Hyatt House Belmont/Redwood Shores Review

Master bedroom of two-bedroom suite,
Hyatt House Belmont/Redwood Shores

It's been nearly a couple of years since I've stayed at a Hyatt House, back when I was first mattress running for Diamond Status.  For those stays I spent the nights at the now defunct Hyatt House Rancho Cordova in the Sacramento region.
Fast forward to now, and I've been working on requalifying for Diamond through February 2018.  While most of my mattress runs have occurred at the Category 1 Hyatt Place in Roseville, my girlfriend and I decided to spend a night in the bay, and so booked a stay at the Category 2 Hyatt House Belmont.  For this stay we used 4000 Points and $55 cash for a single night stay.

Kitchen of the two-bedroom suite,
Hyatt House Belmont/Redwood Shores

We pulled up to the hotel mid-evening, and were checked in quickly.  The clerk advised me that we had been upgraded to a two-bedroom suite.  In general I'm inclined to be excited about upgrades, and I wasn't going to turn it down, but as there were only two of us, I was rather unmoved.
We drove around to the other side of our hotel, and brought our luggage to the room.
The room we were assigned was in building 16 on the first floor.  We opened the door to a cozy living area with a couch, a sofa and a TV.  Beyond that was a full kitchen with a fridge.
The room was nice, and quite functional, but that's about it.

Living room of two-bedroom suite,
Hyatt House Belmont/Redwood Shores

 The suite featured two bedrooms each with their own bathroom, and I found the layout of the suite to be a bit cramped.  It was definitely cozy shutting off the master bedroom from the living room, as the door was situated at an angle.  Luckily the living room was big enough for our things as we unpacked.
Opening a closet in the master, my girlfriend noted a smell of cigarettes, as though someone tried smoking in the closet.  As noted in a previous review (See Andaz San Diego), she is a bit more sensitive than I when it comes to smells.  I didn't notice anything, and I guess it was muted enough that she didn't feel the need to change rooms, unlike our stay at the Andaz.

Pool at the Hyatt House Belmont/Redwood Shores

We finished unpacking and decided to go on a walk.

Outdoor Kitchen, Hyatt House Belmont/Redwood Shores

The Hyatt House Belmont/Redwood Shores is laid out more like an apartment complex than a hotel.  It was a stark contrast from my previous Hyatt House experience, which was a hotel with a separate building for loft rooms and suites.  This location was split into multiple three-story buildings, with the check-in desk and kitchen located in what might otherwise be utilized for an apartment clubhouse.  In the center of it all was a pool and an outdoor kitchen area, complete with a grill and a gas fire-pit.  There was also a small basketball court in the midst.
Sadly it was much too cold to be swimming, and we noted that the pool was locked at around 9:30, despite posted hours indicating it closed at 10.
On our walk we found perhaps the best feature of the hotel: a nearby man made lake with a wrap-around sidewalk.  This was a perfect area to take a stroll and enjoy the night.
The hotel is located right near the bay, in the midst of a small housing development and a couple of office buildings.  It is a convenient alternative to the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport, though I can't speak to the differences in amenities just yet (I will have a stay at said hotel in a couple of weeks).
The night was quiet and restful, and we woke for breakfast in the kitchen area.  Breakfast was typical, though we did notice an omelet station that we hadn't seen at the Hyatt House in Rancho Cordova. Unfortunately the station was closed down 30 minutes prior to the end of breakfast, when we showed up.
We checked out after another short walk on a nearby nature trail, and my girlfriend noted to the agent, Erika, that the closet in the room smelled like smoke.  Not that we were looking to get anything out of it, but Erika offered to put some points in our account, and we accepted.  It turned out to be a generous 2500 points.

Ultimately this was a decent stay at a category 2 hotel.  It was convenient for our planned day trip to Half Moon Bay, and it was quiet despite a close proximity to a couple of airports, including San Francisco.  I would consider staying again should it the need arise, but would advise anyone planning on visiting not to expect anything more than you'd get at a basic hotel.