money spent.

Q. We’ve heard that some of the resorts are hosting special offers related to this program, if travelers come to your resort, will they be able to enjoy any complementary services or offers?

A. Free and nearly free things to do at the resort include:

  • Make a lei.
  • Learn traditional Hawaiian weaving.
  • Play, play, play in the water wonderland
  • Enjoy live Hawaiian music (and a spectacular view) each night from 6-8pm at Seaview Terrace.
  • Get your picture taken with the beautiful parrots and cockatoos in our lobby atrium at Parrot Talk
  • Learn to play the ukulele.
  • Talk story and learn some area history with local woodcarver, Jack Churchill.
  • Take a scenic hike along the Mahaulepu Historical Trail that begins across the beach to the east of the hotel. Ask the concierge for a map with information on native plants and history along the way.

Intrigued? Don’t forget to sign up for the Gadling Giveaway for a chance to win a free night at any Hyatt Resort!

Three ways to use social media for cheap travel

by Tom Johansmeyer on

When the internet came on the scene (the commercial iteration) in the mid-1990s, the traveling public got excited over the prospect of making buying easier – and pretty soon after, we started thinking about deals. Plenty of websites arose to satisfy our urge for cheaper travel. Then, social media arrived, and we became even greedier.

No, I’m not suggesting that we change – not at all. What’s wrong with wanting to get as much as you can for as little as possible? Do you overpay at the grocery store just to be a good guy? Exactly.

So, let’s talk about exploiting these opportunities. There are plenty of deals floating around on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. You just need to know how to score them. Here are three ways to put a few more bucks back into your pocket:1. Know where to look: are you a fan of your usual airline or hotel chain on Facebook? Do you follow it on Twitter? Start now. Just like the e-mail alerts you’ve been getting for years, you’ll get information you can use to keep your wallet fat.

2. Get the timing right: some social media deals exist on a schedule, like JetBlue‘s “Cheeps” on Twitter, which are last-minute and incredibly cheap. These tweets come out at 10 AM or so on Tuesdays. Not everyone makes it this easy, though. Some are totally random, in order to keep your eyes on their brand as much as possible. So, balance timing with vigilance.

3. Score some extras: you can use these sites for customer service, as well, with @Delta and @HyattConcierge among the companies using social media for this purpose. Also, check out the hotel or airline you’re about to use. You may find that it just happens to be active on Twitter or Facebook (such as @Colonnade). While you don’t get any formal advantage, talking to the people on the ground always leads to a better experience.

Cross-dressing employee gets Hyatt sued

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Daynara Fernandez got back to her hotel room at a Hyatt and found, to her obvious surprise, a male employee clad in her skirt, underwear and … of course … high heels. So, is it all that shocking that she’s suing the hotel chain?

When she got back to her room, after having attended a wedding, her door was blocked by a cleaning cart. Getting past it, she saw, according to Gawker, that “her luggage had been opened and her belongings strewn about.” There was only one way the situation could have been made worse, I suspect, by one thing: finding a man wearing some of her clothes.

And, yep, that’s what she saw. Oscar Garcia-Franco, an employee of the Deerfield, Illinois Hyatt, denied t at first, claiming he was cleaning the room … yeah, that old line (get the blow-by-blow in the police report). Interestingly, despite wearing Fernandez’s skirt and shoes, kept his Hyatt shirt on! Now that’s company loyalty!

When he got busted by the guest, Garcia-Franco shouted at her, “Don’t tell, don’t tell,” a sure way to make sure your name and mug shot winds up on The Smoking Gun and Gawker.

[Via Gawker, photo by Markusram via Flickr]