A bit of a mix
Had the JW Marriott not "bumped" a colleague, this would have been an excellent stay.
However, despite having prepaid the room and a travel agent having phoned up to confirm the room, my colleague was told the hotel was overbooked and sent to a hotel 25 minutes away by cab in Chevy Chase. We were later told that a party had decided to extend their stay and this had resulted in five other guests also being told there was "no room at the inn". A fairly disgraceful excuse for a fairly shameful incident. My colleague didn't get the chance to get the little cardboard keycard holder which said "One glance at you and we can tell you are elite....". Hmmm. Yes.
Despite this shock to the system, the hotel is very good (which - to be fair - you have to expect when every night costs more than a new iPhone) although I left with a sense that the management rely mainly on their (amazing) location and the fact that this is the flagship of the global Marriott chain. There are a number of irritating aspects that you don't really expect at this price point:
- the room doors don't really fit well meaning that light streams during the night and more importantly, people talking in the corridor are clearly audible in the room
- connecting doors seem thin: I was woken by a man having a phone conversation early on
The room was really spacious, well-lit (a big problem in many hotels these days), and the bed was supremely comfortable.
The bathroom was well equipped, again well-lit if somewhat on the small side.
Food - both in the evening and for breakfast - was excellent.
The staff were exceptionally pleasant and helpful, and even when discussing my colleague's overbooking were respectful, apologetic and tactful.
I would certainly stay again, although my colleague has vowed never to cross the threshold of a Marriott.