More about The Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City
Ritz Carlton Pentagon City - just returned!
by TripAdvisor Member rooster1129
My family of 4 just returned today from a 5 night stay at the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City. It was just wonderful. The heat wave hit Washington DC this week (temps were 99 or above w/lots of humidity - basically it was like being in a sauna). The Ritz was our wonderful haven! Our hotel room (executive suite) was spotless and decorated nicely. The shower was great - lots of pressure & it felt like being under a waterfall. The housekeepers were like ghosts - every time we left the room they came and picked up or redid the beds or something. They even turned down the covers & left little chocolates for us every evening (they also did the sofabed for my kids). The staff was friendly and accommodating, but didn't go overboard. The only person that went out of their way to help us was the concierge. He was helpful and always gave us good info. The hotel does recommend Zohery Tours, which we took, and were very disappointed. Much better to do the Trolley or Tourmobile. The best part about the hotel is the location. Without going outside, you could walk to the metro (blue or yellow line) and be at the Smithsonian in 10 to 15 minutes. This was great for us because of the heat. In the mall (Pentagon City Fashion Centre), there is a huge food court with McDonalds, Au Bon Pain, Johnny Rockets, Ruby Tuesdays, Starbucks, etc. If you walked through the food court and across a little side street, there was another outdoor restaurant area (Pentagon Row) with at least 8 other nice restaurants (Lebanese Taverna was incredible). The whole set up worked great for our family. We walked down every morning to the food court & got breakfast and took it up to our room for the kids. At night we would walk to Pentagon Row or bring take out up to the room. Overall, we had a great time and would definitely stay there again. It was so convenient for our family.
Great Renovation
by TripAdvisor Member skibuff
This is my first stay since the hotel has been renovated. The "old" style Ritz furnishings and decorations have been replaced by more contemporary and lighter styles.
It is a vast improvement. and a much needed change. The old heavy Amroire and tube TV have been replace by a lowboy and a 36'"(?) LCD TV. Chairs are much more comfortable and stylish. The bed is similar to a Westin Heavenly Bed and quite comfortable. The Bath has been updated and while the bath/shower is the same as before, the bowed shower curtain arrangement removes one of my very few complaints from the over 100 stays at the Hotel.
As before the renovation, the Staff is simply outstanding and their service is exemplary. Also as others have noted, the location is excellent.
With the changes in furnishings and the updates, the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City remians my first choice in DC.
Comfortable Stay Right Outside DC
by TripAdvisor Member Aurora100
I spent the week before Christmas at the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City. This stay consisted of a few days of business meetings with some vacation time tacked on. The main reason I chose this hotel was its location. I’d never been to DC before and really did not know the city and was unsure of what neighborhood to stay in. Plus, the fact that it was December, when the days were very short; and since I was by myself I was not going to be running around DC at night. I thought it would be good to have shopping and restaurants at hand (the hotel is located adjacent to a mall). A Metro stop is also right by the hotel providing easy and quick access to the entire DC area.
I was a bit nervous hearing reports of the hotel being under construction. However, the construction was largely transparent to guests. I requested and got a renovated room with a nice flat screen TV. The room was large, cheerful with a nice bathroom. However, there is not a lot of drawer space to put things away, especially if there are two of you.
Hotel staff were very courteous and helpful. I came in on a red-eye flight and they let me check in at 8am, instead of their standard time. They also let me have a late check-out as well. The hotel seems to have good security, which is important, considering that it is adjacent to a mall and a metro station.
I had breakfast twice at the hotel dining room, which was very elegant. Breakfast was decent if not memorable. Hotel breakfasts are never cheap, but the prices here were not as outrageous as I’ve seen elsewhere.
The hotel gym is quite adequate. There was also a small lap pool, which I never had the opportunity to use.
My biggest criticism of the hotel is that their TV channel selection was somewhat limited. Although most people don’t come to DC to watch TV, I got the flu the last two days of my stay, and felt too sick to do much else beside watch TV, so for me it was somewhat of a big deal. Hopefully, this isn’t too much of a factor for other people!
Overall, I was pleased with my stay. I have to note that I’ve never stayed at a Ritz Carlton before so I cannot comment on other reviewers who say the Pentagon City Ritz does is not as good as others in the chain. However, this was a very good hotel, although not as good as the Four Seasons or Park Hyatt chains, which are my favorites. Note that as the week before Christmas is a slow time of year for most hotels, I got a great rate at this location!
The Arlington location was somewhat sterile, although the convenience of having the metro right by the hotel was great! Now that I am more familiar with DC, if I was to return I would probably stay in a hotel in the Dupont Circle area which I really liked. But, as a first time visitor, the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City worked for me.
Really, a 4.5 star experience...nonetheless, a great DC area hotel
by TripAdvisor Member mccarthys5
We stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City for a girls weekend for 2 nights on Club Level - 2/17-2/19. It's an excellent property. We arrived at 11: 00 am on the 17th and they honored an early check-in - got into the room without issue. The rooms are large and very nicely renovated. There are beautiful new flat screen tv's and amazing beds and linens - Frette, of course - I slept better than a baby. We were in Room 1712 (2 double beds) and our view was incredible - it looked out over the Pentagon and the Washington Monument and the Capital were in full view as well. All marble bathrooms with an amazing array of complimentary Bulgari toiletries, which they replenished daily. Large closet with Ritz robes and complimentary slippers. My only criticism of the room was that there was limited drawer space. Not an issue if you are only staying a few nights, but that could be a problem for a longer stay - just 3 small drawers on the shared nightstand and 2 drawers in the mini bar area. There is a mini bar in room with Ritzy prices, but really, no need to use that. Also, the room comes equipped with a large desk (internet connection) and a chair for sitting. Really nice decor.
The location at Pentagon City is wonderful. It is literally right outside of DC and attached to the Fashion Center mall in Arlington. The Metro station is directly underneath the hotel - you never need to go outside to get on the metro - a nice bonus in the cold weather. It's a nice mall with anchor stores Nordstroms and Macy's and a ton of other shops in-between. There is an insanely large food court on the bottom floor and more shops/restaurants at Pentagon Row - which is about a 90 second walk right behind the Fashion Center. Also located at Pentagon Row is the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa - a nice establishment (we had a few treatments done there) and it was great and relaxing.
The Club Level is an AMAZING deal at the Ritz and if you like to eat/drink, you should absolutely stay on a Club Floor. There are 5 food/beverage presentation daily. Breakfast is from 6:30-10:30 and is basically deluxe continental - pasteries, cereal, muffins, bagels, toast, fresh fruit, smoked salmon, cheeses, quiche, yogurt, oatmeal, coffee, tea, freshly squeezed oj and grapefruit juices - even Ritz champagne should you desire an early morning mimosa. Lunch is from 11:30-2 and is great - an array of sandwiches, salads, cheeses, desserts. Afternoon tea runs from 3-5 and features mini tea sandwiches, pasteries, warm scones and tea. Cocktail hour is from 6-7:30 and each evening had heavy appetizers (antipasto, sushi, cocktail shrimp, crab cocktails, fish of the day, cheeses/crackers, salads) and desserts. There was also a dessert presentation at 8:30pm that we never made because we were out in the evenings, but I am sure it was great. Alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages are available all day as well (wine, champagne and beer for alcohol) and if you don't see it, there are staff waiting on you hand and foot, so just ask and they will gladly accomodate. The room is very pleasant and had the same views as our hotel room. The staff is wonderful and does a fantastic job. It is definitely worth the extra money to stay on the Club - very relaxing. There were children in there and all were extremely well-behaved - it is a sophisticated atmosphere and the families present were obviously attuned to that dynamic.
The concierge is wonderful and made good recommendations for dinner. The pool was a small disappointment - that area of the hotel could stand to be refurbished, but is not bad in the least - just not up to 5 * standard with the rest of the hotel. The lobby lounge downstairs is lovely (we did partake of drinks in there one afternoon after shopping) - here's why the Club is a great deal - 3 drinks came to $35! There's those Ritz prices again! But the service is amazing and we did enjoy the atmosphere and the live piano - it's also a nice room for afternoon tea.
We did park our car at the hotel and valet is $28/day for in/out.
Every staff member we came into contact with greeted us courteously. The Ritz really knows how to train staff - their mantra is "my pleasure" for every request and nothing is a problem.
The Ritz Carlton Pentagon City is a first-class hotel in the DC area. I would stay there again without hesitation.
Quick Visit to DC
by TripAdvisor Member Mary4
Our family of 4 spent 5 days at the Ritz. GREAT location - especially if you want to tour DC by metro! It's the best way to see it all - and if you stay at the Ritz you don't have to spend a lot of time and money on shuttles or taxis because the Pentagon City Metro is literally out in front of the hotel. Pentagon City Mall is next door - large food court, Starbucks, Au Bon Pain, etc. We were able to get a quick morning snack before a day of sightseeing. Maid service was exceptional. Staff was friendly. Hotel dining was much too pricey for our family but there were many other options for dining - right behind the hotel is Pentagon Row - lots of restaurant options. One frustration was we were not able to find a good, reasonably priced "sit-down" breakfast spot near the hotel that was accessible by foot.
Overall - great experience - but if you are on a budget - hotel dining options are pricey.
Convenient and Comfortable
by TripAdvisor Member jgrossman
We always love staying at the RC and this trip was no exception. We decided to stay at the RC over labor day weekend and enjoys the sights in DC. This hotel made it so easy to get onto the metro since it is out front of the hotel. What made it also convenient is that there is a hotel entrance from the shopping mall adjacent to the hotel. The shopping mall also had its own entrance from the metro.
Most of our dinners were spent at the restaraunts across the street and in the shopping village at Pentagon Row. All were good and reasonably priced.
We had the "bed and breakfast" package that allowed us to eat breakfast at The Grille (the breakfast buffett) or room service. We had the buffett each day and loved it.
No Guarantees, No Ritzy Welcome
by TripAdvisor Member KeepOnTraveling
I had hoped to enjoy an overnight stay at the Ritz-Carlton while attending a conference at the hotel. I was none too pleased to be told at check-in that they had no room for me, despite a reservation made well in advance. Of course, I had to guarantee my reservation with a credit card. (Why must customers guarantee to pay the hotel but the hotel need not guarantee the room will be provided?) The excuse? Hotel renovations were taking longer than expected. I was offered a room at the Marriott Key Bridge. "Just a 10 minute taxi ride away." If you're looking forward to the ambiance and convenience of the Ritz-Carlton, beware. Instead of a room at the Ritz, you too might be offered a taxi ride to the hotel that reviewers on this website have described as a "Big Mistake" and of which they've said "Steer Clear of This One Folks."
It's just not a Ritz!
by TripAdvisor Member hotel2006av
I was shocked when I walked into the lobby of this hotel- it did not look like the lobby of a Ritz Carlton.
It was very much understated, and somewhat small.
There were some charming chandeliers and friendly staff but this is not exceptional, however they charge an exceptional amount to stay there! Their lobby & dining rooms were really nothing exceptional and the furniture and bathrooms in the guestrooms were very disappointing. Some of the furniture was tarnished, ripped, stained....very disappointing. This hotel is in desperate need of a makeover and I just can't get over the boring entrance, meeting rooms, and hallways. Not worth the price.
The problem is that they are charging typical RC prices, for a 3 star hotel.
I prefer the Ritz Carlton in Tyson's Corner, a short drive away but well worth it.
3rd time staying here and still love it.
by TripAdvisor Member MrDePalo
This is our 3rd time staying here and we still love it. My wife has to go here for work related meetings so I tag along. You can not get a cleaner and most accommodating hotel. My wife has special dietary restrictions due to allergies and they were able to accommodate her with no problem. You do not get that with cheaper hotels. The staff here is all over you to help you with anything than can. The great thing about this place is it is attached to a GREAT mall and right on the Metro line. You stay here and you never need a car or cab. It is 2 Metro stops from the Airport so you can take the Metro right to the hotel. There also is a big shopping/food area right behind the hotel that you can walk to. Also there is another mall one Metro stop away. The rec room at this hotel is also very nice, they have a nice lap pool, hot tub, sauna room and a steam room. They serve you complementary fruit and water at the main counter in the rec room. I cannot say enough GREAT things about this place other than I cannot wait for my next visit there.
Al
mrdepalo@cox.net
I stay here frequently
by TripAdvisor Member SurfJogger
It's a Ritz, OK. But the rooms don't all cool down well in summer. The gym is minimal. And those fancy down comforters are too hot to sleep under. But they do have an extra blanket available.
The restaurant is terrific, but Ritz level pricing.
Photos
Challenger Memorial
Bar and TV screens
Ping
Confederate Memorial
