The Hyatt Regency San Francisco Offers A Slice Of Luxury And A Chance To Explore the City
10.10.2023 - 14:03
/ matadornetwork.com
When I arrived at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco from the Ferry Building trying to find the entrance, I underestimated how large it was. I got lost looking for the lobby to check in, and it turned out that it was two floors above street level. I pressed the elevator button, which transported me to one of the largest and most futuristic lobbies I’ve ever seen.
The lobby alone has a front desk, gym, mini market, restaurant, lounging areas, and a 35-foot-high art installation. Even with these amenities, it doesn’t feel crowded thanks to a wealth of open space in between. My room matched the spaciousness: At 589 square feet, the suite felt bigger and more open than my 670 square feet apartment, and includes two bathrooms with a shower stall in the bedroom.
Photo: Hannah Padilla
The biggest draw of the suite was the super-spacious balcony. Even better were the sweeping views, with the Transamerica Pyramid on one side, and the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge on the other.
The Hyatt Regency San Francisco is just across the street from the Ferry Building, a terminal where the ferries drop off passengers across the San Francisco Bay. It’s renowned for its shops, eateries, and farmers market.
This year, the hotel is celebrating its 50th anniversary by offering the Golden Anniversary Escape Package, which includes a room upgrade, free access to the Regency Club, two vouchers for cocktails at Eclipse Kitchen and Bar upon check-in, two tickets to the Cable Car (which stops just right outside the hotel), and a custom-designed postcard by John Portman (the late hotel architect).
Photo: Hannah Padilla
Touring the property, I learned more about the features from associate director of sales Scott Panco. That 35-foot-high spherical art piece, named Eclipse, was designed by the late sculptor Charles O. Perry and uses 1,400 curved pieces of aluminum tubes to create pentagons as negative space.
I’m not the only one impressed by the expanse of the lobby. Scott told me that the Hyatt Regency San Francisco was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records as having the largest hotel lobby in the world at 42,000 square feet and 170 feet high. I wasn’t surprised, as I’d never seen a hotel lobby that looked and felt like a mall. There are 15 floors in the hotel with aerial views of the lobby, making the people walking by look like ants.
The next day, I had breakfast at the Regency Club, an exclusive lounge for select Hyatt members. The lounge is located on the hotel’s top floor, with 360-degree views of San Francisco and incredible views of the Bay Bridge. It’s not surprising to see guests pull up a chair closer to the bridge and the deep blue bay waters.
The Regency Club offers complimentary breakfast, a happy hour, and dinner for its