Because our flight from DFW to Japan was leaving around noon central time on a Monday, I decided it made sense to fly out to Dallas the night before, given the constant delays due to weather and other issues we had seen all summer on domestic routes. In the end, we probably would have been fine to fly out early Monday, but instead we got a decent night’s sleep at the Hyatt Regency DFW.

We landed an hour late due to our aircraft being delayed getting to Atlanta. Before the flight, we visited the Atlanta Admirals Club with two of us getting in using my BA Silver (One World Sapphire) status and my wife getting in using one of her Admirals Club passes from her Citi Strata Elite (although she probably has no idea about the card or the passes). Our flight, despite the delay, was pleasant enough as we were all in First Class. I had booked my wife and daughter using 9k Alaska Atmos miles each (one of the great sweet spots for domestic flights) and myself using 14k AA miles in main cabin (after I switched to the JAL Dallas flight from JFK a few months before the trip). I upgraded myself for $102, which I got reimbursed through the Ritz card flight credit.

We arrived at Terminal D, which ironically was also where our JAL flight would depart the next day. Once our checked bags finally came out, it was past 11pm central. I called the hotel to request the shuttle and thankfully, it arrived quickly. The driver was super helpful with the bags getting on and off the shuttle.

We got to the hotel (which is near Terminal C) and checked in quickly around 11:30pm. I had booked two rooms, one with an expiring Category 1-4 free night certificate and the other for my daughter with 12k Hyatt points. Our room got upgraded to a suite and she got a two bed room as that was the only thing available when I booked the second room. I also used a guest of honor certificate for her room so I could get another elite night credit for my status requalification. It didn’t really get her anything for such a short stay as we didn’t even have breakfast at the hotel. The much nicer Grand Hyatt in Terminal D would have cost 20k points per night and would not have been eligible for using the free night certificate. The cash prices for the night we were staying were around $200 at the Hyatt Regency and $300 at the Grand Hyatt.

Our suite was large, but kind of weirdly laid out. Also, the furniture and carpet were very old.

Thankfully, the bed was comfortable. I slept pretty well until around 6:30am. I decided to go work out so that I could justify my JAL First Class indulgences to come later in the day.

The views from the window were of the construction of the Terminal C improvements and some runways further in the distance.

The gym was on the second floor and was surprisingly nice for such an old hotel. There were Pelotons, bikes, treadmills and weights along with other fairly new equipment.

Adjacent to the gym was a laundry area. I can see this being helpful for those coming off a long international trip with a night here before heading home, especially people with young kids. There were two washer/dryers with credit card payment available and a seating area where you could wait for your laundry to finish.

We didn’t have breakfast at the hotel because we had lounge access prior to our flight and preferred to just get over to the airport and have breakfast after checking in. The shuttle was prompt at 9am and took us back to Terminal D where we found Japan Airlines check-in counter.

Overall, the Hyatt Regency DFW was decent enough for a quick overnight before our flight to Japan. I don’t normally do overnight stays before an international trip as I tend to risk a same day positioning flight. In this case, with a noon flight and the ability to fly out on a Sunday evening, I decided to be more conservative. I would stay here again given the difference in both points and cash pricing with the Grand Hyatt. I don’t need a fancy airport hotel, just a place with a comfortable bed and maybe a gym to catch a workout before a long flight.

Up Next: Chase Sapphire Lounge DFW Review

If you have questions about this post, let me know in the comments or send me an email at emptynestermiles@gmail.com. If you are thinking about opening a new credit card, please contact me via email and I will be happy to recommend the best new card for your situation. I also recommend using CardPointers to track your credit card spending discount offers.