Hyatt Regency St. Louis At The Arch

“Customer centric staff”

Great experience. Super quick check in process. Very clean rooms as expected of Hyatt. Staff very motivated to make the experience great for the customer

“World class service”

From the amazing customer service upon arrival, to the excellent food choices and friendliness of EVERY staff member, there is so much too love here. We fell like treasured friends instead of just customers.

“Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch — Great Location, But Customer Experience Fell Short”

I generally steer clear of writing negative reviews, especially because I’m a loyal Hyatt guest. I average 20–30 nights a year exclusively at Hyatt properties around the country, and I’ve stayed everywhere from Park Hyatts to Hyatt Studios. I’ve had great customer service experiences across the bra… more

I generally steer clear of writing negative reviews, especially because I’m a loyal Hyatt guest. I average 20–30 nights a year exclusively at Hyatt properties around the country, and I’ve stayed everywhere from Park Hyatts to Hyatt Studios. I’ve had great customer service experiences across the brand, which is why I think it’s important to share both the good and the bad about my recent stay at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch. The Good First and foremost, the location is nearly impossible to beat. The hotel is right in the heart of St. Louis and directly across from Gateway Arch National Park. That alone probably contributes to the absolutely crazy level of occupancy we experienced throughout the weekend. The property was slammed from the moment we arrived and remained packed all weekend long. The lobby is large, attractive, and spacious, with a Starbucks, restaurant, and nice shop all located on the lower level. It’s a great setup and gives the property a lot of energy. That said, the crowds were definitely noticeable, and the lines were frequently long. The property is also very large. I was actually glad we didn’t have a car because the front entrance and bag-drop/check-in area seemed to be backed up with vehicles constantly. At times, it was a bit of a zoo just trying to walk up to the hotel. The rooms themselves could use a refresh, but that’s not entirely unexpected for a large Regency property. Nothing about the room was particularly surprising or concerning from a normal wear-and-tear standpoint. The Bad The first sign that the weekend was going to be a little different came at check-in. We arrived Friday afternoon and waited in a line of approximately 20 people just to check in. In all my years of staying at Hyatts, that was a first for me. It felt like the front desk was significantly understaffed during what should be one of the most important arrival periods of the week. Unfortunately, the bigger issue came on our final night. Around midnight, I heard what sounded like running water. I initially thought I had somehow left the sink or shower running. I got out of bed and quickly realized that wasn’t the case — water was streaming continuously from the ceiling in the bathroom. I grabbed every towel I could find and dialed “0” on the phone. The phone rang for about a minute with no answer. I tried again with the same result. I then dialed “55,” which is an emergency line. Security answered promptly. I explained that this wasn’t exactly an emergency, but there was currently water streaming down from the bathroom ceiling. They transferred me to the front desk — where, once again, no one answered. After waiting several minutes, I finally received a call from the front desk telling me that someone was on the way to address the problem. At that point, I woke up my 10-year-old son and started packing our belongings, assuming the logical next step would be to move us to another room so we could go back to sleep. Maintenance arrived within about 10 minutes. My son and I went downstairs to speak with someone at the front desk and, essentially, get a new key. This is where my biggest disappointment with the entire situation occurred. There were three employees at the desk. None appeared to be actively assisting another guest, yet all three had their heads buried in their computer screens. I stood there waiting to be acknowledged, thinking, I'm the person whose ceiling is currently raining water, and I'd really like a new room so we can go to sleep. When I finally asked about moving rooms, I was told, “We have no rooms available,” followed by, “I've got nowhere to put you.” I was told that maintenance would fix the problem and that we would have to wait for that, followed by housekeeping coming in afterward to clean everything up. Keep in mind, this is a hotel with nearly 1,000 rooms. After feeling somewhat deflated and running in circles, I accepted the situation and went back upstairs. By the time we returned to the room, the maintenance employee was gone and several ceiling tiles had been removed. It was becoming clear that this was a much bigger problem than anyone initially anticipated. Then, not long afterward, I received a call from the front desk: “We have a room that just became available.” The timing was, admittedly, a little ironic. It was midnight. I wasn’t going to argue. I simply said thank you, took the key, and moved my son and our belongings to the new room. Unfortunately, the new room had the most foul smell I have ever experienced in a hotel room. If it had just been me, I probably would have considered sleeping in the lobby. But I had a 10-year-old son with me, so we sucked it up and eventually went to sleep. The Following Morning The following morning, I had a good conversation with the manager on duty. I explained that, while I understood the circumstances and recognized that overnight staff are dealing with difficult situations with limited resources, customer experience during critical, emotional, and sometimes frantic moments goes a very long way. When a guest is standing at the front desk at midnight with their 10-year-old child, having just been awakened by water pouring through the ceiling, the situation requires more than simply following a procedure. It requires someone to recognize the moment, understand the customer’s perspective, and respond accordingly. The overnight staff needed to be more cognizant of the customer experience. Reading people and reading situations is a skill, and it’s especially important in hospitality. I appreciated being able to have that conversation with the manager the following morning, and I hope the feedback is taken in the spirit in which it was intended. I wasn’t looking for perfection or expecting someone to magically fix a plumbing problem at midnight. I was looking for someone to recognize that we were having a pretty stressful experience and make us feel like someone was genuinely taking ownership of it. Sometimes, simply saying, “I understand how frustrating and stressful this must be. Let me see what I can do for you,” can completely change the trajectory of an interaction. That’s the difference between resolving a problem and taking care of a guest. Final Thoughts I truly enjoy being a Hyatt loyalist. I don’t discriminate between brands or property types — I’ve stayed at Park Hyatts, Regencys, Place properties, and Studios, and I’ve had great customer service experiences across the spectrum. I completely understand that things happen. Water lines break. Rooms sometimes have an unusual smell. Hotels get slammed with guests. Maintenance issues are unavoidable. What matters most to me is how you handle those problems. The actual water leak wasn’t what bothered me most. What bothered me was the customer experience surrounding it — having to repeatedly track someone down, standing at the front desk while employees appeared disengaged, being told there was nowhere to put us, and then somehow having a room “just become available” shortly afterward. Customer service goes a very, very long way. Treat your customers the way you would want to be treated yourself. Unfortunately, that seems to be becoming more rare these days. And that’s a shame, because the companies and places that do get it right are the ones that leave the biggest impressions. The Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch has an incredible location, a beautiful and energetic public space, and plenty of potential. The sheer volume of guests it handles is impressive, and I can understand that operating a property of this size during a packed weekend presents challenges. But for me, this stay was ultimately defined less by the location or the property itself and more by how we were treated when something went wrong. And that’s the part I hope Hyatt takes seriously. I wasn’t expecting perfection. I was expecting hospitality.

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“Good enough, but not worth more than ~$125/night”

Comfortable stay for points nights, would not pay market for this hotel. Parking is not clear upfront, but expect to pay at least $40 a night Monday - Thursday; and be prepared to park somewhere else unsupported by the hotel Friday - Sunday unless you are already checked in. Hotel shows it's age bu… more

Comfortable stay for points nights, would not pay market for this hotel. Parking is not clear upfront, but expect to pay at least $40 a night Monday - Thursday; and be prepared to park somewhere else unsupported by the hotel Friday - Sunday unless you are already checked in. Hotel shows it's age but is very well located next to the Arch, stadiums, and other downtown activities.

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