Monday 27 June 2011

Pin It


Get Gadget

Hyatt vs. Farm

I'm in Abbotsford this weekend for a memorial service, and Abbotsford is one of those few destinations for us where we don't stay in a hotel.  My in-laws have a farm here, so we always stay with them while we're in town.  I know what you're thinking..."Why would you CHOOSE to stay at the in-laws?"  Well aside from the fact that there aren't really any other options in town (No Hyatt, Hilton, or Fairmont within 50km) it would seem to be a fair question.  So let's take a look at the logic:

Availability:
Pretty close here.  The farm is almost always available, but on occasion other people get their requests in to stay there before us (You'd think having the only grandchildren would carry weight, but no.).  Hyatt's can sell out, but as diamonds we can always use the diamond force to get a room.
Advantage: EVEN

Parking:
I'm not sure this is a fair comparison, but it is one of those things I look at when I'm choosing between hotels, so I guess it counts.  There's plenty of free parking on the farm.  The nearest Hyatt wants $25 a night for self-park.
Advantage: FARM

Check-in:
I'm trying to envision the Hyatt desk clerk running around the counter and hugging each of my children whenever we arrive.  Pretty sure that would freak them out.  On the other hand, I've never gotten 1000 Gold Passport points for checking in at the farm.
Advantage: EVEN

Room:
Well here's a chance for Hyatt to shine.  The farmhouse was built in 1905, so needless to say it's not loaded with the newest of amenities.  We get two rooms, each about 100 square feet, but because of the way the house was built, it's impossible to get a bed bigger than a double up the stairs.  We also share a bathroom, and there's only a bath, no shower.  Hyatt beds are amazing, and some of the bathrooms we've been given are bigger than the two bedrooms we have at the farm.
Advantage: Hyatt

Breakfast:
This is going to be a split vote.  Hyatt gives us free breakfast in some wonderful restaurants, including some really good buffets.  On the other hand, my girls insist that we should be bringing Nana with us on our travels, as she is the only one capable of making pancakes properly, although this can be somewhat offset by the fact that Hyatt Vancouver has a McDonalds attached to it.
Advantage: Even

Amenities:
You'd think this would be a landslide for Hyatt.  There's no pool at the farm, and the wi-fi is pretty slow, but I've yet to check in to a Hyatt with cows, sheep, chickens and a bunch of kittens to play with.  I'm also pretty sure that Hyatt Vancouver would frown upon me driving a tractor around in their parking lot.
Advantage: Even

Price:
I don't really need to explain this one do I?
Advantage: FARM

So I guess like most things in my travel world, it comes down to price.  There's a financial limit to how many nights I can spend in the Hyatt, and there's a physical limit to how many nights I can spend sharing a double bed with my wife.  It will probably take my in-laws building a new house or the Hyatt bringing in farm animals to tip it one way or the other.

2 comments:

  1. If I add it up properly (no small feat from someone who failed math consistently throughout high school) ... the Farm won 6 points to 5? Correct me if I'm wrong. And you didn't really give the in-laws/grandparents "love" factor it's proper weight. I think that knocks the Hyatt out for the count.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Spoken like a true Grandparent George! I deducted a point from Hyatt for "Grandparent love" when I noted that the front desk clerk didn't hug my kids at check-in. We've come to a good compromise though. We just take the grandparents with us when we go to the Hyatt. They get a night out, and the kids still get lots of love. They still won't let us bring the farm animals though.

    ReplyDelete