Review: Park Hyatt Washington D.C.

Business brought me down to Washington, DC and rather than staying at the Willard InterContinental, my usual hotel of choice in the District, I opted to try out the Park Hyatt.

My first meeting was at noon so I arrived from Philadelphia at 9:45a and attempted to check-in early. A smiling woman behind the counter welcomed me to the Park Hyatt Washington and requested my name. After tapping away at her keyboard for a few seconds, she offered me two choices: a standard room immediately or an upgraded room in about an hour. Without hesitation, I opted for the upgraded room.

She motioned over to a small seating area in the corner of the lobby and also suggested I could use the gym while I waited. I had to get down to Alexandria, so I asked her to take my luggage and informed her that I would be back in a few hours. A bellhop quickly came over and took my bags and the lady requested my mobile phone number so that she could call me when my room was ready.

As a side note, after my meeting in Alexandria I dined at my favorite Lebanese restaurant for lunch, Pita House. If you ever find yourself near Camden St (toward the waterfront) in Old Town, treat yourself to one of Northern Virginia’s tastiest restaurants.

About 45 minutes after I left the hotel, I received a call on my mobile phone from the hotel, letting me know that my room was ready. When I got back to the hotel around 2pm, I picked up my room key at the front desk and made my way up to the fourth floor.

My room was spacious and included a living room, bedroom, and large walk-in shower. The television was on a revolving door of sorts, making it easy to view the TV from either the bedroom or the living room.

At about 4pm I proceeded downstairs and across the driveway to an adjacent building that housed the pool and fitness center. It was unattended and a bit on the small side, but more than adequate for my purposes. The lemon-sweetened water, cold towels, and bottles of Evian water were appreciated. I had the gym to myself for my entire 45-minute workout. The pool was adjacent to the workout center and was a bit shabby looking compared to some of the beautiful pools found at other Park Hyatts, but perhaps I am being too harsh: the lighting was nice and the pool was perfectly adequate and nicer than what many hotels in the District offer.

I had dinner reservations at the Blue Duck Tavern, the hotel’s primary restaurant, but had to cancel at the last minute to meet with a colleague in Georgetown. While I hate to post a hotel review without having eaten in their restaurant, the menu—featuring contemporary and classic American fare—looked very sumptuous. Next time, I told myself…

After a long day, I turned in early…or at least tried to. The bed was comfortable, the room was quiet, the temperature was perfect, but I just couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned for about 45 minutes before turning on CNN and catching up on the news. Finally, around 2:45a I fell asleep and slept soundly for the next six hours.

The alarm awoke me at 8:45a and I quickly showered and dressed: I had to be on Capitol Hill by 10a. The hotel advertised a free shuttle within a five-mile radius of the hotel, but when I called downstairs to take advantage of it, I was informed that the shuttle did not operate on Sundays. I was quite disappointed, but took a taxi over which only set me back about $7. Before going, I requested a 3pm checkout, which was granted without batting an eye.

I made it back to the hotel by 1pm and took a short nap before returning to Philadelphia. At checkout, the agent could not have been friendlier, asking me how my stay was and thanking me profusely for being a Hyatt Platinum member. The bellhop also asked me how my stay and was exceedingly friendly as he carried my bags outside.

Although my stay was brief, it was long enough for me to highly recommend the Park Hyatt Washington D.C. for your next stay in the District. Although my stay was not flawless (the shuttle service needs to be clarified), I found the service to be stellar and enjoyed the spacious room.