Hyatt Place State College

We won't stay at another Hyatt, and neither will our family or friends. We've been coming to State College for years, and this was the most disgraceful experience we've had, especially from a brand we thought we could trust. There are plenty of good hotels in State College, so avoid this one. Our recently graduated daughter paid $16 for what the front desk described as a reserved spot in the designated hotel garage for 24 hours. She followed their directions and parked around 7pm in a space marked for 24-hour reserved parking. When she returned at about 11am the next day, 16 hours later, her car was gone. Walker’s Towing in State College had towed it. Jake, the Operations Manager, confirmed she was a hotel guest who paid for parking, parked in the designated garage, followed instructions, and hadn't parked illegally. Even so, the hotel did nothing to help. The tow cost us $335, bringing the one-night stay to nearly $500, $150 for the room and $335 for the tow. That's an exorbitant amount for a recent grad. The State College Police were wonderful to deal with. They said this happens frequently, and Jake confirmed this wasn't the first guest whose car had been towed. The signage is vague, with nothing clearly saying “Not Reserved for Hyatt Guests,” and guests aren't given clear instructions about which spots to avoid. We believe Hyatt's unclear signage and directions allow towing companies in State College, PA to take advantage of visitors. Clear signs and instructions, such as “DO NOT PARK IN X SPOTS,” would be an easy fix. We never expected Hyatt to disregard guests or allow hardworking visitors, including struggling college students and recent graduates, to be taken advantage of by big towing companies with questionable ethics. By failing to make the signs and instructions clear, the hotel creates these conditions. Its inaction makes it seem that Hyatt supports these practices.

The room was in such poor shape that the nearly $300 nightly rate felt especially hard to accept. There were stains on the bathroom ceiling and glass picture frame, dust hanging from the bathroom wall, white marks on the wallpaper, and a humid smell. It looked like white paint had been used to cover moisture damage, leaving the ceiling looking unfinished, almost as if construction were still going on. The TV screen was so pixelated it couldn't be watched. I called reception and was told a technician would come, but after more than 15 minutes nobody showed up. The room condition and lack of basic service were far below the standard. No guest should have to put up with that.

I'm studying at Penn State during finals, and the staff here have been consistently kind and respectful. They treat guests the way they're treated, and I really like this place for staying or studying. I'll definitely come back again and again. I saw the red headed kid get kicked out after causing a big disturbance in the lobby and distracting people who were studying. He quickly posted a one star review, but I wanted to say that it was false and left out the full story.

The stay could've been great, but the Heat/AC was so loud it woke me at 1:30am. I checked the sound from my bed with my phone, and it read 75 dB.