The expansive marble-floored lobby is lined with Italianate statuary and potted palms, descending to the conference center lounge on the lower level, where guests will find a large fountain and a fireplace beckoning them to relax. They also can pamper themselves in the Hyatt's well-equipped fitness center, which comes complete with a co-ed sauna. They'll also find an outdoor pool and spa in a central courtyard surrounded by buildings that protect sunbathers from chilly ocean breezes. In addition, cybernuts can surf the Net via wireless access anywhere in the hotel, including out by the pool. Kids also will have a blast in the game room located off the lobby. When they're hungry, guests can nosh crab cakes, corn chowder, burgers and ice-cream fountain treats at the hotel's Knuckles Historical Sports Bar and Grill, a former factory turned into a sports bar with sports memorabilia and big-screen TVs.

Guestrooms offer video check-out, coffeemakers, safes, TV-concealing consoles, rose-marble bathroom counters, tables, and beds with attractive quilted comforters. Large windows afford views of the courtyard, street or gorgeous nearby hills.

Although the building covers a city block and is one of a cluster of big brand-name hotels on the Wharf, the five-story Hyatt's slightly smaller scale and relaxed ambience appeal to business travelers and vacationers.