Staycation in the Heart of D.C.

If you have been around for a while or have visited my blog often this summer, you know this year has been all about staycations and enjoying what the DMV-area has to offer as a visitor. 

After Virginia countryside, Alexandria Old Town, it was about time I stayed in the heart of D.C.. Although I had done a staycation at Pentagon City last December, but that doesn't really count because we never really left the hotel property.

 

For our D.C. stay we picked the newly renovated, The Watergate Hotel. It was in the heart of Georgetown and I had heard that it had an excellent ambiance and decor. We checked in around noon. Our room was not ready as expected, so we stored our luggage with the concierge and headed to the restaurant to grab a bite.

 

I must mention that while I was impressed by the exteriors and the refurbished property itself, I did not have a good experience with the front of house staff. From the doorman to the front desk, everyone seemed unfriendly and disinterested through the whole process. 

The restaurant staff however was quite warm and friendly. Our server made an excellent suggestions for non-alcoholic beverages and vegetarian options for me. The restaurants itself was quite good and had great food options and a beautiful setting. The Top Of The Gate (aka rooftop) has an excellent 360 view of Washington. The Whiskey Bar is quite an eye catcher. The wall at the bar is made up of some 2500 bottles.

We were in a Deluxe room which was quite spacious spacious. The bed, linens, towels and other amenities were top notch. The room had a fabulous view to the Potomac River. The spa and swimming pool area was quite impressive too. 

One of the drawbacks of the hotel however, was that it was not really all that close to any D.C. attraction. You had to walk for a good 15 minutes to get anywhere or needed a car to commute. Since I enjoy walking it was not an issue but for someone who wants to be amidst the action this might not be the best option. Also, the Uber pick up is quite confusing, as they are not allowed to drive up to the hotel's entrance so you have to go and wait by the street which is quite a nuance. 

While I did have a good stay, and appreciate the attention to details like avant-garde architecture and retro-chic staff uniforms I do think the hotel can work on its service and in turn improve all customers' experience. 

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