The Hyatt Place Moab has been on my list of Hyatt properties to stay at for quite some time. It didn’t seem like “just” a Hyatt Place when I saw pictures of it on the internet. The pictures on Hyatt’s website make it look really nice. But let’s be honest, since when do pictures on a hotel’s website represent reality? Answer: not nearly often enough! However once I got there, I realized there are so many features of the Hyatt Place Moab that are unlike any other Hyatt Place. I found myself saying, “it’s a Hyatt Place, but it isn’t a Hyatt Place.” I stayed there in early November, and knew I had to write a review of it.
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Where is Hyatt Place Moab?
Rather, where is Moab? For those who have not heard about Moab, Utah, it is in the eastern part of the state (near Colorado) roughly 3.5 hours southeast from Salt Lake City. The small town of just over 5,300 people is regarded as the gates to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. The Hyatt Place is located about three quarters of a mile from downtown Moab, if you can call it a downtown. It’s a bit more than 4 miles from the entrance to Arches National Park and slightly more than 30 miles from Canyonlands National Park.
One thing to note about the location … the parking in downtown Moab can be a little tough, especially during peak season. It is possible to walk from the Hyatt Place. If I were to return to Moab when it is busier, then I might opt to stay closer to downtown so I would be able to easily walk to restaurants and shops.
Hyatt Place Moab Rooms
There are about 125 rooms at the three-story hotel. They are the very typical Hyatt Place guest rooms: king bed or two queen beds, a sectional sofa (sometimes folds out to a sofa bed), bathroom, and a room divider between the bed and sofa. The standard rooms aren’t special to be honest, but are definitely comfortable.
The rooms that are special are the casitas! There are eight casitas. Each of them has two bedrooms (one with a king bed and the other with two queen beds), two full bathrooms, a living room with sofa bed, kitchenette, eating area, and a good size balcony. There is also a separate parking lot for guests staying in a casita, which makes it very convenient – no walking down hallways or waiting for elevators).
Four of the casitas have a view of the pool and distant mountains. The balconies of the other four have views of the mountains as well, but the parking lot is adjacent to them. TIP: If you book a casita, request casita 401-404. Any one of those will have the better view.
Amenities at Hyatt Place Moab
Another reason that impressed me about the Hyatt Place, compared to other Hyatt Place locations, is the amenities. There is one in particular that surprised me.
Gym
The gym is larger than some gyms I’ve seen elsewhere and it overlooks the pool. Except for the exercise balls that needed to be pumped up, it seemed like the equipment was in good shape. Disclaimer: I rarely go to the gym so my assessment may not be accurate.
Pool
At most other Hyatt Place hotels, the pool exists just so they can say there’s a pool – if there is one at all! They always seem very mediocre to me. The pool at the Hyatt Place Moab is definitely an exception to that!
The pool and hot tub are large and have a good view. The hot tub can comfortably fit ten adults. The pool and hot tub are heated year round, which was very nice. The winter can get cold. When I was there, it didn’t get above the low 60s and dipped down to the mid-30s at night!
Playground
A small playground is adjacent to the hot tub. The weather wasn’t warm so I didn’t see it used much. The few kids I did see were mostly swimming in the pool. In my opinion, it is well placed so parents can relax in the hot tub while watching their kids play. “Relaxing”, of course, being relative.
Breakfast
I’ll be honest; breakfast at any Hyatt Place is probably the weakest part about staying at a Hyatt Place. The scrambled eggs are frequently inedible. I don’t even think they use real eggs. There is sometimes meat like bacon or sausage, but not always. I typically resort to eating a hard-boiled egg and bagel, oatmeal, or cereal. The coffee is usually pretty decent and there is a selection of juices.
I really wish Hyatt would offer eggs made to order. It would step up the breakfast considerably. They offer it at Hyatt Houses, so I would think it would be possible to offer it at Hyatt Places.
WiFi
The wifi at the Hyatt Place Moab is actually pretty solid, so it’s worth mentioning. Cell service can be spotty in Moab so it was good to be able to rely on the wifi. I don’t think I ever thought it was slow. Also, each TV has Chromecast so you can stream things from your phone or tablet to the TV.
Laundry
I was surprised when I was told that the hotel has laundry facilities that guests can use. This is another thing that isn’t common at Hyatt Places. Laundry is common at Hyatt Houses. I was even more surprised when I found out that there is no charge for it – even the detergent is free! What hotel has free laundry facilities?! If you’re willing to spend the time washing clothes, there’s no need to worry about fitting all of your clothes in a carry on.
How I Booked Hyatt Place Moab
As I am sure it is obvious, the Hyatt Place Moab is a Hyatt brand hotel. Thus, it can be booked using World of Hyatt points. As is the case with any hotel loyalty program, properties can go up in category (basically how many points you need for a free night). This is done periodically and popularity is one of the biggest factors in that. It is possible for a property to go down in category, but most of the time a particular property doesn’t change at all.
Earlier this year, Hyatt changed the award category for a number of properties. They gave about a month’s notice, which Hyatt is always pretty good about. I looked at the list and saw the Hyatt Place Moab was moving up two category levels – from a Category 2 to a Category 4!
I almost immediately started searching for availability which was already pretty sparse. Eventually my search paid off. Not only did I find four consecutive nights, but they were off-peak! It only cost me 26,000 World of Hyatt points (6,500 points per night)! I booked it without thinking twice.
This was one of those situations where you should book first, think later. Hotel reservations are fully cancelable. I figured that I would plan everything later and try to make it work. If it didn’t, then I would just cancel it. That is so much better than hesitating, and either missing out on the availability or paying a higher price later.
Overall Thoughts
This is the only Hyatt hotel in the area, so choosing this location kind of won by default. There could be a couple of improvements, but that isn’t unique to this Hyatt Place. The employees, however, were very good. They exceeded my expectations for a Hyatt Place, and are more friendly than some employees I’ve encountered at nicer hotels. I really enjoyed my stay at Hyatt Place Moab, and would very likely stay there again if I returned to Moab.
