Sometimes after reading a hotel review, I would wonder, “How come I didn’t get the same awesome treatment?” It all boils down to the luck of the draw and having all the planets in alignment. With the Grand Hyatt Taipei (GHT), it was pure perfection in every possible way and the stay of a lifetime.
I have put off writing this report because many aspects of the trip will divulge private information that I prefer not to share. Suffice to say that the trip to Taiwan took over a year of planning. I was celebrating a major birthday and there were many other extenuating circumstances.
As a Diamond member, I was using a suite upgrade at the GHT for our family of three. A few weeks before leaving for Taipei, I emailed the hotel to confirm room view, rollaway, and other details. Each email response was unsatisfactory (no view of Taipei 101; no rollaways available, etc.) Frustrated, I Googled “Grand Hyatt Taipei General Manager” and shot David Pacey an email. David responded immediately.
While some General Managers would do the minimal necessary to placate a customer, David jumped in with both feet to ensure a memorable stay. He put a “Taipei Team” at my disposal and mailed me about a dozen brochures to help with my trip planning. I also began receiving emails from my “Taipei Team” – Chanelle, the VIP Services Manager, and Gloria, the Public Relations Manager. David also offered to send the hotel car to pick us up at the airport, but I declined due to possible flight delays and unpredictable immigration queues.
Upon arriving at the GHT, we were asked to go to the Club Lounge on the 22nd floor to check in. The hotel must have been on “high alert” because Chanelle was waiting for us in the Club Lounge. With her was Alex, the Assistant Director of Food & Beverage. Both of them gave us their cell numbers so that we could contact them with “any request.”
Chanelle and Alex escorted us to our suite (which they called a junior suite), but it was in fact two rooms with two doors to separate the two rooms. Chanelle mentioned that she had selected this particular suite for us because it conveniently had two full bathrooms. In addition to the Diamond amenity of a bottle of wine and a fruit plate, there was a box of chocolates from Chanelle and a huge bouquet of flowers from David, who was off for the weekend.
The following morning was Christmas Day, and so I waited until December 26 to ask if David was available. He immediately came and joined us for breakfast in the Club Lounge. Although we had never met in person, due to the many emails back and forth, I felt like we were already old friends. I teased him that he was more Asian than real Asians in his behavior and way of thinking. At one point, he asked politely if he could get himself a cup of coffee. I didn’t say anything, but I secretly thought, “Heck, yes. It’s YOUR hotel!”
After three days at the GHT, we left Taipei to tour the rest of the island. Prior to our departure, David said that he was already thinking of which “apartment” to set aside for us on our return. We returned to the GHT on New Year’s Eve. David had warned us to be back at the hotel well before 7:00 p.m. when the streets around the hotel would be closed to traffic due to the outdoor concert and the Taipei 101 fireworks.
Grace, the Assistant Manager of the Grand Club, checked us in on New Year’s Eve and showed us to our “apartment.” The suite consisted of a beautiful foyer with a reclining chaise lounge and a sofa table with a big bouquet of flowers, a half bathroom, a living room, a King bedroom, a complete bathroom with a separate shower stall, a full kitchen, and another King bed in what should have been the dining room. (David didn’t think our son should have to sleep on a rollaway for a week.)
On the living room table were another big bouquet of flowers, a full bottle of Tattinger (the Club Lounge serves Chandon), a tray of fresh passion fruit (per my request), another tray of fresh fruit, a box of chocolates, and a package of holiday cookies. Surely, this is not your typical Diamond amenity.
That night, we had dinner at Irodori, the hotel’s Japanese buffet restaurant. The restaurant was my son’s choice and he pronounced the sushi to be outstanding. Neither my husband nor I eat raw fish, but the restaurant also offered a selection of grilled items (lamb chops, fish, chicken, etc.) I selected some cold octopus and a chef was happy to grill it for me.
As we were looking over the Saké menu, Alex, our Food and Beverage friend, appeared to check on us. He helped us select a sparkling Saké, which was different, but appropriate for New Year’s Eve. It was Chanelle’s day off but she texted us when we first checked in to make sure we were happy with our suite. Later, she called to see if there was anything that we needed. My son scolded her for working on her day off.
After dinner, we settled in to await the fireworks. From our bedroom, we could see and hear the concert. From the living room and the dining room, we had a perfect view of Taipei 101. The fireworks that night did not disappoint.
During the remaining days at the GHT, we enjoyed breakfast at the Club Lounge. There were both Chinese and western items, including a chef for cook-to-order eggs/omelets. I enjoyed a morning bowl of congee, and my son loved the hot soy milk and the different breads, pastries, and fruit. We did not spend much time in the Club Lounge in the evenings, but there were at least three hot items, some cold items, fruit, and dessert, along with the Chandon champagne, liquor, etc.
My son also enjoyed working out at the gym. In addition to the workout equipment and an outdoor pool, the gym offers classes (Body Combat, Zumba, yoga, etc.) I took a Combat class one morning, and it was as intense as the class at my regular gym at home.
All too soon, our trip was coming to an end. On our last full day in Taipei, Chanelle called to ask when we would be back at the hotel. She was there to greet us when we first arrived and had told us that she personally greeted all VIPs at check-in. I assumed that she had a similar requirement for departures and so we made sure to be back at the hotel by 5:00. Once back at the hotel, I called her and arranged to meet her in the Club Lounge. Chanelle, plus her boss Christine (the Director of VIP Services) and the entire Club Lounge staff, were waiting for me with a birthday cake. I teared up as they sang Happy Birthday and presented me with a card.
We left the Grand Hyatt at 6:00 a.m. the next morning. David had arranged a hotel sedan to take us to the airport. Clearing Taiwan immigration, the agent noticed that it was my birthday and wished me Happy Birthday, and then we were off.
As mentioned at the beginning of this post, this stay is a once in a lifetime event. We will definitely return to Taiwan and to the Grand Hyatt Taipei. However, I would not expect a repeat performance. I was treated like a Rock Star once, and I am happy. I also have a GHT teddy bear (Thank you, Peter!) to serve as souvenir.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
