Hotel Review: Marriott Marquis Washington DC

I arrived in DC at around 10 am in the morning and proceeded to the passenger pickup area, where I was able to hail a Lyft. The ride from Reagan National to the Marriott Marquis took around 15 minutes, and cost $14 and before I knew it I was in the lobby.

The hotel is located across the street from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and is one of the largest DC hotels with 1175 guest rooms.

Walking into the hotel, I was met with an immense modern art sculpture at the center of a large, airy atrium. I tend to like modern hotels so it really didn’t bother me that the hotel felt like an impersonal convention center, but I can see how people would choose a smaller place.

Check In: 

I knew it was a bit early to check in, but I was hoping that I would be able to leverage my newly minted Marriott Platinum status (status match from SPG Platinum) and land a room.

The check in counters are located to the left of the entrance to the hotel past the bell desk. Thankfully the number of counters was proportional to the size of the hotel, which isn’t always the case.

I was greeted by a very friendly agent who thanked me for my loyalty and apologized for not having the room ready just yet. It was apparently undergoing a “VIP check” (whatever that means). He offered me access to the lounge while I waited for the room to open up, but I politely declined, opting to go for a walk.

The Room:

I got a call about 30 minutes after I left the hotel saying that my room was ready. And sure enough the keys were available at the front desk when I arrived.

My room was located on the 12th floor (The Club Floor), and not too far from the elevators. The room was coined as a “Club King” Room, and was pretty much like an ordinary room on the same floor as the hotel lounge.  The room featured the essentials: a very comfortable bed, desk, ergonomic chair, and a chaise lounge chair by the window. I was glad to note that Marriott brought back the desk after they reversed their poor insight into millennials.

The bathroom featured a decently sized walk in shower, a well lit vanity mirror, and Thann toiletries, which were wood scented. I should mention that the room really didn’t have much of a view, other than of the rooftop nearby.

Overall the room was modern, clean, and offered all the necessary amenities and features. Power outlets and lamp switches were located on either side of the bed, and the air conditioner worked quite well. For those of you who like coffee, there is an in room Keurig machine to get your day going.

The M Lounge

Marriott offers M Lounge access to all Platinum and Gold Elite Members and their guest. The lounge is open 24/7 and serves breakfast in the morning, drinks and snacks throughout the day, and evening canapes. I arrived at the lounge really late looking for a diet coke and found it empty.

The lounge is fairly large (as it should be for a hotel this size) and features a balcony and sit out area looking over the city. The odd part was that the area seemed closed throughout my stay despite the great weather. The lounge had Pepsi branded drinks along with chocolate pretzels, pretzels, and some assorted nuts.

It is definitely one of the nicer hotel club lounges I have seen, and certainly looks like a desirable place to hangout and get work done. Attendants were also prompt in clearing any plates and cups left behind by guests.

Breakfast at the M Lounge

Breakfast at the M Lounge consisted of the usual: bagels, toast, cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, pastries, and some hot items, which I didn’t care for. The spread was nothing extraordinary, but definitely a step above in quality compared to comparable club lounges at other hotel chains.

Bottom Line:

The Marriott Marquis is a conveniently located modern hotel in one of the better neighborhoods of DC. And I say conveniently located not because of its proximity to the national mall (which is a 15 minute walk away), but because of all the restaurants and bars nearby. Though the hotel comes off as impersonal, I found most staff members to be extremely helpful and courteous. The only foreseeable drawback is the lack of a view or rather access to the one that is available. There were numerous times during my stay that I saw the Washington Monument through the window, but was unable to go out and take the picture. Anyway, it’s a solid choice of hotel in DC and I wouldn’t think twice about coming back if the rate were right.

P.S: All pictures were taken by my Google Pixel Phone. Find out more about that that camera here.