Today we are having a look at the Hyatt Regency Orange County located on the corner of Chapman Avenue and Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove, California, just under two miles south of Disneyland. Hyatt Regency OC is on Visit Anaheim’s list of luxury hotels near Disneyland. Do I agree with that classification? Let’s find out.
We checked in late at night. It was around 10:00 PM and let me tell you, this lobby was just stunning as a first impression. Look at the lights and the tall atrium there, the backlit panels behind the front desk. It was just gorgeous.
Here it is in the daytime. It’s a little less impressive after having seen it all lit up at night. I much preferred the nighttime vibe.
There are lots of options for satisfying your hunger here. So let’s go through them. First up is Tusca. This is the breakfast/brunch restaurant, simple, classy. You can order off the menu or take advantage of their breakfast buffet. Hubby decided to order off the menu and I went for the buffet.
Hubby’s plate was a good size portion and I don’t even think he finished it all. There were lots of options on the buffet. A very nice sized buffet here, with a made-to-order omelette bar, kid-sized bowls & spoons by the cereal, and the oh-so-cute individual jam jars.
Next up is iSwii. This is your go-to spot for snacks and treats. iSwii doesn’t open until 11:00 AM when Tusca closes, and we happened to time it just right so that we were finishing our brunch right about 11 when the switchover happens. So I went over right after brunch to see about getting a boba tea.
And the gal at the register said, actually, the boba machine wasn’t ready yet, so could I come back in about 30 minutes. So I went out and got some more pictures and video of the property, came back, and she was ready. She got the boba ready for me, and then she even treated me, no charge. And I was so grateful ’cause I was so ready for that boba tea!
Then we’re moving on to the OC Brew House, which is the sports bar style area in the lobby. This is your dinner or your late night snack spot. They have happy hour and a kids’ menu. Everything that we ordered tasted fine. It wasn’t great, but it was fine. It was decent.
Then there’s a full Starbucks in the lobby, almost a full store. I don’t think I need to explain anything else about Starbucks. Y’all are familiar with that.
And then finally, to round out the restaurant sector, just outside the hotel, near the self parking lot, is Nova Kitchen. Now this place is absolutely amazing! We’ve come to eat at Nova even when we’re not staying at this hotel. It’s one of the best restaurants in Anaheim. I highly recommend it, and they also have a great happy hour.
Back in the lobby is the gift shop, which is located right behind or next to the Starbucks area. Anything you might need or that you may have forgotten you should be able to find here. And then right across from the gift shop is a little arcade area.
Now, let’s check out the pools. Yes, I said pools, plural. There are two pools at this hotel. This first one is on the ground level. If you exit the lobby right by Starbucks, there the gate is just to your left.
I chatted a bit with David, the valet supervisor. He recommended the pool here on the ground floor over the second pool because this ground floor pool has shade. And I totally agree. I think shade is necessary if you’re spending an extended time out lounging by the pool.
The ground floor pool also seemed to have a larger number of chairs and loungers. There’s no hot tub up at the second pool; the only hot tub on property is on the ground floor.
Up on the third floor is where you’ll find the second pool. There’s a really large open area with a fire pit and a sports court. On the sports court, there are lots of different things to stay active with. Or if you’ve got really little ones, there’s a big open area, they can just run around. There’s pickle ball, cornhole, ping pong, basketball, giant connect four, giant checkers, shuffleboard, just lots to do out here.
At the pool itself, there are some tables and chairs and loungers, but I really think there were more downstairs. Plus the fire pit area. And I did notice some QR codes on the tables so you can order food and drink poolside at BOTH pools.
Then there’s the gym. Nice large gym facilities here. The treadmills and other cardio equipment look out over the pool on this floor.
And now the room! The room type that we had was called a Kids Suite. That’s the official name. There are a lot of room types here at Hyatt Regency OC and they’re in the middle of a renovation here. So if you’ve seen pictures online of that airy, blues, whites, beachy room, that is NOT this room. As far as I can tell and could find out, those renovated rooms are just your standard king and queen rooms. They haven’t quite made it to their suites yet in the renovation.
They have a lot of types of suites, but the renovation hasn’t quite reached the suites yet, as of the time of our stay. For reference, our stay was in April 2025. So if you’re coming maybe six months to a year after April 2025, it’s possible that the suites will have been renovated.
There is good separation in this room. If you are wanting to put kids to bed and then adults are staying up, there’s a door to separate the bathroom and the kids bunkbed. Probably 50/50 viewpoints on whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing – haha – but that’s the layout and the setup there.
Basically, everything is in the main room with the main adult bed. The only thing back in the kids’ area is the bunk beds, a little dresser, and a TV. And of course the bathroom area. They have a little vanity kit in the bathroom with some makeup remover and Q-tips and things like that.
We did have to let the front desk know about a hole in the ceiling. And they did ask if we wanted to move rooms, so we went ahead and took them up on that offer just so we could show you another option. It’s the same room class, it’s on the same floor. So this is a kids suite, still on floor 10. As you can see, the layout and amenities in this room versus the first room are pretty much the same.
So Hyatt Regency OC has a dedicated shuttle that runs between just Hyatt Regency and Disneyland several times a day. There is a large sign advertising this service with a QR code in the lobby. There’s another brochure or two in the room explaining the service, and of course, the front desk has info also.
The schedule varies based on the season, so make sure you’re checking that if you’re staying here. As of April 2025, the cost was $6 per day per person. And I think children and adults both are $6. I think children under 2 or 3 years old are free. It’s basically a straight shot right up Harbor Boulevard to Disneyland. The whole ride took about 10 minutes or so with lights and traffic and whatnot.
So going back to my question at the top of the article: Is Hyatt Regency Orange County a luxury hotel? Interestingly, I saw Hyatt Regency OC on Visit Anaheim’s luxury hotel list last year – 2024. This year, 2025, after staying at the hotel and preparing this article, Hyatt Regency OC is NO LONGER listed on the luxury hotel page of Visit Anaheim’s website. Perhaps they feel as I do. I think this property definitely has all the bells, whistles, and perks you imagine when thinking about a luxury property. But the condition of the rooms did not feel luxury. Once they complete their renovation, though, this will absolutely be a luxury property.
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions at all. I’m always so, so happy to help. Until next time, stay comfy Hotel Guests!
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