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Park Hyatt Sydney Will Reopen March 1 at $855 a Night

Where: 7 Hickson Road, The Rocks, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 2000

We knew the big, big revamp of the Park Hyatt Sydney was going to be a big deal. But deal is not a word you're going to hear in any other capacity when it comes to this harbour-front icon.

Apparently the hotel is on track to re-open in mid-February but is taking reservations from March 1 onwards. And the starting rate for a night on March 1st? $AUD 855 a night.

Before you think, but hey, that's Aussie dollars. It's got to be cheaper when you convert it, right? --check out how strong that Aussie dollar is. The rate converts to $893 US dollars. Ouch.

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Sneak Peek at The Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi

Where: PO Box 52007, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas opened on November 1st and just in case some of you jetsetters out there have not made it to the new hotel, we've got a couple of interior snapshots to drool over, starting with that bedroom view.

The hotel is located on a nine-kilometer stretch of beach on Saadiyat Island, so most views from the rooms offer views of the beach. If you don't have a beach view, then you're probably looking out over the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club or the hotel's own gardens but no matter the view, each room has its own balcony or private terrace.

Elsewhere on the property is a the two-level Atarmia Spa, the Park Bar and Grill, the Library Bar (which serves tea and coffee specialties) and The Beach House, the beachfront restaurant which serves Mediterranean cuisine.

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There's Just Something About the Park Hyatt Chicago...

Where: 800 North Michigan Ave [map], Chicago, IL, United States, 60611

We'll admit it; we have a thing for photographing hotels at night. There's something about the glowing windows, the architecture lit by spotlights and the knowledge that the interior is still a flurry of activity, even when everyone else has gone to bed. Other hotels we've night-stalked are the Langham London and the Mandarin Oriental London, for example.

Last night—Halloween night—we sauntered by the Park Hyatt Chicago, not a new one for us as we've stayed and reviewed it before, but there's just something that keeps us coming back.

The hotel recently unveiled their revamped NoMi restaurant, Spa and lounges, and we've heard rumors that more renovations are on the way. Last night, however, all was quiet.

[Photo: HotelChatter]

Hotel Amenities / Hotel Technology / Hotel WiFi / Portable WiFi / JW Marriott Hotels / Kuala Lumpur Hotels / Park Hyatt Hotels / Tokyo Hotels / → All Tags

Are Personal WiFi Hotspots The Next Hot Hotel Amenity?

Are wireless hot spots the next hot hotel amenity? Judging by these two recent reports from luxury hotels in Asia, they just might be!

First up, a guest sent in this snapshot, above, and description, below, of the YES personal 4G station called the Huddle found at the JW Marriott in Kuala Lumpur. He writes:

YES has a table in the lobby, adjacent to the Front Desk, where guests can borrow (deposit, but no rental charge) a 4G station, called a “Huddle”. Then, for RM50 per day (USD15/day) you get all the wifi data you can eat. That includes downloading their app and turning your iPod Touch or iPhone, or iPad, into a VOIP phone for free… and, you can connect up to 5 devices at one time.

I’m on it right now with my laptop, and have also connected an iPad and my US iPhone 3GS. I now have all the data and calls I can consume, all at a flat rate.

The Huddle is slightly smaller than the iPhone, and would easily slip into my pocket. I now have a wifi hotspot with me, throughout KL… It just needs to plug in and recharge overnight.

Right now, this is only of value in KL, but what a great connectivity platform! Is this what 4G can do for hotels? No more data roaming overseas at randomly high rates?

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Have You Ever Done This? Tree Pose By the Pool at The Park Hyatt Beijing

Where: 2 Jianguomenwai Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China, 100022

We all know that hotels aren't as forthcoming as they should be with photos of their rooms and public spaces on their websites but we still have a chuckle over the other kind of photos hotels put on their website--the totally staged shots of people doing totally random things.

Like this "hotel guest" who is doing a little yoga all alone at the indoor rooftop pool at the Park Hyatt Beijing.

Granted, the Park Hyatt Beijing is a stunning property with killer views of the city from nearly every futuristic nook and cranny in the place and while the pool (one of two lap pools in the hotel) may not be awash in heavenly light at all times, it is pretty spectacular looking.

But still, as a hotel guest, would you just bust out into tree pose by your lonesome here? Hey, maybe you would. Rates at the hotel start at $350 a night for a Park Room King if you want to give it a try.

Or if you've already done this, let us know in comments below! Extra bonus points if you send us a pic to show it's fer realz.

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Soak in Lake Michigan from The Deep-Soaking Tub at The Park Hyatt Chicago

Where: 800 N. Michigan Ave [map], Chicago, IL, United States, 60601

We're not only suckers for a killer view here at HotelChatter, we're suckers for a deep-soaking tub with a killer view, a few of which we've lusted after here.

But the other week when we were in Chicago we got to soak in the views of Lake Michigan while doing some soaking of our own in the tub at the Park Hyatt Chicago.

This here is the view from the hotel's Lake Suite, an enormous suite on the 16th floor with prime views of the Water Tower and in the distance, Lake Michigan. And yes, you can even see this view while sitting in the suite's oversized tub, thanks to a set of sliding wood doors that open out to the bedroom.

Further setting the mood are trio of candles and a vessel of bath salts. Even better, the entire hotel has free WiFi so you could actually peruse your iPad while soaking if you want. (We didn't trust our clumsy selves to do that.)

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The Park Hyatt Sydney Will Be More Luxe Than Ever When It Reopens Later This Year

Where: 7 Hickson Road, The Rocks, Sydney, Australia, NSW 2000

Floor-to-ceiling windows GALORE at the newly-reopened Park Hyatt Sydney

Luxe travelers to the Land Down Under were dealt a blow when the iconic Park Hyatt Sydney closed its doors almost a year ago for an Extreme Hotel Makeover. After being stripped and redesigned nearly from scratch, the hotel is set to open later this year and promises to be more extravagant than ever. With all of the major nips and tucks it's received, you'd swear it doesn't look a day over its 21-years.

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Park Hyatt Shanghai Keeps Your Feet Clean With Foot Showers

Where: 100 Century Ave., Shanghai, Shanghai, China, 200120

Bathroom Tuesday continues! Just when we thought hotels had figured out all the ways to pamper us, we happened upon a peculiar and peculiarly delightful little in-room amenity at the Park Hyatt Shanghai: foot showers.

Walking around the gritty streets of Shanghai can get downright dirty, so of course when you retire to one of your stratospheric rooms on floors 79-93 of the Shanghai World Financial Center (it used to be the world’s highest hotel before the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong opened in March), you want to wash all that grime off before exploiting your room’s other amenities to the fullest, in particular the free WiFi and the fact that it’s the only hotel in the city that filters its water so it’s safe to drink.

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Park Hyatt Will Open in Vienna in 2013

Park Hyatt Hotels are on an expansion whirl this year. The Park Hyatt Maldives debuted the other month, the Bermuda location is later this year or early next and even NYC will be getting a Park Hyatt soon. And now come 2013, the Park Hyatt will open its doors in Vienna.

Hyatt Hotels made the announcement this morning, saying the hotel would open inside a historic building in the city's Innere Stadt, or First District.

Park Hyatt Vienna will feature 143 rooms, including 35 suites. In addition to an all-day dining restaurant, lobby and cigar lounges, and a hotel bar, the hotel will include a premier meeting facility with 640m2 of conference space, a fitness center, and a spa. The world-class luxury hotel, which will reflect the intimate and understated elegance of the Park Hyatt brand, is being designed by architects Neumann & Partners and interior design firm FG Stijl.

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Today Might Be a Little Rough if You're Staying at the Park Hyatt Chicago

Where: 800 N. Michigan Ave [map], Chicago, IL, United States, 60611

If you're checking into the Park Hyatt Chicago, you might not get the welcome you hoped for. That's because hotel workers from the Unite Here Local 1 union will be striking in front of the hotel for better working conditions for hotel housekeepers.

Apparently Hyatt Hotels is the last major hotel chain in Chicago to agree to a deal with the union. In fact, over a year ago in May, a few hundred Hyatt employees walked out on their jobs in protest. But that was only for a few hours while today looks like it will be an all-day thing.

Hyatt's also got the same problem today in other cities too, nine to be exact including Boston, where two years ago 100 Hyatt employees were suddenly fired. Hopefully, Hyatt and hotel workers in Chicago can kiss and makeup, or at least come to an agreement on a contract, very soon.

Are you currently staying a hotel that's in the middle of a strike? Let us know from the frontlines what's going on!

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A Look Inside Park Hyatt Chicago's New NoMI Restaurant, Spa and Lounges

Where: 800 N. Michigan Ave. [map], Chicago, IL, United States, 60611

Park Hyatt Chicago was finding that diners only visited its formal NoMI restaurant for special occasions, like an anniversary. So the hotel decided to revamp the eatery—and its whole floor—in hopes of making it a regular destination.

It transformed its seventh floor into a NoMI floor, with a restaurant, lounges and a spa designed to make you feel at home, but with Park Hyatt's understated elegance, not a kick-off-your-shoes-and-lay-on-the-couch atmosphere. The whole concept is centered around NoMI Kitchen, the newly monikered restaurant.

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Park Hyatt Chicago Unveils Its NoMI Floor and Its New Restaurant and Spa Today

Where: 800 N. Michigan Ave. [map], Chicago, IL, United States, 60611

It was a surprise when Park Hyatt Chicago's NoMI restaurant shut down in January soon after winning a coveted Michelin star. But not only is the renovated restaurant reopening today, it's now part of a new NoMI floor in the Chicago hotel.

The seventh floor of Park Hyatt Chicago has become a one-stop shop for the NoMI lifestyle, as it now houses a NoMI Spa, NoMI Lounge and NoMI Garden. But the restaurant, now called NoMI Kitchen, is still the centerpiece. The idea is that the kitchen is the hub of the home, where family and friends get together.

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