The Rebranding of the Grand Hyatt Santiago & My Fantastic Experience There

Normally, I do not write about such things as a hotel rebranding but this one caught my attention the other day. It is the Grand Hyatt Santiago and it is being removed from the Hyatt portfolio on July 31, 2017 and will become a Mandarin Oriental. The transition will occur this August but the total renovation will not be complete until August of 2018.

Read: The Incredible Presidential Suite at the Grand Hyatt Santiago

The Rebranding of the Grand Hyatt Santiago

Booking Stays with Hyatt Points

If you want to stay at this property, you will have until July 31 to book your stay using Hyatt points. It is a Category 3 which means it will require 12,000 points per night or 6,000 points + $75 for a Points+Cash booking. This is a fantastic property and I will be sad to see it lose the Hyatt affiliation. I stayed there in 2015 as part of my 6 marathon | 6 continent | 5 day tour. I had hoped to visit Santiago with my wife sometime in the future and had totally planned on staying there with my wife.

Here is what Hyatt says:

Grand Hyatt Santiago will no longer be Hyatt-branded or a Hyatt-affiliated property effective 11:59pm local hotel time on July 31, 2017. The hotel can still be booked on Hyatt channels up to 11:59pm local Santiago time on July 31, 2017. Please note that due to this change, World of Hyatt members will not be eligible to receive World of Hyatt program benefits, including earning World of Hyatt points and redeeming World of Hyatt free nights after July 31, 2017 and beyond.

Redemption of World of Hyatt free nights for stays after the change in operator (00:00 hours of August 1, 2017), requested and confirmed prior to July 31, 2017 will be honored as booked. Hyatt looks forward to a continued successful relationship with Hotel Corporation of Chile and its affiliates, owners of Hyatt Place Santiago/Vitacura, which will continue to serve our guests in the Santiago de Chile market.

My Fantastic Experience at the Grand Hyatt Santiago

The beautiful dining room | Presidential Suite Grand Hyatt Santiago

$5 Suite – Thank You, Amex

I was running leg 5 of my marathon tour around the world in Santiago and had initially planned to just check in to the Holiday Inn near the airport to throw my bags down and start my run. But, then a currency conversion error in the customer’s favor happened with Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts. Many people got in on it and I was able to book the day I needed for about $5 – in a suite. I literally just needed someplace to toss my bags so I didn’t need a suite but that was all that was available on the day I needed.

The Manager & Staff

Part of the spacious living room | Presidential Suite Grand Hyatt Santiago

The manager at the Grand Hyatt Santiago (a fellow runner), Marc, was a huge help. I had contacted them about what I was doing and asked if it was possible to get a quick check-in/check-out as well as having extra water bottles loaded into my room (while saying I would pay for them, of course). Marc was fantastic and sent a car to the airport to pick me up and met me at the door when I arrived. He escorted me up to the Club floor to be checked in and then walked me to my suite.

The Entrance | Presidential Suite Grand Hyatt Santiago

I was so focused on getting started with my run (thanks to arriving late due to an airplane issue) that I really didn’t think much of it when he opened these large double doors and said, “oh, we must have walked into the wrong room.” He stepped aside and I saw a really great setup that the staff had done for my arrival. They staged the entrance to the Presidential Suite to be like a race finish line and included a bunch of energy drinks/foods on the table for me. They also gave me a Grand Hyatt Santiago running t-shirt (which I wear every single week still!) and a Grand Hyatt running jacket. Just an unbelievable reception!

A great sendoff – thanks to the great staff of the Grand Hyatt Santiago!

I quickly changed in my enormous Presidential Suite (I was really wishing I could have stayed the night!) and headed downstairs to begin my 26.2 mile journey. When I got down there, Marc again met me with several staff members to send me off with clapping and cheering. It was really something special and exactly what I needed to give me the boost to run the fastest marathon run of the trip in order to make my next flight.

The Bathroom | Presidential Suite Grand Hyatt Santiago

I know this – I couldn’t have done it without Marc and his staff and I have not forgotten all they did to help me with this event. It was a very memorable experience at the Grand Hyatt Santiago and will always be special to me.

Press Release from Mandarin Oriental