Marriott Marquis Washington, DC

The Marriott Marquis Washington, DC has the feel of a well-practiced conference executive, polished and busy, somehow still making time to network at 3 a.m. The lobby is large, lively, and corporate. That atmosphere may not suit someone after a quiet boutique stay, though it works for a major business hotel. Its downtown location is a real advantage. You can walk to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Smithsonian museums, and several metro lines. It’s handy for meetings, award conferences, or seeing the monuments without relying on Uber. The hotel also has a roomy gym for fitting in a workout. I wouldn’t call the pool a spa destination. Rooms are clean, modern, and spacious for a city hotel. Beds are comfortable, bathrooms functional, and some rooms have great views. Food options include convenient morning coffee and a few places to sit down without leaving the building. It’s reliable upper-upscale hotel food, useful when you’re between appointments, though not especially memorable. Staff generally know their jobs. Check-in moves efficiently even when the lobby is crowded, housekeeping is timely, and the concierge is helpful. You may not get the personal feel of a small inn, but things run smoothly. I’d have liked a bit more character or local flair. Still, it offers a central spot, comfortable rooms, and a polished, dependable base for work or exploring. Four stars.

Abdu tended the bar two nights in a row and was so sweet and kind. The room’s a nice size, and they’ve come to clean it every day we’ve been here. Having the M lounge on our floor, floor 12, is such a nice touch.

It’s a decent hotel, but two charges left me with questions. I had booked a rate that included breakfast, yet they kept adding the breakfast charge to my bill at checkout. They removed it when I pointed out that it was included, but why make it a hassle? The other issue was the $35 daily destination fee. It appeared on the bill, and they described it as more or less mandatory. I’m still not sure whether it’s optional, but I should have been told about it when I made the reservation, not at checkout.

We chose this hotel because it was advertised as connected to the convention center, but a security guard said the tunnel has been closed for years. After checkout, we were told our bags could be held, then that changed because of a United Nations meeting. We had to take our luggage to the convention center, couldn’t get back into the hotel after 11 a.m. because of a high-security meeting, and ended up in the rain. Nobody had told us any of this beforehand. As a blind boy member, I expected to be treated differently, and honestly, I wasn’t. The problems started as soon as we arrived at 5 p.m. Valet was full, and the attendant handed me a list of six garages, then wasn’t helpful or polite. The only one I found that would take the car overnight was more than half a mile away. My room had no hot water, an unvacuumed carpet, and no toilet paper, so I had to call the front desk. Starbucks had a three-hour wait, accepted only mobile orders, and had run out of all the food. This is supposed to be a high-end hotel, but the stay felt like a Motel 6. It was very expensive and awful. I’ll never stay here again.