Courtesy of Wired.com

Long flight and I’m feeling it. I’ve got a big presentation tomorrow that I have to nail, so I know I need a good night’s rest. Glad that I booked my hotel online after reading that travel blog – it’s a new hotel from Hyatt® that’s popped up all over and – yes – there’s one where I need to be.

A digital road warrior’s hunt to find a hotel designed around his lifestyle. The lobby? It’s called a Gallery and it’s more like a cool café – people are working on their laptops thanks to free hotel-wide Wi-Fi and and a wine, beer, and coffee bar in the back. Getting my room is no hassle because I make a beeline to the selfservice check-in. A Host walks over to help. It’s simple enough, and she auto-enrolls me in Hyatt’s Gold Passport® program. Now my first stay gets me closer to earning free nights.

In my room, and I like what I see: it’s more modern and spacious than I’ve seen lately on these trips, and best of all it features a 42” flat-panel HDTV. I can watch the latest on-demand movies, but decide to catch tonight’s football game in high-def instead.

I settle in, and relax when I realize I haven’t finished my presentation for tomorrow’s meeting. However, too hungry to work so I head to the Guest Kitchen. I order a freshly-prepared pizza and a beer from the touch-screen menu and pay using my room key card. (Meals and snacks are available 24/7.) I decide to eat in the Gallery and catch the final plays of tonight’s football game on a flat-panel TV.

Back in the room, I hook up my laptop to the technology and entertainment center with the plug panel that connects to the HDTV. I notice that I could plug in my MP3 player or a portable DVD player; so nice to know I have options.

I finish up and remotely print the meeting agenda from my laptop directly to the e-room. I head down to pick up the printout and I check tomorrow’s weather and plot my route to the meeting via a customized home page on one of the center’s public computers. Easy.

After a night of sleeping like a baby in the Hyatt Grand Bed™, a plush XXL monster I wish I had at home, I spend 40 minutes in the Stay Fit fitness facility stocked with great equipment, including Life Fitness® cardio and strength machines with LCD touch-screen consoles. Shower, shave, and out the door to meet a colleague in the Guest Kitchen to review the presentation one last time over a Starbucks® Grande Mocha and the complimentary continental breakfast. My colleague grabs a muffin from the Bakery Café. A quick stop to check out at the express kiosk and we’re off. Sweet.

I can see that technology is integrated into pretty much everything here, and that’s a beautiful thing. My stay at Hyatt Place is easy, comfortable, and not so different from home. Since there’s soon to be more than 120 properties and growing, I’ll definitely be back. Now about that presentation… The plug panel on the HDTV is cool. I can hook up everything – from my laptop to my music, whatever suits my mood.
For reservations and information call
888 HYATT HP (888 492 8847)
or visit HyattPlace.com.