Hyatt Place St. Augustine/Vilano Beach

We stayed after our wedding and for the bridal prep day. The studio room was wonderful, with a balcony, and everyone was accommodating. Breakfast came with the stay and was fresh. I highly recommend Michael’s for a trendy, unique dinner experience. The hotel is close enough to downtown St. Augustine to get there easily, while still being far enough from the business.

The hotel has a cool, unusual feel, set in a sleepy beach town that's nearly empty and maybe a little creepy. It's spacious and nicely themed, with a good bar and restaurant downstairs. The front desk was attentive and kind. This might be the only HYATT I've visited that served free coffee into the late afternoon. Downtown was an easy 10-minute drive. The lack of overnight parking anywhere in town was strange, since there was plenty of free parking otherwise. That left valet as the only option, although the hotel was upfront about it early and often. Also, this was the first time in Florida I'd encountered an undisclosed zero-tolerance gun policy that I only learned about on walking in. That's inconvenient at best and could be a disaster at worst. I didn't want to risk being trespassed with no refund if I printed, so I left it in my car. Luckily it hadn't “disappear[ed]” when valet returned my vehicle.

This feels like a hidden gem. As a Hyatt Globalist who stays at many properties, I found the service consistently top-notch, friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming from arrival onward. The clean, comfortable, well-maintained rooms made it easy to unwind after a long day. The rooftop restaurant and bar are a highlight, with lovely ocean views that are especially nice at sunset. The food and drinks were excellent, and the atmosphere adds a lot to the stay. It strikes a great balance of quality, service, and ambiance. I'd absolutely stay again and highly recommend it.

We woke up to bed bugs in the pillowcases, sheets, blankets, nightstand, luggage, and clothes. It was a mess. Some bugs were large, others tiny and easy to miss. This seemed like an infestation that might have been going on for a while, not something that started overnight. We asked the front desk for help and were told maintenance would come. After waiting, I found a housekeeper in the hall and asked for plastic bags to wrap our luggage because we feared bringing the bugs into our car. When maintenance finally arrived, they said they could clean the room if we stayed another night. I don't understand why they wouldn't immediately move us to another room if we chose to stay. While I was wrapping our things, a manager knocked and asked what happened. I explained clearly. She questioned whether they were really bed bugs because this was new to them. I said yes and offered for her to come see them still in the bed, but she didn't move, just stared at me. I showed her my pictures instead. She only told us to check out at the front desk after packing. At checkout we asked for at least a discount after this nightmare. Without even looking up our account, the front desk woman said we'd paid through a third party and there was nothing they could do. It felt cold and scripted, as if she'd decided before we asked. We left feeling treated like an inconvenience for reporting it. The hotel didn't seem to grasp how serious bed bugs are. We won't stay at this location again.