Introduction | Grand Hyatt SFO

The Grand Hyatt SFO is a hidden gem in the saturated business hotel market within the Bay Area. When i was browsing around the Hyatt website, the Grand Hyatt SFO was one that caught my eye as the next hotel to visit.

A quick glimpse on Google Search saw a plethora of raving reviews - I couldn’t help but notice that a lot of seasoned and top travelers have placed this hotel as one of the best airport hotels in the world. Is it truly that amazing? To find out, I spent 20,000 Hyatt points and booked myself one of the king bed to see if it is that great!

Location | Grand Hyatt SFO

The Grand Hyatt SFO is accessibly from the airport via AirTrain, which makes it incredibly easy to get to. The hotel has its own station, giving you direct access to all the terminals and the rental car facility. In fact, once you arrive at the station, a quick escalator down brings you to the front lobby and a handful of friendly staff. During my stay, more than couple flight crew and staff came in and out of the hotel train station, showcasing just how convenient this setup is. The train runs every 4 minutes from 4am to 11pm, so it’s rather useful and quick from terminal to terminal.

In fact, If I had a somewhat long layover, I’d actually recommend taking the Grand Hyatt SFO as an alternative rather than a lounge, since the food and service is 100% better, and the hotel has day rates that one can use to brush up or rest up on.

Check-In | Grand Hyatt SFO

Since I checked in via 1st floor (I drove here and valeted my car) a quick elevator up to the 4th floor brought me to the lobby, which is rather stunning. The only thing I messed up on for this review was not taking enough lobby pictures due to the insane amount of people during my visit. If you’re checking in from the AirTrain, you’ll be greeted with a welcome desk flanked by a series of beautiful stained glass windows.

Check-in was easy, and as a Globalist member, I was entitled to breakfast, 4pm checkout, free valet parking, club lounge access and an upgrade to a King Bed with Runway view. Mind you, the hotel was sold out on that day, so even this gesture was fantastic and a massive plus in my book. Another set of elevators gives access to the rooms.

Room 1046 | Grand Hyatt SFO

As I mentioned before, I was given a King Bed with Runway View on the 10th floor. Upon entering, you’re greeted with a beautiful view of the SFO airport and the bay, which was fantastic. You would think with all the plane activities that noise pollution would be loud. Fortunately, I barely heard anything and the super-thick windows helped make for a quiet stay.

One fantastic part about this room is its inclusion of a pair of binoculars and a plane spotting guide book, which showcased all the planes and their uniqueness. How awesome is that? I found myself plane watching for a while as the afternoon saw an influx of international airlines coming in. Not only do you get an insane view of all the tarmac activities, but you get to see planes fly in and out via take-off and landing lanes.

There is an iHome next to the bed acts as as charger and a sound system. The wall outlets were next to the bed and offered a plethora of outlets, which was fantastic. In addition, there are light sensors under the bed, which has been a nice addition to all the latest hotels - its fantastic if you get up during the middle of the night and don’t want to wake up the missus or the kids.

All the necessities were there - from Nespresso machines to free bottled waters in reusable metal bottles to mini fridges, business and leisure travelers can rest well knowing that the hotel also provides comfy slippers, bathrobes and even a foam roller! In the bathroom, for $8 you can also have your shoes shined, if you want!

If you’re a plane geek or someone in your family that adores airplanes, this is the hotel to be at. I have nothing but great things to say about the room. The only minor nitpick would be the shower pressure, but that’s just preference.

Grand Club | Grand Hyatt SFO

This might be my favorite Grand Club in the United States right now. The Grand Club offers a series of selections from 5-7pm for small bites and drinks (honor bar system) and 7-9 pm with a series of small desserts and snacks. During the day, you can come in for snacks and drinks, and it was quite empty during my visit.

Honor Bar: 5-9pm

Hors D’oeuvres: 5-7pm

After Dinner Treats: 7-9pm

The food spread was fantastic and had a variety of items that ranged from sushi to tonkatsu to salads. There were only a couple of guests that came in and out, but man - the space is so nice. Overall, this has to be one of the best Grand Hyatt clubs and of any in the US market.

Fitness Center | Grand Hyatt SFO

The fitness center is located on the 1st floor and is accessible via your key card. From stairmaster to a series of treadmills and peloton bikes, your cardio will have no problem. There’s even a Lululemon Mirror for any HIIT workouts!

Quail & Crane | Grand Hyatt SFO

Alongside the Grand Club on the 3rd floor is Quail & Crane, where breakfast and dinner is served. The views here are immaculate and stunning, with its vast high-rise artwork just floating above your head while you plane watch outside the floor to ceiling windows. As a Globalist, breakfast was included and we found ourselves there around 7:30am - it wasn’t as crowded on a weekday, but towards the 8-9am spot, it began filling up.

There’s also the Twins Craft Market located on the 4th level and supply a variety of grab-n-go options, as well as bar menu food, which is actually restaurant quality! We had their chicken sandwich along with a burger and it was nothing short of amazing. The bar drinks looked great and pricing was about what I imagined, around $16 per cocktail or drink.

In addition, you can get a nice cup of coffee at the market, which is located adjacent to the bar - while I had an unusual amount of coffee at the Grand Club, I got myself an Americano - and it was incredibly well put together!

Conclusion | Grand Hyatt SFO

This is one of the best airport hotels in the world right now. Gorgeous views, fantastic hard product, amazing dining and drinks service and a spectacular staff team makes this a must-have for those with a long layover in San Francisco. There’s so much to enjoy about this hotel, from the plane spotting activities in your room to the amazing Grand Club lounge, I highly recommend this hotel to those with the points or the dollars permitted.