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Home » Reviews » Hotel Reviews » Review: The Willard Suite At The Willard InterContinental Hotel Washington, DC
Hotel Reviews

Review: The Willard Suite At The Willard InterContinental Hotel Washington, DC

Matthew Klint Posted onMarch 2, 2019November 14, 2023 13 Comments

a walkway with a sign and umbrellas

a sign on a wall

Last week I wrote about why the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC is my favorite hotel in the District. This review focuses on an incredible suite upgrade I received during my last visit.

Please read my reflections on this hotel prior to reading this review below, for it puts everything into context. Second, please read this review to pictures of the suite and further appreciate why I love this hotel, not as a recent review. This upgrade occurred a few years ago (just before my switch to Boarding Area) and I never wrote about it because I was in a period of blog transition at the time. Thus, this is a better-late-than-never review. But I see it as a necessary addendum to my recent post on the same property.

Furniture has been updated in standard guest rooms so it probably a safe assumption it has in this suite as well. I’m not going to review the hotel amenities beyond Cafe Du Parc and the Round Robin Bar. Instead, I will offer a more comprehensive review when I return to the hotel.

So, let’s get to the upgrade. I arrived at the hotel about 10:00 AM from Philadelphia and figured the room would not even be ready yet. I was hoping for an upgrade but at the same time tried hard not to get my hopes up. Upon arriving in the ornate lobby, the check-in agent thanked me for my IHG Royal Ambassador status and told me that I had been upgraded to a “very nice” room. I grinned and my heart began to pound.

a large white building with a steeple

a lobby with columns and flowers

a group of vases of flowers in a room with columns

a group of flowers in vases on a table in a lobby

a room with a couch and chairs

a room with a chandelier and chairs

a room with a couch and a table and chairs

a long hallway with a red carpet and chairs

I took the elevator up to 10th floor and found my room, 1010. On the door was a gold placard stating Henry Augustus Willard Suite. Henry was the youngest Willard brother and ran the hotel during its early years.  You know you have a nice suite when it has a name on it…

a door with sconces on the wall

a sign on a wall

I opened the door and smiled. It was old-school DC. There was nothing modern about it, just tastefully timeless furniture and marble in an ornate and spacious suite. I know this style is not for everyone, but I loved it so much. What a perfect upgrade.

a hallway with a mirror and a mirror

You walked into an entry hall. To the right was an oval-shaped sitting room with views of the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery.

a room with a mirror and chandelier

a room with a round rug and a tv

a room with a round rug and chairs

a living room with a round rug and couches

a room with a circular rug and chairs

a large green field with trees and buildings in the background

a tall tower with a plane flying in the sky

To the left of the entrance was a kitchen and guest restroom.

a plant in a pot

a kitchen counter with a phone and cups on it

a coffee maker and teacups

a bathroom with a sink and a mirror

Down the hall was the bedroom, which included two queen beds.

a hallway with a marble floor and a mirror

two beds in a room

a room with a television and a chair

a hallway with a mirror and a dresser

Bose radio:

a remote control next to a radio

The large bathroom included a separate shower and tub.

a bathroom sink with a mirror

a bathtub with a handrail

a glass shower door with a towel on it

From the bedroom, you could see the old Postal Building (what is now the Trump hotel) on Pennsylvania Avenue. The U.S. Capitol was blocked by the brown-brick JW Marriott hotel. The views are even more grand from a higher floor.

a large crowd of people in a city

I had never experienced a suite upgrade like this one and was simply beside myself. Here I was in one of the best suites at one of the best hotels in Washington…as a twenty-something.

Breakfast at Cafe du Parc

Breakfast was a highlight each day in Cafe du Parc, the hotel’s French bistro. Both a buffet and a la carte menu are available. I particularly enjoyed the French Toast.

a plate of fruit on a table

a bowl of oatmeal on a plate

a plate of food and a cup of tea

a plate of food on a table

Round Robin Bar

Even if you are not a drinker, step into the Round Robin Bar for a taste of history. Presidents and world leaders have sat here and the Round Robin was used as a Union watering hole during the Civil War. The bartenders are great and the house special is Mint Julep. During this visit, I had Irish Coffee.

a bar with a shelf of wine glasses

a room with a bar and chairs

a basket of chips and a glass of liquid

a glass mugs with brown liquid and foam

CONCLUSION

Gym? Spa? Other amenities? This isn’t that kind of report. As I said above, next time I stay here I will write the usual comprehensive hotel reviews you are used to. But today I just wanted to continue my reminisce about the hotels by remembering what remains one of my best upgrades of all time.

a building with a flag on top

a sign on a pillar

a sign on a wall

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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13 Comments

  1. AJ Montana Reply
    March 2, 2019 at 2:58 pm

    I believe you meant IHG instead of IHC when you’re talking about your upgrade. And also Ambassador not Ambadassor.

    “IHC Royal Ambadassor status”

    Love the review though, hope to check out the hotel this summer

    • Matthew Reply
      March 2, 2019 at 6:01 pm

      So sick of Grammarly already…

      • Gene Reply
        March 2, 2019 at 6:46 pm

        LOL

      • DKing Reply
        March 2, 2019 at 10:33 pm

        “Sick of Grammarly already”.

        As well you should be. A grammar program won’t detect an incorrect initialism, but it should have corrected “The views are even more grand from a higher floor.” The comparative form of “grand” is “grander,” not more grand.

  2. Gene Reply
    March 2, 2019 at 3:03 pm

    @ Matthew — This is our favorite hotel in the world. And my favorite breakfast in the world (the French Toast is to die for). I cannot wait to return in 5 weeks. I LOVE THIS PLACE!

    • Matthew Reply
      March 2, 2019 at 5:57 pm

      I bet you have had some nice suite upgrades over the years!

      • Gene Reply
        March 2, 2019 at 6:46 pm

        Indeed. They KNOW the Queen!

  3. Mike Reply
    March 2, 2019 at 3:59 pm

    It is a special place. All the state seals in the lobby are one of the many interesting characteristics. In the summer I enjoy eating outside in the cafe and watching all the politicos walk up and down Pennsylvania Ave.

    Great review and pics. Thanks.

  4. D Reply
    March 2, 2019 at 4:52 pm

    Is Mint Julep a specia, species or special?!

    • Matthew Reply
      March 2, 2019 at 6:01 pm

      So sick of Grammarly already…

  5. Deborah Haugen Reply
    March 2, 2019 at 8:00 pm

    My daughter, daughter in law, and I have spent our girls get away week during the pre Christmas holidays at the Willard the last three years. We are in love with the hotel and it’s staff. It’s a warm, welcoming environment with historical charm. We can’t imagine staying anywhere else in D.C.

  6. bigbird Reply
    March 3, 2019 at 1:32 am

    Fantastic, historic place.
    I prefer the Hay Adams

  7. Jane Reply
    March 4, 2019 at 2:50 am

    Beautiful hotel. We’ve been staying at the Hay Adams ever since I was a child and I’m going back there late March through early April! My uncle was always chose to stay at the Willard (maybe because that’s his middle name? idk- strange bird) so I’ve spend nights there before it is really amazing. However I still prefer the Hay Adams.

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