The Hyatt Centric Arlington is a wheelchair accessible hotel in Arlington, Virginia, just steps from the Washington, D.C. Metro at Rosslyn Station. The hotel’s location makes it a great choice for tourists visiting the nation’s capital, with substantial cost savings over hotels directly inside the District.
I have taken advantage of the lower costs – and the hotel’s recent remodel – on several trips to the Washington, D.C. area. On each occasion, my wheelchair accessible hotel room has met my needs and I have enjoyed a comfortable stay. In this article, I’d like to take you inside the hotel’s ADA accommodation, with photos of both accessible room types – one with a roll-in shower; the other having a tub with grab bars and a bench.
Reservation & Check-in
Each of my reservations were made directly through the hotel, via its website or the World of Hyatt mobile application. I was able to book ADA room types without hassle, but my preferred roll-in shower was unavailable on my most recent stay – a single night in February. In that case, I booked the room with an accessible tub, and will share photographs later in this article.
My room rates have all been fantastic – by booking in advance and taking advantage of either the AAA or World of Hyatt member rate, I have never paid more than $100 per night, inclusive of tax. This is extremely competitive for the Washington, D.C. market, but such bargains are not always available. I have seen the Hyatt Centric Arlington command rates in excess of $300 on a few occasions – needless to say, I did not stay there on those nights.
Wheelchair Accessible Hotel Room
Centric is a relatively new brand in the Hyatt portfolio, designed to attract millennials and travelers seeking a more relaxed hotel feel. Each of my rooms at the Hyatt Centric Arlington have been of similar design, sporting a fairly bold or “hip” wallpaper behind the bed:
The queen size Hyatt Grand Bed was comfortable, outfitted with a lovely duvet and four pillows. The height of the bed was problematic, though, as it sat 5 to 6 inches higher than the seat of my wheelchair. Because the mattress was placed atop a solid platform, it would not have been possible to use a hoyer transfer lift.
Nightstands and lamps on each side of the bed were accessible. There was enough space for a wheelchair to park alongside the bed as well.
On one of my stays, the accessible king rooms were sold out, so I had to book a room with two double beds:
Due to space constraints, the room with two double beds had only one nightstand placed between the beds. The bed on the left side was pressed alongside a portion of the wall, but wheelchair access was available between the beds, and to the right of the second bed. The double beds were just as comfortable as the queen size.
Both room types (double beds or queen size) had the same general layout. On the wall directly across from the bed(s) was a wall-mounted flat screen television, desk with chair and a set of drawers. The desk was wheelchair accessible, and the office chair was easy to roll out of the way.
Both room types had a seating area along the far right wall. Two chairs, two ottomans, a table and a lamp picture made up this area. I used the chairs as a place to store my luggage, but they did look comfortable. The rooms were quite spacious, and the seating in this space did not take away from the room’s accessibility. There was plenty of space to accommodate my power wheelchair.
Wheelchair Accessible Bathroom
As previously noted, I stayed in rooms with two different types of accessible bath facilities. The roll-in shower was best suited to my needs:
The roll-in shower, pictured above, features a built-in shower bench that folds down from the rear wall. This bench was of no use to me, as the water controls and handheld shower nozzle were out of reach – on the opposite end of the shower. This amounted to a violation of the ADA design standards for hotels, and I was forced to rely on a portable shower chair instead.
Grab bars affixed to the walls helped me transfer to/from the shower chair, and a small soap rack held the shampoo and conditioner. The shower curtain was useful in protecting my power wheelchair from the water spray.
The accessible bathtub also featured a built-in bench, which folded down from the wall. If seated on the bench, bathers will still be unable to reach the water controls and handheld shower nozzle. When I stayed in this room, I also requested the portable shower chair. It fit inside the bathtub, but is not pictured here.
Grab bars are placed along all three of the walls, allowing for safe movement into and out of the tub.
Both bathroom types had the same sink and toilet design. The sink was wheelchair accessible, with it being possible to roll underneath the countertop. The toilet was also easily accessible, with plenty of space to park a wheelchair directly next to and alongside. Multiple grab bars were affixed to the adjoining walls, making transfers to and from the toilet safe. The toilet paper roll was within reach when seated on the toilet.
Location & Transportation
Hyatt Centric Arlington is just over two blocks away from the Rosslyn metro station’s wheelchair accessible entrance on North Moore Street. Rosslyn station is served by the blue, orange and silver metro train lines. The blue line connects Rosslyn with Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
A WMATA city bus depot is also located on Moore Street, with numerous route connections. Bus 5A to Dulles International Airport stops here.
The path from the Rosslyn metro station to the hotel entrance is very steep. I did not have any issues using the sidewalk with my power wheelchair, but manual wheelchair users will need assistance in making it up the steep grade of Wilson Boulevard.
Final Thoughts
The two most important factors for me in selecting a hotel are accessibility and cost. Hyatt Centric Arlington meets both of these needs – offering an accessible room that I can use and at a price I can afford. The hotel’s location, with easy connections to public transportation, make this choice of accommodation a “no brainer” for me, though I wish they would address the ADA violations in the bathroom.
