Capital Hilton Proves Location is Everything Capital Hilton
Capital Hilton Proves Location is Everything Capital Hilton The general consensus regarding the Capital Hilton is that it is in a great...
Right in the Middle of Paradise. HILTON HAWAIIAN VILLAGE The Hilton Hawaiian Village is such a beautiful place. It has great loc...
The general consensus regarding the Capital Hilton is that it is in a great location, has bad service, and is not worth the regular rates.
Even though the name connotes regal and majestic standards, I have to somewhat agree with those accusations because the hotel isn’t great. It’s definitely not a vacation hotel. It’s more for someone who’s self-sufficient and is out on a business venture than someone who’s looking for a good time in DC.
**Experience**
Upon arrival, we were promptly greeted by the valet driver and bell hop. The man took our car and we walked into the lobby immediately feeling the old-timey vibes of the room. The lighting was pretty dark and I felt as if all of the decor could have been found in an antique shop. It’s very beautiful, but not something you’d find in a fancy hotel in LA or Miami. A good word for the look of the lobby (and the hotel in general) is historic. Very fitting for DC, in my opinion.
The check-in part was pretty painless. We actually were an hour early but we asked the lady if our room was ready anyway and she allowed us to check in no problem. She wasn’t particularly nice or hospitable, but as my fiance reassured me, it’s not about being friendly at this hotel. The service is about doing nothing more than getting you in and out in a timely fashion. It’s unemotional, like a business. The lady at the desk didn’t do anything wrong per se, she just didn’t make you feel wanted or excited about staying in the hotel.
The room was fine for what we were looking for and what we paid, but there was nothing that stood out. It was a plain square room with a bed, a tv, a small desk, and a tiny bathroom. All the necesaties were covered and we were fine with that. I do have to give major kudos to the bed because it was the best bed I’ve ever slept on. Even my fiance, who can’t sleep in a hotel, didn’t wake up once. We checked the rate for the room had we not used hotwire and we would have paid around $170. We paid $89 through hotwire and I can definitely say that there was nothing that made that room worth the regular rate.
The concierge was decent. We asked if there were any sports memorabilia stores around and the lady went out of her way to call and get directions and tell us where to find the metro. My only problem was that the store actually wasn’t a sports memorabilia store. It was just a place that sold shoes and a few t-shirts. But she tried and we ended up having a decent time in Pentagon City. The mall was huge, so if you’re looking for shopping, go there.
The location was phenominal. If you stepped out onto the side walk, you could actually see the White House from the hotel. And it was also near a Burger King and a CVS if you’re on a budget and don’t want to pay hotel rates for everything.
On the plus side, there is a gift shop down stairs, which comes in handy if you have an unexpected emergency and don’t want to walk to the CVS across the street.
Overall negatives and positives:
I’ll start with the negatives. The hotel is definitely not for a first or even second time visitor to DC. If you’re young or have a family and are looking for a place to have a decent time and do more for you than provide a place to stay, than this hotel is not for you. But if you’re looking for a place with minimal distractions than, I highly recommend this hotel.
As far as rates, everything is drastically overpriced, but you can’t really expect any different in DC. The room service menu didn’t really have anything appetizing on it that was worth the money, but that’s just a matter of taste. Parking was extremely high - $40/night, but it did save you a little bit of frustration had you been driving around the city. For internet access, you have to pay a $10 fee and even more if you need to print. I didn’t get to see the gym, but if you wanted to use it you would have to pay another fee.
And, again, the service could have been better but it was alright.
The positives for me were the location (3 blocks from the white house), the rate we paid through hotwire, and just the overall experience at the hotel. We had no problems with the service. The cleaning people even asked us when we would like them to clean the room and they were more than accomodating. And when we woke up in the morning, we had a copy of our room expenses already provided for us under the door. I guess not too many people would be happy about that, but I actually am happy that they took the time to come up to the room and give us a copy without us asking.
Overal, it’s not a bad hotel. It’s just not for SOME people.
Who would I recommend this to? A friend who is going strictly for business person and seniors. The old-timey appeal would be great for business because it gives off the essence of professionalism, and for seniors, it would be great for seniors because it’s not a wild hotel for spring breakers or a family hotel with little kids screaming and running around.
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