Salamander Washington DC

This place is way overpriced for what it offers. Decorated nicely and the room was large and clean. The room NEVER warmed up (confirmed also with several guests in different rooms). The lounge restaurant was terrible. Service was lacking (slow), food was mediocre and expensive ($80 for two soups, one ice tea, and a shared club sand, which was subpar and tasteless). There's The Pearl district about 1/2 mile (and across a highway), but too far to walk if it's bad weather. So, you're stuck at the hotel for food, and the menu is limited. The "coffee" machine is incapable of serving just hot water. So, forget bringing you own tea bag or cocoa. But the worst was leaving a $20 reuseable, neoprene ice pack in the fridge. They were going to charge over $45 (that was the minimum!) to send it back. Obviously, not going to happen. Neither would I choose to stay again. There are SO many other choices in DC.

Located a short walk to The Wharf, the National Mall, and the Metro The Salamander is an aesthetically designed venue, with perfectly curated open spaces. It checks every 5-star box and more: beautiful and spacious rooms, free Nespresso coffee and bottled water, optimal thread-count, comfortable beds, quiet double pane windows, exquisite views of Washington Marina, lush bath robes, complimentary slippers, 24/7 access—to room service (full menu and delicious food), gym, front desk, and business center. Lovely marble bathroom, glass encased shower, with perfect water pressure and a soaking tub. Lighting control panels, hot water dial, and climate control offer customized home-like comfort. However, what makes this 5-star hotel, an unparalleled 5-star hotel is the impeccable service offered by its people and the culture they have created. Gonzalo, Martaz and Malik are professional, sincere, intelligent. These men have a standard of excellence and an ability to anticipate needs, that I have seldomly experienced. Gonzalo is a sincere and principled, servant leader that will bring me and my family back to Salamander every time we visit Washington, DC. Malik, enriched our experience at ever encounter—from restaurant recs, to alternative site seeing during to museums closed for gov’t shutdown, to hanging our coats in the closet—the man is a treasure trove of all-things Salamander and Washington D.C. Both Sabrina and Austin are kind, helpful, and efficient. All the bellmen are on it—I stayed during the Congressional Black Caucus and the hotel lobby was busy with guests and event attendees—I never opened a single door. They made me feel seen. Ms. Muoi in housekeeping is delightful, skilled, and detail oriented. The Salamander staff create a warm, welcoming, and joyful atmosphere. I am filled with gratitude to have been treated so graciously.

This is one of the best 5 star hotels I have stayed in. The accommodations, food and beverage and hospitality was top notch. We celebrated the 125th Anniversary of the Robert T. Freeman Dental Society, the oldest society of the National Dental Association. Robert T. Freeman is one of the first six students to attend the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. He became the first African American to graduate with a dental degree in the United States on March 10, 1869.

The Salamander DC does not disappoint. Period! The location is ideal for accessing everything in DC. Beautifully situated in SW DC’s waterfront area, it exudes world class ambiance from the first glance. The final turn into its circular approach always gives me an exceptional feeling. And that feeling escalates with every single staff interaction from there. There is a genuineness to the staff that is unmistakeable, remarkable, and consistent in every space and interaction. Front Desk Manager Gonzalo Patino greeted us personally and welcomed us. Realizing it was a return visit for us, he made it his business that our stay exceeded our expectations. It was not a “ Welcome back”. It was “Welcome Home.” That spirit resonated throughout our stay. The Salamander’s well appointed rooms are nothing short of luxurious. The attention to detail and comfort are thoughtful and revealing excellent taste and quiet elegance. The views and vistas allow an appreciation of the waterfront and capital area that challenge description. Value? Experiencing the Salamander DC’s excellence to any extent is money very, very well spent. The Dōgon and The Lounge epitomize five star excellence. Every service is provided with a sense of joy and great pride. The way we are treated at Salamander DC is beyond price. It is something everyone should treat themselves to at least once.

We chose Salamander DC for the water view. The hotel was very noisy in the lobby when we arrived at 9pm, and is especially loud in Dogon with rap music. The Marine View suite was very nice, spacious and clean, but I'm not sure how long the white carpet will stay white. We paid $835 per night with the third night free. Our major disappointment was all the construction noise: the office building next door is being gutted and converted into apartments, and the jackhammering started before 7am every morning, including Saturday. Plus there is road construction on Maine Avenue just below the hotel, and the traffic noise on 395 and Amtrak train horns can be clearly heard as well. In addition, there was a false fire alarm PA announcement at 6am one morning followed by another all clear PA announcement at 6:30. The staff is very accommodating, and the front office manager did offer a $100 daily breakfast credit to compensate for the construction noise. Salamander DC should notify guests on the web site of all the construction work (for the next 2 years), but does not. Had we known, we would have stayed elsewhere much quieter.