I spent a couple of nights in DC during recent times at Marriott Hotels. While these places hardly warrant a full review, they are still worth a mention and are certainly cheap and decent choices for a stay in the nation’s capital.
The first of the hotels is the AC Hotel about a block down from the DC Convention Center. At the time of my stay this hotel was fairly new and I paid for my stay using a Marriott 25k annual free night from the Chase Marriott Card. This was a steal of a deal given that hotel rates were above the $300 mark. Of course since then the hotel seems to have moved up a few categories and is now sitting at 40,000 points per night, but rates are consistently at or above $600 for many days in October so it still seems to be a decent deal.
Arrival:
We arrived at the hotel around noon on the DC Metro. The Mt Vernon stop on the Yellow Line is about a block away from the hotel. For your reference the ride from DCA is about 25 minutes and costs approximately $2.50.
The lobby of the hotel had a nice modern vibe to it with this shelving being the centerpiece art on display:
Check In
We were promptly checked in despite being slightly early and handed our keys to a room with 2 King Beds. The room appeared modern, fresh, and had power outlets at convenient locations. The room also featured a desk and a basic chair. Something I thought Marriott was getting rid of. Wifi was speedy and made it easy to get work done.
Right by the entryway was a sleek, modern bathroom featuring a single vanity and a spacious standing shower. Toiletries were by Korres, a brand I had never heard of.
Right next to the bed was a mini bar with some self serve coffee options and a mini-refrigerator with two tiny bottles of water.
Breakfast:
As a platinum guest, breakfast was available for me and a guest each morning in the hotel lobby. The benefit amounted to $10/day per guest at the time of my stay. Though let me be honest and say there was absolutely nothing to report about because the breakfast just consisted of some cereal and packaged baked goods, which had been unpackaged at the hotel. It was also very crowded that morning and I was in a rush to get to the convention center for the meeting so I didn’t bother snapping any pictures.
Bottom Line:
The AC Hotel DC Convention Center is a well-located, modern hotel with everything you need for a comfortable stay. To me it gave of the vibe of a very simple, but polished Moxy. There was nothing particularly extravagant, but it did offer all the essentials. I especially appreciated the room’s two king beds, as most hotels typically offer either two double beds or two queen beds. The breakfast wasn’t anything to write home about, so I’m not sure why anyone would opt for it when there are plenty of better options just outside the hotel.
