The Watergate Hotel Review

The door men are amazing ! The staff in total were so polite and helpful. Our room was very tidy and they put robes, sleepers and umbrellas in the room for your use ! This hotel is very nice & we will be revisiting them again !

Wonderful rooftop bar with great views. Drinks are quite pricy at $16 for cocktails and $9 for beers.

Let me start off on a good note and say that EVERY staff member I encountered was very friendly, I appreciated that. With that being said...here is why I am upset. I am an "I prefer" rewards member, allowing me to request early check in (not guaranteed). I called 4 days before my scheduled reservation and let them know we would be there at 10:30am and would like early check in, if possible. When we arrived our room was not ready...no big deal, they checked our luggage and we went about our business until 3pm (check in time). At 3pm our room still wasn't ready....and wasn't ready until just before 6pm! We had dinner reservations we had to miss because we had no room to get ready in. Once we finally got in the room we had to have housekeeping come and change the sheets because they were VERY CLEARLY SOILED!!! The rest of our stay was pretty uneventful. We checked out at approximately 6:30am on Sunday and headed back to Ohio. I look at my credit card activity this morning and there is an additional $98.00 charge to my account from the Watergate. I called to ask what it was and was told the it was after 11am Sunday when we had brunch so it was charged at full price...FULL PRICE FOR WHAT!?!?!?!?! I wasn't there and didn't have brunch, I left at 6:30am! I was then told someone in management would look into it and call me back. I am still waiting on this call. I find it absolutely absurd that I paid Watergate prices ($1100 for 2 days) for "holiday Inn" cleanliness and they even let someone charge to my card AFTER I checked out! (In response to the hotels response: YOU ARE A DAMN LIAR!!!! I left my info when I called about the issue and you had it from my reservation...)

Beautiful building, beautiful rooms, amazing staff. Highly recommend for any trip to DC

really nice rooms with lots of marble. spacious for DC.

Amazing views, good service. The cocktails were inconsistent and pricey.

Really enjoyed staying there. Wonderful staff. Interesting 60s decor, but modern, clever plays on Watergate scandal. Nice rooms. Rideshares had a really hard time finding us though. Walkable for the area, nice river views, convenient to downtown. I'd stay there again.

We had a lovely tea. The atmosphere was great. I can only give the tea 3 stars because the actual tea came last, after the food. We saw our waiter a total of 3 times. We had to find him to get our check.

So my wife and I recently got married and decided to treat ourselves to a 5 star hotel, since we couldn't go on our honeymoon due to the pandemic. We picked the watergate because of the high reviews and national acclaimed status. When we arrived the staff were very kind and upgraded our room since we were newlyweds. As soon as we opened the door both of us questioned if this was the upgraded room and if so what did our original room look like?! For all the money we spent we could have went to a 3 star hotel, had a better room and amenities for half the cost. We tried to make the best out of it because we know the pandemic has messed up alot of businesses but this stay was a huge disappointment.

The bathroom door couldn't close, the climate control wasn't properly working, no instructions on what was open and what wasn't. One of our biggest letdowns was that we were told that the hotel was providing breakfast in bed and all we needed to do was to call the front desk. When we called the morning of, we were then told that we needed to schedule the breakfast 24hrs prior. We only were staying for a night! That information should've been shared when we asked about the breakfast prior to arriving.

The rooms were fantastic, however out of every 5 star hotel I ve stayed in, this was one of the least seamless experiences I ve had. While it was busy, everything seemed extremely disorganized. We checked in and received the wrong room, with a beautiful view. We had to go back downstairs and the problem was fixed, however the room we had next had paper thin walls and you could hear the conversations, and other romantic sounds crystal clear. I now know how much this person hates breakfast and the details of their up and coming day. Speaking of breakfast, we came downstairs at 10:45 to get the breakfast I added with our stay and we were informed that the brunch menu was being switched over, and they didn t inform me if my breakfast was included in the brunch menu, so I just checked out and left at that point.

I m sure it s a great hotel on a less busier weekend than Valentine s Day. The rooms were clean, the entire place is beautiful, it s just not nearly the best experience I would expect from a heavily rated 5 star hotel.

I ve had really good experiences. Friendly staff and very fancy design both the interior and exterior. The Next Whiskey Bar and Rooftop are marvelous. Zachariah, the head bellman, is a very knowledgeable individual who is great to talk to and is very professional. The only downside is the exuberant prices, but you are paying for quality.

Did not stay here.. But often go for the bars inside and rooftop(incredible views) ....all of which are elegant....and PRICEY.

Had my wife's christmas party there. Really nice venue. Floor manager of the night was attentive and everything ran smoothly.

Very pleasant hotel, staff was extremely helpful and polite.

Convenient location, convenient and reasonable parking for nearby attractions

I had an amazing stay, but on my 3rd day my room was raided by a bunch of guys in Richard Nixon t-shirts. I left immediately

We went for the "ice skating." There was skating. However, there was no ice.

I enjoyed my accommodations - and their customer service really stood out. Regardless of department, the staff were attentive to detail and caring.

Awesome hotel. Great location. Will definitely stay here again on my next trip.

We only stayed for one night. We did not explore all the accomodations but the room was very comfortable.

Interesting in architecture as in contemporary history

Street parking was easy to find. Quite possibly the best views from the rooftop in the DC area. Plenty of seats on the rooftop. Bar was crowded but still got my drinks within a few minutes. Overall a good experience.

Very beautiful decor, on the modern side, but not too much so. I get this cool feeling of being right where actual Watergate happened, one of my favorite hotels in DC for sure. Also staff is super professional and very friendly, especially the people at the door.

Nice rooms and hotel. Location is a bit out of the way

The quality of the staff is by far the best thing about this hotel

Surprisingly Bad
No idea why would staff make decisions for customer:
1. They threw my receipts, boxes, and bags in garbage! Even though everything was put neatly.
2. They decided on using the cash deposit to cover the bill without asking. Cash deposits mean return cash to customer at check out!

The milk I had in my room was expired, thick and smelly. One day the coffee is replaced other days not.

I had to go through during my 2 week stay.
I hope I never stay there again.

First visit to the Kingbird at the Watergate was wonderful--from Omar the gracious and helpful host to every bartender. Thanks for a wonderful evening out!

I can only vouch for the bar lounge area. Been several times on the weekends to have an after dinner cocktail with friends and family and this place is crawling with nefarious characters.

The staff here is excellent and go to no end to make you happy with your experience. The in room service was fun. Overall this is a great place to stay and it has a exciting history and excellent atmosphere. In the new world there is many electronic devices that must be charged. There isnt enough wall plugs for two people to charge over night so leave your teenagers at home. That's the only problem I had with my experience here

Absolutely phenomenal service and attention to detail. Room service dinner menu is limited but food is excellent.

This place is great! My fiance book a room for us after a great dinner. And it was so hard to leave the hotel. Everything was on point.

Watergate is back. Staff was very attentive. Views of the Potomac were impressive. Best sunset deck atop the hotel. Great pool and spa. Will be back for sure

Bar service was great, fantastic whiskey selection. Interesting lighting and atmosphere too

Eye popping views of the Potomac at dusk... Buzzing atmosphere. WOW!

The Watergate lives up to its reputation in all regards. Perhaps the most beautiful hotel I've ever stayed in, including the breathtakingly sheak and modern rooms. It's beauty is matched only in its customer service - the staff goes above and beyond to please you, showing that this hotel deserves its five star rating.

Fantastic, courteous staff. Great remodel. Rooftop bar is great. Shower was stupendous.

My personal taste would rate this a 4 star, but as far as professional service, cleanliness, and amenities - it's a 5 star rating. (Rooms were a little tight, I could hear the neighboring room tenants clearly while sitting by the window, didn't like that the lights were controlled by the bed station and we couldn't turn specific lights on, and there was no coffee available in the room.)

The rooftop views are amazing. The rooms are very clean and staff are very friendly. Highly recommend.

I booked the superior king room. Room was fantastic, check in at 3 checkout 12 which was nice. There's a bar called "Top of the Gate" on the roof level of the hotel excellent pizza and wine.

I travel a lot and this is one of the best hotels I've ever been in. Extremely clean, the best linens, dreamy mattress, turn down service, unparalleled water pressure, two sets of blackout curtains, professional staff and quiet. About a 7 minute walk to the Kennedy Center. Great stay all around.

I am having a bad experience already and ready to change hotels. I called and spoke with Taniqua and she was very rude and told me there was no one available and to just go by what the web says. Unbelievable for a 5 star hotel the Top of the gate should be open seven days of week not just wed thru sun. I am staying on a Monday celebrating my gf 45th birthday . The young lady hung up on me when I called back to see if I can get a reservation for this upcoming Monday at the Kingbird and she told me no times were available after I saw a 2pm opening online . Her tone was so disrespectful . You don't raise you voice at people who are spending their money because your frustrated . I did speak with Sara the mgr. from Kingbird and she gave me a reservation and said she would offer us drinks because of how this young lady treated me. Is this all you can do? I'm disappointed already and we are not even there yet. I am hoping the stay is great and the hospitality is much better in person. Preferably Taniqua needs to attend customer service training on how to be professional at all times. She apologized for raising her voice, but it's too late and unacceptable service for paying customer who has not arrived. Maybe I should just cancel my reservation all together thru the booking agent. I have never been so humiliated from my stay or before I arrived at a 5 star hotel. If no one is available then find someone that can help service me then to make me frustrated because you don't know the answers. Highly disappointed.

Room was beautiful and front desk personnel were great. Disappointed with ride service from staff at the bar and downstairs restaurant.

A great hotel! The spa is AMAZING! We enjoyed a wonderful couples massage after soaking in a beautiful hot tub with built in loungers. And breakfast the next morning was also AMAZING! Such a beautiful presentation with food cooked to perfection!

Nice view on the river, classy rooftop, very professional, loved it.

Igloo was nice, great ambiance but the heater didn t keep every where warm

Only went to the bar, it was nice. I liked the rooftop skate rink. Prices are pricey for obvious reasons due to the location and crowed that goes.

This is a top notch Hotel, everyone is great and they treat you like family. The rooms are immaculate, the restaurant has awesome food and I can't get over how awesome the staff is.

Rooms are beautiful. The Elevators are state of the art express. Food has been wonderful thus far. Would recommend staying, except pricing would probably be out of my range if we didn't have a conference negotiated rate.

I've visited and stayed at The WaterGate Hotel on numerous occasions. This review is a collection of my experiences at the hotel. It's been a year since I last visited, and I see that the managing director has changed. I am hoping that this hotel has changed for the better. My first time staying at this hotel, I requested a balcony room, with a bathtub. I paid for a special room package to receive a bottle of wine. I was given a balcony room, with no bathtub and the bottle of wine showed up hours later even when I called the front desk repeatedly. I got frustrated and purchased wine from the wine-liquor store around the corner and when I returned the wine finally showed up. Upon checking out, the wine was charged to the room, even though I already paid for it as a part of a room package. The front desk couldn't refund me and no manager was on duty at the time. The front desk told me that they would escalate this issue. Weeks went by, and I never got a response. After constantly complaining, I was refunded the overcharge. When I returned to the hotel to stay a second time, one of the managing or acting managing directors at the time ensured that the wine was delivered on time. He wasn't pleased with all the complaints I made to get the overcharge refunded. The third and forth times staying at The WaterGate Hotel, I had no issues with my hotel room.

I once reserved the The Winter Igloo at the hotel, it was a small group. The drinks were great, but the waiter rarely checked on us. Before he served us he reminded our group of the food and beverage minimums which I was already aware of. His focus was on the larger groups, probably assuming he would get a bigger tip from them. There was a Bluetooth speaker to connect your phone to play music, but apparently playing music made some people upset and they complained. Even after horrible service, since the bill was high I decided to tip the waiter $100. I asked him if any bars were open still as it was late, and he noted The Next Whiskey Bar would be open for 15 more minutes. Everyone decided that we would have one last round of drinks for the evening. Unfortunately, it appeared the bar was closing up early, we asked the bartender on duty if we could have one drink. He said, Unfortunately, my manager ordered the bar to be closed 15 minutes early so I cannot take any credit cards as the register is closed. I had cash, and offered to pay that way. The manager said, No, we are closed... The waiter that served us at The Winter Igloo walked by and overheard manager telling us that she closed the bar down. As we walked away, our waiter from The Winter Igloo was bragging to the manager that he barely served us and got a $100 tip. I was angry, but didn't cause a scene. In these situations I just never come back.

Customer Service varies per visit in my experience. I receive emails for promotions at The WaterGate Hotel and I was once interested in a Valentines Day offer in which you can rent the entire pool for a few hours, with rose petals and wine. I called to inquire the rate, and the front desk wasn't sure. They didn't know the email existed and I had to send them a screenshot of their own promotion. After being on hold for a long period of time, they told me that management hadn't updated them on the cost but would in a meeting later that day. I did receive a call hours later, but at that time I already made plans to arrange something else.

The places that I always had good experiences have been at the Top Of The Gate bar and especially the Argentta Spa, which had the best customer service constantly per visit. Overall The WaterGate has potential to be an amazing place. Customer service just needs to be improved.

Next Whiskey Bar was super swanky, comfy chairs, low-key. Wayyy overpriced but to be expected. Cocktails were delightful.

Five stars isn t enough for our Watergate experience! Booking was super easy, and the accommodations were beyond amazing. There aren t enough words to say about the staff. From the doormen to the desk staff to the housekeeping, and everyone in between. I ve never had a better hotel experience, and we will be making a stay at the Watergate a yearly trip! Thank you so much for the stellar hospitality and experience!
- Kenda M.
Midland, TX

Great service, fun place that have drinks and socialize.. Great views of the city.

Rooms are nice but charged my card 2 weeks after checkout for something i never had and when i called they just give me the run around

So fun at the rooftop. We went before the ballet. Yummy drinks and food. Staff was very friendly.

Great place to hang out. Not very good at handling large events. I am sure their are catering director will fix that soon.

The room is clean. The staff is very friendly. Service is great too.

My stay this weekend was nothing less than spectacular! Besides having an amazing restaurant, bar and other hotel amenities the customer service was without a doubt the best part about the hotel!

Went to an igloo event here. Booked the 5-7 event but was kicked out at 6:45. It was a $500 minimum for a party of 10 which was pretty easy to meet. Their appetizers were tasty, but everything was colored brown, i.e. No veggies were to be seen. I would skip the ribs as they were extremely fatty. All in all it was a fun event. I would recommend checking it out with your friends!

Food at the restaurant was delicious. The butcher block options were delicious and presented very nicely. The tartare was fantastic with the wasabe paste addition.

The location is exceptionally convenient and the rooms are well designed and spacious. The hotel has a striking design and features every amenity a guest could ask for

I photographed an engagement couple there and the place was really beautiful. The only thing we did not like was the food..could be better..