Don’t come back here y’all.
You could almost imagine JR Ewing here for an oil conference in the ‘80s. The décor is spot on for that era right down to the glass lifts. As comfortable as JR would have been, it is all a bit dated these days and I’ll bet the old oil baron would have a couple of scathing remarks for the staff if he were to turn up now.
Somewhere in Canada we saw the receptionists called “Directors of First Impressions”. Never was a more apt title bestowed. The welcome you receive when you arrive can make or break your opinion of a hotel and can influence whether you come back or recommend it to friends. In the case of the Hyatt at Austin the surly, rude, unhelpful girl who checked us in was clearly of the view that as guests we were significantly less important than her good self. Her attitude was seriously off putting and just as dated as the hotel. The other staff members we came across were not quite not as rude as Miss Surly but they all seemed strangely indifferent and detached which had Mr Moo mumbling about cults and the like. Sure they have lots of guests and conferences but so do many other hotels. A staff review is urgently needed as their approach will lose guests quicker than you can say bed bugs.
The hotel is well located and the terrace overlooking the river is nice but even being Platinum Hyatt members nothing would get us to stay here again. That said, don’t let it put you off Austin which is a great place to visit, just stay elsewhere as this place really lets down the normally wonderful Hyatt brand.