Park Hyatt Washington facts for kids
| Park Hyatt Washington | |
Quick facts for kids  |
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| Hotel facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | United States |
| Coordinates | 38°54′22″N 77°03′04″W / 38.906054°N 77.05108°W |
| Address | |
| Opening date | August 15, 1986 |
| Developer | Boston Properties |
| Architect | David Childs of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill |
| Management | Hyatt Hotels Corporation |
| Owner | Westmont Hospitality Group and Thomas Tan |
| No. of restaurants | 1 |
| No. of rooms | 216 rooms (inclusive of suites) |
| of which suites | 28 |
| No. of floors | 9 |
The Park Hyatt Washington is a fancy hotel in Washington, D.C., USA. It's located in a neighborhood called the West End. Since it opened in 1986, it has been managed by Hyatt Hotels Corporation as one of their special luxury hotels. The building has a modern design. Inside, you'll find the famous Blue Duck Tavern, a restaurant that's often called one of the best in the city.
Contents
Building the Park Hyatt
How the Hotel Was Planned
Back in the 1960s, the West End area of Washington, D.C., wasn't very nice. It had old houses and empty industrial buildings. But in 1974, the city changed its building rules. These new rules made it easier to build hotels, which led to many new hotels being built.
In 1984, a businessman named Mortimer Zuckerman bought a news magazine called U.S. News & World Report. This deal also included a lot of land in the West End. Zuckerman's company, Boston Properties, decided to build a hotel on this land.
Designing and Building the Hotel
The hotel's design was created by David Childs, a famous architect. His company, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, helped make the plans. Boston Properties teamed up with Hyatt Hotels to manage the new hotel. They decided it would be a luxury Park Hyatt hotel.
Construction started on October 31, 1984. The hotel was part of a huge building project that cost $200 million. It was built by Omni Construction.
What the Hotel Looked Like
When it was finished, the Park Hyatt had 220 rooms, including a special presidential suite. It also had an outdoor cafe, a caviar bar, and a restaurant. There was even a beauty salon called Rendez-Vous.
The hotel used four different kinds of marble inside. The public areas were decorated with beautiful 13th-century Buddhist sculptures. There was also art by famous artists like David Hockney and Frank Stella. Each guest room bathroom had a television! The presidential suite even had a real fireplace and a baby grand piano.
The building of the Park Hyatt helped change the neighborhood a lot. For a while, the corner where it stood was known as "Hotel Corner." This was because three new hotels were built there around the same time.
What People Thought of the Design
Benjamin Forgey, a writer who reviewed buildings for The Washington Post, really liked the hotel's design. He said it looked "urbane" and "strong." He liked how the inside and outside of the building connected. He also enjoyed the creative details on the outside, like the big glass windows.
History of the Park Hyatt
Early Popularity
The Park Hyatt Washington quickly became famous for its afternoon teas and its restaurant. People loved having afternoon tea in the lobby lounge. Sometimes, a palmist (someone who reads palms) would even be there! The hotel became well-known for its excellent service and delicious food.
Melrose Restaurant
The hotel's first restaurant was called Melrose, led by Chef Brian McBride. Food critics praised Melrose for its beautiful, modern design and its tasty food. It became especially famous for its "power breakfasts." These were big breakfasts with eggs, bacon, and toast. The restaurant was also a great place for quiet business talks because of its good acoustics.
Changes and Sales
In 1991, a condo building called Whitman Place was built next to the Park Hyatt.
In 1994, Boston Properties decided to sell the hotel. They wanted to focus on office buildings instead of hotels. Hyatt Hotels bought the hotel in 1995 for $43.5 million. This was considered a very high price at the time.
In 2002, Hyatt Hotels built a new apartment building next to the Park Hyatt. It was called the Residences at Park Hyatt Washington. This building had 85 apartments over 10 floors. Residents could use all the hotel's services, like getting food delivered from the hotel's bar.
Big Renovation in 2006
On August 1, 2005, the Park Hyatt Washington closed for a big renovation. It cost $24 million and lasted seven months. Hyatt wanted to make the hotel even better to compete with other luxury hotels nearby.
The hotel was updated with a "D.C. feel." This included wallpaper with cherry trees and new rocking chairs. Chef Brian McBride closed Melrose and planned a new restaurant called the Blue Duck Tavern.
Another big change was the creation of the Tea Cellar in the lobby. This new area for afternoon tea had special tables and seating. It also had a glass display case where different teas were shown. There was even an all-you-can-eat pastry display!
New Owners and More Updates
In 2014, the Park Hyatt Washington was sold again for $100 million. It was bought by Westmont Hospitality Group and Thomas Tan. They planned to spend $5.5 million to improve the hotel. Hyatt Hotels continued to manage it.
The renovation was finished in April 2017. All 216 rooms got new art, carpets, and furniture. The colors were mostly blue-gray, denim blue, and wood. The lobby was made to look like two living rooms with white oak floors and rugs. One area had a big communal table, and the other had comfy individual seats. A kitchen garden was even added to the roof to grow fresh ingredients for the hotel's bar and restaurant.
Blue Duck Tavern
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When the Blue Duck Tavern opened in 2006, it had a cool "open kitchen" design. This meant you could see parts of the kitchen from the dining room. The restaurant had 106 seats and was designed in the American Craftsman style. It had informal black walnut tables instead of formal ones. The food changed too, focusing on modern American dishes. The kitchen had a huge, special cooking range that weighed 5,400-pound (2,400 kg)!
Tom Sietsema, a food critic, really liked the food at Blue Duck Tavern. He said it focused on local and seasonal ingredients. He thought the design was a bit confusing, but he still praised the cozy feel of the shelves filled with colorful vegetables.
Over the years, the Blue Duck Tavern has had several executive chefs. In 2013, it won an award for Best Fine Dining Restaurant. It also earned a Michelin Star in 2017, which is a very high honor for restaurants.
Even famous people have visited! Barack and Michelle Obama celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary there in 2009.
Hotel Ratings
The AAA organization gave the Park Hyatt Washington four diamonds out of five in 2007. It has kept that high rating every year since, including in 2016. Forbes Travel Guide also gave the hotel four out of five stars in 2016.
Famous Moments at the Hotel
The Park Hyatt Washington has been the setting for many important events and hosted many famous people.
Sports and Politics
In February 1987, yacht racing captain Dennis Conner stayed at the hotel. He had just won the America's Cup, a big sailing race. President Ronald Reagan welcomed him back to the United States.
A few months later, in April 1987, the National Football League (NFL) and its players' union met at the Park Hyatt. They tried to agree on a new contract, but the talks failed. This led to a one-month strike later that year.
International Visitors
In August 1990, the hotel hosted Kuwait's foreign minister and ambassador to the United Nations. This was just after the start of the Gulf War. The hotel even had to turn down Jordan's King Hussein because it wouldn't have been polite to host him at the same time.
Important Meetings
The Park Hyatt Washington was also where important parts of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement were decided. This was a big agreement where many states settled lawsuits against tobacco companies.
In 1998, the hotel was the site of a press conference held by President Bill Clinton's lawyer, Vernon Jordan. Later that year, two big financial companies, Citicorp and Travelers Group, met at the Park Hyatt to discuss their merger.
In October 2009, the 14th Dalai Lama stayed at the Park Hyatt during his visit to Washington, D.C.
