Hotel Review: The Nicest Library At The Renaissance Washington D.C.

Background:

To attend the BAcon Conference, a BoardingArea conference to help polish up my blogger skills, I found a great rate at the Renaissance Washington D.C., right across the street from where the convention was held at the Marriott Marquis. I snagged a Priceline Express Deal for $76 a night for the weekend.

Short Review With Scores (Out of 5, 5 being the best):

My Overall Score: 4

5: Excellent, Highly Recommend
4: Very Good, Solid Choice to Consider
3: OK, Check other options before booking
2: Below Par, Try to Avoid
1: Terrible, Run far away

Rooms: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Location: 4.5/5
Amenities: 4/5
Cleanliness: 3.5/5
Sleep Quality: 4.5/5

Arrival:

After receiving conference materials at the Marriott Marquis, I strolled over to the Renaissance around 6 PM to check-in. The walk was about 5 minutes, and the lobby was quite crowded. The Renaissance was hosting a Marine Ball during my stay and some sort of Political Convention (this was 5 days before the election). Check-in was fast as many front desk agents were working, and I quickly got my keys to the room on the 10th floor.

The Room:

The hallway corridor to the room was nice and recently refreshed. Walking into the room, the first thing I noticed was that the ceilings were quite low, and the room was kind of small. The popcorn ceilings were fun to look at, proving how it is an older hotel (The hotel was built in 1989 and renovated in 2012 according to the Renaissance website). Other than that, the room was nicely renovated!

There were sufficient power ports, new technology and a nice renovated bathroom. Very sufficient.

The beds were quite firm, a bit too firm for my taste. And they have double beds, not queens, something to note if you want to fit 2 people on each bed. The AC worked nicely, and overall my sleep quality was good as it wasn’t too noisy. I know we had next door neighbors because I could hear them in the hall, but once I was in the room it was quiet.

The only problem with the room was the fact that half of the towels were dirty! They were either grayed out, or had black marks. Not too clean!! But the bedsheets were clean at least.

The room overlooked a little courtyard surrounded by office buildings. Not the best view, but I just kept the curtains closed anyway.

Service:

Service was pretty good, with the front desk being pretty nice and welcoming. And, when I asked for late checkout because my convention would end past 12, they granted me 2 PM checkout.

Amenities:

There’s a Starbucks in the hotel which was really nice! There is also a bar/restaurant and a quick grab and go sundries store. There is a spa and fitness center, which isn’t exclusive to the hotel but it’s directly connected. The contracted spa is called Aura Spa and the fitness center is Vida. The staff at the fitness center wasn’t really nice, and made it seem like a chore that hotel guests were using this “private fitness center”.

My favorite part is the library at the Renaissance! It is so nice! It’s a nice extension of the lobby, and a great place to sit and relax (and maybe read a book).

Location:

The location is great, located near the Walter E Washington Convention Center and only a 10 minute walk to the Verizon Center. There’s a lot of food options nearby, both fast food and upscale dining. The Smithsonian and the White House are only a 20 minute walk away!

The Verdict:

Overall, the Renaissance Washington D.C. met the expectations for a standard 4 star Renaissance. I would definitely consider staying here again if the price was right. The location is excellent, and the hotel is quite comfortable.

Cheers,

theresorttraveler