Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress

We visited last year and although I loved it, it seemed a little worn out in places compared to when I first visited 20 years ago. It was more Hyatt and less “Grand Cypress”. We visited this year and I’m pleased to say that a lot of maintenance work has been done. The games room under the waterfall is back. The pool is still amazing. The staff at On The Rocks (Cesar and Hector) remembered us and even out the football (sorry, soccer) on TV. If I was to criticise I’d highlight that the pool waterline could do with a good scrub (still dirty from last year) and the gym equipment needs maintenance. Oh, and the parking charge if $36 per seems a little high Read less

Very disappointed that the highlight of this hotel was closed the night of our stay when posted hours state open until 10:00pm. There are gorgeous photos of this grotto/waterfall area and I've enjoyed them on previous trips so I wanted to share it with my extended family (we had several rooms for one night). However it was closed so a "kiddie pool movie could be shown". I see no reason to close the other area. Had I known this we would have stayed in a different property this night. Read less

To start, I truly cannot say enough wonderful things about the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress as it really is the best place to stay for any trip to the Walt Disney World Region! With its perfect location, its heavenly pool complex, and its stellar service and staff, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is most certainly not a property to miss out on! Now, for my detailed review: Full disclosure before I begin -- the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress has been my go-to, home-away-from-home Walt Disney World vacation property for going on fifteen years. Throughout the years, the property has aged extremely well and has gone through numerous changes and renovations based on guest feedback; this property truly values the opinions of its guests, and is constantly striving to improve and add new features and amenities to impress and earn repeat visits from its valued guests. With such a guest-focused approach, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress truly continues to amaze and impress, and has never offered a bad experience. Over the years, I have written several reviews of this beautiful property -- in addition to what is sure to be another lengthy review, you can see lots of additional information and photos from several of my prior reviews: -May 2022: "Another ABSOLUTELY AMAZING Stay!! Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Remains the Best Around!!!" (posted May 12, 2022) -March 2015: "Another Wonderful Weekend at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress!!!" (posted March 24, 2015) -October 2014: “Another Truly Spectacular Stay at the Best Resort in the Disney Area!!!” (posted October 13, 2014) -April 2014: “A Truly AMAZING Weekend & The One of the Finest of Resorts in the Disney Area!!!!” (posted April 7, 2014) -February 2012: “Yet Another AMAZING Weekend in Orlando!!!!” (posted February 3, 2012) -July 2010: “A truly AMAZING 4th of July Weekend!” (posted July 6, 2010) After another amazing stay for the 4th of July Weekend, I realized that it has been almost two years since my last review and felt that it was time to provide another updated take on this beautiful resort... Of important note, this is a "resort" in the heart of the Walt Disney World region; thus, like essentially every other property around, there is the obligatory "Resort Fee." The Resort Fee at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is currently $49/day and it provides several things that make it worth every penny, including the following: In-Room Amenities: -2 bottles of water, daily -Wi-Fi Transportation to Numerous Area Venues: -Magic Kingdom (usually two or three times per day) -Epcot (usually two times per day) -Disney Springs (usually once per evening) -Universal Orlando (usually once per day) Recreation & Activities: -24 Hour Access to Stay-Fit Fitness Center -Bike Rentals -Rock Climbing Wall -Sailboats, paddle boards, kayaks and paddle boat rentals -Miniature Golf Course -Pitch n Putt Golf Course -Ping-Pong table with access to paddles and balls -Pickleball Courts & access to paddles and balls -Basketball Court with access to balls -Mapped Outdoor Walking & Jogging Courses (1-mile & 3-mile) -Nightly Movie at the pool (weather permitting) Additionally, the property offers numerous activities throughout the day as part of its Resort Fee. As we were staying over the 4th of July, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress offered countless fun activities for all, including numerous games and contests. Some of the activities offered during the 4th of July this year were: -Fish Feeding -Contests (Popsicle Eating, Watermelon Eating, Basketball Hot Shots) -Water Balloon Toss -Cookie Decorating -Potato Sack Dash -Bingo -Capture the Flag -Frisbee Golf -Family Photo Scavenger Hunt -Lemonade Chug -Belly Flops -Beach Limbo Not only that, but the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress also brought in Staff & Animal Meet-and-Greets from Gatorland, as well as hosted a Mermaid Meet-and-Greet at the Grotto Pool. Such countless activities included within the Resort Fee allowed for countless opportunities for fun during the 4th of July! Finally, included in the Resort fee is a wonderful welcome for all adult guests, each receiving a complimentary glass of champagne during check-in -- a very nice touch! Such vast inclusions truly make the cost worth it! With many local properties charging upwards of $25-30 for Wi-Fi these days, and the round-trip ride-share costs (especially with Uber's surge pricing at theme park opening and closing!) the Resort Fee exceeds that of other properties, while being in-line with the fees charged at those properties. Overall, a great value! With all of that out of the way, it is time to discuss all that the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress has to offer... Probably one of the best features of the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is its prime location! The Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is located just outside of Walt Disney World, yet while being technically off-property, it is still close enough for absolutely AMAZING fireworks viewing. Additionally, as I indicated, included with the Resort Fee is complimentary scheduled transportation to not just Walt Disney World but also Universal Orlando. Depending on which Walt Disney World theme park that you wish to visit, you are easily within ten to twenty minutes, depending on the lovely Orlando traffic, and Universal Orlando is around twenty to thirty minutes. So, as you can see, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is in a prime location allowing for a perfect theme park vacation without having to pay the outlandish costs found at on-property Disney or Universal hotels. Additionally, you have easy access to the I-Drive Entertainment Corridor via various ride-share services, and you are within thirty minutes of the Orlando International Airport. All-in-all, one could not ask for a better location to stay on an Orlando/Theme Park Vacation! In addition to such a prime location, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress has some spectacular recreation options on property that puts it above its competition! As I mentioned with the Resort Fee Inclusions, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress has some of the very best in recreation options in the area! It offers wonderful walking and jogging trails around its beautiful Lake Windsong. And, speaking of Lake Windsong, with this beautiful lake in the midst of its vast property, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is able to offer water activities that no other property in the region can, including the use canoes, kayaks, paddle boats and sailboats! Additionally, if you enjoy golf, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress offers two spectacular courses. First, there is the 18-hole Links Course; this is Jack Nicklaus' tribute to the famed Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland. This course features steeper and more challenging bunkers than the property's second 18-hole Cypress Course. Truly some of the best golfing around! Finally, one of the best features of the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is its truly amazing pool complex! Its massive grotto-style pool is on-par with those found at Hawaiian and Caribbean Resorts, featuring caves and waterfalls alongside a water slide, a splash pad and two hot tubs! And, unlike numerous other resorts in the area, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress has more than enough pool seating! The excellent recreation and pool staff at this property handles crowds well, and in busy times such as the 4th of July, it sets out even more pool chairs and umbrellas. And, should you wish to pamper yourself and insure the perfect seats, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress offers beautiful poolside cabana rentals, along with an assortment of premium seating available for advanced booking. Within the last year, catering to demand and guest requests, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress has added even more premium seating options. All-in-all, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress offers some of the absolute best options for rest, relaxation, and recreation in the region; so much so that although you have all of the theme parks nearby, you might never want to leave the resort! As for parking, unlike many properties in the area, there is ample Self-Parking available. While Self-Parking used to be a challenge at this property, in response to guest suggestions, when the Conference Center was expanded, the property greatly expanded its Self-Parking lot. Self-parking costs $36/day, and there is also Valet Parking at $51/day. Self-Parking is usually more than sufficient (although the Valet Attendants at this property are amazing!) and the Self-Parking lot is an easy walk to the Main Lobby via either the Conference Center or via a walk-way next to the pool complex. Once inside the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress's Main Lobby, you will find a beautiful Atrium, featuring lush plant life, water features and the resort's famous long-time ambassador, a beautiful macaw named Merlot. Within the Main Lobby, you will find excellent service at the Concierge Desk regarding potential activities, and some of the finest and most polite Bell Staff around. Additionally, the main check-in desk is quite large and is always very well staffed, along with a separate dedicated check-in area for Elite Members of the World of Hyatt Program. Within a matter of minutes from your car, you will be checked-in by the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress's excellent staff and be on your way up to your room using one of several glass-elevators that offer beautiful views of the Atrium and the Property! As for Guest Rooms on property, all Guest Rooms at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress are modern and well appointed, starting out a spacious 360-square feet, offering at least one Balcony for beautiful views of the property. And, as for Guest Room Views, you have numerous options, including Resort View, Lake View and Pool View. If you want to have an amazing fireworks view each night, make sure to book a Pool View Room -- the Pool View Rooms are certainly worth the Premium as you will be able to see fireworks from all of the Walt Disney World Theme Parks from the comfort of your spacious Guest Room! Additionally, if you truly want to spoil yourself, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress has some of the best Suites that you can find in the Walt Disney World area! Offering Executive Suites and Junior Suites at around 720-square feet, VIP Suites at 1,080-square feet and its massive unique and one-of-a-kind Bi-Level Suites! Having tested all of these Suite types in the last fifteen years, I can say that they are truly worth it! For some of the most amazing fireworks views, you might want either a Junior Suite or a Bi-Level Suite, as those rooms offer spectacular terraces! For this stay, since we were staying for three nights, we wanted a little extra space and booked an Executive Suite. Our Suite was a beautiful Corner Pool View Suite on the 10th Floor, offering spectacular views of both the Epcot and Magic Kingdom Fireworks, as well as the new Disney Springs Drone Show! The Suite itself consisted of a sitting/living room as well as a king bedroom, both with complete bathrooms and separated by a divider door. You could enter from either room of the Suite, allowing for a family to easily have lots of space and privacy options. The bathrooms each had a toilet that is walled off from the rest of the bathroom, a large vanity and a glass rain-shower with in-shower toiletry dispensers, offering Hyatt Regency's signature Pharmacopia bath products and plush towels. Additionally, both rooms of the Suite were equipped with large 65-inch Smart-TVs. As is now standard at Hyatt properties, these Smart-TVs offer the typical hotel on-screen guide and options as well as ChromeCast connectivity. Additionally, unlike many properties that hide access to the television HDMI-ports, you will find them to be easily accessible should you wish to connect your own devices to play media. The sitting/living room area had a larger-size mini-fridge that in the bedroom, a comfortable couch/sofa-bed and a four-person dining table. The bedroom was quipped with an extremely comfortable king-size Hyatt Grand Bed and plush linens. Each room of the Suite offered ample storage space and electrical outlets, along with an extremely quiet and efficient digitally controlled thermostat. Finally, the best part of the Suite -- like pretty much every room at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress -- are the large floor-to-ceiling sliding doors, offering access to small balconies with amazing fireworks views! As this was a Corner Suite, we had truly AMAZING views of 4th of July Fireworks from all around the region! All-in-all, a truly perfect Suite for a yet another amazing stay at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress! Finally, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress offers several wonderful dining options! For one of the best breakfast buffets in the region -- as well as wonderful lunch and dinner options -- visit the property's main dining venue, "Lakehouse." And, should you wish to enjoy a meal in your room, you can easily order both to-go and delivery to your room from "Lakehouse" throughout the day. Additionally, you will find wonderful bartenders and drinks each evening at "Lobby Bar," along with some wonderful bar food for dinner. Should you wish a more relaxed atmosphere to dine in your room or around property, you can find excellent grab-and-go options throughout the day the "Market." And, as you relax poolside, this property offers excellent poolside food and drink service from "On the Rocks." Finally, for some of the best dining around -- and some of the absolute best seafood, steaks, and specialty craft cocktails in the area -- do not miss the chance to dine at Celebrity Chef Richard Blais's signature "Four Flamingos." This is truly one of our favorite places to dine in the area, and we never miss our chance to visit! All-in-all, you will never go hungry while staying at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress as its dining is superb all around! To sum up this lengthy review, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is truly the best property in the Walt Disney World area, offering guest-focused staff and service, with spacious rooms offering excellent views and one of the most amazing pool complexes that you will ever find! The Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is most certainly the place that you should stay on your next trip to Orlando and the Walt Disney World area!!! Read less

Literally loved it - hotel, facilities and staff are fantastic. So much to do and the whole site is immaculate. Everything works seamlessly. Breakfast is very nice - good selection. Parrot is an added bonus! Rooms are very comfortable and super clean and tidy. The pool is a joy as are the water sports. The gardens are so pretty and li e the fire pits. Food is super great and everything seems very fairly priced. Great experience and highly recommend! Read less