As a parent, you’ll do anything to make your kid’s birthday special. I was shocked, however, to see just how far the Hyatt Regency Long Beach went to make my son’s birthday stay at their property a massive success.

For my son’s 4th birthday this year, we gave him a choice: a birthday party with friends from preschool or a night in a hotel. He went for the hotel (which proves that he has my genes). We started exploring all of the options within range of our home in Los Angeles and settled on the Hyatt Regency Long Beach since it was less than an hour away and had great points availability. We could have reserved a standard room for 15,000 World of Hyatt points, but the Regency Suite only required 24,000 points for a room that usually costs over $750/night. That was all I needed to see. We booked the suite and started looking forward to the trip.

The week before our visit, I called and spoke to the front desk to let them know we were coming in for the birthday. The only reason I called is that his only previous experience with a hotel started with a fruit plate amenity and I was hoping to duplicate that. Let me tell you, friends, we wound up with way more than a fruit plate. When we checked into our room, there was a signed birthday card from the staff, a happy birthday banner, and an adorable gift with a sticker book, a book, and a toy. This is so far above and beyond anything I could have expected. I’m still in awe of how far out of their way they went to make my child’s birthday special.

And that’s not all! Our room wasn’t ready yet when we went to check in, but it was nap time for our kids. The hotel graciously gave us a vacant room to allow them to nap before the suite was available. After nap, we spent time at the very kid-friendly pool with fun outdoor games and even a little play grill/kitchen area.

The location is also stellar, as it’s a block away from the Aquarium of the Pacific and near all sorts of family-friend stores and restaurants. Is there a carousel nearby? Yes there is. Is there a ferris wheel across the street? Yes there is. Are there swan boats? YOU BET THERE ARE.

All in all, we had a fantastic time at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach. It was so much fun that when we came home yesterday, my son was literally crying to go back. He laid on his bed shouting “LONNNNGGG BEEEACCCH” over and over. Now that’s a successful visit!