My husband and I stayed at the Mayflower with our three daughters for three nights. We booked a room on the Club Level. We were not advised upon booking that the Club was only open for breakfast two of the three mornings of our stay, and only open in the evening one evening (since we arrived too late upon arrival.) It is an old hotel that could use some renovation in the guest rooms. The service was adequate but not great. I thought the cost of the room was expensive for the overall experience. I would definitely try another hotel next time.

We stayed here with our kids ages 9-14-16. I was mildly concerned about the lack of a swimming pool and the fact that it was categorized as a "business" hotel, but my fears were unfounded as there were many families there and we did not feel out of place at all. The pool was absolutely not missed! However, if your kids like to roam around on their own, this is not the place for that.

We stayed on the concierge level which is actually a room category with access to the club lounge, which happened to be on our floor (8th). The concierge rate was going at the same rate as a regular room on the Marriott website, so we bit. After having stayed there, I would probably be willing to upgrade to concierge even if I had to pay for it- especially for a family of five- we saved quite a bit of time and money. Yes, there was an excellent breakfast but there were also constant snacks and the light supper/appetizers were definitely enough for us. They constantly changed items from 5pm to 7pm, progressing up to lovely desserts. We also ran a small tab on alcoholic drinks, but it was more relaxing and less expensive than going down to the bar. Let me just say that the morning and evening offerings were very well attended to, none of that cold-eggs-rubbery-bacon-dry-bread-cold cuts that comes to mind. Word of warning- the entire lounge (not just the buffet) is closed Sat-Sun-holidays. We were there over Memorial Day and that would have made us quite unhappy had we paid for concierge level. We did not use the concierge's services, though she/he was there weekdays.

Our room was very nice, not much of a view in that part of town, but not objectionable. There was street noise beginning early in the morning but I'm a light sleeper and I think being up higher did help quite a lot. Beautiful linens, well-stocked refrigerator (which we never used due to the lounge) and extensive, quality toiletries & two robes. The rollaway was a standard twin that fit nicely in the large room- it did not fold and came already made up.

The service was not 5 star- turndown was iffy at best. Also the lack of a second sink outside of the bathroom was a problem and they were short on towels for a 4-person room in which four persons were obviously staying. We also didn't realize there was stale water in the coffee maker- ugh! If we were in the room when the housekeeper passed by (which was unpredictable) she didn't come back, even when we called. We tipped daily. But these were minor things to us and did not detract from our stay. 4 stars for the service, 3 had we not gone concierge.

The Promenade Restaurant was wonderful. We only ate there once for Sunday brunch- an excellent value at $19.00 given the selection and quality. Very good service there. Room service was very good and fairly fast.

The metro station Farragut North was nearby, though twice the family walked down to the Mall/White House. We bought a weekly pass and used it extensively. One cab ride or parking for the day paid for a weekly pass. Unless you're very familiar with the area, forget on-street parking even if it is the weekend or holidays when its free. We turned the car in after we'd seen Gettysburg and Mt. Vernon and never missed it. Between the hotel and the sights, our kids voted this vacation the best ever- beating Disney World and Hawaii. I think they loved the lounge and the snacks!

The Mayflower Hotel has incredibly attentive service from the time your arrive curbside and thoughout your stay. They make extra efforts at every turn. They were so accomodating that I would have been happy not to venture away from the hotel.

I had a standard room with a king bed ($218). The room much like a NYC hotel are not very spacious but sufficient and well appointed. The bathroom was very large and the walk-in faux marble shower was huge. I found the room very clean. An entrance hallway provides some extra room and has an ample hanging closet with iron/board.

Fitness facilities are very modern and use of the nearby YMCA pool is cost free for guests. Dining in the hotel and its lobby bar was equally impressive. There are some very nice local restaurants that the concierge recommended that were very good. One in particular (Vidalia's) was in walking distance and I would not miss the opportunity to eat there again.

Transportation around Washington is extremely easy from the Mayflower. The Metro (North Farragut Station) is at the hotel's corner. Taxis are alway available at the Mayflower. Great shops like Fileen's Basement, Brooks Brothers and others are within a block or two.

I will definitely stay at the Mayflower on my return trips.

This hotel is in a great location for business travel or a tourist visit - about four blocks' easy walk from the White House. Farragut North Metro station is at the end of the block (good news / bad news - Metro goes lots of places and is very convenient, but this Red Line section is among the busiest in the system at rush hours).

The lobby and ballrooms do have a "stately," upscale feel - there is a real sense of history here. Contrary to the reports of some other reviewers, my experience with lobby, desk and bell services was excellent - consistently warm and professional staff. An associate reported a similarly happy encounter with the staff in the Lobby Bar.

The opulence ends at the Lobby, however:

Upstairs corridors are unadorned and rather dimly lighted. Corridor ventilation is completely inadequate for any but the shortest trek to the guest rooms - my room was quite a distance from the elevator landing and I was quite warm by the time I arrived at my door.

My tenth floor room was fairly large, clean overall, and reasonably well maintained; there were some minor spot cleaning and paint/caulk issues I would not have expected in a "flagship" hotel brand. Furniture was clearly showing signs of age and needs refreshing - definitely not a luxury feel, and probably not equal overall to that found in a midrange Courtyard or Residence property. A creaky armoire at one end of the room contained an old, undersized tube-type TV with a surprisingly basic selection of cable channels. The king size bed was comfortable and featured upscale linens. Bed pillows were down/feather and decidedly understuffed - sham pillows were oversized and hard - no happy medium to be found. The desk and desk chair were old, substandard and poorly located. Room air conditioning was barely adequate - the single under-window unit was located at one end of the room, which made for a noticeable variation in temperature at the other end.

The vanity area was large, well-lighted, nicely appointed and usable, with lots of solid-surface counter space. Ample linens and plenty of fancy soaps and shampoos were provided. The toilet and shower area were dim and poorly ventilated. Shower water pressure was low through the oversize "rain forest" head; temperature was fine. Closet space, hangers and entry lighting were adequate.

The fan noise from the large air conditioning condenser units at ground level on the building's inside face was noticeable even on the tenth floor - I can appreciate the remarks of other reviewers whose rooms faced this area from lower floors.

At government official travel rate, this hotel was a fair deal, but certainly no bargain for the experience delivered overall. I certainly would not have paid more. An earlier reviewer put it well: this is a five-star exterior / lobby on a three-star hotel. There are many equal-or-better options in the District.