Hyatt House Washington DC / Downtown / Convention Center — Hotel in Washington

A Critical Account of an Unacceptable Hospitality Experience

This evening marked one of the most distressing experiences I have ever encountered. I had a confirmed reservation at the Hyatt Washington D.C./Convention Center, located at 899 O Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. I possessed a valid confirmation number, and a hold had already been placed on my credit card in anticipation of my stay.

Upon arrival, I approached the front desk to check in. The attendant appeared visibly surprised and asked how he could assist me. I provided my name and stated my intention to check in. He responded by informing me that the hotel had no available rooms. I reiterated that I had a confirmed reservation made well in advance and presented my confirmation number. He replied, “Something is wrong with our system. We don’t have any rooms.”

I then inquired whether the hotel customarily contacts guests to notify them if their reservation cannot be honored. He simply said no, and suggested that I could likely find another hotel. I reminded him that I do not work for Hyatt and had just completed a 7.5-hour drive. He then admitted that I was the third guest he had turned away that evening under similar circumstances.

As the situation escalated and I began to raise my voice out of frustration, a female staff member began contacting nearby Hyatt sister properties. However, those properties also appeared to engage in questionable practices, attempting to overcharge or offer inadequate solutions. During this time, I observed an older Caucasian man approach the counter and successfully check in without issue, raising concerns about potential bias in guest treatment.

When I requested the names of the front desk staff in order to escalate the matter to Hyatt Corporate, they refused. One staff member mockingly claimed his name was "Jamar Smith," which appeared to be a disingenuous response.

Eventually, with the help of a friend, I was able to secure alternate accommodations. However, when I attempted to call the original hotel to follow up, my calls were disconnected twice. A third-party representative also attempted to call on my behalf and was similarly hung up on.

This experience, especially on the eve of an important audition, was both unexpected and deeply upsetting. Based on my treatment and observations, I cannot in good conscience recommend this hotel—particularly to guests who look like me, as the differential treatment I witnessed raises serious concerns. Although my money holds the same value as anyone else's, my presence was clearly not afforded equal respect or...

Extremely Disappointing Experience – Will Never Stay at a Hyatt Again

After a long day of travel, I arrived at the hotel around 10 pm, only to be told at the front desk that they had no room available for me. I received no prior communication—no text, email, or phone call—about any issues with my reservation. To make matters worse, two other women were also waiting, both of whom had been told the same thing earlier in the evening (almost 5 hours before I arrived). I was offered no real solutions other than to either wait for a room to become available or try to find something myself.

Given the late hour and the numerous conferences in town, finding alternative accommodations was nearly impossible. At around 1 am, we were told they had secured a room at a motel located 30 minutes outside the city—and we were expected to find our own transportation there. As a woman traveling alone, this felt unsafe, especially at such a late hour. Miraculously, just when I expressed my concerns, a room suddenly became available. I was told to wait while they cleaned it, and after another hour of waiting, I was finally taken upstairs to my room.

However, my troubles didn’t end there. A few minutes after settling in, I was knocked on the door and told I needed to go back downstairs to pay, as they had "forgotten to charge me." By the time I returned to my room, it was nearly 3:30 am—well past the time I needed to rest before an important conference the next day.

When I finally got into the room, I was shocked to find it in poor condition: hair on the bathroom floor and in the bedsheets, and overall uncleanliness. I couldn’t even enjoy the room for a few hours due to the ordeal.

The supervisor on duty was unprofessional, offering no solutions and speaking poorly about both other customers and staff in front of me. While one of the front desk workers was kind, the lack of care, communication, and professionalism from the rest of the staff was appalling. To make matters worse, I was charged the full price for a room that was not even close to what I had reserved. I’ve been waiting for weeks to hear back from the hotel, but I have yet to receive any meaningful response or compensation for this terrible experience.

I would give this hotel zero stars if I could. I will never stay at a Hyatt again, and I strongly advise others to think twice before booking here.

They commented on this weeks ago and still waiting to hear from someone. Just goes to show how much they value customer...

STAY AWAY FROM THIS HYATT The worst experience I’ve had in a DC hotel . Marijuana smoke filled elevators and hall ways. Just an old hotel trying to impersonate a modern one . Dingy room layout , old couch in the suite . No vent fan in the restroom, fake thermostat on the wall . Had to turn the AC unit on because it was too warm , even though it was 20 degrees outside . The damn thing kept making beeping noises and the fan motor was way too loud . It’s inexcusable to call it a Hyatt , and that’s when a taxi driver told me it’s not a Hyatt until they slapped some stickers on it recently. No breakfast laid out, no staff, no bar. I got a rash starting the first night and I’ve seen the review about bed bugs . Not sure if they are visible but you can see my body was covered in marks . This has to be a struggling hotel, cause one day the linens have one design the next change they looked totally different, same result though.

Valet parking for our rental 58 dollars a day ! But no valet on site , had to walk to lobby every time to get car cause my room phone didn’t work . The valet guy told me never to leave the car on with keys and to tell my wife to hurry up and get her stuff everyone because we could get robbed or car jacked !!!

Oh and the water shut off all day ! We left at 8 am to go sightseeing, thought by 6 pm water would be on, nope. No restroom, no shower until that night . We didn’t even get a discount or some food items from their pantry. Although I was there when I guess front desk staff ( the black guy, not Roshaun the other one) gave away free water and snacks to some people e but not us...