Frommer's Review
Hotels are always undergoing some form of renewal, though most changes tend not to be all that noticeable to the public. But if you've stayed at the Park Hyatt, Washington, D.C., prior to 2006, you are certainly going to notice the difference now. This luxury brand of the Hyatt family has been re-invented to the tune of $24 million, top-to-bottom, guest rooms to restaurant. Guest rooms first: Still generously sized (the smallest is the "Park" room, at 408 sq. ft.; most are "Park Deluxe" rooms, which measure 618 sq. ft.), these overnight quarters are both homey and handsome. Wood-slat blinds are on the windows, puffy down duvets cover the beds, and decorative features include coffee table books on American culture, like the one in my room full of Annie Leibowitz photo portraits of American musicians. (Here's an idea for a grand, all-American cultural experience: Bunk at this hotel, dine in the hotel's Blue Duck Tavern, and visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery.) The flatscreen television in the Park Deluxe rooms pivots in the wall to present an antique chessboard on its reverse side (decorative, not functional). Adding pretty color are creamy yellow leather chairs, including one that rocks. Bathrooms are spa-like, with floor, ceiling, and walls of dark gray limestone. Everything is out in the open, from the deep soaking marble tub to its adjoining shower -- which is not a stall, but a large corner of the room outfitted with a rain showerhead -- to the toilet, situated behind a doorless partition. Shaker-designed wooden trays hold toiletries on the long marble vanity. Parisian parfumeur Blaise Mautin created a fragrance and bathroom amenities specifically for this hotel. American designer Tony Chi is behind the overall new look and feel of this Park Hyatt.
First floor common rooms are equally remarkable, starting with the high-ceilinged lobby, where the lit-up reception area appears like an altar in front of you. To the right of reception are two places you must make time for: first, the tea cellar, complete with a tea humidor for storing the cellar's collection of rare and single estate teas from remote regions of China, Japan, Sri Lanka, and the Himalayas (even if you're not a tea drinker, the cellar is intriguing), and second, the hotel's restaurant, the Blue Duck Tavern, which serves food that's simply out of this world.
Facilities: Restaurant (regional American); lounge; tea cellar; indoor pool (daytime hours); 24-hour fitness center; 24-hour concierge; complimentary Audi sedan service upon availability, Mon-Fri 7-11am; 24-hour business center; 24-hour room service; in-room massage; same day laundry and dry cleaning, with pressing; children's welcome gifts at check-in; 12 rooms for those w/limited mobility, all with roll-in showers.
In Rooms:A/C, flatscreen HDTV, cordless phone with 2 lines and dataports, complimentary wired Internet access, Wi-Fi ($9.95/day), minibar/fridge, hair dryer, safe, robes
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
