The Watergate Hotel

Fantastic stay while visiting DC. We had a great view of the Potomac River and the staff were attentive to all our needs. Really appreciated their attention to detail and service. We booked through Amex and were well taken care of. From the breakfast and bar to the complimentary macarons in the room, we were impressed and pampered. You can either park valet or park at the nearby garage. Great location - Georgetown is in walking distance and we went for a quick run to the Washington monument in the morning. The one critique I had was that the blinds were manual drawstring and took forever to pull up and down. But the stay was absolutely luxurious and I would definitely recommend.

We booked via Fine Hotels and Resorts program and experienced three five stars hotels for this week-long holiday trip in DC. This one was particularly disappointing.

1) room: The bedding and hygiene in the room were not up to the standard. Although this property was recently renovated, the whole air conditioning system and the *carpet* in the room looked as old as my grandpa, one furnace outlet even broke itself during the stay. The noise from the elevators was loud and even we were moved to a room 5 rooms away from the elevator after we complained, we can still hear that noise at night.

2) the dining experience: Food quality of their restaurant was nothing close to a five-star hotel level like the one at Park Hyatt or Conrad. The restaurant service was unprofessional because they were deeply understaffed. People need to wait in line for half an hour just to get breakfast. Also, the first morning we dined there we were only served at the minimum level since all servers were too busy, but still, they charged a fixed 18% service fee to breakfast even for a party of two! We dined at many fine dining restaurants which provided real and professional service, and I was glad to tip 25% or more, but this one? It's not worth a dime, but we're forced to tip that much. Such a cheap trick which I've only seen used at some small restaurants with mean owners.

The only star I want to honor is their view. It is indeed beautiful, see pictures below

Sadly I had a really bad experience. I made a reservation for the igloo restaurant and my experience was not good. My boyfriend and I arrived for 7 pm reservation and we had a very hard time look for the entrance to the hotel. Once we found an entrance an Asian lady, who we told that we where look for the restaurant ,at the front desk told us that this entrance was not the entrance. We went to the other side of the hotel and the dark skin gentleman told us that the entrance was for residents only. We went back and forth front one door to the other asking and looking around for almost a hour because we really wanted to go to a where reservation, which was $150, and was never able to find the entrance. This was a horrible experience and I would like my money back. This is unacceptable how we had to go back and forth and never found it. Especially for a hour in the cold look for the entrance and wasted $150. I want my money back , this is unacceptable.

My husband and I stayed at The Watergate hotel for a long weekend in November. Upon entering, we immediately appreciated the beautiful lobby, bar and lounge. We stayed in a suite with a balcony that faced the Potomac River and loved it! The room was very spacious, clean, had lots of storage space, a super comfortable bed, an awesome bathroom with a great shower and a cool wrap around balcony. We loved the décor throughout the hotel and in our room and how it tied in with the hotel’s history. Everyone at the front desk was very friendly, helpful and professional and service in general throughout the hotel was excellent. We look forward to staying at The Watergate Hotel the next time we are in DC!!

Not sure what happened here.

I arrived at the hotel early for a public event at the Washington mall. First, the staff of the hotel are as polite and cordial as any I have seen anywhere. Pretty much everything else was.... off.

I checked in and was told I could grab breakfast downstairs @ their local restaurant, but when I went down there the receptionist stated they were resetting for lunch and wouldn't open back up for an hour. This kinda screwed up the day because there aren't any breakfast places open and I needed to be on the mall's property pretty much all day. I then asked what time they would be open that night, and was surprised to learn they wouldn't be open for dinner at all. So I return from the event that evening and am about to order dinner to the room and the room's phone isn't working (ironic, this is the Watergate), then they send up an attendant who states I can order food but not any drinks for the bar, stating I must go downstairs to the bar to get drinks. The next morning I wake up to go for a swim (the deciding reason for my getting this hotel is they have a dedicated lap pool), and am told the pool is closed for renovations. At this point I decided to leave early from my stay, grabbed breakfast downstairs, checked out, and took off.

This isn't the worst hotel experience I've had, but it's not what I paid for.

I never write reviews unless I need to so here I am. If you plan on spending money for a 5 star experience, unfortunately this hotel should not be your first choice. I was only here with my girlfriend and my dog for a 2 night stay. The check in process was smooth but when we got up to our room unpacked and settled in, we notice the bathtub didn’t have a handle/knob and the drain was not attached. It was all dirty. We kindly requested a new room. Once we get up to our new room, there was no bathtub available for us. This could’ve been mentioned to us so we could’ve stayed in the first room. We unpacked, packed and moved to a new room without any help at all. Checking out of the hotel we were asked how our stay was, I mentioned the issues that I dealt with on our stay and the concierge just tried to make jokes out of it, nothing was even mentioned about accommodating us in anyway for our experience. The biggest and most important thing for me is great customer service. You can have a pretty looking hotel but if your customer service and employees are not up to par, then it defeats the purpose. For anyone looking for a quality experience I wouldn’t recommend this hotel. Save your money.

Our stay at the Watergate has been absolutely top tier. The service has been thoroughly excellent from the doormen to the front desk to the restaurant staff. Speaking of the hotel restaurant- Kingbird - I think it may be hiding one of the best chefs in DC. I don't know where they got this guy, but I sure hope they keep him. Incredible food.

The Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC, carries with it a name etched in the annals of American history, yet stands today as a beacon of modern luxury and comfort. Nestled in a prime location, it offers guests more than just a room—it provides a narrative, a living history that converses with the present.

With service that personifies the very essence of hospitality, the staff at The Watergate are as friendly as they are professional, ensuring that each guest's stay is as seamless as it is memorable. The hotel itself, beyond its infamous intrigue, is a testament to good taste and elegance, offering amenities that speak to both comfort and sophistication.

This four-star review acknowledges that while the establishment's legacy may be complicated, its current incarnation as a hotel is straightforwardly commendable. A good hotel, indeed, where the whispers of the past meet the refinements of the present in a dance of understated luxury.