After spending 3 more weeks in Vermont while on our 50 state road trip, it was time to move on to Connecticut for 3.5 weeks.
Shae and I decided to stay in a few different locations around the state which were mainly dictated by the fact that we could stay for free using hotel points.
Our first stop was Shelton, a city that’s near New Haven and Milford. That’s because there was a category 1 Hyatt House there which meant it was good value on points (see more in the ‘Cost’ section later in this review).
We booked a 9 night stay there, so it gave us a pretty good idea of the hotel. Here’s a review of our stay at the Hyatt House Shelton.
Check-In
Despite leaving Vermont at about 11am, we didn’t arrive at the hotel until about 7pm as we took a longer route to get there so we could stop at a bunch of different covered bridges.
Monique was working at the front desk when we arrived and she was lovely. Extremely friendly and professional, she had us checked in quickly. We’d booked a ‘Guest Room Double Queen’ as that was the only room type bookable using points at the time. Seeing as I have Globalist status with Hyatt, I asked if it would be possible to get an upgrade to one of their suites with a kitchen. I’d been hoping for a one bedroom suite, but was happy to accept a studio suite.
Strictly speaking, Globalist members aren’t entitled to suite upgrades at Hyatt Place and Hyatt House properties, although I suspect most would try accommodating a guest with Hyatt’s top tier status if there was a room available. Monique tried upgrading us to a suite, but they didn’t have any available when we arrived. However, she said that they’d have a studio suite available the following day that we could have for the remaining 8 nights of our stay.
Although we weren’t too keen on having to move all our stuff after one night, we were more keen on having a larger room and a kitchen given we’d be staying more than a week, so we happily agreed to move the next day. (n.b. Moving rooms is more hassle for us than the average guests as pretty much everything we own is in our car, so we bring it in wherever we stay after having our car broken into last year. We therefore needed to use two luggage carts to move everything in and out.)
Monique therefore gave us keys for room 219 which is where we’d be staying the first night.
Guest Room Double Queen
Bedroom
Despite the fact that we’d only be staying there one night, I figured I’d take photos of the room for this review in case that’s the room you book. When entering the room, the bathroom was on the right, with the main bedroom area ahead and to the right.
The queen beds were comfortable, with blackout blinds helping ensure we slept well the one night we were in that room.
There was an armchair in the corner of the room by the window. We didn’t end up using it, so I’m not sure how comfortable the chair was.
On the opposite side of the room was a dresser with the room’s TV on top.
To the left of that was a desk and office chair. There was a mini fridge beneath the desk and a microwave and coffee maker on top.
Seeing as this was the room they’d already allocated for us, they’d left a welcome amenity of a couple of chocolates which were appreciated.
Back towards the room’s entrance and bathroom was the closet. Inside was a luggage rack, iron, ironing board and additional bedding.
Bathroom
When entering the bathroom, the toilet, sink and vanity were on the right hand side.
The toiletries included shampoo, conditioner, a couple of bars of soap and a makeup remover towelette.
The bathroom also had a bathtub with shower. The shower was amazing – one of the best we’ve ever had in all our hotel stays. The water pressure was excellent, so neither of us wanted to leave the shower.
The following morning we stopped by the front desk to see if our suite was available. It wasn’t ready at the time, although they had it clean before 1pm, so we moved all our stuff over from room 219 to room 234.
Studio Sofabed
Bedroom
When entering our new room, the kitchen was on the right, the living area on the left, the main bedroom area ahead to the right and the bathroom to the right of the bedroom.
The sofa bed was comfortable to sit on, while there were also a couple of ottomans which we used as coffee tables.
Between the living area and the bedroom was the TV. This was on top of a cabinet which contained dresser drawers on the side.
There was an OK selection of TV channels, although it wasn’t the most comprehensive selection we’ve ever had.
The bedroom had a king bed which, like the queen beds in the previous room, was extremely comfortable. The bedside lamps had a power outlet on one side and a USB port on the other which were good to have.
Back in the living area there was a desk and office chair which was next to the kitchen. In addition to a trash can, there was a double recycling receptacle which we liked having seeing as much of our trash could be recycled.
Kitchen
As I mentioned earlier in the review, one of the main reasons I was so keen on getting a suite was so that we’d have a full kitchen. There was a microwave, coffee maker, sink and dishwasher, along with a double stove top.
In the cupboards and drawers were plates, dishes, silverware, cookware, etc.
The kitchen also had a full-size fridge-freezer which was a vast improvement on the small mini fridge in the previous room.
Bathroom
The bathroom had similar features as our other room, although there was a slightly different layout.
The shower in this bathroom was fantastic too 🙂
Despite the fact that we’d only moved a few doors down the hallway, it was apparently an exhausting moving day for Truffles.
Breakfast
As with all Hyatt House properties, the Hyatt House Shelton includes free breakfast for all guests. This was served from 6:30am-9am on weekdays and from 7am-10am on weekends.
Breakfast included an omelet station…
…with the choice of either the omelet of the day or one made to your own tastes.
There were scrambled eggs available each morning too, although the other hot options changed each day. The day I took the photos there were sausage patties, breakfast potatoes and berry waffles. Other mornings there was bacon, pancakes, a different type of breakfast potato and more.
The other options were largely the same each day, although they rotated the pastry and muffin options.
When staying at Hyatt Places, I often find that their fruit juices are quite strong. The juices at the Hyatt House Shelton on the other hand were actually a bit too watered down for my liking.
The hotel also had a coffee and tea station. Although it wasn’t available 24/7, it seemed to be available something like 18/7 as they’d only clear it away late at night. Neither of us drink coffee, so I’ve no idea how frequently they refreshed the coffee. It was nice though that they kept the English Breakfast tea well stocked as I tend to have 2-3 cups a day. I don’t mind drinking Tazo tea, so it meant I didn’t have to deplete my own stock of PG Tips.
The breakfast area itself was a decent size, so we were always able to get a table in the morning. I’m not too sure who designed the breakfast area though, as the padded seats were a few inches too short for the tables. We therefore tried to sit at the round tables when they were available as their chairs were at the right height.
Amenities
One of the ways that the Hyatt House Shelton shines is with all its amenities. For starters, there’s a fitness room with several pieces of equipment and weights.
The downside of the fitness room was that there was no thermostat available for guests to adjust the room’s temperature. That meant it could get fairly hot and humid in there, especially when other people were working out at the same time.
The fitness room had both regular towels and towels kept in a mini fridge, although the cold towels in the fridge weren’t noticeably cooler when using them.
For a less strenuous workout, the hotel has both an indoor pool and whirlpool. Neither of us went for a swim in the pool, although I did dip my hand in to check the temperature. Unfortunately I didn’t make a note of how warm it was and, now that it’s been about 10 days since we checked out, I’ve forgotten how warm it was!
Seeing as many guests at the Hyatt House Shelton are there for an extended period of time, the hotel has guest laundry facilities. There were only two washing machines, although there were six dryers. A load in either machine cost $1.50 which was reasonable.
Seeing as we travel full-time, we always have laundry detergent with us. If you need any though, there’s a dispenser in the laundry room where you can buy it for a couple of bucks.
The hotel has a bunch of other amenities too. There’s a bar on the first floor that’s open from 5-10pm each day.
Next to the bar was a pool table. This was an unexpectedly popular amenity at the hotel, as guests seemed to use it from breakfast until bedtime.
Also on the first floor was a business center. This was kitted out more comprehensively than many hotels as there were four computers rather than the usual one or two, along with a couple of printers.
If there are random items that you need during your stay, the hotel has a Borrows Menu which might have what you’re looking for.
If all you’re after is a quick snack, there’s a pantry area by the front desk.
The hotel also has a complimentary shuttle. You can use this to be taken anywhere within a 3 mile radius from 7:30am-6pm.
Pet Policy
The Hyatt House Shelton is a pet-friendly hotel. They accept up to two cats or dogs; dogs have to weigh less than 50 lbs and the combined weight of two dogs can’t be more than 75 lbs.
For stays of 1-6 nights, it costs $75, while for 7+ nights it costs $175. We stayed 9 nights and so our pet fee should’ve been $175, but we were only charged $75 🙂
One small downside of the hotel is that there’s only one narrow strip of grass on one side of the hotel. Otherwise, there’s just a few mulchy areas with flowers. There’s a Chili’s next door though and out front of the restaurant next to the road is a larger grassy area if needed.
Only 10 minutes away or so is Shelton Dog Park. This has both small and large dog sections, with the large dog section being a very good size. Be careful of tree roots though as it’s easy to trip over there.
Just over 10 minutes away in Milford is Eisenhower Dog Park. This also had small and large dog sections, with the large dog section being pretty sizable too. The only downside is that the large dog section at Eisenhower Dog Park has no shade, whereas there’s plenty at Shelton Dog Park. On the other hand, Eisenhower has a water station whereas there wasn’t one at Shelton.
Service
In addition to its amenities, service is another area where the Hyatt House Shelton stands out. We’ve now been on our road trip for 18 months and this property definitely had one of the best teams of staff that we’ve had so far, as every single person we interacted with was welcoming, friendly and helpful.
I mentioned that Monique was great when checking in, but our favorite staff member was Maribel. She was awesome and doted all over Truffles, so Truffles always loved stopping by the front desk for all the attention she could get.
Check-In & Check-Out Times
The hotel’s check-in time is 3pm and check-out is at 12pm. Shae had to teach online the morning we were due to leave, so we asked for a late checkout. Globalist members are supposed to be able to check out at 4pm, but they were only able to accommodate a 2pm checkout. That was fine though as we didn’t actually need to stay beyond 2pm.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi at the hotel was free. To be honest, I can’t remember much about it which must mean that the speed was good. I don’t think we had to reconnect each day as that’s something that always bugs me.
Location
The Hyatt House Shelton is just off Rt 8 and is only about 10 minutes away from I-95. Milford is only about 10 minutes away, while New Haven is 25 minutes to the east and Norwalk is 25 minutes southwest.
The hotel had a Chili’s and LongHorn Steakhouse next door, with ShopRite and Stop & Shop grocery stores a few minutes down the road.
Parking
The hotel offers free parking and there’s a good amount of it at street level. If there aren’t any spaces left though, there’s an underground parking lot for guests to use.
Cost
The reason we chose to stay at this property is because it’s a category 1 property in the World of Hyatt loyalty program, so it only costs 5,000 points per night. That means our 9 night stay cost 45,000 points. Just as a frame of reference, the World of Hyatt credit card currently offers a 50,000 point signup bonus when meeting its minimum spend, so that card could get you 11 nights free at the Hyatt House Shelton (once you also take into the points you’d earn when meeting the signup bonus).
If we’d paid cash, it would’ve cost $143.75 per night including tax. That means we got 2.88cpp (cents per point) of value by booking an award stay which is very good value.
The hotel also offers 250 points per day if you decline housekeeping. We declined it for 7 days, so we should’ve earned 1,750 points but those weren’t awarded after our stay. One of the benefits of having Globalist status with Hyatt is that you get access to a concierge, so I dropped mine an email to ask her to follow up with the hotel about this. Rather than awarding 1,750 points, she deposited 3,500 points which was greatly appreciated. I also earned 488 points due to the $75 pet fee.
Final Thoughts
We loved our stay at the Hyatt House Shelton. Although we would’ve loved getting upgraded to a one bedroom suite, getting a studio suite upgrade was appreciated as it meant we had a full kitchen and a more spacious room for our 9 night stay.
The breakfast options were good each day, the shower was awesome, the hotel has a wide range of amenities and the staff was fantastic.
To be honest, Connecticut has been one of our least favorite states so far on our 50 state road trip, but this hotel was a bright spot and so we’d be happy staying there again if for some reason we ever visited Connecticut in the future.
Truffles Approval Rating
Not only does the Hyatt House Shelton get four paws out of four (pawfect!), but they also get the Golden Tail Wag. The pet fee ended up being lower than expected, but the main reason is because of how much love and attention Truffles got from the staff, particularly Maribel. Truffles enjoyed the stay as much as we did.
Our Rating
Room = 4.7 / 5
Hotel Amenities = 4.9 / 5
Food = 4.7 / 5
Location = 4.2 / 5
Service = 4.9 / 5
Overall Value = 4.6 / 5
Total = 4.67 / 5
Address
Hyatt House, 830 Bridgeport Ave, Shelton, CT 06484
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