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I expected more from the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country Hotel

My Dear Polite Travelers,

Our first stay in a Hyatt was less than stellar.  In fact, it’s more of a mixed bag of frustration and comfort.  The hotel was beautiful, don’t get me wrong.  It was just … incomplete. 

Really? Room #281 is considered accessible?

We booked an accessible room due to my hubby’s back issue—a typical old-person problem.  Typically, an accessible room would naturally have a shower with ease of entry.  In room #281?  Nope.  Getting into a tub requires some dexterity that a mobility-challenged person may not have.  This is a major problem that should be addressed.  I hope Hyatt is listening. 

Other than that oversight, there were no towel bars in the bathroom — strange.  Plus, it would have been logical if there was at least one hook for clothing/robe in the bathroom as well.  And, speaking of robes, robes are an accessory in these rooms.  There were none.  In fact, I had to call down for robes, the heater register that couldn’t be set, and the lighted-magnifying mirror that was broken. 

Aren’t there two restaurants in this hotel?

Nope.  There are no restaurants for any meal other than breakfast.  The “bar/restaurant" Sonoma Café is just a bar with limited seating.  The meals are limited as well.  We did have an excellent salad though but had to take it back to our room—which had no table for dining. Grrr…

And, how about that excellent breakfast buffet?

When reading reviews of the hotel, guests rave about the breakfast buffet in the hotel’s Railroad Stop restaurant.  Well, during our stay, the staff was stressed, so only one waitress served the entire restaurant.  I don’t know why this affected the buffet, but that was her reasoning.  The breakfast was good though it was just not what I wanted or expected.

Ready to work off that buffet breakfast?

One plus in this hotel is the fitness center.  This is a jam-packed gym filled with plenty of machines and free weights to tighten the curves. I appreciate the thoroughness and thought that went into this two-room center.  It even included a high-tech rower that I’ve never seen in a hotel fitness center.

Summing it up and will I return.

Just considering the hotel itself, it is charming and well-appointed with plenty of seating throughout, especially in the lounge/reception area.  During the morning hours, there is Starbucks coffee and hot water for tea in the lounge area, which is another oversight.  There are no teabags for tea drinkers.  Grrr…

Since it was raining during my entire visit, I couldn’t walk the grounds.  Still, I could look out all the windows and found the grounds well landscaped and ready for summer visitors.  I never saw the pool, but I read that there is one.  Evidently, there is a pool bar/restaurant there as well.  

As for returning?  No. This is a hotel for overnighters, work retreaters, and those spending the day on wine tours.  I want a hotel that offers a good onsite restaurant, an accessible room for my hubby, and walkable to sites for me—the one who walks aimlessly. 

Happy Travels, my Polite Travelers

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Location: Santa Rosa, CA, USA

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