Kimpton Saga Part 2: Fantastic Spa room, service could be better
After our first Kimpton stay over Christmas a few weeks ago (see my review of Philadelphia's Palomar Hotel), we went to the nation's capital and tried the Palomar in Washington DC. 
I try to stick to the same room category to have a better compare, but I also love these Spa rooms. I had booked this getaway actually long before we ever stayed at the other Palomar in Philadelphia. I hadn't been aware that you would not get the same amenities when you book through a third party. 
I mean, we are members in their Kimpton InTouch loyalty program, but this booking was made through Sniqueaway.
That offer on Sniqueaway was listing all the amenities InTouch members would get (free Internet, minibar credit), so I was under the assumption every member would get these, third party booking or not. Why else would the amenities be listed on that Sniqueaway site?
Ahead of time I was looking around on their Facebook page, finding out that this hotel doesn't have one. The corporate Kimpton page told me that I would not receive any member amenities if my booking was not made directly through Kimpton. Bummer! Are we being punished?
We arrove pretty late in the afternoon due to a mixup in the street signage. We had taken a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in Maryland and lost over an hour that way. So by now it was almost 5PM and we were eager to catch our booked Twilight tour (a bus tour) and could not attend the wine reception.
Other than other reviewers we didn't receive any other offers instead, like a wine coupon in the bar or so. No. Nada. And nobody knew our names either. 
I am referring to the previous reviews here, which were mentioning all these things they had received or experienced. One mentioned the great price ($ 109) he paid for his room.
Well, we had paid much more (despite the Sniqueaway booking!), but we were not called by our names nor did we get any gifts for the missed wine hour. In our profile we have asked for the highest floor possible and a coffee maker, but we got neither. Our room was on the 5th floor of 10 (took that number from the elevator).
When we arrove we were met by one valet, but we had to get our luggage out of the car by ourselves AND we had to open the heavy entrance door (to the hotel) as well. It took a while before a wagon was found for the luggage, but eventually someone came.
The front desk staff was not able to find our membership in their system when we checked in. After we returned from our bus tour and dinner (about 10.30PM), I went back down to the front desk and asked again whether they had found our membership in the meantime. 
I could have written down the number from my account at home, but I had not thought of that. We have never received a plastic card with our membership (like you'd get from other properties), so they were looking and looking and found nothing, until a young man came from behind and tried another system. 
He said, yes, they have 2 computer systems, and the staff had only looked into one where we were not. He looked now into the other system and there we were found. Upon this confusion I did receive a coupon for the minibar and the free internet.
The room itself (Spa King room) was wonderful! Really big! A room of this size is called a suite in other properties! I loved the many lamps, the big desk and all the tables, and of course the outrageous bathroom with glass shower and Fuji tub for 2!
The bathroom has been remodeled, I assume they have done that when Kimpton bought this property from its previous owner. I believe it was a normal bathroom before (without window), and they have simply cut a square hole into the wall bewteen tub and bedside! COOL!! This way you have a window from the bathroom into the bedroom, and you can watch TV from the tub! 
There were no street lights visible like from Philly's Fuji tub, but this was no problem at all. I loved this interesting layout so much!
The bed was also great. Really firm with nice firm pillows. I slept like a Baby! Climate machine was efficient and silent. Carpet was nice, and the art was interesting. For example, my nightstand served as a lamp - yes, its foot was a lamp. But there was an additional reading lamp on top of it, too. Many lamps everywhere, so that naturally dark room was lit up nicely! 
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the dressing room! Where other rooms have a closet, this one has a dressing room with full mirror and iron plus ironing board and suit case holder and rack for hanging your clothes. So spacious! I loved this!
We really had a lot of space in this room, and I wished we could have stayed longer. The view was nothing to write about, looking at another building neighbouring ours. But that didn't bother us, we have views at home everyday.
Oh, and on a last note: the scew-up from our previous visit in a Kimpton (in Philly) was not acknowledged by anyone here. I understand this is a completely different property, and of course they have nothing to do with Philadelphia's Palomar (other than being a sister property), but somehow I was under the assumption that Philadelphia's staff had promised to make up for the screw-up they did with our "magic word" (had not been honoured). 
I thought they said if we ever came back (to this or any other Kimpton), they would make it up to us. Well, now it was 3 weeks later, we were in another Kimpton and - nothing. Just new hickups. 
I don't think they will pick that up. I just lost out, because somebody didn't pay attention. It is not about that bottle of wine (or whatever else it might have been). I can buy myself a case of wine if I wanted to. It is about the sheer principle, since they make such a big fuss of it in their promotions.
And when I read then from other reviewers who have booked the cheapest rooms available and got this and that on top, like free wine in the bar, and they are being called by their names, then I think it is weird that we get a different treatment. 
If their Spa rooms were not this great, I would book elsewhere, but unfortunately I don't know of any other chain with this equipment in this price range. And the rooms are wonderful indeed, I must say that again. I have already booked 2 other Kimptons in 2 other cities... (I must be nuts...)