As part of my quest to complete the Hyatt Diamond Challenge, I spent a couple nights at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda over the 4th of July weekend, just outside of Washington, DC. While rooms downtown were almost impossible to come by and extraordinarily expensive, the Hyatt Regency Bethesda was a bargain, at less than $90 per night over the weekend for a cash stay requiring no points.

The Hyatt Bethesda is probably the oldest – or at least the most worn – of the Hyatt properties in the Washington area. I figured as much going in, based on the room designs I could see on the hotel’s website, but was willing to accept this thanks to the price and thanks to the fact that the hotel sits directly atop the Bethesda Metro Station, making it an easy 20 minutes or so to the National Mall or other sightseeing opportunities.

The hotel features a Morton’s Steakhouse, as well as a more casual sports-bar style restaurant, though during our stay, we didn’t take advantage of any dining on sight. The large gift and convenience store located next to the lobby came in handy for grabbing snacks or beverages when returning to the hotel.

The Stay Experience

We stayed in a simple King Room for our two days at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda. As expected, the room felt worn, though the bed was comfortable enough.

Across from the bed was a large entertainment center, including a chest of drawers and a safe, as well as a miniature refrigerator.

As you might expect, there was a small desk next to the TV center:

The bathroom showed the property’s age, as well, while still being perfectly nice:

Overall, the biggest problem with the room is one that plagues older hotels: a lack of power plugs. It can be difficult to charge all of my gear on the road when staying at hotels that either don’t offer enough electrical outlets or have outlets worn down enough that chargers can easily slip out. I’ve seen far worse elsewhere, but the dearth of plugs would be my single biggest complaint about the room.

Final Thoughts

This stay was a pragmatic decision. The Hyatt Regency Bethesda was immediately above a Metro Station. It was located a short walk from some friends we planned to visit. And, perhaps most importantly, it was an exceptional value on a weekend when everything in the DC area tends to be expensive.

I’d stay here again if there weren’t better options available, but only on a cheap cash rate. I certainly wouldn’t want to part with any Hyatt Gold Passport points for a stay here, given that either 12,000 points or 6,000 points + $75 would be required for a night. Those points are better spent elsewhere, such as at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill or the Park Hyatt Washington, DC, even if it’ll cost you twice as much to do so.