This is the fourth time we stay at the Hyatt Regency Mumbai. We travel to India every year and every year the prices go up. Because I have already given a review of this hotel before, this is basically just an update which I will try to make short and sweet.

PROS:
> Almost next door to the airport
> We always book the 'Club' rooms and the reception personnel there are always extremely friendly
> In the Club rooms WiFi Internet is now included free of charge
> The pool and SPA facilities are still a nice way to kill some hours if you need to stay at the hotel
> Their buffet meals are still tasty and with enough variety to accommodate most tastes
> The free food and cocktails provided in the 'Club' rooms section is still tasty, plenty and set in a private area which allows for a relaxing atmosphere
> Very comfortable beds
> Although next door to the airport, very quiet
> Chauffeur driven autos available 24 hours

CONS:
> We now pay over US$500 per night for something we started paying around US$250 when we first started staying at the Hyatt five years ago
> While the service level is the same for the price we used to pay at the beginning, the only extra is the free Wifi Internet connection
> While most of the room looks superficially clean, the cleaning is not as thorough as it once was (found daily dust under the bed, under lounger chair and behind furniture, and bathroom was not also not 100% clean - something one would expect while paying over US$500 per night)
> The restaurant area was going through major cleaning which made waiting for a meal to be ready 3 to 4 times longer. Unfortunately the waiters were not upfront with explaining that it would take a lot longer for the meals to be ready opting instead to say every 10 minutes that the meal would only take 5 more minutes (The second time that happened we walked out of the restaurant and complained. The restaurant assistant manager gave us a free dinner and his apologies.)
> We ordered Margaritas by the pool and I specifically asked if they knew how to make them. The waiter assured me that they did. Whatever it was that they brought us tasted okay but certainly not like a Margarita. I gave up and just drank the cocktail. Evidentially waiters must be instructed never to deny that their hotel is not able to prepare something which the client wants, perhaps for fear that the client might go somewhere else
> Hotel chauffeurs do not speak enough English for one to be able to communicate with them beyond the basics, which makes it difficult if you want to ask them for tips on shopping, eating or anything else

CONCLUSION:

Mumbai has become a place where most 5 Star hotels have priced themselves according to demand and supply. While one can still find bargains, if one wants to stay close to the airport at a nice hotel, one will have to pay the price. It is a complaint I have heard from other friends who must, due to business, travel to Mumbai (Bombay). At this point, it does not seem like I will have to travel again to Mumbai, but if I ever do, I will stay at the Hyatt again. In spite of their downfalls, it still offers us the comforts we are looking for at the same price to other similar hotels.

The rooms were a good size and very clean.The service was excellent from front desk,room service to the restaurant. We had dinner in the restaurant the food was very good but it is pricey.The pool was lovely ,nice size not overcrowded and peaceful which is pretty difficult to achieve in mumbai.

Fantastic!
Food was good, happy hour in the bar upstairs was good too!
Tips: U can use their travel agent on the right hand side of the check in counter from 830 am till 1000 pm ...for e-checkin etc...
Tipping is graciously accepted here....I think it is expected too much...but anyhow...it has become a norm it seems with all the foreigners coming to the country for business now.
Another tip, you canbook a local taxi just outside the hotel....and not pay as much ....
All in all good stay, near the international airport.

This is my second trip to this hotel - first stayed here for just over 3 weeks on a business trip last year (in April).

This trip is considerably shorter as we are only here for 10 days.

Interesting to see the same staff - many of whom are very helpful and willing to please - some however are willing but not able - which is a shame!

The rooms are a reasonably good size and quite functional - providing good sized bed, huge wall mirror, flat screen TV, well appointed bathroom with a walk down shower which is great.

I stayed once again in the Regency Club floor - which is worth the little extra cost.

However, the AC in the room whilst fine and reasonably efficient in not adequate for the bathroom. The bathroom therefore gets very hot. Interestingly this was much more noticeable on this trip than last year as this room overlooks the front of the hotel - which gets full daytime sun - and if the room boy leaves the drapes open the room is very hot - even in Feb/Mar. The rooms at the front (on the club floor, which is 2nd level) can be quite noisy on a Fri/Sat if the hotel is hosting a wedding or party - so beware.

The room boy needs serious tipping (even on the Regency Club floor) - otherwise you repeatedly don't get toilet paper (really, hard to believe but I have had to ask on 3 separate days out of the 10 I am here for toilet paper - and they then only give you one roll - ridiculous!)

Generally staff appreciate tips - I have found that with the dollar so weak and Indian Rupees stronger that a minimum tip for anything is $2 ie approx £1. Otherwise, if service was good I have tipped 500 Rupees which is about £6.50

The main problem is however the very disappointing Stax Restaurant.

The restaurant varies between exceedingly fast - ie a 3 course meal in 60 mins - to very very slow. It took 90 mins to get a starter this evening. The real problem however is the thoroughness , or lack of it, of the cooking. I had to twice ask for my tuna steak to be recooked (medium) and found when it was delivered it was stone cold and blue in the middle - and not just a little - a lot! Twice they tried to cook a tuna steak and twice they brought completely raw and uncooked tuna steak. The staff don't know what to do when you ask them to recook it or take it away.

This might sound petty, I don't mean it to sound that way. I simply believe that with the competition nearby for example Le Meridian next door, where I have found the food last year and this to be exceptionally good - and JW Marriott at Juhu - where the Italian Restaurant is superb - the Hyatt is being seriously let down by the very patchy service and poor quality food at Stax.

Several colleagues were staying here with me this week - whilst a couple were at the Grand Hyatt. Universally everyone agrees that the Grand Hyatt is smarter, more efficient and has better range or services/restauants and has higher quality standards all round.

Our firm will not be returning to the Hyatt Regency, if we can organise future visits to either the Grand Hyatt or the JW Marriott.