A couple of months ago, I had to go to Chennai, India. This was my first time traveling to India and I was a bit anxious about this trip. I was already envisioning myself in a Tuk Tuk going to the office, like it was a scene out of the ‘Amazing Race’ – chaos all around me. In this unknown world, I needed something familiar and re-assuring. I decided that the Park Hyatt Chennai was the best medicine.
The Park Hyatt Chennai stands out as the only Category 1 Park Hyatt hotel in the world. Cash rates are also very affordable – normally around 100USD per night. So, it this the best deal ever and does this really classify as a ‘Park Hyatt’ hotel? I was about to find out.
Arrival at the Park Hyatt Chennai
When I arrived at the Chennai Airport, it confirmed the chaos I envisioned. I arrived mid-night, but the place was buzzing like it was early morning rush hour. The office I had to visit, had arranged a driver for me but finding this driver between all the other drivers holding name plates and hotel names was quite a challenge. Stopping to try to read some of the plates was a bad idea because this gave the chance to other taxi-drivers – looking for customers – to harass, and keep following you. Finally, I spotted my driver and we were ready to move out of the airport. The traffic, pollution, heat (even though it was midnight); it all confirmed what I imagined India would be.
But then we arrived at the Park Hyatt Chennai. After a check of the car, the barrier opened, and it was like we arrived at an oasis. It was quiet, clean, and meticulously maintained. This could have been a luxury hotel in Japan! So, first impression was very good!
The hotel
The lobby area of the hotel is impressive. It features some nice art pieces and has windows to the courtyard in the middle of the hotel. After a quick and efficient check-in, I went to my room and this had the typical Park Hyatt vibes; warm, natural colors and natural materials. The room had a decent size with a nice bathroom and comfortable bed.
Since I arrived Saturday night, I used the Sunday to get used to the time-zone difference and check out the hotel and the city. But first I decided to make a reservation at the Antahpura Spa. The Spa advertises itself as a place ‘disengaged from the chaos of Chennai to allow you to connect with your inner peace and solitude‘. Perfect! I booked an hour of Deep Tissue Massage. An hour cost roughly 65USD, which I think is pretty reasonable for a massage at a luxury hotel.
I’m not sure if I connected to my inner peace but the massage was so good that I extended it to 90 minutes.
Breakfast is served at ‘The Dining Room’, one of 3 restaurants in the Park Hyatt Chennai. Breakfast was OK, nothing spectacular. I’m also not a fan of staff inquiring every 2 minutes if everything is OK. In fact, that was a bit annoying.
The other 2 restaurants are the Flying Elephant and Mr Ong. Mr Ong is a Singaporean restaurant which I wanted to try out one evening. However, the restaurant is outside in the Courtyard, and it was just a bit too hot for me to sit outside for dinner. So, I opted for the Flying Elephant. It’s quite a big restaurant spanning over 3 floors. They have an extensive menu with a lot of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. I picked the Burrata Butter Chicken and that didn’t disappoint.
Conclusion
So, is the Park Hyatt Chennai a real Park Hyatt and is it the best value Park Hyatt in the world? I believe this is definitely worth the ‘Park Hyatt’ label; it has the understated luxury feeling typical of any Park Hyatt. It offers excellent service – even though the attention during breakfast is a bit too much. The interior design includes a lot of local art, and the Spa is beautiful and relaxing. The rooftop also has an infinity pool. The Flying Elephant restaurant is a good option for dinner with a lot of menu options.
This being a category 1 hotel, makes this for me the best value Park Hyatt hotel in the world!
Please see my other reviews of Park Hyatt hotels:
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