We arrived at the Tysons Corner Mall right at 3:00, navigating our way around until we found a parking garage next to the Hyatt. We parked on the fourth level of the garage and followed a walkway over the road to the lobby of the Hyatt.
I stepped into the lobby immediately impressed. The area was modern, calm, beautiful. Two check in desks were situated against the wall, only one was staffed.
Ernest greeted me and took my information. He verified that I was booked in a Regency Suite for a 2 night stay.
I inquired about upgrade options and he told me the next higher room would be the Ambassador Suite. I asked how much additional this would be, and he advised me that it was $100 per night.
I consulted with my aunt, who was planning to stay with my mother for her 4 nights in Virginia. She agreed that she'd stay for a night with me and contribute $75 towards the room, so I went ahead and agreed to the upgrade.
There was some miscommunication thereafter and as it turns out, due to the points+cash rate I was on, the upgrade was only going to be an additional $50 per night.
We went upstairs to my room on the 15th floor, 1517.
This room was AMAZING.
But before I could really take it in, we decided to go grab some lunch at Brio in the mall.
The Hyatt Regency is very conveniently situated attached to the mall and with nearly direct access to the metro (walk outside and cross a landscaped overpass). We walked through the hotel lobby into the mall and down the escalator to the restaurant
After our meal we walked around the mall some, then we parted ways and I went back to the room to explore.
Did I mention this room was AMAZING?!
I've seen and stayed in some larger rooms, but this one certainly felt larger than our VIP suite at the HR SFO Embarcadero and was far more modern than our super suites at the Hyatt in Kauai.
Off to the left of the entrance was a mini-hall and a half bath. Straight from the entance was a massive living room/dining room combo with a pull-out sectional sofa and a couple of lounge chairs, a 6 person dining table, a nespresso machine, and loads and loads of cabinet space. A 42" TV hung on the wall across from the sofa.
The massive windows across the dining and living area featured views of the mall and the courtyard below, the metro, and rolling hills in the distance.
The room was filled with the sound of smooth jazz coming from an ihome iPhone dock, and the music continued from a second dock in the bedroom. Past the dining room the bedroom was separated by a pocket door.
I had a few hours to spare before a planned dinner with an old high-school friend at Seasons 52, so I visited the 5th floor regency club to check out their offerings.
The club is open for most of the day from 6:30 A.M to 9:30 P.M, with some breaks throughout the day for swapping meals. My first visit happened while they were serving Hors D'oeuvres.
I was enthralled by the decor of the club, which like everything else felt fresh and welcoming.
I explored the evening options, which included a typical selection of vegetables and bread along with two hot items: Veggie Spring rolls and Chicken Tenders.
There was also soda and coffee provided.
I elected not to try anything, as I had a scheduled dinner with a friend, but I did kick back with a soda for a bit. I managed to overhear the lounge attendant welcome a guest back home, and I engaged with a short conversation with the employee about said guest, who had been living in Hyatt hotels since the 90's. Afterwards I set off to get some images all around the hotel:
[ipanorama id="736" width="100%" height="400px"]
After dinner I made use of the shower, then it was off to bed.
Tuesday morning I woke early to take advantage of the club breakfast.
The club offered a variety of options: bagels and pastries, cereals, assorted fruits and cheeses. I served myself a bagel with nutella and peanut butter. I was disappointed with the sole hot item offering: biscuits and gravy, but got along ok with my bagel. Breakfast options in the club typically rotate throughout the week.
I took off early to meet a friend at Reagan National, which was about a 45 minute metro ride from Tysons.
After a day of adventure in D.C, I returned to the hotel and decided to check out the club once more.
The evening choices were pork pot stickers and mac and cheese bites.
I gave the Mac and Cheese bites a shot, and while decent, I wasn't willing to make a meal out of it.
After some time in the Regency Club I went back out to do some more exploring.
The plaza directly outside the hotel was always bustling, from kids playing on a mini-foozball table to adults engaging in ping-pong tournaments, and others taking advantage of the loungers and associated fire-pits spread around the area.
After spending some time outside, I inquired at the front desk about touring the Presidential Suite. Marco talked to his supervisor and then led me to the elevator. We talked about the hotel, which was only two years old, and about Hyatt in general. We exited the elevator on the 17th floor and went down the hall to the set of double doors.
While Marco was insistant that the Presidential suite was about twice the size of the Ambassador suite I was staying in, I was not convinced. Certainly larger, the room featured most of the same amenities but also had an office nook, a walk-in closet, dual shower heads with dual rain-showers and body sprays, and views west, north, and east.
After snapping some photos I thanked Marco and went back to the room.
My aunt joined me for the second night in the suite and took the sofa in the living room. Instead of requesting additional sheets, I just let her use the ones from my bed and kept the duvet. This was a mistake. I got to sleep around 11:00 with the intent on waking up at 4:00 for a 6:00 A.M flight. However I awoke no less than 4 times in those five hours hot and sweaty. At one point I felt completely drenched and switched sides of the bed.
I don't know if I can in any way fault the hotel for this problem, more likely it was just the result of not having the sheets and utilizing a non-breathable mattress and duvet. Such a thing had not happened since my stay at the Park Hyatt in Dubai and the Park Hyatt Maldives.
I left the hotel at 4:45ish, snapping a few more photos of the valet area on the way out.
I left the check-out process to my aunt, and took of to Dulles via an Uber.
Later in the day I checked my e-bill to note that despite Ernest at check-in specifying the total bill would be $268 (which made no sense given the $100 per night upgrade fee), I was in fact charged a little less than $400 for the stay. A minor disappointment in the scheme of things.
Ultimately
This short stay at the Hyatt Regency Tysons corner turned out to be more than a I bargained for. Fresh, modern, and insanely convenient, it turned out to be a surprise highlight of my trip. While the Regency club is not overly impressive, it was still a lovely place to kick back during the stay. Meanwhile the entire area around the hotel was a bustling entertainment zone complete with good food and beverage and plenty of activities for all ages as well.