Park Hyatt Guangzhou

The staff were absolutely top-notch, with the best hotel service we've ever had anywhere in the world. But the smell was so bad that if we were staying more than one night, I would've checked out right away. Our room on the 36th floor was damp, musty, and old, almost as if it had been flooded. I saw another review about the smell before writing this, so they know about it. Corporate just doesn't care. Sadly, I can't post pictures of a smell.

The restaurant manager later offered a supposed apology, a box of snacks to pick up at checkout. When checkout came, the receptionist didn't know anything about it. As I explained, the hotel's General Manager was standing nearby in plain view. I asked to speak with him, but the receptionist hesitated and looked nervously between us, apparently assuming I couldn't understand English and trying to shield him. It felt insulting and avoidant. The box finally appeared after I insisted, only for me to find the snacks spilled inside the paper bag. It was careless and made an already bad situation worse. It started with a dinner order at the Chinese restaurant. I'd ordered early, but service was painfully slow, and getting anyone's attention took ages of waving and calling out. The food took forever. Then a server knocked over my drink. The accident itself wasn't the worst part: there was no apology, and when I asked for a replacement bottle, the server first refused and argued before eventually bringing one. I've visited plenty of Hyatt properties, and Park Hyatt Guangzhou was a frustrating, expensive lesson from start to finish. This wasn't only one spill or a slow meal. The staff seemed untrained and unaccountable, while management was present but unreachable. Save your money. One star is generous. A truly abysmal experience.

The stay felt flawless thanks to proactive, personal care. Special thanks to Concierge Mr. Watsons for sorting out a delivery issue, Mr. Andy for coordinating breakfast so well, and Ms. Zero for helping us expertly at the front desk. Exceptional service throughout.

The pool is nice, and the rooftop bar is great. They use Le Labo for all the bath amenities, which is a nice touch. It's a decent stay, though this hotel doesn't quite meet the usual Park Hyatt standard compared with other locations.