Day 2: United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD Summary

After our short shuttle ride from the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport, we were dropped off in front of Terminal 3, where United operates out of.  From the entrance you either head right to the main check-in area, or to the left for premium cabins.  I'm uncertain how often it's of advantage to walk the extra distance for premium cabin check-in (it is slightly further away), but we gave it a shot.  Check-in was quick and easy, and we made our way back to security.

Taking our seats.

-Introduction/Giveaway
-Day One: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review
-Day Two: United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary
-Days Three through Six: D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.
-Day Seven: Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD summary, Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary
-Day Eight Part 1: 6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary
-Day Eight Part 2: Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary
-Day Nine Part 1: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1.  Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.
-Day Nine Part 2: Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: Park Hyatt Dubai Review
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations:  Burj Khalifa Sky.
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: Dubai recommendations/information: The Dubai Museum, , Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour.
-Day Thirteen: Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary
-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review
-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2: What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
-Day Seventeen: Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island
-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1: The Hilton Guy!?  A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.
-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2: What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort
-Day Twenty-Two Part 1: Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary
-Day Twenty-Two Part 2: Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.
-Day Twenty-Three Part 1: Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.
-Day Twenty-Three Part 2: Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300  IST-SFO summary.
-Day Twenty-Four: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.
-Trip Summary/The Numbers

Near the edge of California.

I can't give you a full-on review of the flight, as my first-class experience is fairly limited, nor did I take nearly enough photos and notes.  But for a bit of a summary:

Airline-provided snack bowls, self-provided extras.

Reaching security, we found the line to be quite long.  I was a little anxious, as we had a little less than an hour before the flight was scheduled to depart.  It took us about 30 minutes to clear TSA, and we rushed to our gate.
As it turns out, there was still some time remaining before boarding, but I was happy to arrive in time to board with my group.  I don't recall our precise gate, but it was either 83, 85, or 87.  We didn't bother taking a seat in the terminal, because a line had already formed.

After just a few minutes, boarding began.  We got on quickly and nestled in our seats as the rest of the plane loaded up, and less than 20 minutes later, we departed on schedule for IAD.
Shortly after reaching cruising altitude, flight attendants passed out snacks and beverages, and we pulled out a couple of our own.

Meal service began soon after, and while we took in views of the Sierras (see short video below), the attendants brought us a spring mix salad with mandarin oranges.

Spring Mix Salad

In general, I'm not a fan of mandarin oranges.  I used to eat them by the can, but for some reason they tend to make me nauseous nowadays.  These oranges however were delicious and caused me no problems.  The salad itself was decent enough, but nothing special.

Kim enjoying her sorbet (more than I did)

Next came the main course.  To be perfectly honest, even with the photo I don't remember what was served, only that it was a mediocre meal.  I paired it with a red wine, just to get more monies worth.

It appears as though United has recently upped their game in food service.  And I gotta admit I was not disappointed by the taste and presentation of the salad.  Also to be fair, I didn't get my snapshot of the main course until after I had already started, so I can't give them any grief over how it was presented.  I will say that whatever it was they served me, it was not any of the items shown here.

The sorbet that was served was also sub-par.  Typically no matter how full I am by the time dessert comes around (and make no mistake, I was full!), I can still down a good sorbet or ice cream.  But I put my spoon down after a couple of bites.
Maybe just go back to hot-fudge sundaes?

The main course in question.

When meal service finally ended, we kicked back and opened up our tablets to watch some pre-loaded entertainment.  I'd say all in all the meal service lasted a good 2 1/2-3 hours into the flight.
We landed at around 7 P.M Eastern, after a mostly smooth ride into D.C.
People often question whether it's worth the extra cost (miles or cash) to fly first class domestically. For me, at 6 feet tall, I'm typically uncomfortable in standard economy. (I'm sure there are those of same or greater height who can manage just fine).  Pretty much without fail I will purchase an upgrade to economy plus, which on a cross-country or California to Hawaii flight will run upwards of $100 each way.  Had I saved the 12,500 extra miles by booking economy instead of first, I still would've found myself paying 100 to upgrade to E+.  In this case, it was a no-brainer.  For those who haven't tried flying domestic first, for a 4+ hour flight, I'd recommend trying it at least once. Typically that's all it takes to start to decide for yourself when and if it's worth doing more often.

Stats for this flight:

Aircraft Type: Boeing 737-800

Seats: 2E & 2F (United First)

Duration: 5 Hours, 3 Minutes

Cost: 25K United Miles Per Person, purchased at 1.9 cents a mile. ($475 Per Person)

Value: $544 per person (based on average cost of this flight)

Day 1: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Aiport: Review

Our adventure began with a single night stay at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport.  This was the first time I had stayed here, and I was looking forward to it.  I had booked this stay using Hyatt Points + Cash, at a cost of 4000 points and $55.

-Introduction/Giveaway
-Day One: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review
-Day Two: United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary
-Days Three through Six: D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.
-Day Seven: Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary
-Day Eight Part 1: 6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary
-Day Eight Part 2: Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary
-Day Nine Part 1: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1.  Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.
-Day Nine Part 2: Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: Park Hyatt Dubai Review
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations:  Burj Khalifa Sky.
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: Dubai recommendations/information: The Dubai Museum, , Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour.
-Day Thirteen: Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary
-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review
-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2: What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
-Day Seventeen: Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island
-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1: The Hilton Guy!?  A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.
-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2: What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort
-Day Twenty-Two Part 1: Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary
-Day Twenty-Two Part 2: Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.
-Day Twenty-Three Part 1: Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.
-Day Twenty-Three Part 2: Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300  IST-SFO summary.
-Day Twenty-Four: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.
-Trip Summary/The Numbers

View from the club: SFO Airport in the distance.

After the 2 hour drive from home, we pulled to the front at around 7:30 in the evening.  The valet assisted with luggage and Kim's mother took the car and made her way back home.

We walked into the hotel, and I was instantly unimpressed. Unfortunately, the hotel was under renovations, and the entrance to the main atrium was blocked off by a large wall.  Hotel check-in was (I presume temporarily) in a rather depressing hall area off the right side of the entrance.

The temporarily blocked off atrium.

While the valet took the luggage to the bellman, we got in line to check-in. 
While waiting to check-in, a customer ahead of us was loudly complaining to the front desk about her room, describing it as noisy and demanding a better view .  As the hotel seemed to be sold-out, the issue was escalating quickly.  Our personal check-in was eventless, and the front desk clerk welcomed us, advising that we had been upgraded to a business suite.

We got our keys, and opted for the 1,000 point bonus for our Diamond membership, then we made our way to the elevator.

The walk from the elevator down the hall to room 2097 seemed to be significant.  The hotel is essentially a giant square with rooms on all edges, and it took at least a couple minutes to traverse our edge.

We entered the room to find a spacious living area.

Business Suite #2097: Click HERE for 360 View

Overall, the room was most impressive.  Off the right of the entrance was the workspace and living area, immediately to the left of the entrance was the bathroom, and the bedroom was around the corner from that.

From our second story room, the freeway was quite close, but the hotel has done a fantastic job insulating and has multi-pane windows to block the noise (which was unnoticeable).  Sure the view wasn't that great, but for an airport hotel, I wouldn't expect anything more, and we were more than happy with the extra space we were given.  Exploring the room, we found the typical amenities, including Kenet M.D shampoo and conditioner.  I was rather surprised that for as nice as the room was, it lacked automatic blinds/shades. This was rather inconvenient given that there was no solid divide between the living and bedroom, which meant needing to manually close the gigantic blinds on both windows.  Small inconvenience, but something I'm used to seeing in suites as nice as this was.
After dropping off our bags, we made the long trek down the hall back to the elevators and went up to the ninth-floor regency-club lounge, where things got interesting.

It was 7:50, and the dinner was technically over at 8:00.  But while I wasn't particularly concerned about missing out (the remnants in the pot on the hot-plate lacked appeal)-  apparently another guest was quite put off by it, and demanded more food be put out.  The host gave the guest a rather blank stare, and let him know that dinner was over, and there was no more food to put out.  This only infuriated the elderly gentleman even more, and he made that quite clear by tossing his silverware loudly on top of the bussing station.  He then ordered to speak to a manager, at which point I had exhausted any interest I had in the club.  Kim and I left and made the trek back to the room.
After a little TV, and a little videography, I went back to the club to scout for dessert.  Fortunately, the dessert selection was more appealing than what was left of the dinner, though it still wasn't the most interesting thing going on in the club.
I almost laughed aloud when a guest who straggled into the club behind me sought out a host to ask if he could check-in at the club.  Of course, I'm unfamiliar with clubs overseas, and this man was most definitely not from the U.S--- maybe some clubs offer check-in service?  The man fruitlessly explained that the line for registration was substantial, and he wanted to check-in upstairs.
With little else to say, the host reassured the guest that the lines would die down after 15 minutes or so (a baseless assumption).
After taking dessert back to the room and sharing it with Kim, I set a wake-up call and we passed out.
Our wake up-call came a bit early though, when the phone startled us awake at 2:00 A.M.  I groggily answered, still half-asleep.
"Mr. Dubya?"
"Yes."
"Sir, your room door is open!"
"It is?"
"Yes, sir"
So I got up and went to the front door, to find it sealed shut.  "Our door is closed."
"My apologies, we have the wrong room."
"Okay."
Within 10 minutes, I was back asleep.
I clarified later in the morning with the front desk, and it turns out a guest had called to report a door open, but the guest gave security the wrong room number.  The hotel offered 2,500 points for the inconvenience despite it not being the fault of the hotel. I gladly accepted the offer, but unfortunately said points have yet to show up in my account, and I may end up calling Hyatt in the near future to resolve.

The Regency Club's morning food offering.

When we finally got up we packed quickly, grabbed a light breakfast from the club, checked out, and hopped on the shuttle to the San Francisco Airport.

Overall, the suite upgrade made this stay.  I may have enjoyed it more had the renovations not been in progress, as I'm a fan of different hotel atmospheres, and I particularly enjoy hotel atriums.  The Regency Club I felt was sub-par.  I enjoyed the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero's club far more. Despite the club issue, this hotel still offers great point redemption value, considering it is only a category 2.  I would definitely consider returning here if I were flying in or out of SFO again.

Stats for this stay:
1 Night Points Plus Cash: $55 +4000 Points (Total bill w/taxes ~$65)
Room Value (Based on low end cost for standard room): $310
Diamond Value Received: $125 (Based on $100 value upgrade, and $25 value for club access for two)
Points Earned: 1358 (275 Base, 83 Diamond Bonus, 1000 Welcome Amenity)

The Big One! Introduction and United Club Pass Giveaway!

Maldivian Monkey enjoying the view.

Last week we returned from our whirlwind trip to D.C, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and the Maldives (with adventurous layovers in Munich and Istanbul).  To celebrate, I'm giving away 4 United Club passes (giveaway will be two pairs of two).  The first pair includes one pass that expires August 31st, 2016 and one that expires September 30th, 2016.  The second pair includes two passes that expire September 30th, 2016.

Not in the best of shape, but they'll do!

The winner will be chosen at random on May 3rd.  To be eligible, all you need to do is comment on this post and tell me whether you'd rather spend a week in the Presidential Suite at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai or a week in a Park Water Villa at the Park Hyatt in the Maldives. (Feel free to watch my tour of the GH Kauai Presidential Suite here).  One entry per person.

This trip was 3 1/2 years in the making.  But all the planning and research in the world could not prepare me for how incredible it would be.  Some highlights include.

Sharing an incredible dessert wine with my girlfriend while in bed at 4 A.M, 40 thousand feet in the air.
Accelerating from 0-150mph in 5 seconds on the worlds fastest roller coaster.
Drinks and Canapes at the worlds tallest observation deck.
Afternoon tea with an ocean view at the Ritz Carlton.
A perfect-weather desert safari trip in the Dunes of Dubai.

Desert Safari Dubai

A private boat trip down to the equator, with a crew of five to tend to our every need. (and a lot more adventure to go with it!)
A romantic dusk dinner catered on the beach.

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Sunset Beach Dinner

A sunset yacht cruise that became more than we bargained for when nobody else booked, making it a private trip.
Snapping photos of my girlfriend scuba diving while I was 16 feet below sea level in an underwater restaurant.

I have a ton of photos and videos to share (I have to narrow down ~250GB worth), and thousands of words to write, so please be patient with me, but feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments section (comments/questions are welcome, but only comments answering the question listed above will count as an entry for the giveaway)

Whirlwind Trip 2016:

-Introduction/Giveaway
-Day One: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review
-Day Two: United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary
-Days Three through Six: D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.
-Day Seven: Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary
-Day Eight Part 1: 6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary
-Day Eight Part 2: Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary
-Day Nine Part 1: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1.  Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.
-Day Nine Part 2: Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: Park Hyatt Dubai Review
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations:  Burj Khalifa Sky.
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.
-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: Dubai recommendations/information: The Dubai Museum, , Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour.
-Day Thirteen: Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary
-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review
-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2: What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
-Day Seventeen: Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island
-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1: The Hilton Guy!?  A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.
-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2: What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort
-Day Twenty-Two Part 1: Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary
-Day Twenty-Two Part 2: Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.
-Day Twenty-Three Part 1: Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.
-Day Twenty-Three Part 2: Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300  IST-SFO summary.
-Day Twenty-Four: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.
-Trip Summary/The Numbers

You may notice from the above outline that I'm only reviewing the hotels I stayed at, and not the flights.  I didn't take nearly enough photos or notes during my flights, nor do I have nearly enough comparable experiences to thoroughly review any of the flights, but I will post summaries.  My blog focus is on Hyatt hotels, but this trip was so massive and amazing that I feel the need to share many more details than that.

Stay Tuned!

Hyatt Place Roseville Review

The Hyatt Place Roseville has everything stacked against it.  Despite being right next to the Sacramento region's premier mall, it is separated by a canal, making a walk to the Roseville Galleria doable but impractical.  Rooms come in two shapes with two possible configurations: Corner and Standard with King or two Twins.  Breakfast is standard fare.
For all of the downsides, the staff make the best of it for guests.
Over the last two months, I completed 22 single-night stays at this hotel in order to retain my Diamond Status with Hyatt, which will get us fantastic amenities over the next two years at hotel's in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, the Maldives, Kauai, and more!

The two highlights during our stay (for better or worse):

- A grand re-opening celebration with complementary food-trucks from the region and champaign.
- Kim getting cut on broken glass lodged in the couch (complements of the previous occupants)

My 22 nights (all separate stays), began eventfully when on my way there for the first stay I was side-swiped by an uninsured, unlicensed driver.  What would have been a 30 minute drive ended up 2 and a half hours, so I was extra-grateful to get to the front desk.
Mike was the first agent we had the pleasure of dealing with.  He welcomed us and got us quickly assigned to our king-bed room.  He noted with surprise how many reservations I had planned (30ish).  He was also quite empathetic when I related our trek from the house.

In all honesty, I don't remember which nights I spent in which rooms, but here's a short breakdown of some of the rooms I stayed in:
602, 536. 428, 628, 301, 526.

Room 301: Corner King Room, Hyatt Place Roseville

Room 301: Corner King Room, Hyatt Place Roseville

Room 301: Corner King Room, Hyatt Place Roseville

Room 301: Corner King Room, Hyatt Place Roseville

Room 301: Corner King Room, Hyatt Place Roseville

Room 301: Corner King Room, Hyatt Place Roseville

The King room is as basic as it gets, yet I still find it to be far nicer than many other hotels.  It's simple, elegant, inviting.  The best of them are the corner rooms, as the layout is a tad more convenient and welcoming.  While the standard rooms feature a television that pivots towards the couch or the bed, the corner rooms have a TV that rotate's 180 degrees.  Viewing from both the couch and the bed in those corner rooms is more comfortable than in the standard rooms because of the viewing angle.  It's also nicer to have a sink and bathroom not visible from bed in the corner rooms, unlike in the standard rooms.

Ultimately, all the rooms are nice, and the beds are extremely comfortable.  Minute problems over our 22 stays included an air conditioner that needed tuning for excessive noise and a toilet that kept adding water throughout the night.  I also noticed stained/dirty blankets in our sole night in an ADA King Tub room, which put me off just a tad.  Our only major issue was one night when we noticed what appeared to be wine stains on the carpet in our room.  We took note of the problem, but it didn't hit home until when the following morning Kim pushed down on the couch to get up, and a piece of broken glass cut her hand.

The cut was minor, but it was still a problem none-the-less.  Upon reporting it to an agent at the front desk, a supervisor provided Neosporin and a band-aid and had Kim fill out an incident form.  The supervisor also offered 5,000 points to cover the cost of the night, which we accepted.

Admittedly it's easy to develop a bias when you get to know the agents at the front desk and they get to know you, but I'm confident in my decision to say that I received excellent service from every agent, though specifically the following people: Mike, Lee, Genevieve, Eric, Tania, and Jacqueline.

The most memorable evening I had was during the Grand Re-Opening Celebration in early February. The hotel had inexplicably renovated all the rooms, despite the fact that it was only a few years old to begin with.  For the grand reopening, catering was provided by two food trucks, including a well known local sea-food establishment.  It was a fantastic night, and on our following stay we were given a spare bottle of champagne compliments of the hotel.

Ultimately I can easily recommend this hotel for anyone thinking of staying in the Roseville area. While it may not be the most convenient location, it is a quiet and premier location.  The staff are friendly, and the rooms warm and inviting.

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.

Diamond Summary: July 1st 2014-February 29th, 2016

THE RESULTS ARE IN!

My Hyatt Diamond Status expired February 29th, after earning it via a mattress run I completed during the first half of 2014.  But not to fear! We are already 23 stays into our new run, and will complete the last two by the end of March.

So why would someone stay at a Hyatt hotel 25 times just to earn status, are those people crazy!?  Well, I've compiled the data on how much I spent vs how much value we got out of Diamond status.  Granted, both figures are estimates, but they'll give you a general idea of what is possible depending on your stay habits.

For our mattress run in 2014, we stayed at 6 different hotels: The Hyatt Miami at the Blue (now closed) once, the Hyatt Regency in Sacramento twice, the Hyatt Regency in Monterey once, the Hyatt Place in Roseville twice, the Hyatt Place in Rancho Cordova three times, and the Hyatt House in Rancho Cordova 17 times.

Of those, 5 stays we would have completed regardless of whether we aimed for Diamond status or not.

So for the mattress run itself I spent approximately $1425 and 56500 Hyatt Points (of which 52000 were purchased on promo for $960).  We earned back 16500 in United Miles (Enough for a one-way saver award ticket within the U.S) and 7000 Hyatt Points.  If you value United Miles at 1.5 cents apiece, as I do, that means my net expenditure for Diamond status through February 2016 was ~$2075

So now the big question: What did we get out of it.

First, we received 8 Suite Upgrade Awards (4 upon earning status, 4 more March 1st of 2015) which we applied to the following:
2014-
Single night stay at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero: Value $100
Seven night stay at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai: Value $2100
Two rooms on a single night stay at the Grand Hyatt in San Francisco: Value $300
2015-
Five night stay at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai, which was further upgraded to an Ocean Suite: Value $2000
2016-
Two night stay at the Park Hyatt in Abu Dhabi: Value $600
Three night stay at the Park Hyatt in Dubai: Value $1050
One night stay at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco for NYE: Value $250

Total value of Diamond Suite Upgrades: $6400

The bulk of our Diamond status value came from upgrades and club access

at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai.

These values were calculated using the difference in cost between a standard room and the suite we upgraded to. Of course those prices may fluctuate up or down depending on time of year.

So in Diamond Suite upgrades alone we received $6400 in value. Everyone values suites differently though, so consider whether those would hold any value to YOU.

Next on the list are the few complimentary suite upgrades I received.

The first was on a three night stay at the Hyatt Regency in Miami. Granted this was the least impressive of the suites I had been in, but it was an upgrade nonetheless: Value $75
The next was on a single night stay at the Hyatt Regency Monterey: Value $125
Finally was a single night stay at the Hyatt Regency in Sacramento. Unlike the other two, this upgrade I requested: Value $250
Not included in the value was a suite upgrade we received at the Andaz in San Diego. We had a foul odor (smoky) in the first room we were assigned, and upon complaint was upgraded to an Andaz Suite.  I consider the possibility that we may have been upgraded no matter our status, but were we a lower tier, we may have just been reassigned to a different room.

Total value of comlimentary upgrades: $450

Next was our amenities. At every Hyatt we stayed at as Diamond members, we received a bonus of either 1,000 Hyatt points or a food and beverage amenity. (Save for a single Hyatt Place stay where we chose United miles on promotion) We only took the food and beverage amenity twice, I'd value that at $30.
We accumulated over 14,000 points through 14 stays with 1,000 points apiece. Incidentally, the two stays where we chose the food amenity, we also received the 1,000 point bonus. Based on those 14K, I'd say the value was $250 (using the same calculation from above whereby I spent $960 for 52K, or 1.8 cents per point)

On top of the above, we also received bonus points during our mattress run this January and February to requalify through February 2018. Most of those stays were at a Hyatt place, 2 were at Hyatt Regencys. Through a total of 22 stays in those two months, we earned an extra 12,000 points we would not have otherwise received. We also earned an extra 4000 points for the 50% bonus I received because 15 of the 22 stay bonuses did not post and I had to call Hyatt to resolve. (14 HP stays x 250 & 1 HR Stay x 500 points) Value: $295

Total amenity value: $560

Lastly was the free breakfast we received at all Non-Hyatt Place hotels (where breakfast was included) and lounge access.  Sparing you another 10 minutes worth of details, I'll just say that my value was calculated using 14 Stays/29 nights whereby I would have not otherwise had free breakfast or lounge access. The figure is far from exact, but I am undervaluing club access  (I.E, you would have to pay more than I am valuing it to get it), and base my breakfast figures on how much the bill came to each time.

Quick stats: 6 stays/6 nights breakfast, 8 stays/23 nights club access.

Value: $1120

Total value obtained via Diamond status: $8530

Obviously the bulk of value came from our room upgrades, and if you took those away, we'd actually have lost $400. Breakfast/Food in the lounge and points are a little more substantive when it comes to determiming a value, and so at minimum I'd value status at $1675.  I have plenty of friends who could care less about having a suite, but I love it.  Of course, I would never spend $6850 to have the  rooms I had, but I would value them much greater than $400.

Here are a couple other great posts about the value of Diamond Status:
http://thepointsguy.com/2016/03/what-is-hyatt-gold-passport-elite-status-worth-2016/
http://www.pointsmd.com/what-is-a-year-as-a-hyatt-diamond-elite-worth/

We are looking forward to the next two years of status!

Hyatt Regency Sacramento: Review

View from the Park Capitol Suite

I last stayed at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento in 2014, prior to obtaining Diamond status.  We had been in a couple rooms, the nicest being a complementary upgrade to a Capitol View King.  Being as this would be our first night at this hotel as a Diamond, I was hoping to get something even nicer.
This would also be our last night as a Diamond until requalification at the end of this month (March).

We pulled up to the front around 7:30 in the evening, opting for self-parking.

Sarah at the front desk checked us in, and confirmed our King room booked on points+cash.  I could tell I wasn't going to get an automatic upgrade, so I inquired about the Park Capitol suite, noting that I saw availability, and asking if the hotel would be willing to comp an upgrade- or if not, how much it would be to upgrade.  After some fiddling with the computer, Sarah handed us our keys to room 902, a Park Capitol Suite!  She also informed us that our parking for the night would be $17, and that the Regency Club was on the 10th floor. We also were offered our Diamond amenity, and we initially opted for milk & cookies and a Pepsi (though when we discovered there were cookies in the club, we called to have our amenity changed to points).  Finally, we were given a 4 P.M late check-out, meaning I could spend my day off in the room if I chose!

While I've been upgraded a couple times to a suite automatically (HR Monterey, HR Miami), this was the first time an inquiry on my part scored me a free upgrade, and I was pretty ecstatic about it, especially considering the standard rate on that suite was nearly $500 for the night!
We got in the elevator and went up to the 9th floor.

Park Capitol Suite

Initial impressions of the room were great.  Off to the left was a 6 person table and counter space aplenty.  There was a mini-fridge and a Keurig machine.
Further in was a worktable and a couch with a 42" television. In the bedroom was the Hyatt Grand Bed and another 42" TV.  The room also featured a mini-balcony with a fantastic view of the Capitol.

Kitchen Area, Park Capitol Suite.

We set our bags down and made our way up a floor to the Regency Club.  As it turns out, the club was directly above our room, but luckily there was little noise to disturb us.  We snacked on white chocolate flakes, tamales, and chocolate chip cookies, all the while being doted upon by the club host, who ensured we had everything we needed multiple times.  Then we went back to the room for some shut-eye.

We woke up for breakfast around 7 the next morning, and grabbed some pineapple and strawberries along with an egg-quiche from the lounge.  The food was slightly better than you'd find at a lower-end Hyatt, though selection was relatively lacking.

We left the hotel around 7:45 so I could drop Kim off at work, with a plan to pick up our belongings later.

Capitol Suite Bathroom

We returned around 12:30 and headed back up to the club to grab a couple snacks.  We took some peanuts, soda, and chocolate chip cookies and went back to the room. to watch some TV.  We arrived at the room somewhat surprised to see it hadn't been cleaned.  Not that it was necessary given that we weren't staying an additional night, but it's been our experience that our rooms get cleaned in the morning regardless of our check-out time.  About 5 minutes after settling in to watch a show, housekeeping showed up to ask what time we'd be leaving.  I informed her that our check-out was at 4, but in the meantime asked for additional bath amenities.  She returned shortly after with a small bag full of specialty bath amenities (more on those amenities in upcoming Mattress Run Summary post).

We left the hotel a little after 1:00.  I later discovered that my Diamond Amenity points had not posted, and called HGP to have them added along with the 500 point bonus for having to call.  It was the most complicated call I've had with HGP, because my account history confused the representative, and because by the time I made the call, I was no longer Diamond status.  None-the-less, it was worth it for 1500 points.

Ultimately this was a fantastic experience.  My previous stays were lackluster at best, and this stay beat my expectations.  Service at the front desk was great, and service in the Club was phenomenal.  I wish I had more excuses to come back.