Hyatt Regency Crystal City
Written: Oct 06 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Right on the outskirts of downtown Washington, DC.
Cons: Aestestic views missing.
The Bottom Line: So much to do and see in DC that at times we all wish that we could get there more. When you go, stay at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City!
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| Bounty628's Full Review: Hyatt Regency Crystal City |
When traveling to the nation's capitol one thing is for sure: there is no shortage of hotels to choose from. When trolling the Internet sits such as Travelocity, Expedia and AAA there are hundreds of hotel options to choose from when booking a trip to Washington, DC. But trying to pick one that is sure to be a winner can be a task in and of itself.
Thanks to review sites like Epinions.com, however, we are able to really delve into which hotel might suit us the best and mirror our selection to our own personal tastes and desires. With that in mind, this Epinion will shed some light as to why I feel as though the Hyatt Regency Crystal City is one of Washington DC's premier hotel selections.
Reservations
Having found the best rate for the hotel through Travelocity.com, it was a no-brainer to book the room through the online discount travel site. With a variety of different room options available, we opted to select the room with 2 queen size beds. Upon arrival at the front desk, the staff was helpful in bringing up our reservation without a problem.
The one point to note is that because this trip was booked through Travelocity it was not an eligible stay for the Hyatt rewards program. It was too bad to find this out after the trip when trying to put through the point request especially since the front desk staff gave the impression that it would qualify since they asked for my card at the time.
The check-in desk staff was exceptionally helpful for this trip. Though check-in was not until later in the afternoon, because we had a flight that landed in DC before 8AM and were traveling with a child, we figured we might check to see if they would allow us to check into our room before the normal check-in time. Our requested was met, even though not expected, and we were off to our room to drop our belongings and begin the day in Washington.
The Hotel
The hotel is located in Crystal City, which is along the Metro Line and just outside of Washington, DC proper. Taking the Metro into DC takes about 10 minutes or so.
Crystal City is home to several governmental and quasi-governmental agencies and therefore is a rather posh area that is full of restaurants, little shops, apartments and more. The area seemed to be remarkably clean and quiet and the weekend time that we visited the streets were rather empty, perhaps with government employees moving to the suburbs for the weekend.
The Hyatt Regency Crystal City offered a free shuttle service from Reagan National Airport to the hotel and back therefore a rental car was not needed for this trip. The shuttle service could be called from the airport and the shuttle arrived in less than 5 minutes and dropped us off right at the front door of the hotel. It appeared as though parking at the hotel was all done via a valet company and the rates did not stick out as being exorbitant.
The lobby of the hotel was large and spacious with a glass elevator sort of highlighting the center of the room. The hotel lobby overlooked in the center a section of a meeting or conference center that was a floor below the lobby. The lobby was complete with several amenities such as a café serving Starbucks products, a posh sort of bar with a few televisions, beers on draft, wine and mixed drinks, a small gift shop and a concierge desk. The reception desk was also located within the lobby.
The real winner within the lobby was the café which had both quality made Starbucks drinks as well as delicious pastries. One morning a scone and a cappuccino was the ideal breakfast and the prices at the café were not inflated as one might have suspected.
On the second floor of the hotel was a restaurant that served all three meals. The menu looked expansive but somewhat pricey, but certainly was much more reasonable than the overpriced room service options.
The rooms are controlled by an electronic key card.
Room
The room that we reserved was for two queen size beds. The two beds were side by side facing a flat screen television that certainly was far more impressive than most hotel televisions. The television initially did not work but the engineering department of the hotel once dispatched quickly located a loose plug and fixed the television completely.
The two queen sized beds were quite comfortable and the sheets and comforter were crisp and clean. A pack and play was needed and the hotel added this to the reservation without any additional charge. The staff set up the pack and play which included a sheet, as well, and even through in a Johnson & Johnson gift pack of sorts complete with soap, shampoo, powder, etc.
In addition to the sleeping arrangements, two large arm chairs were off to the side of the beds and there was a desk and chair along one of the walls that struck me as being perhaps a bit nicer and more spacious of a desk than other hotels have to offer. If I were on business at this hotel, I would have had more than enough room to spread out a laptop and paperwork simultaneously.
The bathroom was a rather normal sized bathroom with a toilet, shower/tub and sink all within one bathroom. There was not an entrance outside of the bathroom with sinks as some hotels offer, likely to maximize space in this large hotel. The bathroom was clean and functional and met our needs without a problem. If an elegantly large bathroom is what you hope for in a hotel then do not expect to receive this at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City.
The overall appearance of the room was excellent. The room was spotless and fresh feeling and would serve either tourists or business travelers alike quite well. The view is nothing spectacular, unless you like looking at the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency, but in most urban hotels you do not necessarily expect to have the most spectacular view.
Conclusion
There is so much to do and see in our nation's capitol that at times we might wish that we can get there more often. But really there is not much stopping you from getting there. For a long weekend trip including airfare from Providence, RI to Washington, DC we spent under $600.00 for the airfare and hotel package. This is extremely reasonable especially when you are factoring in staying at a high quality hotel such as the Hyatt Regency Crystal City.
Recommended:
Yes
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