The hotel, a Postmodernist structure that opened in 1986, hosts the Blue Duck Tavern, a restaurant that consistently ranks as one of the city's best.

By the 1960s, Washington, D.C.'s West End neighborhood was a decaying area of Victorian townhouses and abandoned light industrial sites.

[1] In spring 1984, Mortimer Zuckerman, owner of real estate development company Boston Properties, purchased the D.C.-based newsmagazine U.S. News & World Report.

In June, Boston Properties and U.S. News jointly signed an agreement to acquire 250,000 square feet (23,000 m2) of space on the northwest corner of 24th and M Streets NW.

[7] As completed, the Park Hyatt had 220 rooms, a presidential suite, an outdoor café, a caviar bar, and a restaurant.

[9] Four types of marble were used throughout the hotel,[8] and the public areas featured 13th-century Buddhist sculptures as well as artwork by David Hockney,[10] Gene Davis, Sam Gilliam, Howard Mehring, Kenneth Noland, Paul Reed, and Frank Stella.

[3] Each guest room bathroom featured a television, while the hotel's presidential suite had a working fireplace and baby grand piano.

[8] Benjamin Forgey, architectural critic for The Washington Post, called the hotel's design urbane[11] and a "strong" corner building.

[13] Richman's successor, Eve Zibart, called Melrose's Modernist decor "absolutely beautiful" and its cuisine "entirely overlooked".

The Melrose's good acoustics made for excellent quiet discussion, another big draw for breakfasters seeking to have confidential business conversations.

The company, which rarely sold real estate once acquired, wanted out of the hospitality business and to focus on its core office buildings and residencies.

[17] Boston Properties asked $50 million for the structure[17] (which by now only offered 224 rooms),[17][18] considerably more than the sale price of other recently purchased hotels in the city.

The renovation included a "D.C. feel", with wallpaper featuring cherry trees and new rocking chairs reminiscent of the one used by President John F.

[21] Head chef Brian McBride closed Melrose permanently, and announced that a new dining space, the Blue Duck Tavern, would open in June 2006.

[26][25] Westmont and Tan said they would spend $5.5 million over three years to improve the property, and that Hyatt Hotels would continue to manage it.

Designed by Tony Chi, who oversaw the hotels' 2006 renovation, all 216 rooms received new art, carpeting, decor, and furnishings in a blue-gray, denim blue, and wood color scheme.

Although the shelves full of Mason jars filled with colorful vegetables and the wood-burning hearth were cozy, he felt the design "created a maze of glass and steel, steps and ramps, halls and nooks — reached via the largest door this side of Emerald City — that challenges even those of us with a good sense of direction.

[33] Knapp was appointed Park Hyatt's food and beverage director in 2018, and Adam Howard has named executive chef.

[39] The Park Hyatt Washington has been the site of a wide range of historic events during its history, and hosted a number of notable people over the years.

[42] On June 23, 1990, Barry stood in front of the Park Hyatt and denounced Crenshaw and others who testified to his illegal drug use as "liars".

On November 6, 1990, Sharon Pratt Dixon held her election night party at the Park Hyatt, while in nearby, near-empty ballroom Marion Barry conceded defeat.

The Park Hyatt had to turn down Jordan's King Hussein, who was making an unscheduled visit to Washington, because it would have been diplomatically inappropriate.

President Bill Clinton's personal attorney, Vernon Jordan, held his first press conference regarding the scandal at the hotel on January 22, 1998.