The Great Escape Room DC | Arlington Area — Attraction in Arlington

The actual room was cute, although it was a tad easy for our group of 4 (we were able to solve it with about 20 minutes to spare).

I highly recommend reading their entire FAQ page before signing up. If you don't buy all of the tickets for a room, they sell the rest of them to people outside of your group, so you may end up playing with people you don't know. We had all been to other escape rooms in various locations across the country, and had never come across this kind of policy, so we hadn't thought to check for anything like this, as we figured the process would be the same as the other ones we'd been to. I am not the person who made the reservation though, so there may have been some kind of more obvious warning on the online booking page that the person who reserved the spaces didn't see.

When we arrived, the guy at the front desk let us know about the situation. They were accommodating and let us try another room that we had to ourselves, but in the end it wasn't the room we had signed up for (which is the only room all four of us had agreed on), so it was a little disappointing. It was kind of a weird experience but we just kind of rolled with it. I checked their website afterwards and saw the part where they mentioned the policy in their FAQ page. Later on, I started feeling a little weird about it though, so I decided to write a review.

I personally am not sure if I would return or not, because I am not the most social person and would rather just play with my own group, rather than cooperating with strangers. But if you're the type who loves meeting new people then this may be perfect for you! As I said the actual room was cute, and they also have a cool/modern lobby and the staff was very nice! I just don't think that the booking policy is a good fit for me, unfortunately...

To their credit, they do say that you can call and ask for the room to be private, but then they also explain that this is not always possible, so it feels a little confusing still.

EDIT:

Hi there, thank you for reaching out.

I am at a loss for words at your outstanding customer service, I really don't know what to say. I read your reply thoroughly, and definitely concluded that our own ignorance of your policy is what caused the discrepancy (which I am so sorry about, and I notified my boyfriend about the situation). Even then, you were so kind as to not only transparently explain everything in detail, but also give us a refund, which is something you didn't have to do at all!! Thank you!

I spoke with my boyfriend and he is going to notify his friend who made the reservation of your reply, and we are already planning on coming back. Any business that goes this above and beyond for their customers is really a place I would love to support, and we would be happy to come back.

Also, next time, if I feel there is something off, I will try to speak with you about it in person rather than writing a review without speaking to you. I apologize for acting as if we were fine at the time, and not giving you a chance to come to a solution with us when we were there. I'm not the best at giving criticism, and writing it down made it easier to explain everything, but looking back I think it was a bit shady. Anyway, thank you for your help again! 😊 We will see you...

We made an appointment for 4 people for the hardest room they have (Edgar Allan Poe theme) and had an AMAZING time. Our host/greeter/helper behind-the-scenes, Amber, was SO helpful and thoughtful in how she presented the room, prepared it for our game, and took pictures at the end.

I would 10/10 encourage someone to come here and try out a room - their themes are unique and exciting; the puzzles aren't "I have it solved and it just won't click into place right" frustrating; the theme was really well executed and did not require an extensive Poe knowledge to complete (though having some knowledge of his works made for satisfying jokes and reveals).

For people looking for insight into difficulty of this company's rooms: we had four people (two seasoned, two newer-to-escaping members) and we finished with 2 minutes on the clock. The hardest room earns that label by having three "rooms" available to you all at once (rather than a reveal halfway through) so you have all clues at your disposal from the beginning (of which were many moving parts). There is a reusable component to gameplay which adds difficulty. Red herrings are present and convincing. pieces necessary to solve a given puzzle may be discovered and solved in completely opposite corners of the room but require a third unrelated location to unlock the next step. There were many "thinking" puzzles, sure, but a surprising amount of physical puzzles as well, which was a fun surprise! There were a couple things that required a different eye-line or height to notice or solve (nothing too high, but be prepared to have someone on their knees for bits of it). The room was dimly lit, so flashlights on phones are a must.

Overall, we had a great time, we all enjoyed it (though the rookies felt a bit overwhelmed at first, the room naturally got us into a groove pretty fast!) and our host Amber was super helpful with nudges when we asked (no penalty) and bigger clues as needed (only get three per session). The reveals and theme again were awesome and very well executed - nothing "got stuck" or failed to do what it was meant to do. The parking was cheap and plentiful on a Friday night across the street in a garage and there was an awesome hot pot restaurant right next door...

If you find yourself in Arlington, VA, and wanting to escape some rooms, then get over to Escape Room Arlington. They’ve got four well-designed rooms (as of this writing — one more coming in Fall of 2019!), comfy common areas, a delightful staff — and even a fridge filled with free cool drinks!

Escape Room Arlington fits our long history of not being able to find the place right away. (Whether that’s a feature of escape rooms or of the Escape Couple, we couldn’t say…). GPS will take you to the apartment that appears to occupy most of the building — the Escape Room is around the corner, tucked down a side street (and next to a fantastic massage parlor, if you need to work out some knots after a day of escaping).

Once we found the place, it did not disappoint. We were very fortunate to get all four rooms to ourselves, despite being in the Washington Metro Area where the escape rooms are frequently busy (Pro tip: Go in the middle of a weekday!). The staff welcomed us with free water bottles from the fridge, and fun little puzzles kept us occupied while we waited in comfy leather seats for the room to be ready.

And the rooms themselves were a blast. Super Villains was our personal favorite and is good for those wanting a challenge. Glitch is super unique and unlike any room we have ever done - you start in an empty white room. Secret in the Attic is a perfect room for beginners who are learning what the heck an escape room is. Mind Trap is great is you are looking for some spooky thrills with your escape.

Game masters were great for every room. They will provide nudges, but are happy to customize them to your desired level.

While normally $28 a person, Escape Room Arlington does offer military discounts as well as a friends-and-family discount if you’re doing multiple rooms. We will definitely be back to check out their new room, Poe, after it opens in...