I was at the Hyatt on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so I had the chance to sample both weekday (business) and weekend (leisure and convention activities). The staff are professional, attentive and friendly. The atrium is an acquired taste. It is open and has a constant high level of ambient noise. If you want a quiet and pacific place to sit and read, this is not the place. There is constant bustle and a sense of urgency about the area, and many of the rooms face the atrium, which can make the rooms a bit noisy. The room was exceptionally clean, no problems there. Biggest problem: there is a massive construction project immediately next to the hotel. This is not a little renovation: four huge cranes are just working on the foundation of a gigantic building; this will go on for months. I was in a hurry, checked into the room with the drapes closed on the ninth floor and left for a meeting, returning late at night and retiring for the evening. Around 3 am I heard large trucks pulling into the work site, and went to the window (and threw open the sash, sound familiar?) and what to my wondering eyes did appear but a fleet of trucks and a bunch of workers getting an early start. This did not happen on Sunday, when presumably they rested. Word of advice: after you check in, open the curtains n our room; if you see a construction site, return to the front desk and request another room. The hotel is centrally located and you can access the metro without even going outside, which is a plus. The final weak point is that the only in house restaurant is very small, and if you have a large group in the hotel getting in is difficult. There are lots of other places around to dine, but if you need to stay in the hotel to eat, your choices are the very tiny restaurant with an interesting but very limited menu (good bar selections), a sports bar that is the usual sort of guys watching six games at once and you get to eat high fat bar food, or Starbucks. Not my favorite place in DC, but has many positives as well as the shortcomings mentioned.

We were happy to take advantage of a great weekend rate of $99 for a pleasant family getaway. We were given an 11th floor room and per past reviews here, we requested a non-atrium view to cut down on noise. There were a few times where we could here some activity in the halls but the floor was quiet and seemed reserved for Hyatt passport members which was a nice touch. Yes, the valet parking was absurdly expensive at $40+ but considering the decent room rate, I didn't have a problem with this. Room was basic with all the amenities you'd expect, nice LG 42" flatscreen, ihome clock radio for iphone charging, etc., comfortable beds and nice bedding. We enjoyed the starbucks in the lobby multiple times and the location was great to check out the fun area and eateries around the Verizon Center. The connection to metro center in the lobby was a nice touch. 4 blocks or so to the mall. The kids also enjoyed the small indoor pool. Would definitely recommend as a good launch point for all DC activities.

Our number 1 for a hotel is it's cleanliness, and before we even unpack, we're checking under sheets, around the toilet, the carpet. Our room checked out perfectly.
The cool is the unique atrium design of the hotel itself, with views of the lobby from the rooms. The breakfast area below the lobby has a little pool with a grand piano in the center. Strange, but cool. There's also a very nice Starbucks in the lobby area.
Lastly, the hotel is located just a few minutes walk from the Mall. Very convenient.

Get a room with an inside view to the main lobby, my daughter thought it was particularly cool for people watching. Very pricey for parking, next time I’ll opted out of the rental because everything is walking distance or a short taxi ride.