Don't Even Consider this Place!
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 04/06/08
Wow. I have stayed at many Hyatt hotels in my life, and this is by far the biggest disappointment! I was here for three nights, so I got familiar with the Fair Lakes property and all of its aspects. Trust me...you'd hate it! I flew into Dulles International Airport and it took at least 30 minutes to arrive at the hotel from car rental starting point. (No, there was no traffic.) Upon arrival, there was no worker awaiting out front to park cars, so I had to go around back and park for myself. The lobby online claims to be breathtaking. But in reality, it's not! Just a dinky square with a small check- in desk. Keep in mind check-in time is 3PM, and I arrived at 4:00. They said my room was still not ready! I had to wait half an hour to finally get my key and go up. I stood at the elevator for five minutes, and finally decided to just take the stairs in the back. Dark, dirty, and dimly lit with flickering lights, this stairwell looked like something from the ghetto. I climbed six flights and had to walk all the way to the end of the hall for my room. The rooms online definitely do not match what you really get! There was one dirty window with no panoramic view, a springy mattress, small couch and small closet, and I don't recall there being a writing desk at all! You could tell just when you walked in that this place was old and could use a good renovation! They didn't even have flat or plasma screen TVs! Bathroom was big enough for one person (but then again it was only me), and toilet was very weak. Shower temperature was either scalding hot or freezing cold; you couldn't get a happy medium of warm or cool when you were bathing. There was ONE washcloth and two towels on the rack! That's all! The sheets were apparently thrown on the bed, and this bed had no shams or euro pillows or even a throw blanket on the top. You'd expect some nice decorations when you're paying $190/night, especially AT A HYATT! Anyway, the cleanliness was average, but the phone service stunk! I dialed the operator and waited nearly ten minutes for someone to pick up. Every time! No joke. I called housekeeping and asked to have linens and towels changed daily, which they managed to do for me. My room was freezing all night! I turned the thermostat up to about 80 degrees, but did that help? No! I used the pool, which appears much larger on the website, and it was freezing! They did have a good hottub, though. The bathroom in the workout room was very small and had one stall! Food was okay; hot and prompt, I suppose. Waiter was semi-pleasant. In fact, the entire staff was so. There were no smiles or friendly voices, but at least they weren't sarcastic or rude. The laundry service was good, and computer room served its purpose for a businessman. Coffee shop in lobby sold only decaf and espressos. They said they were "out" of everything else. My stay was mediocre through and through. I will continue to stay at Hyatt properties and am still a Gold Passport member, but if I return to Fairfax, I'll be choosing the Hyatt Dulles by the airport. That should make for a nicer and less stressful stay. I couldn't wait to check out on my last day and go home! If you want a nice visit to Virginia, don't choose here!
