Pendry Washington DC - The Wharf — Hotel in Washington

Family of 4, myself/wife and two teenage daughters. Had never been to DC and I was hoping to have a nice place to stay. It was overall ok, but not 5-stars by any stretch of the imagination.

The good: Most of the staff were very friendly. Wayne as the bell hop was a very sweet man! Oscar and the female bartender (sorry I forgot your name!) in the downstairs restaurant were also very friendly. The lobby staff would always greet you as well and have great smiles! The folks running the valet were also so so kind and a pleasure to interact with. Those guys worked so hard!! The rooms were very clean with all the essentials. Quiet most of the time with some exception of the DJ at the pool but that was kept to early evening hours. The only food we ordered was at the pool one day for the girls to have a snack while playing around for a couple hours and they said it was good. The mornings on the wharf were the best part for us, it was quiet, calm and beautiful in the area.

The detractions: Parking - is horrific in this part of town, truthfully DC parking is one of the worst and I've been all over the country - ok Manhattan is just bad but everyone knows that :) The entrance to the hotel is confusing at first and very crampt with a lot of people around, a side walk and a bike path to cross which then leads to a parking garage entry ($60/day) and finally the valet... so, dodging exiting cars, pedestrians, double parking genius' and a bunch of 20-somethings drunk and/or high is a daily experience. For this reason we did Valet at $75/day, plus tipping (gut punch). Seems absurdly expesive and I'm sure we could have found a better/cheaper option but just didn't bother looking. Requesting your car was very easy and done right from your mobile phone; within 10min of requesting, you had your vehicle!

Rooms - Clean but crampt. The rooms were not spacious and the worst part was the bathroom. The double door into the bathroom was prettier to look at than it's annoying functionality. The shower entry was hinged opposite to what might make sense... the toilet room is a great feature but executed horribly! To get in you had to shimmy to the side of the toilet or straddle it to close the door; I'm 5'10 and not a big guy. Last, the shower floor was marble... seriously?! It's a solid slip and slide! Had to put a towel in the shower to not fall and crack our heads open!

Family Friendly - nope. This is not a family friendly area or even hotel in my opinion. Yes kids are welcome but at no point did it feel like there was much for them. The pool is full of 20-30yo's looking to be seen and side-eying any kid playing in the pool... the bad DJ playing obnoxious music, annoying... even my kids said they would have preferred to just hear the actual song that was being mixed! :) Unless you have no problem exposing kids to rampant alcohol consumption and a strong weed presence this may not be your area. After about 11pm, I wouldn't take the kids out for a walk or ice cream, it doesn't feel overly safe which was reinforced by employees of wharf establishments letting us know. As noted before, many people are drunk / high or both by that hour. The waft of weed is present at pretty much all hours of the day - yes even at 7am as we went to get coffee!

Wharf Area - They are trying to revitalized the area which is awesome, but it's definitely catered more towards the 20-30 somethings that haven't figured it out yet... Lots of eateries are focused on the setting over the food and are accordingly over priced. I really dislike Gordon Ramsy as a distateful human being, I refused to eat at his two nearby restaurants! Which also have bad reviews btw :) We went into town for most meals, less expensive and crazy good. If you like Persian food... go to Rumi's, amazing! Great places in Arlington as well. Lots of good Ethiopian restaurants around! We did do a bus tour of DC, many of the tour companies have a stop at the Wharf which made catching the tour easy!

Overall - not our cup of tea and would not be back but it was...

Prior to my flight to Riyadh via Washington Dulles International Airport (ahead of the Saudi Arabia familiarization trip I attended in December 2022), I had the pleasure of staying at the Pendry Washington D.C. – The Wharf on the eve before my departure. Having not been to the D.C. area in decades, you can imagine my surprise when the Uber driver made a right turn/headed towards the harbor. “This is The Wharf,” he said, “arguably the hottest new area in town. And your hotel is right in the heart of it.”

Upon arrival, I was warmly greeted by one of the bell staff associates who led me (and my luggage) to the lobby. I was offered a glass of Champagne and directed to a desk for check-in. I’d like to add that this wasn’t your traditional check-in counter; it was a literal desk, like the kind in which you sit when your boss calls you to his/her office. I had never experienced this (level of hotel check-in) before; it was so personal, intimate, and seamless. When I made my way through the lobby to the elevator bank, I noted that the space was purposeful in its size and not overwhelmingly large. I appreciated the floor-to-ceiling windows throughout and the warm color palette.

My River View King with a Peloton bike (!) became a sanctuary in which I never wanted to leave. Upon entering the space, I was led to the bedroom via an entryway appointed with coat hooks on the wall, a plush velvet bench in which to rest my handbag, and a bar cart/amenities chest that had an in-room espresso/coffee machine. I noted herringbone hardwood flooring throughout, a similarly warm color scheme, and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the harbor and the property’s large outdoor pool. There were two nooks, one for the Peloton and the other for a cozy spot in which to dine or work, all while being able to admire the stunning view and sailboats. The sizable bathroom had separate stalls for both the toilet and the shower, and the dual vanity was complete with lovely products from MiN NY, plus a makeup mirror with illumination that rivaled anything at the Chanel counter. I appreciated the ledge in the shower, plus the sheer size of it all. Coming from Manhattan, square footage and good use of space is something that I do not take lightly!

You simply cannot appreciate the hotel in its entirety until you exit the building via the gym and onto the pool deck. Look up! The façade is a truly spectacular and modern glass castle! And, while I didn’t utilize them during my short stay, I made a few mental notes as to the huge gym and spa that overlooked the outdoor pool and harbor just beyond. This is a true urban sanctuary and retreat and one that I, personally, would visit again on a long spring or summer weekend to escape NYC. Not that the outdoor temperature really matters, as the pool remains heated!

Although I had offsite dinner plans, I made sure to have a nightcap at Bar Pendry, located just off the lobby, prior to retiring for the evening. Prior to my departure, I took a packing break to order some room service for lunch. Being that I was in ‘blue crab country,’ I chose a glass of Sancerre and the crab cakes. My meal arrived within the estimated time frame and was served with a smile. Both my crisp, chilled glass of white wine and my entrée were excellent; lord knows I still dream about those delectable ‘cakes. Regretfully, I dug into my food so fast that I didn’t snap a photo!

In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend the Pendry Washington D.C. – The Wharf. It is a property that truly sells itself in a multitude of facets; from ladies enjoying a spa and pool weekend to a businessperson wanting respite from the “stuffy,” this hotel is a one-stop shop...

I'm writing this from the hotel before I check out which is not a normal occurrence. Planned on staying here three nights, but leaving a day early due to a combination of events. I'll never stay at a Pendry again.

First the good. A lot of staff here are generally friendly. The guys up front and Deon the concierge are very accommodating. Location is fantastic with a lot of restaurants and walking distance to everything the Wharf has to offer. We were going to an event at Audi field which is an easy walk/bike. Chromecast on TVs to stream from any mobile device.

Check-in is slow. There are two desks in the smallest lobby possible. I was told my room was ready early and they needed 5 minutes for housekeeping to do a last check. Over an hour later with zero follow up, I checked my bags with the door guy so my family could go eat a meal. Communication is not their strong point. I received a text after we finished eating another hour later that the room was ready. Glad we didn't continue to wait.

Rooms here are tiny. I'm in a double queen that is the smallest I've ever seen, even small for a boutique hotel. I travel frequently for work and stay in full service hotels all the time. I get they are in a hot location, but they really sacrificed on the details to squeeze in more tiny rooms. For the base rate of $500/night this room was subpar in every way. Dirty carpets in the hallways.

No coffee in the lobby!!??!!??? I've literally never stayed anywhere that doesn't provide coffee for guests in the morning. No ice machine on my floor (5th), must call room service for ice. No dresser in the room, just a small wardrobe. No exhaust fan in the bathroom. There were two sets of towels in our room total. The plugs by the beds are lacking, should be on both sides of each bed. The room lacks wall outlets in general. Overall attention to detail in room design is really lacking for a hotel that bills itself as a 5-star luxury destination. Real 5-star properties like the Ritz or JW Marriott blow this place out of the water. Do not go here expecting that level of service in any area.

They provide ebikes for guests. This was a highlight for us. Unfortunately their communication on checking these bikes out/in is terrible. Day one we called the lobby to reserve two bikes ASAP. They said they needed to check on availability and would call the room to confirm. No call. 90 minutes later I called back to check and they said the bikes were waiting for us in the lobby. Again, communication isn't their strength.

I did end up getting bikes the next day for my family which we really enjoyed, very nice equipment. Unfortunately nothing was communicated about return timing and the hotel called me while I was at a sporting event checking on the bikes. It was loud and I missed the call. The voicemail left for me by the night manager had zero information on expectations for return. I attempted to return the call from the manager and got a generic mailbox that wasn't setup. I then called the front desk and informed them that I had the bikes and all was well. I then received another call two hours later that the bikes were supposed to be returned by 8pm. Did I mention communication isn't their...