Westin Alexandria

Westin - Alexandria's Carlyle Area

OK, Priceline really outdid themselves this time. $80 for a nice, new, elegant Westin Hotel? Nice! Sure it was about $100 with fees and taxes, but that sure beats regular rates of $230 to $300 for the same room.

This beautiful hotel is located on the edge of Old Town Alexandria on the Court House Square in Carlisle area, just a few blocks from King Street Metro Station. The have a beautiful open lobby, valet parking for $24 a night (or free on-street parking between 6pm and 8am), a pool, a great fitness center (with TVs build into the aerobic machines), and a restaurant and bar on site. The rooms are great with big 32 inch TV, massive king-sized beds, and brand new furniture.

My only complaints are wi-fi, cell coverage, and room views. Wireless internet ran a steep $10 a night (if the Days Inn can afford to give free wi-fi, why can't the Westin?). Cell phone reception in my room was horrible as it would cut out every 30-45 seconds; if you rely on your cell for business while traveling, don't stay here! Finally, the view from my room was the roof of the pool or dining room and the neighboring office building about 40 feet away--not even worth opening the blinds...

For my money I'd rather stay at the Residence Inn in Rosslyn where rooms are cheaper and bigger, parking is half the price, most amenities (even a great breakfast) are free, and you are closer to the metro and to some historic sites like the Iwo Jima Monument and Arlington Cemetery.

The area is named after John Carlyle, a merchant, landowner, and one of the founders of Alexandria. Much of the Carlyle area is brand new and more construction is underway. This area is home to the Department of Commerce's US Patent and Trademark Office, whose 7,000 employees are located in five beautiful buildings in the center of the district that were just completed in 2006. Also located here in Carlyle is the Federal District Courthouse, just across the street from the Westin Hotel. This is a quiet area, but there are several cafes and lunch spots, as well as a couple of bars such as Joe Theisman's.

The Westin and the Carlyle area are accessible from either the King Street or Eisenhower Metro Stations, but if you are going to spend this much on lodging, you might as well stay in Old Town or in the city of DC where there is much more to do close by (unless you are doing business with the Patent and Trademark Office!).


Follow up three weeks later. The hotel overcharged me by by about $80. I called once and was immediately transferred to the accounting office; I left a message that was never returned. I called back a week later, explained my situation to a front desk clerk and she agreed that I was overcharged, and assured me she would pass my information to the accounting office and all would be resolved. Another week went by with no change in my credit card bill and no return call or e-mail, so I called a third time. During this call the guy at the front desk (I think his handle was Kenny) again agreed that I was overcharged and said he could take care of it himself right away and that I would see the cash back in my account within a day or two. A week later, more of the same. Finally I just contacted by credit card company, filed a disputed charge claim, and let them deal with it. After all the traveling I've done in the past 15 years, this is the first time I've ever been forced to dispute a charge. Nice, Westin, real nice.

• Opinion of Price: most expensive

Westin Alexandria Photo: My room at the Westin

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