Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill

Built in 1976, this 11-story hotel has a bright atrium-style lobby, which features a lounge bar and adjoining restaurant. Style-wise, the décor is unimaginative and corporate, with off-white tile floors and brown patterned carpeting. The most impressive part of the property is the huge fitness area and spacious indoor pool, which are surrounded by walls of windows and a glass ceiling.The guest rooms received much-needed renovations in 2013; the artwork, wallpaper, and furniture were all replaced. If you need to stay in Capitol Hill -- a quiet, less-than-thrilling part of D.C. -- it's well worth considering two of the nearby boutique-y properties, the Hotel George and the Liaison Hotel. Both have more stylish (though smaller) guest rooms, great freebies, and, often, more affordable rates.

The Hyatt Regency is in Capitol Hill, an area filled mostly
with drab 1970s-style office buildings, courthouses, law offices and the campus
of the Georgetown Law School. There's scarce nightlife and entertainment in the
neighborhood immediately surrounding the hotel. However, the location does have
its advantages: it's a quick walk to the Smithsonian museums, Supreme Court,
Library of Congress, and other Capitol Hill sites. Plus, you don't have to
venture far to see the U.S. Capitol Building -- just step out of the hotel onto
New Jersey Avenue, and look right.- Five-minute walk to the Capitol Building, the Library ofCongress, and the Supreme Court

• Five-minute walk to Union Station, D.C.'s major trainstation served by Amtrak and commuter rails
• 10- to 15-minute cab ride to the White House and mostNational Mall monuments
• 15-minute walk to the National Gallery of Art and SmithsonianAir and Space Museum
• 10-minute taxi ride to Reagan National Airport (DCA)

Renovated in 2013, the
Hyatt’s rooms are minimalist and plain. Cream walls and curtains, dark blue carpets,
and white bedspreads offer little to impress and little to offend. The artwork features
generic photos and paintings of popular D.C. landmarks. Every unit includes a pillow-top
Hyatt-brand bed, flat-screen TV, coffeemaker, and iPod stereo. The hotel also
has 30 suites with microwaves and mini-fridges, and select suites also have
kitchenettes.

The hotel has an excellent gym with Life Fitness upper and
lower body machines, cardio machines (treadmills, bikes, and StairMasters), and
lots of free weights. It also has a large, heated indoor lap pool. Other perks
include a 24-hour FedEx business center (staffed during the day), a lounge bar,
and a decent American restaurant, Article One, which is open for breakfast,
lunch, and dinner daily. Guests can pay extra for access to the 11th
floor “Regency Club,” which includes free continental breakfast, cookies, an
espresso machine, snacks, and evening hors d'oeuvres.