Hyatt hotels hold a special place in our memories because Leo worked at Hyatt for 12 years. Hyatt hotels have provided the setting and backdrop for some of our fondest memories. Leo started working at Hyatt when I was pregnant with RY so our kids have never known a life without Hyatt.
When Covid first emerged during the Spring Festival in 2020, we were traveling in Siem Reap. We didn’t think it was safe to return to Shanghai so we flew from Angkor to Taipei to stay with my parents for a month. The Hyatt Taipei became like a second home to us. To break up the monotony of e-learning during the week at my parent’s apartment in the suburbs, we stayed at the Hyatt Taipei on the weekends. We couldn’t wait to walk into the Hyatt each Friday afternoon, warmly welcomed back by the familiar staff, and going up to the suite that had become our regular weekend retreat.
During the three years of Covid, unable to travel abroad, we did a number of unforgettable staycations at Hyatt properties in Shanghai, rotating between Hyatt on the Bund, Grand Hyatt Shanghai, Hyatt Regency Global Harbour and Hyatt Regency Wujiaochang. Our favorite Hyatt experience in Shanghai during those years was at the Hyatt on the Bund. During AY’s birthday in 2021, we stayed at the Hyatt on the Bund with our close friends whose son has the exact same birthday. We stayed in a suite with an unbelievable view of the Bund and the hotel went out of their way to make our stay unforgettable. The kids’ room had a little tent set up which DY loved so much that he ended up sleeping in it and each night, different desserts and chocolates were delivered to our room.
During Christmas of 2021, unable to travel internationally, we made a trip to Beijing to visit the newly opened Universal Studios. When we arrived in our room at Hyatt Regency Wujiaochang, we were simply thrilled to find a full-size decorated Christmas tree, a Christmas bouquet of fresh flowers and a massive platter of Christmas cookies and chocolates. The kids didn’t waste any time digging into these unexpected treats. During our stay, RY and AY got a back-of-the-house tour of the hotel and couldn’t stop talking about it for months.
We once counted how many Hyatt properties our family had stayed in and I think it was over 50. Leo and I secretly worried that the kids would be spoiled by all of the stays in fancy hotels where they were catered to like royalty. We didn’t want the kids to expect this kind of accommodation and service. When we started this trip, we warned the kids that there would be no fancy hotels, executive lounges and buffet breakfasts.
Well, maybe just one last time.
We walked into the Hyatt Regency Jaipur and our bodies tingled with recognition. The lobby was fantastically ornate with intricately painted walls and crystal chandeliers that dangled from the ceiling. It looked like a room that could have been taken straight from Jaipur’s City Palace or Amber Fort.
When we stepped into the grand courtyard, we were greeted by a shower of rose petals that seemed to fall from the sky.
We sipped our welcome drinks and a staff member offered to give Leo a Rajasthani turban. I had always wondered how a turban is tied and this was my chance to find out. The cloth for the turban looked to be about 5 meters long and was more rigid than I expected. The rigidity makes sense to help the turban keep its shape. The man wrapped the magenta colored cloth expertly around Leo’s head and ended up with just the right amount to make a flourish with the remaining material. The color was vibrant and felt perfect for the occasion.
We were shown to our rooms and even though we have been staying in five-star hotels during our tour with Leo’s family, none of those could compare to a brand-new Hyatt guestroom. There is a familiarity and a connection to the brand that we all, especially the kids, feel. The newness and modern touches of a Hyatt where the lights switches and the plugs are in the right place are all things we appreciate. In particular, the bathroom with a separate water closet and perfect water pressure, was just heavenly.
Being the start of the new year and a holiday period, each day that we stayed, the hotel hosted activities and traditional crafts in the grassy back garden during the afternoon. AY and EY absolutely loved making Rajasthani Lac bangles, made from the natural resin secreted by a tiny insect. We tried making Rajasthani pottery and wood block printing. The were various sports and activities stations for kids set up around the garden including croquet, trampoline and badminton. The kids had an absolute blast.
The hotel staff told us to come back the next day because there would be a puppet show. We didn’t need to be asked twice. We rushed back from Fun Kingdom so we would be on time for more lac bangles, pottery, wood block printing and sports activities. The puppet show turned out to feature many of the same acts as we had already seen at Narain Niwas, but we enjoyed it just as much anyway.
In the evenings, we relaxed at the hotel’s executive lounge. Instead of going out to a restaurant for dinner, we nibbled on the generous lounge food and drinks spread until we were full. After a three-night stay at the Hyatt Regency Jaipur, we felt sufficiently rested and recharged, and although we left reluctantly, we were ready to continue our adventures deeper into Rajasthan.
