The tiny rural town in which I grew up, in the direct center of Florida, is a long way from Milan. It’s even further from the Park Hyatt hotel in Milan, which sits steps from this:

I took my own advice recently and used Chase’s Hyatt credit card (here’s a review) to stay for free at two really nice hotels: the Park Hyatt Zurich and the Park Hyatt Milan.

I would never, ever pay the $700+ rates these hotels each would’ve costed me, but it was an interesting peek into the luxurious lives that some people lead.

The aforementioned credit card has a signup bonus of two free nights at any Hyatt hotel, so I figured I should get my money’s worth and stay at two of Hyatt’s most expensive hotels.

Here is my experience at both:

Before getting inside, a bell hop greeted us and asked to take our bags. I politely declined, as my rolling duffel bag is quite manageable.

Inside, it smells. Good. It smells good, like perfume, not overwhelmingly though.

The lobbies are lavishly furnished and decorated, and the employees were friendly, seeming genuinely happy to help us enjoy the hotel and city.

After checking in, one of the clerks walks with you to your room and shows you around the room. I was weirded out at first, because I’ve never…had that happen. But I came to appreciate it as a nice welcoming gesture.

As you might guess, the rooms are extravagant. Fine soaps, bath salts, robes, disposable slippers and lots of marble.

The towels are plush, the bed, firmly soft. The shower and bath, inviting.

I could tell the down in the pillows came from the finest golden geese.

Apparently there’s this thing where a hotel employee goes into your room while you’re gone in the evening, draws your curtains, leaves a tray of fresh fruit, restocks your glass bottles of water and puts linen mats next to your bed so that the first thing your feet touch in the morning isn’t the rugged carpet.

After sleeping like a tired, pampered baby, packing and checking out, a clerk asked if I’d like him to call me a cab. Reality hit. I politely declined and rolled my duffel bag through town in Zurich’s light morning rain to the train station.

Here are some photos:

Park Hyatt Zurich

Park Hyatt Milan (please forgive the iPhone photos)

Here are some additional photos from 24 hours spent in Milan.

Thoughts? Did I pick the wrong Parks Hyatt? Comments are welcome, appreciated…LOVED.