The Mayflower Hotel, Autograph Collection

We had hoped to enjoy our stay at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC, but unfortunately our experience felt cold and unwelcoming. We stayed just one night while in town for a comedy show and a short getaway. To be fair, there were a couple of bright spots. A woman at the concierge desk was genuinely helpful, kindly guiding us to a restaurant across the street since the hotel restaurant was closed. The valet attendant, Raphael, was also exceptionally friendly and welcoming. Our room experience, however, was disappointing. We were initially assigned a larger room on the 5th floor that felt cold, tired, and dated, with little warmth or character. More importantly, my husband has a disability that prevents him from using a tub-style shower, so we requested a room change. The second room, on the 6th floor, was much smaller but warmer and had a walk-in shower, which we appreciated. While the bathroom appeared slightly more updated, the towels were thin and far from the plush quality one expects at a hotel of this caliber. The bed was comfortable enough, but the bedside table had glass rings on it that showed it had not been wiped clean from the previous guests, the other table in the room had similar water marks and the heater was extremely loud. Even on the lowest setting, the noise was disruptive enough that my husband was concerned he wouldn’t be able to sleep. Our biggest disappointment, however, was the experience at The Edgar Bar & Kitchen. After our show, we arrived around 9:50 p.m. As we were being seated, the server immediately informed us—rather brusquely—that it was too late to order food. While we only intended to have cocktails, the way this was communicated felt dismissive and unpleasant. During our brief visit, staff hovered in a way that felt more like pressure to order another drink than attentive service. We don’t feel that taking 30 minutes to enjoy a cocktail is unreasonable, yet the atmosphere made us uncomfortable. The following morning at breakfast, the restaurant was quite busy, which we understand—especially since it appears to be the hotel’s only dining option. Busy is fine; unfriendly is not. The service felt rushed and impersonal. My husband’s coffee was poured so hurriedly that the pot was pulled away before his cup was full or even upright, resulting in repeated spills. It felt as though the staff were serving without ever really seeing the guests in front of them. That said, the food itself was good. My breakfast of banana bread with scrambled eggs was enjoyable and arrived hot. Ultimately, for us, staff make or break a hotel experience, and sadly, with the exception of a few individuals, the service at The Mayflower fell short and left us feeling unwelcome.

Stayed here for a conference that was held at the hotel, between major snow storms. Several of my colleagues decided to fly in before the storm to avoid travel delays. It worked out well but they found the hotel food to be very limited but decent. The conference facilities were good, there was plenty of snacks and water/tea available. Some rooms were pretty chilly but that is to be expected during winter. However the water faucets in the ground floor bathrooms were ice cold the whole time. Hard to get good handwashing in after being around hundreds of people during flu season. I am an elite member so I was given a top floor, 2 queen room. The room, while clean and updated, was very dark as the window was in a weird location. I learned from my peers that each of our rooms were all different in floor plan and sizes. It was very hard to sleep with the heater. It seemed like the temp control was fixed to auto fan at the temp you set it but one degree diff and it would be super hot or super cold.

Beautiful property

Nothing

staff are nice and helpful

room is tiny and not cozy. facility is dated.

As a Marriott gold member, I expected a better room. Our room was hot, couldn't get the temp below 76°. And we were over the compressor units for the whole hotel, very noisy. It took 2 contacts with the reception desk to get the a/c fixed.

Nothing!

DIRTY, DIRTY, DIRTY!! Did I say DIRTY? I mean completely filthy. This stay was absolutely terrible. The hotel reeked of an old, musty smell from the moment we walked in—completely uninviting. The elevators were in awful condition, and our first room had stains on the floor that looked like feces. The shower was clogged with HAIR, the shower liner was disgusting, and the TV didn’t even work. We requested to switch rooms, hoping for a better experience, but the second room wasn’t any better. The sheets, comforter, and duvet were visibly dirty. The shower again had old hair in it, and the entire room had a horrible odor. To make things worse, there were dirty towels littering the hallway, and we nearly tripped over a glass with old change and flutes left just sitting outside a room. I’m not someone who normally complains, but when you spend nearly $600, you expect a clean and comfortable stay. I’ve attached photos for proof. Save yourself the disappointment—DO NOT stay here! I could add way more pictures but I’ve reached the max!!

Great location and great room, no complaints.

The food options were expensive

Perfect stay. I stayed here twice and everything was perfect. Hotel is a classic and well maintained. The staff was genuine and helpful, and while there was a $40 destination fee, the $20 restaurant and $10 Uber credits made that reasonable. Also I am Platinum and on both occasions, received a suite upgrade. Finally, on one of the stays, they had live holiday music on the main floor.