Viceroy Washington DC — Restaurant in Washington

I was recently in DC for a few days and stayed at the Viceroy for the first time. For years I've had my regular go-to hotel that was closer to where I wanted to be. But since the pandemic it has gotten ridiculously expensive so I thought I'd see if I could find another hotel that I could return to regularly while visiting Washington. After doing some research and reading a lot of reviews, I decided to give there Viceroy a try. Overall, I'd say the experience was pretty good. Though I'm not sure it was compelling enough to return.

The front desk staff and doormen were all very attentive and nice. One day as I was walking up to the elevators a hotel employee was coming the other direction and was thoughtful enough to hit the elevator button for me as he passed the elevator bank. Very attentive service. I tend to be meticulous about housekeeping and will notice overlooked details. But I'm pleased to say that the housekeeping staff did an excellent job during my stay.

The room was spacious and fairly well-appointed, though with a few things (scuffed wallpaper, cracking plaster above the window) that could use some attention. The linens were nice but the bed wasn't especially comfortable. And all of the four pillows on the bed were too soft and not supportive enough. One of the mornings I was without hot water for my morning shower, which was disappointing. I managed to get it tepid enough that it wasn't ice cold. And it was just that one morning that I had a problem. But still, no hot water (without any notice) is not a "4-star" hotel experience.

I booked a "city view" room (818). But I can't say it offered much of a view of anything beyond some nearby buildings, a loading dock and the intersection of Rhode Island and 14th Street. What the window lacked in a view it made up for in noise as there was a LOT of traffic noise from that intersection: car horns, sirens, loud mufflers, backup alarms. My Manhattan apartment wasn't that loud. To add to the cacophony was the always running (empty) mini fridge in the room, as well as the console style air conditioning under the windows that was loud when it was running. When I spent time in the room working I found my noise-cancelling AirPods to be a necessity, as were earplugs for sleeping. Otherwise, I didn't hear much noise from inside the hotel. No TV noise from the next room or slamming doors in the hallways. Much of the room wasn't carpeted and yet I didn't hear any clomping around from above.

There was something about the room that set off my allergies. The room smelled clean and I didn't perceive any ventilation issues or mold. The hotel does allow pets so I wonder if maybe a previous guest with a dog might have been the reason.

The location was a bit farther out than I was used to. But I enjoy walking and the weather was good during my stay. So it was a pleasant 15 minute walk to the National Mall. And a quick Uber ride if you're wiped out at the end of the day. There are a lot of amenities near close to the hotel. A Whole Foods, Starbucks, bagel shop and CVS on P Street. A Shake Shack at the end of the block. Nearby wine shops, etc. A convenient location in that regard.

The one thing holding me back from lauding this hotel for exceptional service was something off-putting that happened one night after a long, tiring day. I had stopped at a wine shop and brought a bottle back to my room. I took a shower and got in my pajamas and then I thought I'd have a glass of wine and relax. But there was no mini bar in the room so no corkscrew. I didn't think it would be a big deal for me to call down and ask that they send up a waiter's key. However, when I called the front desk with this request, they acted like I was asking for extinct animal skin. They transferred me to the bar and, after putting me on hold while they discussed it, they told me I could come down to the bar and they'd open it for me but they could not bring a corkscrew to my room. I mean, is it possible that a corkscrew could be such a rare...

I’m going to try to post my review in two parts, because to condense it would omit context. So here is part one:

Straight to the point: someone entered my room. Was it staff? Was it someone else with key access. I have no idea. It’s been over 24 hours since the incident (October 7th 2024) and I haven’t heard from anyone to know. But what I do know is that someone unauthorized by me entered my room, while I was unclothed. There was no notice from the desk that someone would need to enter the room. There was no time between the knock and the entry for me to assess the situation let alone dress.

Check in was unpleasant, as well. Let me preface this by saying I’ve stayed here a number of times, and the reason I kept choosing to return was largely due to the excellent customer service and kindness I met at the desk. The young woman who checked me in on October 7th did not provide the welcoming energy I usually find.

Let me also add — I’m not looking for a shuck and jive. False compliments or pageantry. There was attitude, for no apparent reason. There was one person in front of me being helped by another concierge. The second didn’t greet me to come to her, she just stared. There was actually no greeting at all. There was no hospitality, just a looming sense of hostility. I was here a literal week before and the other young woman, the woman who was assisting the other guest, made me aware of the pool, which I didn’t come for, but still - just kindly banter. Yeah, there was none of that.

She asked for my email and phone number because it wasn’t in the system according to her. But seeing as I was there a week ago, and multiple times before, directly through them and through third party services, it should have been. I’ve never been asked that before. Not once. I basically asked if she was sure and her curt response was, “I can turn and show you the screen if you don’t believe me”. Is this how we talk to people now? It was so uncomfortable and unnecessary. This was 5 or less minute encounter, and I was so upset by it, I asked for her name. Let it be known, I’m no Karen. I’m not the kind of person who typically reports people or asks for managers, let alone leaves reviews, but her energy was downright disrespectful.

After check in, I get on the elevator and head to my room on the 3rd floor. As I exit the elevator, a tall, heavier set man (I say this as a descriptor, not to disparage) with either a trolley or a bin is waiting outside of the doors. He looks at me, I look at him and squeeze by because he’s honestly in the way. I’m looking at the signage on the walls to find my room, and he’s watching me. I feel kind of uneasy but, whatever. I just want to get to the room lay down for a minute.

Fast forward more or less 40ish minutes later, I’m exiting the shower, which is adjacent to the door, and I hear a few gentle knocks. Before I could respond, the door is opening. Mind you, I’m naked. I shout and the person closes the door. I look through the peephole with just enough time to catch the back of the person retreating from the door.

At this point, I was completely over the experience and called the desk. The same woman who checked me in, Katice or Catice (Kuh-Tiece if I can phonetically recall) answered and I let her know I was not only walked in on by some random man while naked, but I was totally put off with my stay — beginning with her. She apologized and told me she made her manager aware, that betwixt the time she and I spoke at the desk and that phone call, that I was probably displeased during check in - I assume as a preemptive attempt to cover herself since I requested to know her name.

I was offered a new room and an extended stay. I declined both. I let them know I was leaving. Why would I want to stay here any longer? There have been a good number of horror stories in DC and around the country about women being filmed, abducted and much worse through hotels. Why would I want to stay...

I really, really wanted to love this hotel and it pains me to not give it 5 stars. I research a lot before I stay somewhere and I thought I had picked a good place, but the Viceroy fell short of my expectations in some areas.

First, the hotel is in a great location. Easy to get to downtown DC, quiet neighborhood, and we felt safe even at night. Right around the block from a whole foods and CVS as well in case you need anything. Drive for entry is very small especially if there are multiple vehicles waiting for valet to either park or people to drive off with, but it works.

The lobby is well appointed, cute and clean. Staff is extremely friendly. All of them and helpful. Check in wasn't too bad, but for some reason even at 6pm our room wasn't ready and I had to wait an additional 15 minutes. Not the worst thing though especially since the lobby had some good seats and a nice bathroom.

Finally got our room and went up. The spa rooms are VERY spacious. Tons of room for your stuff and people. Laid out very well. The beds are true queens and very comfortable and the room has great blackout shades. We were facing the back of the hotel and it was very quiet which was nice. The linens were all very clean as were the counters and tables and stuff (both in the bathroom and the bedroom). The rug between the beds could have used a good shampooing though and the hard floors looked clean in the main areas, but around the baseboards there was a lot of lint/dust/debris. Not necessarily a big deal, but it contributes to a later problem I will mention below.

The bathroom cleanliness was less than desired. On brief inspection it appeared mostly clean, but the grouts in the floor were clearly dirty, there were some smudges on the base of the toilet (and a baseboard in the bathroom) and the shower inside and around the base of the shower glass where it meets the floor was full of mold and looked visibly dirty. The grout in the shower was also moldy/meldewy. It was kinda gross, but I tried to overlook it and just touch as little as possible.

The problem is that after our arrival I started sneezing and sneezing often (and hard, deep sneezes). I would sneeze even when we weren't in the room, so I assumed it was just allergies (although it was way worse at night). I don't have bad allergies so it was a little puzzling (so much so I started wondering if maybe I had COVID or something - I didn't). Interestingly, after we moved to our next hotel (preplanned for an event) and I showered and changed clothes, my sneezing stopped all together. I didn't sneeze again once during the entire last half of my trip. I know the hotel is pet friendly but I have a cat and don't usually have trouble around dogs, but I am allergic to mold. So I wonder if the mold in that bathroom was the culprit.

Sadly I don't think we would choose to...