Booking
I booked a standard King on a prepaid rate in December. When the stay came, DC was facing an incoming storm, which shut the federal government down on top of COVID.
Property
The stay was a couple weeks after the inauguration and the events of January 2, 2021 (the Capitol riot), so the National Guard was in town. I believe the property had some of these bookings. With the federal government shut down on top of COVID, the city was a ghost town. America’s finest, in these oddest of times, are amazing fellow hotel guests.
Dress in the halls was very casual. There were many intra-room-floor hotel rides. The military guests frequented the pool-and-gym floor; I envied the instinct, although not enough to follow.
This brings to mind a story that Defense One picked up about a state guard staying at the Marriot Marquis downtown, who ordered a pizza they claimed came with glass embedded in the crust, an apparent attack on them, which was largely debunked by the Washingtonian.
Sometimes “liberal” DC parodies itself with its legislation, but on behalf of the people here, we honor and respect the men and women who serve in our military. We may disagree with political leadership or policy, but I have never meant a Washingtonian with any animus toward those in uniform, full stop. Everyone is welcome here, especially military families.
Checkin
The front desk upgraded the Standard King to a Corner room on a high floor. The frontdesk agent commented how nice the room was.
Room
The room was nice, with a great view of snow in the city. It was a standard size for a king in an urban, full-service hotel.
Food and beverage
The property itself was beyond closed, with Starbucks offering its usual limited selections, and the Marriott “store,” which included beer and wine in a padlocked refridgerator that could not be opened remotely. No minibar.
Service
The abbreviated service throughout the stay was polite and effective.
Rating (out of five)
Three stars.
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The Chaedrol Hotel Guide does not provide “balanced” reviews of stays, but rather our reviewers’ experiences at properties. Star ratings are based on price, so that a luxury or budget hotel may both receive either no or five stars, and factor in extenuating circumstances. Your actual experience may vary.
