Faced with the January existential dread of starting the climb back to 60 nights to renew Globalist, I did the natural thing and booked a quick one-night staycation to start making progress.

Luckily, the Thompson DC had a $159 Prive rate available, and I figured that paying $186 (including tax) for the night credit, points, $100 F&B credit, welcome amenity, etc. was a worthy use of money. It probably wasn’t, but then, what fun would travel and loyalty programs be if we approached them completely rationally?

Third stay at this property for me, though my first since 2021, so I was curious to see how it was holding up. I booked a base king, and the upgrade to a junior suite showed up in the app the morning of check-in. The check-in process itself was quick and easy.

Room

The junior suite, 926, looked identical to hp12c's photos above from 2020, so I won't duplicate those. I like the Thompson’s hard product – it feels upscale and has some nautical accents which link it to its neighborhood, Navy Yard.

The bed was comfortable, the blackout curtains did their job, and there are small touches that show some thought has been put into the design, like the small phone-sized shelf next to the toilet.






The two aluminum water bottles were not complimentary. However, I was given two plastic bottles of water at check-in.






View from the room. The apartment building on the left, which opened in 2023, now blocks the view of Nats Park.


Food & Beverage

The last time I stayed here, breakfast was delivery from Bethesda Bagels – Globalists got a bagel sandwich, yogurt, and fruit. Happily, proper breakfast is back. The hotel’s restaurant, Surveyor, offers breakfast daily and brunch until 2 PM on Saturday and Sunday. It was open for dinner service this past summer, but dinner is currently only available in the lobby bar or via in-room dining.

I ordered room service for dinner, choosing the roasted half chicken with farro, squash, and tomatoes ($28) and a side of brussels sprouts ($9). With a $5 delivery fee, 18% gratuity, and a slight additional tip, the meal came to about $57.

Presentation wasn’t great, as it was delivered in a bag with takeout cartons inside, but it was delicious – cooked perfectly and flavorfully. The plastic utensils meant I was glad I hadn't ordered the steak.



The following day, I had an early breakfast at Surveyor, then came back down around 1 PM to use the rest of my credit on Saturday brunch. On both visits, only one other table was occupied.

Both meals were good, short rib hash and a side of fruit for breakfast and steak & eggs for lunch. After plenty of hotel buffets in recent months, the fresh, cooked-to-order meal was a welcome change.










Short rib crispy potato hash


Steak & eggs with potatoes

Service

My Prive welcome amenity was a small (187 ml) bottle of prosecco and a can of gummy bears. Both were also available for purchase from the minibar and at the front desk.

While I hate to complain about anything I’m getting for free, it definitely felt like the property was doing the bare minimum to comply with the Prive booking. For comparison, the last time I stayed on a Prive rate, in 2021, the welcome amenity was a full-size bottle of sparkling wine, nicely presented in a bucket of ice.



The welcome amenity, to me, was reflective of the service throughout my stay. Perhaps it was just a low-occupancy period and the hotel leadership was elsewhere, but from the front desk staff at check-in and check-out to the wait staff in Surveyor, the service was nice enough, but definitely had a disinterested feel.

The positive exception was the gentleman who took my room service order and delivered the food – he seemed genuinely happy to be there.

Final Thoughts

When I first stayed at the Thompson DC, I was thrilled about its place in the Hyatt portfolio in the DC area. It remains a good Hyatt option for anyone who needs to be based in the Navy Yard neighborhood or who is in town for an event at Nats Park or Audi Field. Overall, though, the Thompson has lost some of its luster for me. I’d recommend the Park Hyatt or Grand Hyatt over the Thompson, especially for Globalists.