On the majority of my trips, I put a lot of thought into selecting a hotel that is within walking distance of the sights and eateries that I want to see, and that provides the conveniences that I require (including, most importantly, a coffee shop to perk me up in the morning), and that is within my price range.

When I went to Orlando recently for a convention, on the other hand, my need to check the boxes stated above was overshadowed by my demand for rapid access to the city's Orange County Convention Center.

The Hyatt Regency Orlando's proximity to the Orange County Convention Center, which can be reached by a covered walkway, is one of the hotel's most appealing features. But is the hotel's convenient location for convention attendees the only draw for guests to choose to stay there? What kind of activities are available for families that are in town to see the area's famed landmarks and amusement parks?

My impressions of this Hyatt hotel, which is unexpectedly complete in many ways, are as follows.

A brief looks at
This enormous facility spans 27 floors and features two huge and attractive pools, various on-site restaurants, a grab-and-go cafe open around the clock, a full-service spa, and a fitness centre. It seemed immediately more like I was on vacation than I was on a business trip thanks to the lively ambience and amenities more typical of a resort. In addition, Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and a variety of other well-known Orlando attractions can all be reached in less than 15 minutes.

Achieving our goal

On International Drive, about 20 kilometres (13 miles) away from Orlando International Airport, you'll find the Hyatt Regency Orlando hotel (MCO). The hotel does not provide a shuttle service to and from the airport; nevertheless, taxis, ride-hailing services, and rental automobiles are all accessible from the airport. When you get into a vehicle, it shouldn't take you more than a quarter of an hour to drive to the hotel from there.

Booking

There are 142 suites available among the 1,641 guest rooms at the Hyatt Regency Orlando. The official Hyatt website is your best bet for making reservations at this World of Hyatt location. You may book a standard room for approximately $230 per night or 9,000 World of Hyatt points. For a modest upcharge, you can upgrade to a room with a balcony or a pool view. Suites can be booked at a nightly rate of either $295 or 17,000 World of Hyatt points.

In addition, the hotel charges an additional resort fee of $30 per night, which includes premium internet access, admission to the fitness centre as well as fitness classes, a discount on spa and salon services as well as cabana rentals, and two bottles of water per day in addition to other amenities. However, if you pay for your stay using points from your World of Hyatt account, you won't have to pay the resort charge.

Particularly notable qualities

• The hotel gives convenient access to the convention centre but does not have the atmosphere of a typical business hotel. It is suitable for guests who want to work as well as play because it has wonderful views, a variety of food and beverage options, and a large number of lifestyle amenities.
• In all honesty, the French fries at the Hyatt Regency Orlando are the greatest I've ever had in a hotel, and quite probably anyplace else. I had them twice, the first time at Coconuts Poolside Bar & Grill and the second time at the B-Line Diner, just to make sure it wasn't a fluke, and both times they came up hot, crispy, and with the right amount of seasoning.
• The enormous main pool, which was also named the Grotto Pool, was very stunning. It featured a waterslide, a secluded grotto section with a waterfall, a gated kids' area, and a bar and restaurant that offered full service. During the time that I was there, the water in the pool was a little on the cool side for swimming, but I still went there quite a few times to either have a meal and a drink or to simply read by the pool.

Drawbacks

• Because of the size of the hotel, travelling from your guest room to the many services offered by the hotel may take some time. I needed to take an elevator from my accommodation on the 26th level down to the lobby, go through the lobby, and then take another elevator to get to the ground floor, which is where the Grotto Pool is located.
• Every time I rode the elevator, I felt a little lightheaded because the car went at such a rapid pace. The fact that it goes through the 27 floors so rapidly is a plus, but I couldn't help but feel impacted by it.
• My ability to connect to and maintain a connection to the Wi-Fi and streaming TV service was problematic throughout my stay here. I used the tool that allows you to communicate with a hotel representative about it, but I never received a response from them. I was able to solve the problem on my own by looking it up on Google, and then getting it to work.

The ambience

One word best describes the atmosphere at the Hyatt Regency Orlando: "lively."

Not only is the Orange County Convention Center within walking distance of the hotel, but the hotel also has its own event space that is 315,000 square feet in size. Because of this, people were roaming the streets at all hours of the day.

In the morning, guests were seen chatting while drinking coffee at tables located outside of the 24-Hour Market. In the evening, visitors were seen sipping drinks while listening to music in the lobby bar. You'll feel totally at home here if you're the kind of person who'll strike up a conversation with a total stranger while you're waiting in line for your Starbucks order.

This specific room

The atmosphere of the rooms, on the other hand, was one of calm and convenience. Even the regular king room that I had was quite roomy, measuring 415 square feet, and it featured a muted colour scheme, a blue patterned carpet that brought to mind waves, and a chaise lounge near the window where I could kick back and rest.

Upon entering the room, there was a sizable closet as well as a compact kitchenette area. There was a full-length mirror on one wall and a mini-fridge and coffee maker on the other wall of the kitchenette area. The bathroom had a spacious combination tub and shower, in addition to a big illuminated mirror that also functioned as a clock (very helpful when you are on a tight schedule).

The number of electrical outlets and USB ports was more than sufficient, and as someone who likes to read before going to bed, I was grateful for the reading lights that were incorporated into the headboard. Even though I had some connectivity issues that required an entire day to overcome, I was able to get the TV set up for Chromecast streaming.

Food and drink

During my visit, I sampled meals at as many of the establishments as I could, and I found that each restaurant's food and ambience were equally impressive to me. Not only did I go to the 24-Hour Market to acquire groceries and my morning fix of Starbucks, but I also went there to get made-to-order quick-service items such as a vegetarian grain bowl and a Caesar salad. On the menu, you may choose from an extensive selection of pizzas, sandwiches, breakfast dishes, and hot meals.

My order at the Coconuts Poolside Bar & Grill consisted of a cheeseburger, a frozen margarita, and those previously mentioned french fries that were expertly made. The entire meal, including each mouthful and drink, exceeded my expectations, and I am grateful that I was able to have such a wonderful lunch while relaxing by the pool.

One night for dinner, I went to B-Line Diner and got a fish sandwich with jerk flavour and tropical fruit salsa. The food was delicious (and, once again, the fries). Even though I was very full by the time I left, it was quite difficult for me to pass up the dessert display on the way out the door.

In addition, the hotel features a lobby bar, an Italian restaurant with exquisite cuisine known as Fiorenzo, and room service that is available around the clock.

The accommodations and the service

Everyone I spoke to at the Hyatt Regency Orlando was kind and helpful, except for the technical difficulties I experienced with the internet connection.

It's possible that the amenities at this hotel were the thing that astonished me the most out of everything. My mental image of a convention hotel includes a modest fitness centre with a few treadmills, a weight rack, and a weight rack, as well as a square or rectangular pool that is not very large.

The resort-style pool at this hotel completely blew my mind. There was a large amount of space available for people to swim, play, or enjoy drinks in a secluded nook. In addition, the hotel features a separate pool that is ideal for swimming laps and is of Olympic size.

The workout centre was just as stunning as the rest of the facility. There were distinct locations for free weights, treadmills, elliptical machines, and strength equipment all within the facility. When I stopped over to have a look, the spa was closed, but I noticed that the facility was quite large, and the menu included a comprehensive range of services, including massages, facials, and even cosmetics applications.

Moving around and about

I was able to reach the Orange County Convention Center on foot in fewer than ten minutes from where I was staying at the hotel. However, if you are in Orlando, there is a strong possibility that you will want to travel to one of the city's many amusement parks, which are known all over the world.

The Hyatt Regency Orlando is located a little over 10 miles from Walt Disney World and less than 5 miles from both SeaWorld Orlando and Universal Orlando. Within the next few years, you may be able to use the SunRail regional train service to get to Universal Orlando and back and forth from the Orlando International Airport.

Accessibility

The Hyatt Regency Orlando's guest rooms and meeting rooms are equipped with a variety of accessible amenities, such as mobility features, assistive listening devices for meetings, and closed-caption or closed-captioning decoders for televisions in guest rooms. Some of these features are listed below. Access to all of the hotel's public areas, including the pools, spa facilities, fitness centre, and restaurants, is provided via an accessible public entrance. Additionally, all of the hotel's public sections have accessible walkways leading to them.

When I checked out,

 I was quite pleased with the Hyatt Regency Orlando, and I wouldn't think twice about staying there again for a convention or if I were to visit Orlando attractions that aren't amusement parks. If I were going to Orlando to go to the theme parks, I would stay at a Disney World hotel or a Universal hotel, but the french fries at the Hyatt Regency Orlando are so delicious that I might end up changing my mind and staying there instead.