2014 is about to end and before we begin our new year with newer resolutions, I set out with my family to the recently opened Hyatt Place in Gurgaon. Our only purpose was to give a carefree week to my wife from cooking and not be bothered with any other odd job like answering the intercom or door bell.
Hyatt Place is a new brand introduced to India by this popular group and under this brand they are catering to the business segment at an affordable price range by providing a trimmed down menu and only “must have” facilities in a clean and hygienic environment – so don’t expect a spa or valet service or such like. The second such hotel under this brand after Hampi in Karnataka, it is a 176 room property with meeting rooms and a 24 hour fitness centre.
The decent sized rooms are pretty functional and are pretty well lit. Our room has ample sun light coming in from the open window making the room very cosy and within no time of checking, I take a short nap before ordering pasta and club sandwich from the short-yet-sweet room service menu. The pasta is al dente and well-made but I find the club sandwich a little cold. I later learnt that room service was never meant to be a feature of this hotel but they succumbed to the customers’ demand and hot plates required for room service are still under requisition.
There is still some time for the lunch and I feel sleepy again. I wonder if there is some sleeping gas in the room – having said that, if guests can get a sound sleep in a hotel room, it is a mark of a great property.
The 24 hour Stay Fit gym has state of the art equipment and I make full use of it before the dinner. However, the pool cannot be used in Delhi’s winters unless they are centrally heated. A small market area selling small tidbits including chocolates, chips, soft drinks, etc is a good idea for value conscious guests who can buy them at MRP instead of shelling out a premium for the same things from the mini bar. An ice machine on each floor with an ice bucket in each room is also a welcome idea. But being a business hotel, I expected a newspaper in the room the next morning which was missing.
The multi cuisine Gallery Café, apart from serving complimentary breakfast, also serves buffet lunch and dinner with selected a-la-carte dishes. For me, the food is decent without being great. Rogan Josh does not have cockscomb flower while the uttapam at breakfast misses basic salt. However, the shortcoming in food is more than taken care of by the staff’s attitude as they are willing to go the extra mile to ensure guests’ comfort. For my daughter, they made paneer tikka even though it wasn’t in the buffet menu.
The staff is overall very friendly at Hyatt Place and even though there is no concept of bell boys in the hotel, the staff did offer to take my luggage to the room. I enjoyed my stay and given the price point in which they operate (Rs 5000-7000), I am sure there would be many takers for this newly built property.
Ratings (Out of 5)
Food: 2.5 | Service: 4.0 | Ambience: 3.5 |Room: 4.0 | Overall: 3.0
Alcohol: License Awaited | Credit Card: Yes | Wheel Chair Friendly: Yes
Address: Hyatt Place, 15/1, Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road, Sector 8, Gurgaon | Phone: 0124-3831234
