Review: Park Hyatt Washington D.C.

We visited D.C. earlier this month and Chris insisted that we stay at the Park Hyatt. He's been a huge fan of the brand for a while now and really couldn't resist the idea of staying here during our quick weekend trip (aren't they all?). It was in a great location in the heart of D.C. - we were walking distance to Georgetown and a quick bike ride away from all of the monuments. What more could you want?

When we arrived at the hotel, it was way too early for any rooms to be available, which unfortunately always happens due to our penchant for red-eye flights, so we stored our bags and went for a walk around the area. I love D.C. and always enjoy walking around whatever neighborhood I find myself in and this time was no different. There were quite a few other high-end hotels on the same street (Fairmont, Westin, etc) and lots of cute, colorful homes just a few streets away. We got a call from reception not long after we left saying that they had a room available, so we headed back.

The hotel is gorgeous from the outside and is home to The Blue Duck Tavern, which is their amazing in-house restaurant (more on that later).

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Exterior

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Exterior

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Exterior and Blue Duck Tavern Patio Area

The lobby is quite unique with large glass walls on either side of the entrance decorated with cherry blossoms. Unfortunately, the chairs the Park Hyatt seems to fancy are absolutely awful. You'll find these same slip-covered chairs throughout their properties and I'm really at a loss as to why.

The front desk was rarely unattended, but I managed to catch it that way since it was pretty early in the morning. The agent who checked us in was extremely friendly and helpful and we really appreciated being able to shower prior to meeting friends for breakfast. Unfortunately, we ended up with the curse of the early check-in - our room was one of the smallest in the hotel according to the floorplan, which was a bit disappointing.

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Lobby

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Front Desk

The halls in the hotel are actually quite dark and can sometimes be quite endless, but we managed to find our room after a few minutes walk from the elevator.

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Hallway

As I mentioned, our room was unfortunately one of the smallest in the hotel, but it was brightly lit, which was nice. The room had a small seating area with two chairs (those awful slip covers made another appearance), a desk, and that was about it. However, I did appreciate the minimalist decor and the small knick-knacks throughout the room and the bed was quite comfortable. There were also some really unique globe lamps that kind of just sat on the floor next to the chairs which were interesting. 

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Park Deluxe King Room

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Park Deluxe King Room

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Park Deluxe King Room

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Park Deluxe King Room

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Park Deluxe King Room

The bathroom was nice, but it really wasn't anything special. It just looked like a slightly higher end version of a normal hotel bathroom and was fairly small.

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Park Deluxe King Room Bath

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Park Deluxe King Room Bath

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Park Deluxe King Room Bath

The toiletries were Le Labo branded, which is always nice and the best little touch is that they specifically said they were for the Park Hyatt Washington D.C. on the label. 

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Le Labo Toiletries

The closet and minibar were across from each other outside of the bathroom. I do appreciate that there was a Nespresso machine and it was already filled with water in case you wanted to use it. 

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Park Deluxe King Room Closet

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Park Deluxe King Room Minibar

Overall, the room was well-appointed and tastefully decorated, which I really liked. We were really just grateful that we could be accommodated well before actual check-in since we had taken such a late flight. 

On Sunday morning, we went looking for the gym and pool and let me tell you - they were nearly impossible to find. We couldn't find any information about where they were anywhere and Chris and I have an aversion to asking things like this. So eventually, we saw a sign, although I honestly forgot where it was (not somewhere intuitive) and realized they were located on the third floor. Weirdly, you have to take the elevator to the third floor and then walk all the way to the very end of the hall where you will see a fire exit door. You take that door, go down some sketchy stairs and then you finally come out in the hallway near the gym and pool. No idea why they would make it so hard to find, but it was quite nice and very empty, so maybe they are trying to keep people out? 

Anyway, once we got there, there were quite a few machines in the gym area and the pool included a spa area as well. There were plenty of towels and water bottles available for use. 

One other thing to note is that the hotel offers bicycles to guests free of charge. I don't think they have very many available, so it's first come, first served and they have a 4 hour limit, but it was a great offering and we took advantage of it before we had to head home on Sunday morning. The bikes look like they've been used pretty harshly, but they worked and they were free!

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Gym

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Gym

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Gym

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Gym

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Pool

Park Hyatt Washington D.C. Pool

Saturday night, we asked the concierge to get us a reservation at  the Blue Duck Tavern and were really happy that she was able to do so. Dinner was incredible and we really enjoyed ourselves. I didn't try to take any photos because it was so dark in the restaurant, but we were really excited for breakfast the next morning, which was included at the Blue Duck thanks to Chris' Diamond status. 

The restaurant was beautiful and had an open kitchen and several different seating areas, including one on the patio. I loved their use of mixed materials - there was a lot of rock, wood, and shiny chrome, which was quite interesting.

For breakfast, I had the Natural Egg Omelette and Chris had the Belgian Waffle which came with Nutella, banana, and a peanut-bacon crumble along with a fruit plate. Everything was excellent and we really enjoyed the fact that it was included because it was on the pricier side. 

Blue Duck Tavern

Blue Duck Tavern

Blue Duck Tavern

Blue Duck Tavern

Blue Duck Tavern Breakfast

Overall, our stay at the Park Hyatt Washington D.C. was excellent and we really enjoyed our time there. It was a beautiful hotel and the amenities and location were excellent, as was all of the service we received. We are very much looking forward to our next Park Hyatt stay in Tokyo (we're leaving this weekend!) and have heard wonderful things about that property as well. 

Happy Travels!