This summer, we spent a couple of weeks in Chicago. For our stay, we went with our favorite hotel chain – Hyatt, and decided to split our stay between two properties. Did you know that Hyatt headquarters are located in Chicago, and the chain has more than 20 hotels represented in the city?
For our first 7 nights, we picked the luxurious Park Hyatt Chicago. Interestingly, Park Hyatt Chicago was the very first property to bear the Park Hyatt name when it opened its doors in 1980.
Park Hyatt Chicago is located steps away from Michigan Avenue and offers 146 guest rooms and 36 suites. Last year, the hotel underwent an extensive renovation project and reopened with a fresh look. Let’s take an in-depth look at all the amenities Park Hyatt Chicago has to offer.
Booking
We booked our stay at Park Hyatt Chicago by redeeming Hyatt Points. It is a Category 6 Hyatt Hotel, worth 25k Hyatt Points per night on a Standard Night (21k Hyatt Points per night on an Off-peak night and 29k Hyatt Points on a Peak Night, respectively).
The cash rate for the stay would have been $4,365.81; by paying 179,000 Hyatt Points instead, we redeemed them for 2.44 cents per point, impressive!
Chase Sapphire Preferred
You can earn a signup bonus of 60,000 Ultimate Rewards Points when you signup for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card and spend $4,000 in the first three months of card membership. This bonus alone is worth at least $1,200 in travel rewards when transferred to travel partners such as Hyatt!
REWARDS RATE
1x-5x
BONUS VALUE
$1,200
SIGN-UP BONUS
60,000 points
ANNUAL FEE
$95
Moreover, we redeemed a Suite Upgrade Award in advance to get upgraded to a Standard Suite – in this case, a Water Tower Terrace Suite, which would cost us $8,844.63, increasing the cents per points value of this redemption to 4.94 cpp!
Chase World of Business Credit Card
Earn 60,000 bonus points – enough for multiple free nights – when you sign up and spend $5k in 3 months. Plus, enjoy automatic Discoverist status, annual $100 Hyatt credits, and up to 9X points on Hyatt stays. With a strong signup bonus and perks like late checkout and free bottled water, this card is a must-have for Hyatt loyalists.
REWARDS RATE
1x-4x
BONUS VALUE
$1,200
SIGN-UP BONUS
60,000 points
ANNUAL FEE
$199
How to score Suite Upgrade Awards? By earning 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 qualifying nights with Hyatt! You can read more about the Hyatt Suite Upgrade Award here.
Check-in
After driving from O’Hare International Airport for about 45 minutes, we arrived at Park Hyatt Chicago late in the evening. We left our car with the valet and went to the check-in area. The hotel was not busy, in fact, we were the only ones in the lobby at the moment. We were greeted by the friendly staff, who confirmed our upgrade to the Water Tower Terrace Suite, saying it is one of the best rooms they have at the hotel.
Parking
Park Hyatt Chicago offers valet parking for a $78 (!) daily fee. Luckily, as Globalists, the fee was waived for us.
Globalist upgrade
Our Water Tower Terrace Suite was 679 sq. ft. and featured a king bed in the bedroom, a queen sleeper sofa, a modern bathroom with a walk-in rain shower, and a deep soaking tub. Most importantly, it offered a spacious terrace with a view of Chicago’s iconic Water Tower.
We were offered daily complimentary water, and spoiler alert, nothing else in the mini bar was included and had to be purchased separately.
Recently renovated and perfectly sized for our family, the Water Tower Terrace Suite was one of our favorite rooms we have ever stayed at.
As for the girls, we used the queen sleeper sofa (it was quite comfortable), and we also requested a baby crib, which was brought over promptly.
We loved the setup, the hardwood floors, and the plush carpets that made you feel like home away from home.
Bathroom
The bathroom was amazing, it had a deep soaking tub, a separate shower, a double sink counter, and a Toto bidet in a private room with an automatic washlet.
Balcony
The terrace (the balcony) was indeed the most impressive part of this Suite. It was very spacious, and not only it had a full dining set and a lounge area with a couch, but it also offered a fire pit! The views of the historic Water Tower and the iconic John Hancock Center were stunning, especially at night.
Dining
NoMI Kitchen
NoMI Kitchen offered modern American cuisine, but we were only able to try it out for breakfast (they are open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a weekend brunch, nonetheless).
Now, the breakfast was offered only menu style and had some excellent options. As Globalists, we had a complimentary breakfast for the four of us. Over seven days, we tried everything on the menu, and everything was delicious.
Moreover, the service at the restaurant deserves a separate recognition as it was top-notch.
Along with the kid’s menu that our girls approved (especially the smoothie), the restaurant offered kids coloring books and crayons.
NoMI Garden
NoMI’s rooftop restaurant, NoMI Garden, offers panoramic views of downtown Chicago from its vibrant open-air terrace on the 7th floor. The menu included items from traditional American cuisine, artisanal cocktails, and items from the sushi bar (a must-try!).
Amenities
Indoor Pool
On the 7th floor of the hotel, you can take a dip in the indoor 3-lane, 25-yard lap pool while enjoying the views of downtown Chicago.
The pool was not quite kid-friendly since it was a lap pool with the same depth of 3 ft. 8 in. around the perimeter. Also, the pool area had one hot tub and a sauna.
Gym
The fitness center is open 24/7 and equipped with chnogym® cardio machines, LifeFitness® strength machines, Peloton® bikes, and Tonal. It’s located next to the indoor pool.
Area Attractions
Park Hyatt Chicago is located in the heart of the city, within walking distance of Millennium Park and Lake Michigan beaches. Explore this great for families city with world-class museums, thrilling skyscraper views, and unique culinary experiences. You can read more about kid-friendly things to do in Chicago here.
On Points With Kids Summary
We redeemed 179,000 Hyatt Points for seven nights at Park Hyatt Chicago. The cash rate for our stay was $4,365.81 ($623.69 per night on average, including taxes and fees), which equals 2.44 cents per point, a decent value. We also used a suite upgrade certificate to redeem for the Water Tower Terrace Suite, which would have cost $8,844.63. Factoring in the value of the suite upgrade elevates this redemption to 4.94 cents per point, an exceptional value!
You can apply for the following credit cards to earn Hyatt points that can be redeemed at Park Hyatt Chicago:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card application (Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to the World of Hyatt program)
- Chase World of Hyatt Business Credit Card application
