The Grand Hyatt Washington DC: An Honest Review

This article, The Grand Hyatt Washington DC: An Honest Review, contains references to products from one or more of my advertising partners. When you click on a link to any of these products, I may be compensated. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please visit my Earnings Disclosure & Disclaimer page for more information. Thanks for your support! Please also note that any prices, offers, and terms listed are subject to change at the discretion of the companies mentioned.

 

The following is a review of the Grand Hyatt on H Street in Washington, D.C. My insights are based on a three-night, first time, weekday stay in a standard room. Since I hadn’t planned to write this review until I returned home, I didn’t think to snap a lot of pictures of the building or my room. The images on the Grand Hyatt site, do, however, offer, a realistic representation.

 

What Does the Grand Hyatt DC Look Like?

Grand Hyatt DC Interior

The Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. is not a quaint, boutique-style hotel. With 12 stories and 897 guest rooms, it’s enormous as far as hotels go. What the Grand Hyatt DC offers is functionality,  convenience, and cleanliness. This makes it a good option, IMO, for business travelers, conference-goers, and visitors, including those with families.

The exterior of the Grand Hyatt DC (especially the front entrance) gives off a vibe of sophistication. When you enter the building, you can’t help but be impressed by the massive inner lobby area, which serves as the hotel’s focal point.

The lobby functions as a courtyard that contains two gift shops, a Starbucks, two restaurants, the front desk, and a station for hotel security. Comfortable sofas, chairs, and tables are positioned in the center, which makes it an excellent place to rest or wait. The ceiling is made of glass, giving the lobby a light and airy feel, which is especially pronounced when the sun is out.

Each floor has multiple elevators, which were all in operation during my stay.

Grand Hyatt DC Standard Hotel Room

The television was set to relaxing music when I first entered my room, which was a nice touch. As far as hotels in the upper-midscale category go, my standard room was typical of what you’d expect. It was well-appointed (including with a refrigerator), clean, and well-maintained, and there were no issues with the air controls, which are individually-controlled. There was no clattering of pipes or annoying sounds in the middle of the night that I could tell.

The bed was comfortable, though the pillows were a tad hard for my personal taste. Since I had planned to be there for a few nights, I walked to Macy’s (a couple blocks away) and purchased my own pillow. It was on sale, so spending the extra money wasn’t a big deal for me.

The television channels offered were limited, though this wasn’t a big issue for me. The Grand Hyatt DC does offer On Demand and access to StayConnect, which lets you stream your own content and connect your phone with the hotel room TV.

My room had a view of the courtyard, which made it difficult to determine what the weather was like outside. I would have preferred a room facing the sidewalk, but given that the hotel was booked when I stayed there, this was not an option.

 

Is the Grand Hyatt Washington DC Quiet?

Experiencing some level of noise at any hotel is pretty much unavoidable. When you’re paying a few hundred dollars a night to stay a hotel, however, you expect (and deserve) a reasonable level of peace and quiet.

With nearly 900 rooms in a fully-booked hotel, I was expecting some disruption at the Grand Hyatt Washington. My experience, though not perfect, exceeded my expectations. Note that I stayed during the weekday, so I can’t speak to the environment at the Grand Hyatt DC on the weekends.

During my stay, there was some muffled noise in the evening that originated from the bustling Cure Bar & Bistro restaurant located in the lobby, which I could hear even though I was on the 11th floor. The front desk staff assured me that the noise would stop when the restaurant closed at 10:30PM. And like clockwork, it did.

There were no loud parties, disruptive guests, or banging pipes in the middle of the night. In the morning, there were some early risers (or perhaps housekeeping) chatting in the hallway, though it was brief.

 

Amenities at the Grand Hyatt Washington DC

Grand Hyatt DC Food Options

The Grand Hyatt Washington in DC houses a Starbucks that opens at 6:00AM, which is a plus if you want a quick cup of coffee but don’t like making in-room coffee.

If you’re willing to wait until 7:00AM, the Grand Hyatt’s Cabinet restaurant serves breakfast until 11:00AM. Some might consider their menu items a bit pricy ($9 for a bowl of oatmeal, for example), though these prices are not unusual for a hotel restaurant.

The Cure Bar & Bistro opens at 11:30AM for lunch. The dinner menu is offered starting at 5:30PM and closes promptly at 10:30PM. Again, though the menu items may gravitate to the pricier side, the food is decent. It’s also a convenient option. If your flight arrives later, for example, you have someplace to eat. You can also take your food to-go or order room service.

Shops at the Grand Hyatt DC

The Grand Hyatt DC houses two shops that offer gifts and DC-based memorabilia. In addition, one shop carries toiletries, snacks and beverages; and the other offers clothing.

Late Checkout at the Grand Hyatt DC

Checkout is at 11:00AM. Since the hotel was fully-booked, late checkout wasn’t available during my stay. Desk staff, did, however, offer to store my luggage in a locked area.

Other Grand Hyatt DC Amenities

As you would expect with a hotel of this caliber, Grand Hyatt DC offers concierge services, a business center, laundry services, and a fitness center.

 

Safety and Security at Grand Hyatt DC

Safety and security is important to a lot of us while traveling and when choosing a hotel. It’s why I was pleased to learn that the Grand Hyatt Washington was the only hotel in the United States to receive Safehotel’s Executive Level Certificate this past year.

The hotel employs a full-time security team, and they lock their front entrance doors beginning at 10:00PM until 6:00PM. You can still gain access with your room key, plus staff is always available to let you in. The elevators, though seemingly equipped with key swipes to prevent non-guests from accessing the floors, didn’t appear to be activated during my stay.

Bottom line: I felt safe.

 

Grand Hyatt DC Staff

Everyone was pleasant and professional, which can’t be easy when dealing with so many people. When I first arrived at the hotel from the airport, staff were on hand to greet guests, help with luggage (which I didn’t require), and open the hotel door.

During my last day, a staff member was greeting people in the lobby, which I thought was a nice touch. And at one point while entering my room, a housekeeper pleasantly offered me extra towels.

The staff person who checked me in was friendly, though he didn’t mention that my destination feel included a daily $10 daily food credit. While not a deal breaker, it would have been nice to have this information.

 

 

Grand Hyatt Washington DC Location

One of the best features of the Grand Hyatt DC is its location. Situated in downtown Washington, D.C., the hotel is near Penn Quarter and is within walking distance to a number of attractions, shops, and restaurants. The following walking times are approximate.

About a 5-Minute Walk Away

Ford ‘s Theatre and Petersen House

City Center: outdoor high-end shopping mall

Pennsylvania Avenue

Macy’s

Walgreens

Numerous restaurants, including one of my favorites: Tatte Bakery & Cafe

About a 10-Minute Walk Away

National Archives

National Museum of Natural History

National Law Enforcement Officers Museum

National Gallery of Art

National Building Museum

National Archives

Chinatown

About a 15-Minute Walk Away

National Mall, though walking the entire stretch and seeing all the monuments and Tidal Basin will take at least an hour. Even more if you stop to take in more of the museums.

 

 

About a 20-Minute Walk Away

United States Capitol

U.S. Library of Congress

U.S. Botanic Garden

Museum of the Bible

 

World of Hyatt App

There are a lot of benefits to using the World of Hyatt app. You can book stays, discover new Hyatt hotels, and even listen to white noise and brown noise via a partnership with Headspace. When you check in via the Hyatt app, their system will let you know when your room is ready. And because you can use your phone as a digital room key, you can essentially bypass checking in at the front desk if preferred.

The World of Hyatt app also has a chat feature, so I was able to ask questions about my stay at the Hyatt Washington DC. Staff replied promptly.

 

How to Get Discounts, Perks, and Free Stays at Hyatt Hotels

When you sign up for a free World of Hyatt membership, you’ll start earning benefits, discounts, and free nights. Their brands include Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Grand Hyatt, and Hyatt House.

Benefits are based on the number of nights you stay. For example, if you stay up to 9 nights per year, you can save up to 10% off a room and earn points towards free nights. When you stay at least 30 nights, you can get also receive 20% bonus points and an upgraded room.

Since Hyatt has a price match guarantee, you don’t have to worry about paying more when you book directly through World of Hyatt. In fact, if you find a lower rate on a third-party booking site, Hyatt will give you an additional 20% off your rate or 5,000 bonus points.

 

The Grand Hyatt DC is clean and contemporary and offers great amenities and customer service. This makes it a solid option for both business travelers and tourists.

This post about contains references to products from one or more of my advertising partners. When you click on a link to any of these products, I may be compensated. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please visit my Earnings Disclosure & Disclaimer page for more information. Thanks for your support!