Yet Another 2025 Year-End Review (7 Stays, 2 Continents)

...and unlike my 2024 and 2023 editions, the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile is nowhere on the list!

This was a lighter year for my travels, with a different pace and character to it. But hopefully you enjoy it all the same. From best to worst:

• SCHLOSS Roxburghe (Scotland) - My wife and I booked the 2-story courtyard suite because the property was in about the right spot on our UK roadtrip and a reasonable amount of points despite missing out on the standard room. This was the happiest accident in all my Hyatt stays, as words do not do this place justice. We originally planned to make this a two-night stay but chopped it to one night to keep traveling further north. Debatable life choice, that. We arrived around 11:00 PM that night due to delays on the road, and the staff welcomed us as warmly as if it was barely dinner time--zero loss of enthusiasm. Lunch in the garden was delicious (if a hair light on portions), the entire property was in great condition and comfortable, the complimentary EV charger was appreciated, and when I asked about late checkout given the urge to sleep in they unilaterally offered me (an Explorist) a 4:00 PM checkout. We greatly enjoyed our stay despite skipping like 80% of the amenities, and I'd go back in a heartbeat. But I'd arrive during daylight hours, as the A68 is rather treacherous in the dark.
• Park Hyatt London River Thames (England) - I've read all the comments, I know a lot of people consider this a "bad" Park Hyatt. But a bad Park Hyatt still tops a lot of places. We stayed here the final three nights of that road trip, using a GoH certificate to waive off the parking and breakfast and such. The room was bank vault quiet, with probably my second-favorite window view ever (second only to the HR Paris Étoile) featuring the London Eye, Elizabeth Tower, and more. Bed? Amazing. Shower and bathroom? Ermagherd. Staff? Warm from start to finish. So how does a flagship get knocked off the top spot? Little misses. The Nine Elms restaurant was delicious, but we got left hanging on a couple requests or things like water. The room TV would hang up overnight, so we'd wake up to a stuttering noise--repeatedly. We departed at zero-dark-thirty to catch our flight home, early enough that they didn't have a valet on duty and could only guide me to my car in the parking deck. Which is thoroughly fine, but it introduced me to the undisclosed EV charger underneath. Sure would've been handy. If you have a car with you, this is a great option on the whole with Globalist or a GoH. Still better than The Churchill. But I'd choose the Andaz if I was on foot.
• Hyatt Regency London Stratford (England) - This was the first stop of our UK trip, and we selected it for its convenience to the O2 Arena. Home run for that, just three stops away on the Tube. The building is a little tricky to find from the Elizabeth Line station, as it's woven into the Westfield shopping mall complex and up a level. It's a fresh renovation and thoroughly comfortable from start to finish, even if some bits are shared with the Hyatt House at the same location. You'll be to the east of just about everything (it's a one-seat hour-plus on the Elizabeth Line from Heathrow), but it's well-connected and an absolute steal for a Category 1-4 certificate.
• Special Non-Hyatt Honorable Mention: Hilton Aberdeen TECA (Scotland) - We picked this one because there was no Hyatt option available in Aberdeen (or anywhere remotely close by our destination of Alford the next morning). This Hilton would be a high Regency, or a meh-tier Grand. We arrived late enough to hit their restaurant for something easy--the food was great, and the drinks were good enough that my wife asked the bartender for how to make it--which they did, down to the specific brand and variety of gin we sourced at a Morrison's the next day. (Take notes, Park Hyatt.) The room was comfortable and fine, though we didn't get to sample the charging as the underground car parking was closed for an event. If you find yourself in this Hyatt desert, this is well worth your money.
• Hyatt Place Florence Downtown (South Carolina) - It's quite the drop from a really nice Hilton to a Hyatt Place in a small city, but honestly this was one of those properties that makes you appreciate a Hyatt Place. The room was comfortable and in good condition, and I liked the open-air upstairs patio that allowed you to get a great view of downtown Florence in a way that most Hyatt Places can't supply. Breakfast was on target as well. It's rare that I need to stay in Florence, but if I did this would be worth the trip off the interstate.
• Hyatt Regency Greenville (South Carolina) - I stayed here in 2023, and I rated it a bit higher then. Back then the property was under renovation, which scores a fair amount of grace with me. Now that renovation work is apparently more or less done, and it's clear what they have left behind: an aged Regency. From dusty vents to scraped door paint, there are so many little things that could stand a refresh. The good news is that you're in the middle of Greenville, so great food and shopping options are an easy walk.
• Hyatt Place North Charleston (South Carolina) - Much of what I can say about the HP Florence applies here. The only reason it slides so far is location--it's an interstate Hyatt, so you're surrounded by other hotels and parking lots. But it's a HP that meets expectations, and that's fine. I waffled hard on whether to rank the HR Greenville above or below, and in the end I picked location despite the room not being what I expected.
• Hyatt Place Indianapolis/Carmel (Indiana) - I stayed here in 2020 for the one trip I took between lockdown starting and vaccines rolling out. I was high on this property back then, as it was pretty fresh. Alas, it hasn't stayed that way in the five years since. Lots of furniture bits were showing the particle board beneath the veneer, but most criminally the room door wasn't doing a great job at latching. I had to give it a firm, active yank to latch shut. Add in the absolute car-dependence of the place, and it brings up the rear this year. With it being a Category 3, I think I'd put last year's wooden spoon (the Category 2 Hyatt Place Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport) above it too.

Still figuring out my 2026 plans, but looking forward to another great year of travels!