Hotel Check: Grand Hyatt at SFO

HOW MANY ROOMS? 351 rooms and suites

PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS: A short walk and Air Train ride from the terminals, this is SFO’s most convenient airport hotel with the most luxurious rooms by the runways. Pair proximity with unbeatable airport views, and you have one of the best airport hotels to open in quite a while.

WHERE IS IT ?Directly connected to the airport terminals in perfect view of one of the international terminals, this new hotel is worth every penny on a short layover. The hotel has its own stop on the Air Train network, and it is a short ride to the BART station leading visitors directly into downtown San Francisco.

WHAT’S IT LIKE? This unbelievably soundproofed hotel was built to be the antithesis of a traditional airport property with public areas designed to look like residential spaces (fireplaces, sofas, and curvaceous hallways to look less like a long row of hotel rooms). Plane spotters will love the endless runway and terminal views including up-close-and-personal angles of planes parked just in front of the hotel. In-room plane spotting guides and binoculars come standard for all airport-view rooms. Back inside, endless public art and design pieces have all been sourced from regional artists with a soon-to-be-introduced app offering self-guided tours through the hotel. Day rates are available for guests with a few hours to kill and looking for a nap or quiet place to work and relax.

ROOM FACILITIES: Floor-to-ceiling windows offer plentiful natural light while sumptuous Grand beds have pillowtop mattresses and headboards plus a stack of sleep-inducing pillows with pillow spray left behind during turndown service. Power and USB outlets are on either side of the bed as well as by the dining tables (that double as desks) in the corner. Cordless charging is available on the iHome alarm clocks on nightstands. Bathrooms are awash in marble surfaces with glass shower stalls complete with Pharmacopia products dispensed from eco-friendly pump bottles (individual-use bottles are available upon request). Suites boast extra living space plus soaking tubs and Japanese toilets. Grand Club rooms enjoy access to the panoramic club lounge for complimentary breakfast and evening buffet spreads plus an honor bar and all-day refreshments. Nespresso machines, hot water kettles with upscale tea bags, canned water (instead of plastic), and foam massage pillows (designed to roll under tired muscles) are standard. Designer lamps sit by armchairs in the corner while flat-screen cable TVs hang on walls facing the bed. All rooms come with free wireless high speed Internet. Rooms with two beds are slightly larger than king rooms.

RESTAURANTS AND BARS: A 24-hour marketplace and coffee bar is available in the lobby and popular with hotel guests as well as airport travelers. The main restaurant turns out three meals a day with panoramic airport views and an open kitchen with stone oven and live sushi counter during the week. A private dining room is a great place to host small functions.

LEISURE FACILITIES: A ground-floor fitness center features the latest workout equipment including Peloton bikes and modern screens that stream live or guided workout sessions.

BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES: Wireless Internet is complimentary, and Grand Hyatt’s signature meeting space is plentiful with the ability to divide between board rooms to large-scale ballrooms. Most feature natural light and are controlled with high-tech iPad systems.

VERDICT: You cannot beat the direct connection to the airport without any need to wait for an airport shuttle. Hyatt has proven itself a leader when it comes to upscale airport accommodations, and Grand Hyatt at SFO is yet another feather in its cap.

PRICE: Internet rates for a traditional room start at $153 on the random dates we checked.

CONTACT: Grand Hyatt at SFO, 55 South McDonnell Road, San Francisco, California, 94128, Phone 650-452-1234. Grand Hyatt San Francisco