InterContinental the Willard Washington D.C. by IHG — Hotel in Washington

While the staff in general were very nice, the front desk manager and their supervisor are to say the least, very demeaning and disappointing.

On the hotel information letter that they gave us when we checked in it said you pay a $35 daily amenity fee however there is a $20 per day credit for the spa and a $20 per day dining credit. We went to the spa and asked the attendant in the spa if as we were staying for 5 nights, we would receive a $100 credit off merchandise we were purchasing at the spa. She checked with her manager and we were told yes so we purchased merchandise valued over $100 expecting we would only pay the difference. We also phoned down to the front desk and asked as we were booking for High Tea on Sunday the same question - as we were staying for 5 nights, would we get a $100 credit to our High Tea (which ended up at $252 charge) and were also told yes.

At checkout our statement only had one $20 credit for the spa and no credit for High Tea. The front desk manager said we could not have been told that and after our insistence brought out her manager. The manager also said we were wrong only one credit of $20 against one daily spa expense, no compounding and said no credit was applicable to the High Tea. She asked who told us. I explained it was the staff in the spa who had checked with her supervisor. I did not recall the name of the front desk person as it was just a call from our room. Her attitude was terrible, saying that was not possible, trying to berate us and make us feel like we were trying to pull a fast one. We are taking about $180 total on a bill of almost $4000. Come on now, that is no way to treat any guest, and even more confusing when you are supposedly special as a long time IHG member. This became a matter of principal.

Our reservations were for a junior suite with a view of the capital buildings - which was confirmed with our booking. Upon checking in we were told that could not have been as all of the junior suites facing the capital buildings were reserved all the time for the constant wedding groups, 2 per weekend, that are book for every spring weekend. Very disappointing. The only junior suite available was on the 12th floor but the windows were so high up that there was no view and little natural light. We were eventually moved to a low floor with a partial view, but definitely not what we had booked. As well in the new room it took over 5 min of running the hot water for it to show up for a shower and, while we had gone to bed after 12 on our last night in the morning we found a letter shoved under our door sometime in the am advising that the water was going off at 9:30. Fortunately we were up early enough to still get water..

The manager eventually said she would use the water going off early without proper notice as an excuse to give us the $180 adjustment - which really was for their miscommunication - but still tried to make us feel as if we were lying. Again, a terrible way to treat a hotel guest, very demeaning and not what you would expect at an Intercontinental Hotel. It took almost an hour at the front desk between the two staff to finally have the small credit we were due applied to our statement.

We travel a lot but at the Willard beware, read the fine print - even if it isn't there. Write down when and whomever you speak with at this hotel and don't think for a moment that you are a special guest, your just another fool that they are pretending to value your...

We arrived to the doormen just looking at us while we handled our bags. We were not offered any assistance. We carried them up the stairs and into the lobby and ask for luggage cart. We were told we couldn't use on but no one offered to handle the bags or check them at bell service.

We noted an early check in request before arriving. We know it can not always be accommodated. We certainly did not get early check in. In fact, our room was not ready until 4:30 pm. Not very convenient when you are tired from traveling and have dinner reservations. At 4:30 I questioned the man at the front desk about our room. I asked if any suite was available, we booked at one bedroom with a view. He said no. I knew some suites were still available. Not only did he not try to sell us an upgrade, which we would have accepted, he said I could "fact check" him. I thought this was incredibly rude coming from a Willard front desk employee. No apology. No offers of a different room. He did offer us a $100.00 food and beverage credit after he initial offered a 50.00 one and I said that was not acceptable.

We made it to our room after it was "inspected". A sticker was attached to a dining table chair and there was hair in the bedroom's shower. The overall condition of the room needs upgrading. Door fixtures didn't match. The hook in the bedroom's bathroom was sideways. Outlets were extremely dirty.

We only received turn down service two nights. One of the nights housekeeping accidentally picked up something that was ours. Cindy in Housekeeping was able to locate the missing item and return it to us quickly. She was very professional and apologetic of the situation. I wish more Willard employees were like Cindy.

My husband fell over the planters in front of the hotel. (He wasn't paying attention to where he was walking). He took a hard fall. Bloodied, bruised, sprained, and swollen. The doormen just watched. Didn't offer any kind of assistance. After my husband recovered enough to walk inside we went directly to Concierge to ask for a first aid kit. We got a couple of small bandages and nothing to clean the cuts with. Wasn't asked if my husband was ok. Didn't ask if we needed a ride arranged out to Walter Reed's emergency room.

When we received the final bill, the food and beverage credit was not applied. The taxi had to wait as I dashed back to the front desk to have it applied. When I got the airport I check the bill again. Imagine my shock when I saw an additional charge of 430.00 in mini bar charges! We never touched the mini bar. I am very disappointed that an employee would just add completely false charges and for no small sum.

I contacted the accounting department immediately. The man said he would remove the charges and send me a correct final bill right away. I didn't receive the email so I called the front desk after I got home. I called the front desk and the person working sent me the final bill.

Needless to say, we are less than impressed with the service at the Willard. It's definitely not what we expected from a property of it's fame. We didn't expect to be waited on hand and foot but we also didn't expect the poor level of service we received from several departments. The price point of the hotel does not reflect the minimal level of service provided or the quality of the room.

I emailed my concerns to the front end manager, Vanessa, and never heard a word back.

The is property is not worth the...

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...