I had the opportunity for a last minute visit out to Virginia Beach to see a friend that was in town for training. Many in the Travel on Points Facebook group recommended the Hyatt House Virginia Beach. I chose to do one night at the Hyatt House and one night at a Hyatt Place near the airport before leaving. The Hyatt House was built recently and opened in 2017, so I was excited to check it out. Points and miles made this last-minute trip come true and saved me almost $1,000.
Booking
Virginia Beach is a popular vacation destination, so this hotel is a Category 5 with World of Hyatt. That comes with a high price of 20,000 Hyatt points per night. The current Hyatt promo of 25% back for Chase World of Hyatt Visa (review) cardholders brings that price down to 15,000. But that still seemed a bit steep to me, given the weather and current conditions.
I chose to pay the cash price of $98.10 plus taxes for a two queen room. Additionally, I used a Chase Offer on my Hyatt card for 10% back, making the room just $102.46 after taxes. Also, I could use Chase Pay Yourself Back to redeem just 6,830 Chase Ultimate Rewards to wipe out purchases from eligible categories to cover my costs.
Check In
Check in was fast and friendly. They provided me a hotel information sheet and complimentary bottles of water. I was also upgraded to a high floor room. The hotel has valet-only for parking and they only allow one vehicle per room. Globalist members always get free parking on award stays. I received free parking as part of current promotion for all globalist member stays. I found the valet staff to be friendly and efficient. If you have a second car, there is a parking garage about three blocks away that was charging $10 for overnight parking.
Room
Being that it was a weekend, the hotel was busy and upgrade options were minimal. I was happy with a high floor option. I found the room to be clean, fresh, and had a great beach vibe with light blue colors on the walls. The pictures and artwork were a nice touch for a beach destination. The room felt spacious even though it was not a suite or larger room.
The Bathroom was clean and spacious. The shower was your basic shower. I do miss getting a nice shower these days. It seems like many hotels have gone to the walk in style. There is definitely room to do that here, but it appears they took the shortcut. The floors look really nice and seem to match the beach theme. However, it appears nobody tested them when wet–very slippery and I would be shocked if nobody had taken a fall on them yet.
The living area included a couch, refrigerator, and microwave area, which worked well. They could do without the ottomans as they took up space. I ended up moving them out of the way against the wall. The refrigerator was turned down, almost completely off. I understand that hotels may do this to conserve energy. However, if they know rooms will be used, they should turn those on. I needed to keep my beer and water cold.
The room views from the balcony were fantastic. The high floor provided great views, especially at sunrise. You can crack open the door to hear the waves crashing along the beach.
Amenities
Breakfast was served as grab and go with a fixed menu “breakfast box.” The staff was polite, but I think not having an option of what you get to eat was disappointing. I think this is a shortcut and probably results in a waste of food. Coffee was also offered. The pool was open and some kids were putting it to good use. I did not check in to the rules or current restrictions.
Other Tidbits
When I write reviews, I often get questions about other topics besides the hotel. These usually include what did you do, any good food or breweries, and how did you get there.
Getting There
This was a difficult booking. Flying into a smaller airport like Norfolk (ORF) presented challenges schedule- and price-wise. I used some Delta e-credits as well as some cash out of pocket. I put everything I charged on my Chase Sapphire Reserve. This earned me 3x, gave me travel protections, and I could cash out via Chase Pay Yourself Back if needed to offset costs.
Breweries
Wasserhund Brewing– I gave a quick synopsis of this live on Clubhouse with Jeff from Miles and Pints. The atmosphere was a warehouse industrial space. Food was only ok, although pizzas are supposed to be their specialty, but we did not try those. I found a couple of beers that I really enjoyed and bought some to bring home.
Back Bay Brewing– This was our favorite. Cozy atmosphere, yet still socially distanced. The staff was quite friendly. They had live music and a taco shop right next door for food. I bought a bunch of beer from here to bring home.
Activities
We drove out to Jamestown, Virginia for a little history as well as Yorktown, Virginia. Yorktown had a really cool farmers market going on. It included booths and even a performance by what I assume to be a local high school band. I guess colonial-themed performance would fit best. Feel free to check out the video here. All the visitor centers, sites, and such were closed, but it was still nice to be outside, getting in some steps, and enjoying a little history.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed my visit to Virginia Beach. While Virginia Beach was not on my domestic visit list, I can see why people like it. That being said, I cannot imagine visiting here when the weather is nice. It is probably crazy busy with packed hotels. I spoke with one of the housekeepers who mentioned they have issues during peak season. The most important part of this trip was getting to visit a friend I do not get to see often. Points and miles allowed me to do all this last minute and saved me almost $1,000. If I were to visit Virginia Beach again, I would certainly book the Hyatt House. Have you been to Virginia Beach? Do you have any tips? Come over to our Facebook group and let us know your thoughts.
