Haus Vaterland metres deep, panoramas, and lighting effects, and served appropriate food; it was an early example of modern theme dining or experiential gastronomy. While the main shows took place in the ballroom, each theme restaurant also had musicians of the appropriate origins on staff to complete the dining experience, including at least six dance bands. A central kitchen occupied the entire top floor, connected to the different dining establishments by pneumatic tubes, through which orders came up, and dumbwaiters, by means of which food was sent down and dirty dishes sent back up; conveyor belts at kitchen level transferred the dishes
Park Hyatt Washington the working kitchen extended into the dining room. The 106-seat dining room's décor was in the American Craftsman style, and designed by Tony Chi. This changed the atmosphere for dining, moving to informal black walnut tables from formal, linen-covered rounds. The cuisine also changed, to modern American cuisine from international fare with a French feel. The new kitchen featured a $180,000, , Molteni commercial cooking range, which took several cranes to lift into position. The range was the only commercial Molteni in the D.C. area. Tom Sietsema, "The Washington Post" food critic, had high praise for the food at Blue