InterContinental Washington D.C. The Wharf by IHG

Exceptional Stay at IHG Hotel at the Wharf! I had such a wonderful experience at the IHG Hotel at the Wharf that I ended up extending my stay for an extra night! From the moment I arrived, everything exceeded expectations — the staff were warm and welcoming, the room was spotless and comfortable, and the location couldn’t be better. Whether I was enjoying the waterfront views or exploring nearby attractions, it was the perfect home base. Thank you to the entire team for making my stay so enjoyable. I truly appreciated the hospitality and attention to detail. Looking forward to coming back again soon!

Great stay in a wonderful location. The front desk staff are to be commended. Every evening when we arrived back at the hotel we were greeted warmly. The lobby was impeccably stylish, and the rooms were large and comfortable. My favourite was the small vanity area in the bathroom -- away from the sinks -- for makeup and hairstyling tools. Such a unique and special feature. The kids loved the roof top pool. Even if you're not a swimmer -- worth checking out at sunset for the stunning views.

Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by the valet, who promptly assisted with our bags and took our car to the garage. When we reached the front desk, we were informed that we had been upgraded to a suite. As someone who travels frequently, I’m aware this is often a sign that the hotel has overbooked the original room type. However, since it was my husband’s birthday weekend, I chose not to question it and accepted the upgrade. As I feared, the suite was not ready. I had requested an early check-in in advance, but since it was already 3 and we didn’t need to leave for our appointment until 5, we figured we had time to wait. We headed up to the rooftop bar to relax by the pool and have a drink. By 4, the standard check-in time, I messaged the front desk to check on the room status. Again, we were told it wasn’t ready. At 4:30, we went down in person. I politely explained that while we appreciated the upgrade, we had an appointment and needed time to freshen up. They asked us to wait a little longer. At 4:45, a manager came over and informed us that the suite wouldn’t be ready for over an hour, so they would need to place us in the room we had originally booked. I was shocked. I had specifically requested an early check-in and notified the hotel about our time sensitive plans. Had they simply given us the room we booked, which was apparently ready, it would have saved a lot of stress. The manager did offer us a late checkout for the next day at 2, which we appreciated. Still, we were left with only 15 minutes to get ready and rush to our appointment. Later that evening, when we finally had a chance to settle into the room, we noticed several cleanliness issues. The cabinet doors were broken. One even fell off in my husband’s hand when he went to open it and there were wet spots all over the floor, as though someone had hastily tried to clean up prior to our arrival. Fortunately, it was just a one night stay, or we would have requested a different room or possibly a different hotel. The next morning, my husband suggested trying the hotel brunch. Before heading down, I called the front desk to confirm the late checkout we’d been granted. After calling three times, someone finally answered and told us that, unfortunately, late checkout wasn’t available because the hotel was fully booked. However, once they saw we were reward members, the tone quickly changed, and late checkout was suddenly confirmed without issue. After all the back and forth and inconsistent service, we opted to skip brunch and check out early. It's a beautiful hotel, but unfortunately, the disorganization and poor communication left a bad impression. We won’t be returning.