I'm staying here for a conference. Tonight, a group of 13 of us got together for dinner at a local restaurant. We asked the bellman for cabs. Limousines arrived. Some in our party specifically asked why we had limousines instead of cabs. The bellman told us these were cabs. A couple of us who had been out around the town already remarked that we had not seen cabs in the city, and we thought maybe this was another of the weird surreal things about this very weird surreal city. In hindsight, we should have been more wary. We were being screwed. Of course these weren't cabs. There was no meter, just an announcement of a charge at the end of the trip. The limos cost a total of $95 plus tips to take us about 5 miles. At the end of our meal, we asked for cabs, and got...cabs! Total fare: $39 plus tips.

We confronted the bellman, who first said we had asked for limos. We were clear that we had not. Then he said he was using "our regular car service," but said that we had been overcharged. We protested that the problem wasn't just that we had been overcharged, but that in fact we had gotten what we did not ask for and that we were not dealt with honestly. He told us we were free to talk to the manager. We did so. The manager apologized, but when I asked him directly what the hotel's policy was on calling limos when guests asked for cabs, he denied that this was their practice. However, in discussing the issue with other conference attendees, it seems that consistently guests who ask for cabs are being ushered into limos, and then stuck with bills at the end of the trip.

I have seen the limo/cab scam elsewhere. it's not unique to this hotel. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a kickback involved. But guests have a right to be treated fairly, not be hustled into scams, and to be able to trust our hosts. The Phoenix Hyatt failed on all counts. I won't be coming back. If you must stay here and need a cab rather than a limo, be sure to be explicit with the bellman, and don't get into a car without a meter unless you negotiate on price up front. Know also that cab fares are relatively low, so you should probably expect to pay less than you might think.

The hotel is aging, but somewhat gracefully. The biggest issue is the lighting in the bathroom. The small. inadequate fixtures provide about as much light at the mirror as a single candle. Shaving was by feel, not by sight. There rest of the room was fine.

I stayed at the Hyatt at the end of March and suppose I should start with the good. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the rooms were clean.

The bad should start at the beginning.

Don't help yourself to the bottled water that's on the desk when you walk into your room. It is $5.25 a bottle. Instead, go back down to the ground floor and get it at Einstein's Cafe for $3.00.

Don't count on getting any really hot water out of the tap. No matter what time of day or night I tried, the best the 16th floor would produce was lukewarm - too cool for comfortable shaving. It did make adjusting the shower easy, though; I just turned it on to maximum hot and it was barely warm enough.

In-room coffee pots are standard in most hotels, but the Hyatt cheaps out with the little 1-cup-at-a-time jobbies that use the innstant coffee packs. Yuck!

Bring your own headlamp if you intend to read. The lighting in the rooms is little better than a candle in a cave.

If you are a government traveler, forget about your beancounter's insistence that you use the tax-free number for your agency - the desk will not recognize any but Arizona state agency tax-exempt status.

Forget about a courtesy shuttle from and to the airport - it is far less expensive to use a regular taxi.

The bathroom fans must hold the record for noisiness! Go ahead and sing while showering - nobody will hear you over the fan's noise.

In-room internet access in sincredibly expensive at $10.95 a day.

I could go on, but this should suffice to persuade you that any of the other nearby hotels are a better choice.

Attended a business meeting in downtown Phoenix and stayed at Hyatt. Great location; easy walking distance to many attractions in downtown Phoenix. Short shuttle ride from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Had a room on the 21st floor with great view of the city. Beds were heavenly and covered with light down comforter. The only negative is you have to pay $12.95 for a day for internet access. Would have thought this would be complimentary.