Capital Charm – Intercontinental The Willard Washington, DC Highlights

Intercontinental The Willard Washington, DC

I recently put the “better late than never” cliche to the test at Intercontinental The Willard Washington, DC.  It’s been on my list of DC properties to visit for many years, but I’d just never gotten around to it.  The reasons why hit several areas – competing properties, ridiculously high award rates, hotel cert matters, etc.  But the stars recently aligned.  We had a free weekend during the dog days of August for a quick dad/kid trip, and the property had Sunday night availability at a reasonable rate.  I was able to use my Chase IHG Premier annual cert and top off with 10k points for a two-queen premium room.  Today, I’m describing our experience.

Surreal Check-In

After a morning at the National Zoo, my older one and I arrived at The Willard about 1 pm for check-in.  I was the first in line behind a guest talking to the single front desk agent.  After ten minutes or so, the rep finished with this guest.  What I experienced next was the longest check-in process in recent memory.  I greeted the agent, and she asked for my ID and card for incidentals – perhaps the only prompt part of check-in.  What followed was about a 15-minute check-in, perhaps spurred by what I thought was a reasonable inquiry.  I asked about upgrade availability due to my IHG Diamond status.  She then quietly looked at her computer screen, typed, and clicked for the next five minutes or so.  I patiently waited for a tumbleweed to blow by.  Subsequently, she excused herself to talk to a manager.  The agent returned approximately five minutes later with good news – she was able to upgrade us to an immediately-available king junior suite.

She then meekly broached the property’s daily amenity fee, the IHG elite welcome amenity benefit, and late checkout, but I definitely had to work for any useful information.  I’ll get into the amenity fee later.  For the IHG welcome benefit, the rep only offered points or a drink coupon.  It seemed she was intentionally omitting the breakfast for two option.  I asked about breakfast, and she confirmed that option for me.  She deflected on late checkout, claiming I needed to wait until the next day to confirm it (which turned out to be untrue – more on that below).  I thanked her, and we headed up to our room.

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A Beautiful Suite

After a quick elevator ride to the second floor and short walk, we arrived at our room.  The property has done a great job combining the history of the hotel with a modern flair, pulling off the light-blue, gray, purple, and white color scheme quite nicely.  Beyond the foyer to the far right was the plush king bed adorned with a “W” headboard and a helpful bench at the foot.  Perpendicular to the bed were a large couch and functional desk.  The latter offered a great view of Pennsylvania Avenue from a floor-to-ceilng window.   On the other side of the furniture was the mounted television and dresser.  Closet, minibar, and coffee machine were behind the desk.  The room offered only one set of robe and slippers.  My little one quickly claimed them.

The small, bright bathroom offered the basics, perhaps less than I expected from this level of property.  Still, it does the best with the dimensions it was dealt.  The tub and shower were fine, clean, and promptly provided hot water.

Outstanding Elite Recognition

I’ve been pleased overall with elite recognition since becoming an IHG Diamond member in early 2024, and the experience continued at Intercontinental The Willard.  After arriving back in the room in the early evening, we noticed a thoughtful card, macaroons, and glass bottle of Acqua Panna on the desk, thanking us for our loyalty.

That evening, my little one and I decided to explore the hotel, which has quite a history and an exhibit to prove it.  While downstairs, I went by the front desk and noticed a different rep there.  I inquired about a 2 pm late checkout due to my Diamond status, and the rep quickly confirmed it and updated our keycards.

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Breakfast at Cafe du Parc was solid, with the warm, attentive service surpassing the just-satisfactory fare.  I went with the traditional American breakfast while my little one opted for the pancakes with berries.  The meal was a team effort, where we enjoyed sharing a bit of each other’s plates.  Sunny side up eggs, my little one’s request, came out just as perfectly as the chewy bacon.  Potatoes were forgettable, seemingly right out of a bag.  But perhaps the biggest breakfast highlight was the large fruit bowl which came with my American breakfast, offering a variety of fresh melon, pineapple, strawberry, blueberry, and blackberry.  We polished that off, unlike the pancakes.  Mitch Hedberg’s never been wrong there.

That Pesky Amenity Fee

I knew our reservation was subject to the property’s daily amenity fee at booking.  Indeed, I was okay shelling out the fee and an extra 10k points beyond the cert for this unique experience.  Still, the fee’s annoying, but it comes with a few options some might actually use.  The $35 daily amenity fee (just over $40 with tax) includes a few interesting credits I wasn’t expecting:

• $20 Dining Credit
• $20 Spa Credit
• $10 Laundry Credit
• 15% off at Charles Schwartz & Son (jeweler)

To me, this starts and ends with that first one.  Individuals can carefully retake about half of the daily amenity fee with the daily $20 dining credit.  Probably the best options for doing so are a drink or two at the Round Robin Bar, open daily until midnight, or takeaway items at Le Cafe.  That said, we didn’t end up using any of these credits during our stay.  Regardless, I’ve seen more egregious daily fees at properties which don’t provide any substantive credits.  So this isn’t the worst daily fee out there.  Low bar, I know.

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Intercontinental The Willard Washington, DC – Conclusion

I’d happily return to this distinctive, historic DC property under the right circumstances.  Whether those come is a different matter.  Generally, award rates at The Willard are quite high, and I’d rather use my IHG points on other experiences.  I’d be willing to go over the 40k cert threshold to top off for a stay aligned with my schedule, but only so much.  That may never happen again, though.  The Willard’s award rate is routinely in the 100k points per night neighborhood, a hard-no for me and most of you.  Regardless, we had a delightful, economical stay at The Willard full of unique memories.  Sometimes, once is enough.

Have you stayed at Intercontinental The Willard Washington, DC?  What’s your take on the property?