At The Corner of 22nd and "M" for Mediocrity.
Written: Nov 06 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent staff, especially "Big Joe" the concierge. Amazing Fitness Center. Comfortable bed.
Cons: Sheets didn't fit bed. Shoddy workmanship (hanging wires, bubbled wallpaper). On the small side.
The Bottom Line: I would moderately recommend the Marriott Washington. Room was clean and comfortable, staff was friendly. Sheets didn't fit and there were cosmetic issues with room.
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| coldsteel7's Full Review: Marriott Washington |
I really hate to bash a hotel that has outgoing friendly staff. Especially considering the hotel is run by my favorite hotel chain. Not only is the Marriott Washington a Marriott property, it is not even a lesser property in the Marriott Family like Courtyard. This property is a full-fledged Marriott. There are some bright spots to this hotel, but not nearly what I have come to expect from a chain with the exceptionally high standards I have become accustomed to from Marriott.
Marriott Washington is located at 1221 22nd Street NW. A short walk west (about eight blocks) puts you in Georgetown with a wide selection of exceptional restaurants. A longer walk south (about a mile) puts you at the Lincoln Memorial. There are two nearby stops for the Metro train, the closest at George Washington University about a five to ten minute walk from the hotel. A train ticket to the Mall will run about $1.65 from this stop. If you plan to jump on and off the Metro during the day, a daily Metropass runs $7.20 for unlimited use for the day.
Getting to the hotel by car was not difficult. I arrived well before rush hour. Washington DC has an interesting layout, with traffic circles on most of the major roads. Navigating the traffic circles can be irritating, especially at rush hour. Coming from the South, I only encountered one and had little trouble getting on and off. When I was leaving at mid-morning two days later, the traffic circle was backed up and I had to wait to get on and off. Parking at the hotel was thirty dollars for self-park and thirty-four dollars for valet. There was also a ten percent tax on the parking. Parking is an overnight charge, so you are not charged by the number of days you are in the lot, you are charged by the number of nights. You can either park and take a ticket or have the hotel put the parking on your room reservation and code your room key for unlimited access in and out of the parking deck. The underground parking was tight to navigate with large cement columns. I encountered a car going the other direction and had to back up and let him pass to proceed, to give an indication of the tight quarters.
My room was on the third floor. The elevators from the garage access both the lobby as well as the guest rooms (the parking elevators at the Marriott in Alexandria dumps you in the lobby only). As I exited the elevators on the third floor, I was impressed by the large fitness facility. There were five treadmills, nearly as many stair-masters as well as quite a few other devices for the fit-minded. The machines had mounted televisions. Complimentary earpieces were available. The Marriott Washington has one of the nicest fitness facilities I have seen in any hotel I have visited. There was also a swimming pool, whirlpool and sauna accessed through a door on the far side of the fitness area. You have to go past the equipment to get to the pool. This area was in stark contrast to the immaculate fitness area. The pool floor looked dingy and unappealing. The whirlpool didn't look much better. The sauna looked appealing but was out of order.
When I arrived at my room, I wasn't sure if it would mirror the fitness room or the swimming pool. It was a combination of both. The room was nicely appointed with beautiful wood furnishings. The work area was adequate. A large flat screen television was offset to the left of the foot of the bed. The bed was comfortable, but the fitted sheets didn't fit. Come on, now...this is a Marriott! Sheets that don't fit?...you have got to be kidding me. The room was small but not bad. It appeared to have been remodeled, but not recently. It also appears that short-cuts were taken during the remodeling which I will get to shortly. The bathroom was small but well designed. The shower had a convex curtain rod to give the appearance of more room in the shower. The countertop provided extra space by placing the sink in the back corner with an L shaped countertop. For a tight space, the economical use of the area seemed well planned.
Some things I noticed which bothered me about this room...
The first thing I noticed was my view (or lack thereof). I do not rent rooms for the view, unless I am at the beach. But I am noting it here, because the view was of the second floor rooftop looking over toward the gym. It was very industrial. The closet was very tiny with cables for the television and internet connection visibly hanging (drooping), running through the holes that had been previously cut for an existing pipe which was also visible. A couple of small pieces of drywall could have greatly improved the appearance. The wallpaper throughout the room appeared to have been put in place by less than professionals. The corners were visibly bubbled with areas of wear that were hard on the eyes. The bathroom also had a drop ceiling that looked tacky. The walls in the bathroom were horrible, even more unsightly than the actual room. Looking at the walls, I could have easily guessed that I was in a Motel 6 or Super 8 (two brands I intentionally avoid).
Aside from the large flat-screen television, the room had a single-cup coffee maker, which I did not use...there is a Starbucks in the hotel gift shop with another one just outside the entrance (around the corner). The room was "wired for business" which allows for high speed internet access with telephone service for a fee. I did not use the internet because I had my laptop with aircard. The lobby is wired with free wi-fi. The bathroom had a complimentary hairdryer. There was an iron in the closet. The complimentary shampoo and conditioner were the same that I have found in many Marriott hotels. It has a pleasant orange spice scent. This shampoo works well with my wiry hair type. I am certain that the hotel would have provided any other needs requested, because it is (after all) a Marriott. A theory that I did not test.
Marriott Washington appeared to have a decent sized conference space. There were a couple of small break out rooms located on the third floor, immediately past the fitness center. The second floor appeared to be all conference related (as well as the location for the Marriott Business Center, where you can utilize fax services). My elevator stopped on the second floor a couple of times while a conference was in progress and I was able to see the set up during a hosted break. A large group of visitors were taking advantage of the impressive spread of goodies placed out for their conference. There were several conference rooms visible from the elevator, but I never exited on that floor (which also had an escalator down to the lobby.
The lobby was not as impressive as some Marriott's that I have stayed in, but was well maintained. The black and white marble floors are offset by thick mahogany pillars. The pillars have interesting lime-green couches around the base that are surprisingly attractive. The hotel restaurant is located at the back of the lobby. A small snack station is located at the left side of the lobby, just past the check in counter. The elevators are located on the right side of the lobby, as is the concierge desk. A complimentary pot of hot apple cider was available near the snack area, providing a nice warm-up after walking from Georgetown on a cold November night.
The staff at the Marriott Washington were exceptional. In particular, "Big Joe" the concierge was a pleasant extrovert who imparted his knowledge of area attractions and favorable restaurants with zeal. Big Joe was not one of those pushy concierge types who try and get you to engage in activities that will ultimately get him a kickback. He appeared to be a genuine people person who remembered people's names and engaged in friendly banter with all of the hotel guests. John C. worked at the front desk when I was checking out and went out of his way to assist me. His pleasant demeanor and earnest willingness to go out of his way did not go unnoticed. I also required a metal spoon during my visit, in order to enjoy a spontaneously purchased pint of ice cream from the Walgreen's just outside the hotel entrance. The restaurant graciously supplied me with my utensil. The staff at the restaurant also appeared eager to assist hotel guests. Now THAT is what I am talking about. This is what I have come to expect from Marriott and why it is my favorite chain. It is the people that are going to earn this hotel a mild recommendation in spite of the glaring flaws.
The published rates for the Marriott Washington place the nightly room rental around three hundred dollars per night. There are a variety of rates and discounts that make the rooms more affordable, but still well into the upper hundred dollar range. I paid significantly less than the published rate and should probably be thankful for the quality of the room considering the location and price I paid.
When assessing the value of the Marriott Washington, I have to take all things into consideration. I did not plan on swimming, but if I did, the swimming pool would have been a great disappointment. The fitness center, on the other hand, was incredible. The shoddy workmanship in the rooms was an odd contrast to the luxurious furniture. I am still scratching my head at the thought of a Marriott that doesn't have sheets that fit. Strange. This hotel would have been a non-recommendation if not for their saving grace. The Marriott Washington obviously places value in the people they hire. The courtesy and professionalism of the hotel staff was exemplary. My most important criteria for a hotel is a clean comfortable bed. My second most important criteria would be service. Those two were big plus marks. The disappointing aspects of this hotel cost two stars. I would moderately recommend the Marriott Washington with three stars out of a possible five. Marriott and Mediocrity normally don't go together. In my experience, this hotel is the exception.
Recommended:
Yes
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