My partner had a conference for the NIH at the hotel. After having a problem staying in DC the night before the conference and finding the morning commute longer than expected we decided to stay here for a night. I checked in at the front desk and Walter was very helpful with check-in Although the rate of $229 was not the same rate I had been quoted over the phone just one day earlier. I made the reservation for one night just to be safe and make sure the accommodation's were OK. I went to check in our room and did the quick bathroom check only to find hair in the sink and tub,dirty mirrors and In fact the entire room decor was tired and a bit dusty. So I came back to the desk and asked about checking out another room. The second room bathroom was worse and again the room was dusty and needed vacuuming. How come hotels think they can charge over $200 a night and not clean the rooms. I decided that with my allergies I would not be able to stay here and would check other hotels. I checked out and was told my card was not billed.
Later when checking into another hotel I found out my visa card did not have enough available credit. I called visa to find that the Hyatt had a hold on my card for $572.96 The Hyatt had overcharged my card and I was told it would come off my card in 24 hrs. In fact that was wrong. I called the Hyatt 2 days later to get the charges taken off and was told I needed to call back on Monday and speak to accounting. Again I would have to wait another day. My partner was angry with this response and called the Hyatt corporate and about an hour of disputing this with the hotel manager Katie was able to call my credit card company to release the charge.
How can hotel put a hold on your visa for almost $600 when you didn't even stay there and if you had it was for only one night at $229. and then it took 4 days to get the charge taken off.
My partner and were very aggregated by this overall experience.

After reading so many negative reviews I was skeptical of staying here. However, my experience was very positive. The front desk was very polite and helpful- especially Tim.
The rooms were nice and well-kept.
Easy access to the Metro. Within walking distance of great restaurants, a Safeway grocery store, cinema, and Barnes and Noble.

As others have noted, this is not the best example of a Hyatt by far, but it's okay. It looks like a Hyatt from the 70's with the greenery dangling from the the floors in the atrium, glass elevators and the things that made the Hyatt look different from other hotels many years ago. This Hyatt just looks dated and without the special Hyatt touches that made them unique in the old days. I don't know if 'that 70's look" is back or not, but I haven't seen a red velvet chair in a hotel room in awhile, but I had one in my rather darkly decorated room. The bed was comfortable and the old style TV (not flat screen) in the armoire worked fine, but the room was not nearly as nice as the Residence Inn 2 blocks away where I had a new kitchen, living room, bedroom and bath for less $'s. I like to stay in Hyatt's and get my Gold Passport points, but if I wasn't on business I would not have stayed here. There's nothing really special about the hotel other then it's located right at the Metro stop and that was very convenient.

This is not the nicest Hyatt I've been in but it is not a Motel 6 either. I stayed for 5 nights, July 4 through July 9 2007

Location is excellent with the Metro right out the door and a great neighborhood surrounding the hotel.

The service was excellent, everyone extremely helpful and friendly. Room service was quick and my few requests were handled efficiently.

The room was very clean and housekeeping did a good job. Very comfortable bed. Good toiletries and strong shower. The furniture was old and somewhat frayed. Quiet (2nd floor). Internet access was pay-for and I had trouble buying access from the web site after the first day. The front desk was helpful getting me up and going quickly.

The restaurant (Daily Grill) was pretty good. Good service and while the food was not cheap it was good and plentiful. It has a bar in the lobby (coffee in the AM, drinks in the PM) that was convenient and a bar attached to the restaurant with an outside patio. It also has a shop near the lobby for souvenirs, necessities, etc.

I did not see/use the pool or other facilities.

With the Metro being so close, cheap, and efficient the Bethesda Hyatt was a great place to explore DC and then get the heck out of the hectic area after a long day. I would reccomend it if you are not paying the regular rates.