Gaylord National Hotel, National Harbor...Mr. Potemkin Goes to Washington
Written: Jun 11 '09 (Updated Aug 30 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Rooms are pleasant, good for meetings, attractive landscaping
Cons: Vast, Disneyesque palace is great for meetings, but not for the casual visitor.
The Bottom Line: Huge hotel in an isolated location. The Gaylord National was meant for meetings. You may find it inconvenient to the city.
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| tombarnes's Full Review: Gaylord National Hotel, MD |
When I heard that Gaylord Hotels, creators of the Opryland, the Gaylord Palms and the Gaylord Texan were building a mondo hotel in the wilds of Prince George's County, maryland, I simply knew that I would have to see it one day. See it I did. Seeing is believing, but they haven't made a believer out of me.
A Brief Description
The hotel was conceived as part of the ambitious National Harbor, a brand spanking new complex of apartments, shops and hotels on the banks of the Potomac River in Prince George's County, Maryland. Seeing the lack of a gargantuan convention hotel in the Washington area, the developers thought to correct this oversight with a 2000 room behemoth of a place. The building is mostly glass, stone and beige brick, though its public face is almost entirely given over to the stupendous 19 story glass atrium. While there are various hotels in the Washington area with atria, nothing even comes close in terms of sheer size. I arrived by water taxi from Alexandria and made my way from the dock on a circuitous route through the pool and atrium.
Registration
The registration desk is marked mostly by an expanse of vivid carmine carpet and gilded columns. The effect is over-the-top, but mildly effective. I didn't have to wait long at the desk as this apparently wasn't a big check-in day at the hotel. I shudder to think how the desk might function when there is a large meeting group arriving. The staffers I encountered were crisp and efficient. I was disappointed that an upgrade wasn't in the offing, but counted myself lucky to receive a room with a view of the atrium. I had booked through Priceline and wasn't expecting to be fawned over upon arrival.
Room
If you know just where to go, finding your room isn't the chore you'd imagine. The place is huge, but relatively compact, so leaving a trail of breadcrumbs isn't needed. Most rooms are similar in plan and design, but there are 100 or so suites. The standard rooms have crisp decor and sleek, vaguely Empire furniture. The flat screened television competed only with a round silver mirror for attention. The best thing about this room was that it had a balcony and a view of the river if I sat at the desk or went out on the balcony.
The beds were comfotable enough and I received both of the wake-up calls I requested. The rooms are not especially large, but are reasonably well laid out. A single-cup coffee maker provided an alternative to the expensive brew downstairs.
Bath
The bath was fresh and clean, but not a major source of excitement. Amenities were decent- pinkinsh shampoo, conditioner and lotion and two bars of soap. Towels? Therer were plenty of them. No problems with water pressure or temperature either- something I'd almost expected in a place of this size.
Atrium
The centerpiece of the place is the 19story atrium with glass elevators and twenty stories of glass facing the river. With all of the music, colored fountains and so forth, you would be forgiven for expecting to see Mickey, Donald and Pluto whirling around the corner to steer you into one of the shops. This unsettling Disney feeling is enhanced when you realize that Disney is indeed investing in National Harbor, though their ultimate plans have yet to be announced.
Various overprices shops are scattered about in faux-colonial buildings throughout the atrium. Before you take your coffee at the java shop, remember that it will cost you $5.50 for a large latte. the various newsstands and t-shirt shops are to be avoided likewise.
Dining
My stay was brief, so I obviously didn't have time to try everything. I did, however, take the time to investigate my options. A brief synopsis follows:
Moon Bay- Perhaps one of the more attractive restaurants here, the Moon Bay was also impossibly crowded when I passed by around 8:00 PM. The ropes and fishnets are counterbalanced by an interesting lighting scheme which makes this place almost inviting. Prices were in the mid-twenties for a main course.
Old Hickory Steakhouse- If I'd really wanted half a cow I could have had it here. The restaurant was spiffier than the rest here, but so were the prices. As is typical with most steak restaurants these days, everything was a la carte. Expect to spend $75.00 or so per person without wine or drinks.
Pienza- If breakfast is what you want, you must have it here or you'll be condemned to muffindom. I've had better values than a $19.99 breakfast buffet, but it was preferable to the $30.00 buffet offered at dinner.
Bars
National Pastime Bar- This enormous bar occupies a vast acreage near the back of the main atrium. The place was hopping the night I went in there, so that made it almost funb. The food was nothing special and at $15.00 for french fries and chicken fingers, I would call this a demonstrably bad value. A gentleman at the bar next to me sent his ribs back to the kitchen, claiming they were inedible. At least the beer was good.
The Belvedere Bar is a small bar which seems almost stashed away by the atrium stairway. In spite of a live pianist and an impressive quantity of marble, the bar felt like an afterthought.
Pose Untra Lounge- Their most spectacular drinking spot is the nightclub on the 18th and 19th floors. If ypou can get in the place, it's worth it for the view. Chances are good that you'll find it closed or rented out for a private party. In any event, the place is filled to the brim with gleaming chrome and strobe lights. Not for everyone.
If this doesn't appear to be an adequate number of restaurants for 200 hotel rooms, bear in mind that most of these places are large and would have no trouble swallowing a few hundred people at a time.
Pool and Spa
The 20,000 square feet of pool, fitness rooms and spa are on different levels, but can be reached independently by the elevator. The pool is on the basement level just below the main floor of the atrium. I considered going in for a swim, but couyld never find the pool when it wasn't being used for a game of Marco Polo by throngs of children. A well-equipped fitness room adjoins the pool.
Their spa is called Relache and is very inviting. Had I had more time, I definitely would have used the place. It does cost $35.00 to use the steam room and sauna if you are not receiving a treatment. Some of the treatments, by the way, are really out there in terms of cost. $800.00 buys a couple three hours in their waterside treatment room, complete with fireplace and forests of candles. Now I see where my tax money is going.
The Area
National Harbor is an attractive Potemkin village on the banks of the Potomac River not far from Alexandria. Essentially, there is little else to do beyond the immediate confines of the two or three blocks of development surrounding the hotel. Oncve you have scoured the shops and restaurants here, you will likely be compelled to take the water taxi to Alexandria ($7.00) or Georgetown ($26.00). There is an hourly shuttle to Union Station and the Old Post Office Pavilion for $13.00. The hotel is not near the Metro, but there are also airport shuttles available.
Cost
I've rarely seen rooms available on their website for under $200.00. The rates are frequently above $300.00. I gambled and was lucky to receive a room here through Priceline for only $100.00 tax. Consider doing a blind booking through Hotwire or Priceline as you will never find a deal on their website.
Overall
The Gaylord National Hotel offers a superbly controlled environment for meetings. As this is why the hotel was built, so much the better. For the casual visitor, however, there is little to do here beyond expensive restaurants and the thin layer of attractions surrounding the vast complex.
Gaylord National Hotel and Conference Center
201 Waterfront Street
National Harbor, MD 20745
Tel. 301-965-2000
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
tombarnes
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 - Top 200 |
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Member: Thomas Barnes
Location: Fort Lauderdale & Washington, DC
Reviews written: 688
Trusted by: 444 members
About Me:
With Barbara in Miami, 2004
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