One of the many hotels I’ve wanted to visit in India was the Hyatt Regency Dehradun, which opened in April 2022. This year, in the annual update of hotel categories for Hyatt, the hotel got a swift upgrade from Category 1 to 2, meaning more points were needed. So, before the new requirements kicked in, I booked some nights at this hotel.
Booking the Hyatt Regency Dehradun
I decided to spend a weekend at the hotel out of my two reservations made here. While standard rooms here go on for INR 15,000 (USD 183) per night ex taxes, I figured at 5000 World of Hyatt points a night; it would be a great idea to visit this hotel in the valley of Dehradun. Dehradun has special ties to our family, with my wife having spent much of her academic life there, at Welham. So, we always look for opportunities to go back and visit.
Arriving at Hyatt Regency Dehradun
Hyatt Regency Dehradun is set beyond Dehradun on your way to Mussoorie, in a place which is at least 10 kilometres away from Dehradun and even more if you’d like to get into the parts of the city which are maybe touristy. The hotel is set on a 4.25-acre plot adjacent to the Malsi Forest, and they claim to be the largest luxury hotel in the state of Uttarakhand.
Instead of taking a flight to Dehradun, we decided to drive from Delhi on this occasion to arrive at Dehradun. While it is usually a six- to seven-hour drive, thanks to one wrong turn, we took the longer route and eventually arrived at the hotel nine hours after we departed from Delhi. But if you are arriving by plane, Dehradun’s Jolly Grant Airport is about 75 minutes away.
The last mile approach for the hotel could be clearer, with insufficient clear signage. One is directed down a certain alley, and the street forks out from there. As luck would have it, without any signage, we headed down the wrong street first (Google Maps said so!) before coming back up and heading down the other road.
Check-in Experience
We arrived at the hotel a bit late in the day and closer to the hotel’s 3 PM check-in time compared to our intended arrival time of about noon. The hotel had called a couple of days before check on our arrival plans and if we needed transportation from their end. Somewhere during the day, the hotel upgraded us to the Regency Suite, which I could see in the app before arrival.
The hotel, on the outside, is just another grey building. It could have been white or another colour, so I am sure the designers had a good reason to make it grey. It made the hotel look more like a city hotel than a destination in the hills.
The lobby of the hotel was minimalist and chic.
In the mornings, the hotel has a rotating lineup of artists who perform in the lobby during breakfast hours.
At the time of our arrival, many people were being processed. However, they were expecting us at the check-in desk and swiftly checked our identity documents and made me sign the registration form. A welcome drink made of Buransh flower syrup was also presented during the process.
We were told about all the inclusions, such as the lounge and breakfast, and then, an associate from the bell desk assisted us to the room.
Hyatt Regency Dehradun’s Regency Suite
The hotel stands seven floors tall, and we were assigned a suite on the fifth floor at the back of the hotel. The first impression stays with you once you walk into the massive green panoramic sights that you can look out of two of the walls/windows.
The hotel has 263 rooms, with some Club rooms also getting a balcony. Most rooms and suites are, however, without a balcony.
As you look left, there is a queen-sized bed in the room, a solo couch and a daybed on the sides of the bed. Here is a zoomed-out image of the room.
The bed had a lovely welcoming message from housekeeping.
If you keep the windows open, as we do, you could get a nice green view in the morning.
The couch was a good place to sit, zone out, or read a book.
The usual array of switches, a USB A and a standard power outlet, were by the bedposts.
A divider was in the suite to segregate a small living area and a big sleeping area. On the wall of the divider, there was a TV and some shelves.
In one corner, there was a study table.
The living area was small but had a magnanimous view of the sprawling greens outside.
There was an amenity waiting to welcome us, which had a fruit platter, a cheese board, a bottle of wine and some treats. Many people I know who’ve visited the property have also been welcomed with this magnanimity. So the hotel does all it can to welcome and honour its Globalist members. Looking out from this wall-to-wall window, we could see the extended backyard of the hotel and the hills in their glory.
As you enter the room, one section is a closet and wardrobe.
On…
Read More: Hyatt Regency Dehradun: A rough diamond that needs polishing