Hotel Palomar issues

My husband and I just returned home from a week long stay at the Hotel Palomar in DC - we checked in 8/18 and checked out 8/25. It is obviously still a work in progress as we had a few issues during our stay.

We had to change rooms midway through the trip due to a leak in the bathroom ceiling – an annoyance as we had to pack and unpack again. The on going construction - hammering and sawing - was a constant and got annoying when it began before 8:30 am.

Breakfast at the restaurant Urbana was included in our room rate. However, on Wednesday morning, we were greeted with a closed sign. We asked what the hotel would do to compensate for this and we were told that we could have something from the continental breakfast that was being provided. Not comparable at all. We were also told that Urbana would be closed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday - 3 days of our 7 day stay.

Wednesday evening, we spoke to the staff again and they told us that we could simply order room service breakfast and it would be covered under the room rate since Urbana was closed. On Wednesday evening around 11 pm, we put the door hanger for our breakfast order outside on the door handle for a 9:30 am delivery. At 9:45 am, we had no breakfast and when we checked the door we discovered the hanger had never been picked up. We called and had breakfast delivered. Unfortunately, it was delivered incorrectly! Room service did fix it but it was very frustrating as breakfast was already ½ hour late from our original plan.

Thursday evening, the front desk called and said we would be able to eat breakfast at Urbana as it would be open on Friday morning and we should not order room service. Friday morning at 7:30 am, we walked downstairs to find that Urbana was closed once again! Obviously, a miscommunication but a VERY frustrating one as we could have simply ordered room service but were told specifically not to. As we had to hit the road, we left without breakfast again.

The final issue was with valet. We checked out at 8:05 am. We requested our car be brought around by valet and had to wait until nearly 8:30 for the car – apparently, there was a truck making a delivery to the hotel blocking in the car. Why they didn%26#39;t ask the truck to move is beyond me. Granted this issue would not have been a big deal on any other day but because of the breakfast issue, it was insult on top of injury.

Oh, the paper promised outside the door everyday? 6 out of the 7, no paper.

These all seem like very small issues but adding them together, it was a very disappointing stay at a hotel from a brand that stresses customer service and the details – so many were overlooked on our stay.

I might stay at a Kimpton again but only if they aren%26#39;t brand new and only if the company responds to my email detailing the above.

Hotel Palomar issues

I hope you posted this review under ';hotels';. If not, please do--it will be very helpful to others considering a stay there. I wonder--could some of these problems be due to the fact that this is a new hotel that hasn%26#39;t fully gotten its act together?

Hotel Palomar issues

Perhaps you were fortunate NOT to eat at URBANA. We are DC natives and dedicated foodies. The Washington Post granted Urbana 1 1/2 stars out of 4. That%26#39;s generous. The food is mediocre for $30 entrees (nice presentation but exceptionally, almost spectacularly bland food), and the dining room is crammed with spoiled Georgetown University undergrads dining out on Daddy%26#39;s Amercian Express dime. It%26#39;s loud, pretentious in a brain-dead 20-something manner and the food is definitively NOT worth screaming for. The much-hyped wine list is fine, but overpriced, and good wine won%26#39;t ameliorate the failings in the kitchen.

It%26#39;s not just poor quality cuisine for the price in Dupont Circle, it%26#39;s not even the top 3 for it%26#39;s block on P Street Northwest. Try Johnny%26#39;s Half Shell (sea food worth waiting for) if you are in the neighborhood.

If you are thinking of dining at Urbana, fuggetaboutit.