We travel a lot as a family of five, so finding a hotel that checks all the boxes — great location, comfortable rooms, and solid value when you’re redeeming points — feels like a win worth celebrating. The Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars delivered on all of it, and then some. After four nights there with our three kids (ages 11, 12, and 15 at the time), I can say without hesitation: this one goes on the “do again” list.
Here’s everything you need to know before booking.
The Rooms: Spacious, Well-Appointed, and Family-Friendly
For a family of five, the room situation takes some planning. We booked two rooms: a Regency Suite High Street View (King with a rollaway) and a standard King room right next door. The rooms weren’t connected, but being adjacent made it work just fine for our family.
The suite is really the key piece here for larger families. It’s the only room that comfortably sleeps three, which makes it a smart choice if you need two rooms but want everyone to have enough space. That said, if squeezing three into a standard room works for your family, it’s worth reaching out to the hotel directly to ask — it may be an option depending on the configuration.
Both rooms were spacious and beautifully appointed. No complaints at all on the room quality side.
How We Booked It (And What It Cost in Points)
At the time of our stay, the Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars was a Category 5 property — it has since moved to Category 6, so keep that in mind when you’re planning. We paid 74,000 World of Hyatt points per room for our four-night stay, which was a mix of off-peak and standard award nights.
Offers and award categories change frequently — always verify current point costs and card offers before booking or applying.
For context, the cash rate was running around €375 per night for a standard room at the time. Booking with points and a suite upgrade award instead of paying cash made this a seriously high-value redemption, especially for a city like London where hotel prices can be steep.
We used a suite upgrade award to secure the Regency Suite — something Globalist members earn annually after reaching certain elite night milestones. If your family is in a similar situation (needing a larger room for the same number of bookings), those suite upgrades can be a game-changer.
If you’re building up a stash of Hyatt points, The World of Hyatt Credit Card is one of my go-to recommendations for earning them. It’s one of the best cards for families who love Hyatt properties, and it comes with a welcome offer that can give your points balance a real head start and a free category 1-4 night each year.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card
Annual fee: $95Welcome offer
Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points — 30,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, plus up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point in the first 6 months (on up to $15,000 spent).
Key perks
- Annual free night certificate at any Category 1-4 Hyatt property after card anniversary
- Up to 9x total points per $1 at Hyatt hotels (4 Bonus Points + up to 5 Base Points as a member)
- 2x Bonus Points at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly, local transit, and gym memberships
- 1x Bonus Points on all other purchases
- 5 tier qualifying night credits toward elite status every calendar year
- 2 additional tier qualifying night credits for every $5,000 spent
- Extra free night at any Category 1-4 property after $15,000 in calendar year spending
- Automatic World of Hyatt Discoverist status
- Complimentary DashPass membership through 12/31/2027
- No foreign transaction fees
- Points don't expire as long as your account is open
Globalist Perks: Where This Stay Really Shone
My husband holds Globalist status with World of Hyatt, and this stay was a great reminder of why we work to hold onto it. Here’s what came with it:
Club Lounge Access was included at no extra charge. For non-Globalists, lounge access is available for €40 per day per room — still a reasonable add-on if you want the convenience. The lounge was genuinely useful throughout our stay: we’d pop in during the day for drinks and bottles of water to grab on our way out to explore. That grab-and-go factor was something we really appreciated, although technically I don’t think drinks are supposed to leave the lounge.
One honest caveat: the evening lounge offering was cocktails and canapés only — not enough to call it dinner. Every other hotel lounge we’ve used has been enough to serve as dinner for us, so this was the one area where expectations didn’t quite match reality. We had to head out for dinner each night, which wasn’t a hardship in a city like London, but it’s worth knowing going in.
Free Breakfast was served at the hotel’s Chinese Cricket Club restaurant, and the hours were solid: 6:30–10:30am on weekdays and 7:00–11:00am on weekends. As Globalists, we were able to order from the full menu at no charge. Guests with Regency Club access (non-Globalists) receive the buffet, which was also good and well worth it.
I do want to flag one small hiccup: on our first morning, the staff initially directed us to the buffet only and wasn’t aware that Globalists could order from the full menu. We confirmed it at the front desk, and it was sorted out quickly — but it’s something to keep in mind so you’re not caught off guard. Also, the morning we ordered from the full menu, service was noticeably slow. Not a dealbreaker, but worth noting if you have an early start planned.
A Birthday Surprise
Before we arrived, I let the hotel know that it was our son’s birthday. When we checked in, his room had balloons and a birthday cake waiting for him. It’s always fun to see the look on your child’s face when they feel recognized, and it made such an impression. It’s those kinds of touches that take a stay from “really nice hotel” to “I can’t wait to go back.”
If you have a birthday or special occasion coming up around your stay, absolutely reach out to the hotel ahead of time.
Location: Hard to Beat
The Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars is situated as well as a London hotel can be. It’s directly across the street from the Blackfriars tube exit, which is as convenient as it sounds. No long walks dragging luggage, no figuring out which exit to take — you walk out of the tube and the hotel is right there.
From there, you’re walking distance to a huge range of London’s major attractions. For a family trying to pack a lot into a trip, the location alone is worth a lot.
And while we’re on the subject of the neighborhood: don’t miss The Blackfriar pub, literally across the street. We made a reservation the day before (there’s a 90-minute time limit at the table, just so you know), and it was a fantastic experience — a genuinely special spot with great food and a historic atmosphere. Highly recommend building it into your trip.
The Bottom Line
The Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars is an excellent choice for families, particularly those with Globalist status or those willing to pay for lounge access. The location is unbeatable, the rooms are spacious and well-designed, and the staff clearly cares about making the experience memorable.
A few things to know going in: the evening lounge food won’t cover dinner, and full-menu breakfast service can be slow. But those are small caveats in an otherwise excellent stay.
If you’re sitting on Hyatt points or building toward Globalist status, this property absolutely deserves a spot on your list. And if you’re not earning Hyatt points yet, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a great place to start.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Annual fee: $95Welcome offer
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Key perks
- $50 annual hotel credit
- Complimentary DashPass
- $10 DoorDash promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Earn 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
- Earn 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries.
- Earn 2x on all other travel purchases.
- Earn 1x on all other purchases.
More on our families free travels!
Family vacations were a near impossibility for us not that long ago. But about 5 years ago we discovered credit card points and miles and now traveling several times a year is the norm for us! If you want to learn more about how our family travels for next to nothing, I would love for you to check out my Quick Start Guide to Traveling with Points and Miles. It is a hobby that has forever changed our lives and given us the opportunity to see the world!
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