Hyatt Place Charlotte Airport/Lake Pointe

The room was clean, and Hyatt members with any status of Discoverist or above got free water in it. The front desk women and both shuttle drivers were very kind. We called close to 10 p.m. and the hotel promptly sent a shuttle that reached us at the airport within 15 minutes. The return ride was right on time too. I'd come back for a long layover in Charlotte.

At $150 a night, this felt overpriced. The bathroom is tiny, the room updates seem cheaply done, and parking adds another $10 per night. The rooms are clean and well equipped, though, with comfortable beds that were a bit too soft. Breakfast was the usual continental spread with eggs, waffles, and oatmeal. Sleep was the real problem. Doors slam loudly enough to hear down the hall while you're in bed. When the AC fan kicked on it roared, then the room went dead quiet when it stopped. There was no way to leave the fan running all night, and the noise changes kept waking me. If a good night's sleep matters, I wouldn't stay here.

The free breakfast was surprisingly good: fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, French toast, yogurt, and probably a couple more things I'm forgetting. I also like the way Hyatt Place rooms are laid out. I was traveling alone, but the setup feels a bit like a suite, so someone sharing could stay up late without disturbing you. Sound insulation between rooms, for whatever reason, isn't very good. If you're taking the airport shuttle, reserve your time well ahead. I hadn't realized you had to book a slot, and the shuttles leave every 30 minutes. By check-in, pilots and flight attendants had already taken both the 7 and 7:30 a.m. spots. I paid for an Uber because I was worried about being late, and was glad I did: even PreCheck had crazy security lines.

Deasia went above and beyond looking after guests, and the whole team deserves a shoutout. The location was great, the staff were attentive, and the breakfast was great too. They treat rewards members well. The gym was clean and nice. In room 407, one overhead light seemed to make the TV and PlayStation charger shut off once. I unplugged things and moved the charger to a different outlet, and that was the only hiccup. Thanks for a really nice stay and weekend!