The Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner, VA Is One Of The Best In The US, Part 2

Michelle and I had a fabulous experience during our one-night stay at Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner.  You can read my review of our Regency Suite, the fitness center and Club lounge here.  During check-in, I asked if there was a chance to tour a standard room.  A member of the hotel management’s team was nice enough to take a few minutes to show me both the standard room and the other two suite types the property has.

Standard Room

The first thing I noticed when I entered the room was the quality of the furnishings.  The rooms really are quite beautiful.  The bed is new and comfortable, as would be expected for a new property.  What really impressed me though is the real comforter on the bed.  This isn’t a thin blanket or duvet.  It was soft and thick, definitely one of the nicest comforters I’ve seen on a bed in a long time.

That might seem like an insignificant detail, but I like my room cold when I sleep with a heavier blanket.  I find the blankets at most hotels quite thin, meaning I can’t really turn down the air conditioning.  Both night stands have ample power, with USB ports readily available along with standard outlets.  A clock radio accommodates the newer lightning adapter for iPhones.  I don’t know if there are converters out there that are backwards compatible to the old 30-pin devices.  I’m pretty sure there are, but older devices would have trouble here.  Next to the bed is a smaller loveseat that two people could sit on comfortably.

The desk area is large, something I absolutely love.  I think too many hotels skimp on workspace in new designs.  One of the only areas where the room was lacking was a chair with no adjustment or wheels at the desk.  It was comfortable enough, but for a work area I prefer something a bit more ergonomic.  I thought I had a further picture of a refrigerator in the room but I can’t seem to locate it.

The bathroom is long and narrow with plenty of lighting and counter space.  The roomy feel continues in a large walk-in shower.

Plaza Suite

This suite is quite large.  One of the key elements here are floor-to-ceiling windows that let in a ton of natural light.  Again, stylish design elements everywhere.  There’s a table that seats 8 comfortably and a large L-shaped couch with coffee table.  The sofa is a queen sleeper.

The living area also has a half bath and large wet bar along with a glass-front refrigerator.

I actually preferred the bedroom in this suite to the Presidential, though both are great.  Smart design elements here including blinds that open and close when you pull on the rods.

But, where this suite takes off is with the bathroom.  It was so expansive that I couldn’t get great pictures without getting myself in the pics, so I had to ask the hotel for a bit of help.  There’s a double sink and sizable closet past the double doors.

There’s a large soaking tub and shower.  Together, they cover as much space as some hotel rooms I’ve stayed in.  I really loved the Regency Suite we had.  But, walking through the bathroom of the Plaza suite made me realize how much Michelle would have enjoyed that big soaking tub.

Presidential Suite

You enter this suite viewing the living room/dining area as well as a sizable desk/office space.  The desk comes equipped with an iMac, printer and fax machine.  The living room is easily big enough for the starting offensive line of a football team and the dining room table is equally accommodating.  This suite is built to entertain in, and it shows itself off well.

The bedroom carries more stylish design elements and retains the spacious feel of the other rooms.  A full-sized couch along the window fills out the room.

The bathroom in the Presidential is quite different from the Plaza, but equally appealing.  There’s a large soaking tub up against the window line.  The double shower has a beautiful stone finish.  The floor-to-ceiling windows let in a ton of natural light.  I wish I had this bathroom in my house.

Bottom Line It For Me, Ed

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. We loved our Regency Suite, but here’s an alternate approach you might consider.  If you had a special occasion on a weekend coming up, my strategy would be to book a standard room using cash or points & cash, apply a Diamond upgrade, then contact the property to see if you can negotiate a cash co-pay to upgrade to one of these spectacular suites.  I’ve had quite a bit of success with this at various Hyatt and SPG hotels over the years.  In the end, though, any room you get will be great.

The regular rooms in this property are some of the nicest Hyatt Regency rooms in the US (maybe the best), as well as better than some Grand Hyatts.  This hotel is way above the mark for its competitive set (Sheraton, Marriott, Hilton, etc).

It’s not something I would have expected to say, but this property is built to compete with the Ritz Carlton across the street.  I used to have an office right by the Ritz.  Back then, Saudi delegates used to take over the hotel due to the proximity of their diplomatic residences.  My understanding was it represented a big financial base for that hotel.  While I can’t swear this is still the case, it’s clear to me that the Hyatt is targeting some of that same business.

What I also recall is that much of this business was weekday business, such that the hotel was empty on the weekends.  The Ritz could afford to offer discounted rooms on the weekend because their average daily rate during the week was so high.  Let’s hope the same is for the Hyatt Regency.