Hyatt Regency Irvine — Hotel in Irvine

I’m a world of Hyatt member who has stayed in Hyatts all over the world and which has made me expect a certain level of quality and customer experience staying at the Hyatt Regency brand. That said, my 6 day stay at Hyatt Regency Irvine is by far the worst experience I’ve ever had staying at any Hyatt. I booked this hotel a week in advance for a work trip. After arriving late at night, I checked into a King room on the eighth floor and immediately smelled a strong odor, like Lysol had been sprayed everywhere. I should have immediately asked for a different room but I figured the smell would go away after I leave the window open for a bit but it didn’t. Next morning, I went downstairs for breakfast in the regency club lounge and coming back, I was left locked out of my room because the battery of the door lock had died. I spent an hour taking elevator rides up and down between the front desk and room to get it fixed and eventually, they sent someone to change the battery which finally got me into the room. Next, and please remember this because this can impact your stay like mine, the room AC / cooling system in this hotel is broken. From the day I checked in to when I checked out, the room temperature always felt warm, even after turning the thermostat all the way down to 65. Mind you this was in mid-September heat in California so I can’t imagine how a guest can survive staying here during summer months. Even the temperature in hallways and lobby felt cooler than inside the room. After a sleepless first night because of the heat and the door lock issue next day, I requested front desk to change my room and they obliged, moving me to a King on another floor. To their credit, the hotel staff are friendly (for the most part - keep reading) and genuinely seemed eager to help. However, the new room (which was on the fifth floor) had the same AC / cooling problem so I realized there’s no use asking to change again and that I just had to make my peace with it. Honestly, my entire stay got to a point where I was genuinely looking forward to the day I can finally leave and never have to remember this experience. But this hotel found a way to make think about it again and find the time to write down this review. On the morning of checking out, I went to the front desk to request a folio via email, but the staff member wanted to know more about my background and where I’m from (I’m colored and don’t have an American accent). I told them I live in DC and going back there right now. They reply: ‘yeah but where are you from?’. After this, all I could think of is how to GTFO of this hotel so I quickly but politely answered and went outside to wait for my Uber. At the airport, I opened the folio pdf in my email to check the final bill and find out I’ve been charged $40 per night for parking?!! But I didn’t even bring a car!!! I swear I will not forget Hyatt Regency Irvine and the absolutely terrible guest experience there. The only redeeming quality I can think of is their club lounge, which was comfortable and had a decent breakfast. Everything else in this hotel sucked and I would recommend everyone to...

I recently stayed at the Hyatt Regency Irvine for a three-day, two-night getaway with my family, and I must say, the experience was quite a mixed bag.

Check-In Experience: Unfortunately, the check-in process was a significant letdown. My early check-in request wasn’t ready, which is understandable, but what really frustrated me was that I wasn’t even offered keys to access the amenities while my family waited. I had to remind him after a very awkward stare down. Manny, the front desk staff member, was the least authentic and helpful person I’ve encountered during my many stays at this hotel. When I inquired about an extra sleeping option, I learned that the hotel doesn’t offer rollaway beds. Manny’s solution? A non-connected room down the hall for my 12-year-old to stay in alone at an additional charge of $99 per night! This is outrageous and completely unacceptable.

Moreover, there was an issue with my Globalist guest of honor status not being properly attached to my reservation, which would have saved us parking fees and ensured access to the Regency Club. Despite showing proof from my Hyatt account, Manny merely offered club access for $100. His responses felt scripted, and I nearly canceled my stay to look for another hotel.

Positive Aspects: On a brighter note, there were some standout individuals who made the stay more pleasant. Makala, at the front desk, is an absolute rockstar. I’ve seen her on previous visits, and she is always kind, enthusiastic, and a creative problem solver. She welcomed me back as a frequent guest and was genuinely apologetic about the check-in issues. She rectified our club access and offered my 6-year-old son a toy from the kids’ wagon, which was a lovely touch.

The valet staff was consistently helpful and kind, and Tyler at the Regency Club was simply outstanding. Despite a busy morning and many upset guests, he maintained his composure and warmly offered various solutions. He even suggested special breakfast items from the market that were better than what was available in the club. Gloria in the club was also impressive, hustling to keep up with the high traffic.

Room and Amenities: Sadly, my overall impression of the property is marred by the check-in experience. The corner suite had very little storage for clothes, we were only given two water bottles on one day, and the bathrooms seemed outdated. The furniture layout in the suite was not functional, and parking was overpriced. Additionally, the pool's maximum depth was only 4'6", and the water slides were only suitable for small children, resulting in a rough landing for those over 60 lbs.

Conclusion: Given these experiences, I’m uncertain if the Hyatt Regency Irvine will remain on our staycation list. While most staff's efforts to provide excellent service were commendable, the initial check-in experience and various facility shortcomings left a sour taste. I sincerely hope the management addresses the front desk concerns, as it can make a significant difference for...

We came here because our neighbor's daughter was having her after-prom party from 12 am - 4 am... which seems kind of insane, doesn't it? It started at 12? It was highly thoughtless on her part as well as her parents, but they had been good neighbors until this stupid party so we thought we'd spend the night away to avoid hating them forever. |This hotel did the trick... and I'm sure it will work well for you if you need a mid-tier, stylish, freshly redone workhorse hotel that's in a convenient (albeit very freeway adjacent) location in downtown Irvine. |The hotel is close to a lot of things, including the 405... so I requested a room on the back side of the hotel to avoid the tire roar. In truth, even the backside has some exposure to the freeway noise (which is a bit deafening in the parking lot below) due to the angle of the hotel. The hotel was built in the 1970s and has old sliding glass doors, which don't quite seal properly. That said, the noise heard in the room was pretty minimal and we got a great night's sleep. This place is either built like a bunker or we get lucky. |The beds were fine, the new furniture and faux wood floors look good, and the bathrooms positively gleam. The staff here was really nice, too. The guy (alas, I did not get his name) who checked us in was very friendly and helpful and every staff member we ran into was as well, including the very hardworking and tired-looking housekeeper vacuuming the lobby at 11 pm. There were a few loud stay-cationers in the lobby when we arrived late on a Saturday night (or perhaps they were out-of-town dads chaperoning a baseball team... couldn't tell)... fortunately we avoided them after a too boisterous encounter in the elevator bank. Fun feature... half the elevators have glass windows so you can see Irvine on the way up... a classic old Hyatt touch.|The clean and large morning breakfast area needs better ventilation but they offer a lot of breakfast items made fresh. We skipped it due to the strong aromas and austere seating and drove across the 405 to the nearest Starbucks, which is a block away and has plenty of free parking.|Our only quibble with the stay... parking here is exorbitant. We spent 40-plus dollars for self-parking in the adjacent lot. You do get "in and out" privileges for that. But something in the 20s range would seem more reasonable for what is really an office park hotel. |That said, if we ever need to escape our neighbors again for a night, I would definitely come here. And I would recommend it to anyone in the area who needs a good hotel that's not too fancy and recently (and nicely) remodeled... providing you get a decent price. I wouldn't...