Salamander Washington DC

We spent three nights as a couple over the Christmas holidays. The service at the Salamander was outstanding from the moment we arrived until we departed. From Zachary at the desk to Gregory the bartender at Dogon to the staff at the restaurant each morning, you were certain to be greeted with a smile, courtesy, and efficient service. The moment we first arrived, Zachary outlined our AMEX benefits including potential room upgrades. We had a tough choice because as he explained construction next door ruined the view for one of the larger rooms while the smaller room had a beautiful view from a higher floor. He then offered and took us to each room so we really understood our options. After making our final selections we decided to see if the Dogon which was out of reservations might be able to slide us in. In fact they did have space at the bar with access to the entire menu. Gregory the bartender did a fantastic job. He detailed each option on the menu including the flavor profile for the different options. He topped it off by, after hearing that we did not consume alcohol, creating unique off the menu non-alcohol drink selections based on how fruity, bubbly and sweet we wanted out drinks. Gregory nailed the menu and the drinks. The meal was one of the best that we have ever had! The room itself was also very nice, with plush carpeting, marvelous shower, comfortable bedding, warm robes, the works! We were happy to have opted for the larger suite option when both of us needed spaces to work one day. The space was plentiful and the acoustic separation allowed each of us to work effectively. Overall, a marvelous stay. We look forward to returning!

I attended the Holiday Afternoon Tea in the Salamander lobby lounge on Saturday, December 27 with my daughters and a friend. I want to begin by recognizing Awtash, our server, who was truly incredible. She was warm, and doing her absolute best under circumstances that were clearly beyond her control. Her kindness did not go unnoticed, and she deserves genuine praise. Unfortunately, Awtash never had a fair chance to make this a great experience because the lounge was clearly understaffed. I’m also not sure what was happening in the kitchen, but the majority of the food was genuinely awful—tasting as though it came straight from a prepackaged box. Nothing felt fresh, thoughtful, or delicious, which is shocking when you’re spending close to $1,000 on tea and crumpets and expecting a refined, elevated holiday experience. What made this especially disappointing is that it brought back flashbacks of a previous stay. My husband and I spent the Fourth of July at the hotel and had breakfast the following morning. That experience took two and a half hours, again due to insufficient staffing to bus tables, take orders, and deliver food. The wait was awful. The food was awful. And yet—we didn’t complain because of one person: Lisa, the hostess. Lisa immediately understood what was happening and stepped far beyond her role for everyone who was suffering to be seated, to order, to eat, and to pay their bill. She was calm, proactive, and genuinely hospitable in what was clearly a mismanaged situation. She couldn’t fully save the day, but she made us feel seen and cared for. We stayed—and tipped her generously—not because we thought the food or experience was good, but because watching her operate with such grace reminded us of the standards we hope to instill in our own children. When I chose this holiday tea as a special moment with my daughters, a rare occasion when all of us are together in the same town - I had hoped these issues had been resolved. Sadly, they have not. There are clearly exceptional individuals working here—Awtash being one of them—but they are being set up to fail. Hospitality should not rely on individual heroics to compensate for systemic staffing and operational shortcomings. Until those issues are addressed, the experience does not justify the price point or reputation. Wonder if Sheila is aware that her brand's standard is failing.

As a disabled veteran suffering with PTSD, the view from room 714 was extremely unsettling. Due to that problem, I was not excited about the upgrade. Aside from that The Salamander DC gets an A+.

The hotel was beautifully decorated for the holidays with very nice touches throughout. Staff was generally friendly and helpful. The room was spacious ( we had a double queen) but not spotless when we arrived - Dusty around the bed frame with a couple of small pieces of trash that were missed. It was packed so we did not get an upgrade with our Amex benefits. Breakfast was good and servers were friendly and efficient. Prices were on par with other higher end hotels. Most disappointing was our experience at the Lounge bar & restaurant. Service was painfully slow and they brought the wrong kids menu items three times - we ordered pizza for the kids so not sure why they kept bringing us bowls of buttered pasta. It took almost 40 minutes for us to get our meals which included the two kids pizzas, a turkey club sandwich and burger.

Very enjoyable stay. Room, amenities, and staff were wonderful! Great location and the complimentary bikes were a big hit for our family!