Great Hotel in Great Location

Just returned today from Washington, DC and stayed at the Fairmont. It is located in Foggy Bottom, just about a 6 or 7 minute walk from the Foggy Bottom subway station. Great lobby that looked out to the central courtyard. The rooms were large and comfortable. We had a room overlooking the central courtyard and thus had a balcony. That was a plus because rarely do hotel room windows open, but this room had two glass doors that let the breeze in. The bathroom was great and included bathrobes, a scale, and even a speaker was placed near the sink so that one could hear the television while in the bathroom. The speaker connected right to the TV and could be adjusted to the appropriate volume. We got a great rate from expedia. Overall, a very good hotel and would stay here again, after all these are the people who manage the Plaza Hotel here in New York.

Lovely hotel, but service is iffy

I've stayed in this hotel several times - very upscale, lovely decor.

Definitely a beautiful, classy hotel. We brought our baby along, and this hotel is definitely NOT family friendly! When we first arrived, we had to call 5 times to get a crib brought to our room - despite having requested it when we made our reservations AND calling the day ahead to make sure it would be set-up. Each time we called, they were very nice and assured us the crib would be right up. It took, literally, FOUR hours for them to get us a crib. Our year old baby didn't get to bed till midnight because of this. If you have a baby, you realize how this can ruin the next few days! I was very disappointed.

Great Gold Club staff!

We stayed here three months before the Gold Floor opened, then again in December after it had been opened a few months. What a change! The Gold Floor concierge were great: Clarence, Nora and Mardi really made our stay (over a windy, snowy weekend in DC while missing out on a Boston blizzard) a treat. That staff is easily equal to the groups at the Empress, Frontenac or Royal York. The Club Lounge, unfortunately, looks as if some NYC designer got hold of it...very boring with lots of pastel and little to hold your attention: a shame in a city so rich in history and not up to the rest of the chain. The Valet parking was the only drawback..DC has almost no parking and small streets around the hotel, so you have to use the Valet but ah! the waits...20 minutes one afternoon, 45 minutes another after an in-house conference had let out even tho the Gold Concierge had called down. The valet people and process seemed very disorganized..lots of people but few chief organizers. All said, the service and rooms are better than Bethesda, the Willard, or Crystal City locations for lower prices, and you can easily walk into Georgetown for sightseeing and dinner.

Nice place, lousy customer service

The hotel itself is beautiful, and my room was very nice: clean, modern, well-appointed. No complaints there. After the trip, I realized I'd misplaced my receipt, which I needed to submit for reimbursement at work. I called the hotel and asked for a copy of my receipt to be sent to me. They put me through to the accounting dep't, who said no problem. After about a week with no receipt, I emailed them. They replied that the request had been forwarded to the appropriate people.

Still nothing. So I sent them an angry email saying that I was surprised and disappointed by their poor service, and that if I didn't get my receipt as promised, I'd never stay there again. I got no response at all. If you go there, chances are you will enjoy your stay.

But if you need to deal with them for customer service-related issues, good luck.

Loved It!

I stayed at the Fairmont for three nights in December, 2003 and thought it was absolutely fabulous. The valet staff is VERY helpful as I did not have to lift a piece of luggage my entire stay. The room was furnished with every possible amenity ranging from terrycloth bathrobes to a fully stocked minibar. The bathroom even had a scale (which was I wish wasn't there after eating Sunday brunch at the Collenade). The concierge was able to get me a table at The Palm at the very last minute and offered some great advice about what to see at the Kennedy Center. Overall, The Fairmont Washington, DC was a great place for a weekend getaway and I will be staying there again!

Near Perfection!

This chain at this hotel got it right! I recently stayed at the hotel on the club level. That arrangement is new to the hotel. The food service and quality was excellent. The entire staff were helpful and polite. The rooms are oversized with marble baths and every possible amenity from scales, robes and designer lotions and potions to slippers and valet. Not any candy at night in this hotel, you get an easel bearing a scene from Washington all made out of chocolate. The health club is complete. They even insisted on overnighting something back to me that I had lost in the room. The only gripes: you need earphones in the health club to hear the TV and they charge five dollars for them; and no alcoholic beverages are included in the club services. In summary, they beat the Ritz and charge less.

Excellent!

Had a 2-night stay at this property in Sept. 2003, this hotel is great. Checked in at 5AM, the manager and front desk staff were very friendly and checked me in without hesitation. The lobby is nice however, the rooms are PERFECT. This is the type of room that includes a lint brush..do I make myself clear? Reserve without hesitation.

Excellent DC Hotel

This is a perfect hotel for either business or pleasure. While the hotel has changed hands many times, the service is always first class.

From the desk staff to the doormen, this is a place that remembers your name and takes care of all your needs. The rooms are large and perfect for work or relaxing. The hotel boasts one of the finest gyms in the area that is available to hotel guests. I wouldn't stay anywhere else in DC.

Very pleasant & enjoyable

We had a one-night stay (Dec 7, 2002), our first in this property. It was still called the Monarch, but it was already in the Fairmont group. The inner lobby area is very attractive. My wife used the health club (extra fee) and gave it a high rating. Our room was very nice and comfortable. I didn't particularly like the lunch entree I had in the hotel at our early arrival, so that night we walked across the street to the Park Hyatt and had a very good meal. Overall, I give the Fairmont a very high rating.

Comfortable getaway

My husband and I went to Washington for a get-away and stayed at the Monarch. It was fantastic. It feels a little bit like a Ritz Carleton... maybe a bit more business oriented, but the comfort and prettiness of the place made us feel on vacation. Great gym. Good advice re: where to eat from the concierge.