Washington Marriott Capitol Hill

Our room faced the quiet, relaxing courtyard, so we didn’t have trouble with train noise, despite seeing reviews mention it. Parking is in the unaffiliated garage next door, around $40 a night. The train station is just behind the property. We were so pleased with our first-week-of-September stay that we’ve booked again for mid-November. The recently renovated hotel feels fresh and thoughtfully designed, with spacious, stylish, functional rooms. Check-in staff were polite, professional, and warmly welcoming, and they offered us complimentary 2 p.m. late checkout, a first for us despite traveling often. The rooftop restaurant and bar have city views, good food, and plenty of drink choices. There’s also a Spirits & Wine store downstairs and Ted’s Bulletin, handy for breakfast and coffee. Service, style, and location worked well for both business and leisure, and we highly recommend it.

The hotel is modern, with beautiful rooms, and the second-floor lounge has breakfast choices plus snacks and drinks during the day. My main issues were the check-in and the extra fee. I got a message at 11 a.m. saying my room was ready, but nothing was available when I arrived. The desk took my number and said they’d text when it was ready. I went out to explore and never heard back. I was charged a destination fee but didn’t receive the included offerings. When I pointed to the bill, the front desk said there was no charge. Also, rooms on lower floors facing the train station can be noisy from early horns. They provided a sound machine, but it didn’t stop the disruption.

The cold food and terrible selection made breakfast feel like a rip-off. For what it costs, there should at least be pancakes, waffles, or sausage, and they didn’t even have ketchup. My son couldn’t find anything to eat. I want some kind of reimbursement for his meal. I won’t eat breakfast at a Marriott again, and the breakfast brought the service down.

Don’t take a room facing outside. Trains from Union Station run all night, and the windows barely block the noise. Whoever built a Marriott beside DC’s biggest train yard without proper soundproofing made a bad call. The hotel is new and trying for a high-end feel, but the little conveniences are missing. There’s no shop for basic items, the M Club amounts to a few coolers of free soda and Chex mix, and the rooftop and lobby “restaurants” hardly qualify as restaurants.