HOTEL MONACO ALEXANDRIA - A KIMPTON HOTEL

"Great Hotel In Alexandria"

Last week I had the opportunity to stay at this property. It was my first time at a Kimpton Hotel, but it will not be my last! Everything about this place was fabulous, starting with the decor. Bright colors, interesting fixtures, comfortable furnishings. My room had a king bed, a "fainting couch", big desk, great bathroom amenities, but the best were the bathrobes! Zebra and giraffe print, which were comfy and fun! The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, the food at hotel restaurant was great, the meeting room was comfortable. I especially enjoyed the coffee (good coffee!!) in the lobby in the morning and the wine in the evening. (Rooms do not come with a coffee maker, but if you ask, they will gladly deliver one to your room). It is located in old town Alexandria, so it is within easy walking distance to many interesting shops and restaurants. Overall it was a great experience and I think I am a Kimpton fan for life!

"Room service disaster!"

the hotel is cute and clean, rooms are quite small but well appointed. Bathroom in the room is lovely. Good location in old town. But... I'm now sitting in the room waiting for breakfast that I ordered 98 minutes ago!!! Bad enough that it occurred, especially since I was told I'd get my order "within 45 minutes" but when I called to check on it, I was told that they couldnt have told me I'd have it earlier, as the kitchen wasn't open when I had called. Huh'!' Update...105 minutes in, I have my food. Wasn't worth the wait btw. Was just given 2 more inane excuses. You'd think they would have offered to take it off the bill. Clearly should have walked over to Starbucks and gotten coffee an hour ago. This place has a thing or two to learn about customer service

"A treat in the heart of Old Town, Alexandria"

As is typical with Kimpton properties, this hotel is very pleasing and in a great location (on King St. in the heart of Old Town, amidst the restaurants and shops. The rooms are large and comfortable, mattresses good. The hotel has a garage underground, but you pay extra to use it. Amenities include free wine in the lobby daily from 5 to 6, free newspapers in the morning. The full service restaurant off the lobby is reasonably good. Only two complaints: All of the pillows are big and thick, so you can't use them for sleeping on your stomach; maybe thinner ones are available from housekeeping. Also, there are solid benches at the foot of each bed. Since the benches and the carpet are both dark fabric, the purpose of these benches appears to be to provide a place to stub your toe on the way to the bathroom at night. And now a caution: the hotel is pet friendly but the third floor is pet free, so if you are nervous about contending with dogs yapping, ask for the third floor. Overall the good outweighs the bad and we are repeat customers.

"Very good"

We flew in to Reagan International and this hotel was just a short $20.00 (including tip) cab ride away. They provide a free shuttle, but somehow we missed it, we were told to just hop in a cab and we'd be reimbursed, I was handed a crisp twenty as soon as I walked in. The lobby is very pretty with nice lighting, sofas and fireplace. Our room was very clean and quiet, and I liked the big, thirsty animal print robes provided. We were also very pleased with their bar and restaurant, very good breakfast both mornings.

"Bring your earplugs......."

Great location and friendly staff, but we definitely had some glitches during our stay. When we checked in, we were given a room on the fifth floor that was already occupied. Had to traipse back down to the lobby to receive a new room assignment and happily the front desk staff handled the issue very well by providing us with a partial credit against our bill. Our 'new' room on the third floor faced King St. The rooms are very nice, but the noise we experienced during our stay was a definite drawback and prevents me from giving a five star rating. For example, the room heat register was so loud when it kicked on that we had to turn up the volume on the TV to compensate. I kept the thermostat at a low temperature hoping the heat wouldn't come on too much during the night--the heat register woke me up every time it started. Also, around 2 AM there was a lot of noise from passersby on King St--seemed as if folks were hanging out in front of the hotel celebrating or whatever. Finally, there were hotel guests in neighboring rooms and the hallway outside our room around 2:30 AM who were extremely loud and inconsiderate of their fellow guests. At one point I looked out of my door and observed four guests--two on the floor--laughing, talking loudly, etc. This went on for at least a half hour. I was just about to call down to the front desk, but they apparently got the message and left. I know the hotel cannot control their guests' behavior, but it still meant a restive night for us. We also had trouble finding a garage that could accommodate the height of our vehicle--I agree with a previous reviewer that parking is a definite weakness of this property. All in all, I will probably give the Monaco another try mainly due to the competent and friendly staff--I just hope our next stay is quieter!