The Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner, VA Is One Of The Best In The US, Part 1

The first Hyatt Regency I ever stayed at was in Denver, CO. Before the Grand Hyatt down the street was renovated I used to say that the brands for the hotels should be switched given how much nicer the Regency was than the Grand.  Frankly, I still like it better even after both properties have been renovated. It had been by far my favorite Regency for the past 4 years until our recent stay at the new Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner, VA.  For the most part the Regency brand is consistent across the US, though there are a few I’ve stayed at that are a little tired.  I’m not quite ready to say Tysons Corner is better than Denver, but it certainly rivals it in comfort and quality of the in-room product.

As part of our stay, we used a Diamond Suite upgrade to grab a suite.  But, the hotel also toured me through a standard room and the two bigger suite types in the hotel.  The first part of the review is about our stay and general amenities of the property.  The second part will cover the standard room and the other suite types.

The hotel is located adjacent to Tysons Corner Center, a large mall in a suburb of Washington, DC.  I’m intimately familiar with the shopping center since my company operated a restaurant here for a number of years.  While there’s plenty of parking (save for a few of the busiest holiday shopping days) the hotel charges a fee for self parking ($12 per night iirc) in a designated lot directly behind the hotel.  There are signs elsewhere about cars being towed. That’s possible, though I think unlikely given how busy the whole complex is.  I realized after parking that there is a valet stand on the ground floor (lobby is a couple of floors up), though it’s a bit tougher to get to depending on which entrance you use to the mall.

It’s a very short walk from the parking lot to the hotel.  There’s an open promenade outside the hotel that joins the mall and a few other buildings.  There’s a large kids’ play area outside the entrance to the hotel as well as a large outside bar that’s part of the hotel.  I imagine in the summer time it’ll be a hopping place given all the employees that should be working in the complex once it’s fully built out.

The lobby is compact and efficient.  There’s a small seating area off to the right as well as a few iMacs if you need to do some work.  The check-in process was quick and we were on our way up the elevators shortly thereafter.

My wife and I don’t get away often on our own, so I had redeemed a suite upgrade for a Regency Suite.  Upon entering, we walked down a short hallway to a living room that wrapped around the end of the hotel, giving us windows on 3 sides of the room.

There was an L-shaped couch facing the television/sound system. Next to the TV was a work area akin to a breakfast bar. At first, I thought it was a bit odd but it actually worked out well for a work area to check e-mail. It’s well equipped with outlets on both sides of the table, including USB ports, something I’m starting to see in hotels with a little more frequency (and a lot more appreciation!).  There was a Nespresso machine on the counter as well.

The TV had a new option that Hyatt is apparently testing/rolling out in a few places, where you can sync up your travel information, music, etc.  Interesting enough concept, though we weren’t able to get it working during our short one-night stay.

The bedroom is compact with another flat-screen TV up near the window.  There are full blackout curtains behind the TV.  I like sleeping in a very dark room and these work perfectly.  There were also night lights to help move around in the dark.  There’s a comfortable chair in the corner but no space for anything else.

On the back of the bedroom is a narrow hallway that leads to the bathroom.  In the hallway there’s a closet as well as a small area with a mirror and some drawers, an appropriate place for a woman to put on her makeup.

The bathroom was long and narrow but had plenty of space.  The toilet was its own separate room and the shower was a big walk-in shower up against the window line.  With the floor to ceiling windows there was plenty of natural light.  If you think about it, most standard hotel rooms have the bathroom near the entrance to the room, so they can be a bit bland or dingy.  The natural light here made a huge difference, giving the bathroom a great feel.

The hotel has a small indoor pool and hot tub as well as a pretty decent sized fitness center given the size of the property.  There was plenty of aerobic equipment, a whole line of treadmills, elliptical machines and bikes.  The fitness center also has about a dozen pieces for weight training as well as a rack of free weights.  Michelle and I were the only ones working out.

The hotel has a club lounge on the same floor as the fitness center.  This is where Diamond guests will take their breakfast benefit.  The club really is a good size given this isn’t a huge property.  It was nowhere near full the two times we stopped by.  There’s also plenty of power outlets, another feature I love.  The food selection isn’t the most robust I’ve seen for a domestic Hyatt Regency, but there were enough options to enjoy a good, light meal.  The club also has a coffee machine that makes various specialty drinks.  This is definitely more Michelle’s area than mine and she seemed satisfied with the cappuccino she had.

Bottom Line

The Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner is a Category 3 hotel which means 12,000 points a night.  That makes it a phenomenal value for award redemptions, IMO.  The Regency suite we stayed in (the standard Diamond suite upgrade room) is delightful and I’d have no issue burning a suite upgrade there again.  The property is well-located and well-constructed with all the amenities you would expect, and plenty of shopping and other things to do nearby.

With the addition of the Metro Silver train line, you can walk less than 5 minutes from this hotel and be in downtown DC in 20 minutes without traffic. And, for those of us with little girls, they have an “American Girl” package where you can have a doll bed and other accessories put in your room in anticipation of a visit to the large and overpriced American Girl store just a few hundred feet away.

This hotel will likely be quite full during the weeks at certain times given all the business in the region.  However, weekend rates have looked like a bargain so far, with rates as low as $99.

Stay tuned for a separate review of the standard rooms and other suites at Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner.