Embassy Suites by Hilton Washington DC Chevy Chase Pavilion

The room has a ripped curtain, peeled bathroom mirror, patchwork on the wallpaper, and a sliding door that won't close. The HVAC unit makes a constant droning sound. What a joke. The hotel feels old and dated, the bed is old and creaky, and things generally look worn, like only the bare necessities are done. During the day, traffic and honking outside are easy to hear from the 3rd floor. There are a LOT of cars honking, and it gets annoying fast. I also got harassed by an unhinged homeless guy on the way to Trader Joe's. I'm from NYC, so that was par for the course. I'm done with this and will try to salvage the rest of my vacation. This was my first night, and the heating system was so loud that I had to turn it off to get any sleep. Then the room got freezing overnight and in the morning. The front desk said a technician would come, but hours later nobody had shown up. A housekeeping person told me these HVAC units are loud, and an engineer said the rooms have HVAC units with big motors. I went to the front desk in the afternoon to ask for a room change. I was hoping to switch rooms, but wasn't expecting anything to happen. I never heard back and gave up. Same room. I have zero expectations. I'm still waiting. Not a good start. My vacation was supposed to be a break from everyday problems, but here I am dealing with this nonsense. The hotel is Embassy Suites, and I regret booking here. I stayed at a Residence Inn not too far away before, and it was far better. This will be my last stay at any Embassy Suites location. I don't recommend this place.

The staff made a great first impression, and breakfast was another highlight. The team there was friendly and made my omelet just how I wanted it. The hotel also validated all of our parking, so we paid nothing for it. Our room was clean but looked a little dated. A few outlets were loose, though they worked, and the shower pressure was weak enough to make getting ready take longer. It was quiet overnight, and even with the firm beds I slept well. For four days at this price, it was good value. We left happy and would stay again.

I expected a great first trip to Washington, DC with my children, but the hotel’s interior felt strange and almost unoccupied. Housekeeping never came to clean, collect our used towels, or pick up anything. When we tried to strip the sheets from the pullout bed, we found a huge, dirty stain on the mattress. The pool was being used by students taking swim lessons, and there were no towels there. We called to ask for some to be brought up, but they said they had run out and none arrived.

The pool was a major problem. The hotel doesn’t tell guests that swim lessons take over from 8:00 a.m. to noon every day, so paying guests can’t use it then. After that, kids ran and screamed around the pool until at least 6:00 p.m. The photo at 4:24 p.m. shows it, and even Apple said it was loud. The hot tub was no use, and there was no chance to relax. Getting around the building was another headache. Reaching the garage or even the ground floor meant taking several elevators and backtracking. The hotel is attached to what felt like a dead mall, with empty, abandoned storefronts along the way. They took a $100-per-night deposit, but food and drinks couldn’t be charged to the room. At the onsite restaurant, we had to pay right away, sometimes in cash. That’s absurd when they’re holding that much of your money. This place left me stressed, annoyed, and disappointed. I wouldn’t stay here again, or recommend it to anyone who values their time, money, or sanity.