Location overcomes poor staff.
First the negatives--The front desk staff is indifferent at best. A more accurate description would range from unfriendly to downright hostile. The internet access, which in lower quality hotels is complimentary, is priced at $10 per day, wireless access in the lobby runs $3 per 15 mins., and parking is $16 per day for a garage that is virtually empty. Another inconvenience is that the rooms do not have safes. Also, don't come here expecting good views of anything other than other hotels.
The positives, however, outweigh the negatives. The rooms are beautifully decorated, the furnishings well-designed and comfortable, the bathrooms clean and beautiful, and the beds heavenly (the only problem with the beds is that the comforter is HUGE, and it gets very hot at night because you only have the sheet and the comforter, no blanket). The absolute best thing about this hotel is its location on the metro. It's about a four minute walk from the lobby to the train waiting area. This makes it very convenient for all sightseeing. It is on top of the shops at Crystal City, and almost the first shop you come to from the walkway from the lobby is a FULL drug store, with everything from cold medicine to cartons of Breyer's Ice Cream. The last store before you go into the metro area is a dunkin donuts, and there is a Starbucks in the lobby of the hotel, although it seems to close down in the afternoon.
Next time, we will park our car at the airport in long term parking and ride over to the hotel, but this is our new home away from home when we're in DC.
Traveler's Tip: You can take the yellow line to Chinatown and exit the station through the 7th and H Streets exit and you have innumerable restaurants right there with barely any walking. Also the $22 smart trip card is good for trips from the hotel to at least Chinatown on the yellow line and the Smithsonian on the blue line, even during rush hour, and you don't have to add money to the card.
