Arlington Court Suites, a Clarion Collection Hotel

The location was excellent, close to all the attractions, and parking at $20 a night seemed reasonable for the area. The breakfast room was large, had plenty of seating, and offered a nice view, though the options were basic and the same each morning. My suite was fairly clean, had lots of outlets, and was nice, but the room felt dated and the TV looked at least 20 years old. Service was fine, though staff were pretty quiet, including the breakfast crew, who were rarely around. Some people may like that.

A good base for visiting DC while staying outside the city, with several places to eat just a few minutes away. My room was spacious and clean when I arrived. Check-in and checkout were both quick and easy, and the two front desk staff I dealt with were pleasant and efficient. Parking costs $20 a night, I believe, and although the lot looked small, I always found a space, even coming back late.

I’m furious that I’m being charged after my employees were turned away. I booked two rooms for them on 2/27 for 2/28. The reservation agent said the booking could be handled with credit card authorization and that they’d email me the form, but no email ever arrived. When my employees showed up on 2/28, the front desk said they needed a physical card and denied that such an authorization policy existed. I asked customer experience to cancel without a fee because the options had been miscommunicated. They tried calling the desk three times, but got no answer twice and were left on hold for 15 minutes on the third call, which ended my call with them. I called the front desk the next morning, 3/01, and was told my guys never showed up and that I’d be charged, even though they’d been turned away because of the misinformation. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS. It feels like strong arm robbery.

The rooms were dated but clean, and the front desk attendant was kind at check-in. They even let us leave our car there while we explored DC after checking out. Breakfast was wonderful, though when I thanked the attendant the next morning, she didn’t respond. My main issue is the $150 incidental charge. I booked through Expedia and paid in full on arrival, but my card was still charged. It was 48 hours later and the charge hadn’t been reversed. Other hotels on my trip reversed their holds right at checkout. When I called, the representative said it takes 3-5 business days and that he doesn’t control the credit card companies. Since other hotels can reverse the charge immediately and this one holds it for days, I’ll probably stay elsewhere next time. Be forewarned.