The Pier 66 Hyatt Regency Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida: A Review

I recently stayed at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Fort Lauderdale. I was there for my brother's wedding, and with the amount of time and money that was put into the planning of this wedding, I expected a luxurious, relaxing hotel experience. Unfortunately, due to renovations, fire alarms, and sugar ants, I did not have nearly the experience I hoped for.

The Hyatt Regency Pier 66 is at 2301 S.E. 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33316. The telephone number for the hotel is 954-525-6666, and the fax number is 954-728-3541. It can be found online at http://pier66.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp.

The hotel is located right on Pier 66 in a beautiful part of Fort Lauderdale. It's just a mile or so from the boardwalk, where you can find numerous shops and restaurants, as well as a lovely beach.

I am not aware of the rate for the room I stayed in, and I imagine it was a discounted rate because I was in the wedding party, but normal rates for the hotel run anywhere from about $200-$260. If the hotel was in good operating form, I would say these rates are worth it. The hotel itself, when not in renovation process, is lovely and in a prime location. Unfortunately, it was going through a renovation which made a big difference.

My sister in law had been told prior to booking the wedding and guests there, that the renovations would be complete by the weekend of the wedding. They were not complete, and unfortunately, we experienced some inconveniences because of it. We were in a room very far away from the main building, and the bellman took us to it in the longest way possible.

My father, who is ill and has a lot of trouble walking, was in quite a bit of pain when we finally arrived at the room. We did not tell the bellman that my father would have trouble walking, but we also did not know it would take 15 minutes to arrive at the rooms. When we left for dinner that night, we found that there was a much shorter way to get to the room by cutting through the pool area. This was disappointing, as we were not given a choice as to which way to go in the beginning.

As a former hotel manager, I admit I have very high expectations for hotel service. The service at the Pier 66 Hyatt Regency was not poor but it did not impress me. No one did anything worth a positive memory, and in fact, when the fire alarm was relentlessly going off in the middle of the night, no one took any steps to stop it. There was no fire, and when my brother called down to the front desk, he was told that they were too busy to help him.

The room we stayed in was very nice. The furniture was well maintained, the beds were very comfortable and inviting, and there was an impressive flat screen television, that, had we had the time, would have been great to watch movies on. The problem with the room was the endless procession of sugar ants, which were everywhere. I was afraid to lay down any of my clothing anywhere, but after the first day I realized it was pointless to try to avoid them because they were literally scattered in droves throughout the room.

Once I got home from my trip, I washed all my clothes for fear of ant infestation. I do understand it's South Florida, but there are ways to avoid ants. My whole family lives in SF, and I do not remember processions of ants running through their homes on a regular basis.

The only food I had the opportunity to experience (other than the food at the wedding) was a brief trip to the continental breakfast the first morning of my stay. The bagel I had was stale, and the Danish was not much better.

At the top of the hotel is a revolving restaurant, and this is where my brother's reception was held. The restaurant was perfect for the occasion, and I was very impressed with how well the hotel presented everything. The view from the restaurant, all of Ft. Lauderdale, was gorgeous, the service was excellent as well as the food. I had really been worried about how the wedding would go, based on the other experiences I had at the hotel, but I was very relieved when things went off without a hitch (other than the downpour, of course).

Parking at the hotel is ample, and there is a constant valet service that will park cars for a fee. As part of the wedding party, we were not charged for the service, so I am not sure what it costs.

The pool was very nice. It was large and had a huge waterfall that made it appealing to look at. I did not use the pool, spa, or any of the services, but visually it was all quite lovely.

Overall, in rating the Pier 66 Hyatt Regency, I would rate it a five out of ten. It really could have been a lovely place to stay if not for the inconveniences mentioned. The fact that they did such a great job with the wedding makes me more apt to praise. Had the wedding experienced any problems, my rating would have dropped considerably.