InterContinental The Willard Washington D.C.

Upon arriving at the hotel I had a male member of staff lean into my car and repetitively shout in my face because I didn’t want to valet park as I was taking the car back to the hire company as soon as I’d dropped off luggage. He then proceeded to try and take my luggage out of my car when I asked him not to. As a young female I was clearly shaken by the aggression I was presented with upon trying to enter the hotel and so I reported it to reception upon check-in and they apologised and upgraded my room. I went up to my room and dropped off some luggage – room was fine. I went back down to collect more luggage and by the time I came back to my room (no more than 5 mins) there was a man in my room! After hearing someone in my bathroom (I initially thought the noise was coming from next door), I asked him what he was doing in my room and he informed me that my room was out of water and he was doing repairs; I didn’t actually know he was in my room until he came out of my bathroom when I was in the bedroom area!!! I was obviously shaken again by this having now had 2 unknown men confront me unexpectedly in the space of 15mins. I went down to reception to report this unannounced visitor. I spoke to the same member of staff and was totally brushed off. I was made to feel like a fool, being told that this man “was not a stranger” (he was to me!) and that I should expect hotel staff in my room at any given time. This is simply unacceptable and untrue. Even if the repairs were spontaneous the workman should have at least put a sign on the door to say he was in the room knowing the room was occupied and made a real effort to announce himself when he heard me come into the room. There was also no consideration to how I was already feeling given I’d recently had a member of staff shout in my face. This was obviously a factor when feeling unsafe having another male staff member in my room unannounced. It took me several hours to feel safe in my room after these 2 encounters. Eventually I decided to go down to the bar for a drink. The service was atrocious. It took 15 mins for staff to even acknowledge me (and I’d taken a seat at the bar!) And a further 10 mins to have my order taken. The drink, service and atmosphere was not 5 star. I'm fortunate enough to know what a 5 star experience is as I stay in 5 star hotels regularly and this hotel is not it. Furthermore, my bathroom had hair on the floor and walls from the previous guest, the shaving mirror bracket was loose and the walls were peeling. Overall I didn't enjoy my stay at this hotel and was disappointed by every experience I had there. The staff need to be better trained in communication and how to support and show empathy, especially when considering the safety of female guests. I definitely wouldn't recommend it for a solo female traveller. The only reason I stayed at the hotel was because my husband joined me later. Read less

Great experience. We brought our two young girls for a visit to the capital, and could not have found a better place to stay. Fantastic location - walking distance to many sites. Service was thoughtful and attentive; they have a "kid's concierge" who oversees a small library, which added a nice touch. Our room was spacious, clean and very well maintained for a property of this age. We will return. Read less

First time back after a long while (10 years+), when I stayed as a frequent guest for work. They kindly offered me the same discounted rate. I was in a large junior suite on the 3rd floor, and on first impressions the room didn't look that different to when I used to stay, but they had made quite a number of improvements - TV, minibar, etc. The beds were, and still are, super comfortable. The only major let down in the room was the air conditioning, that sounded like a jet fighter taking off (and on inspection was full of dust). Other than that, housekeeping was fine and room service fast and very good quality (although a little sad that they've got rid of the Jumbo Shrimps!). The location is simply unbeatable and the front desk very helpful. It's a shame that the door staff and valet team are not as friendly - but as a good option in DC, with a little history thrown in, the Willard is a good option. Read less