A business trip took me to DC and, given my choice of hotels, I selected the famous Hay-Adams, anticipating a quiet retreat where I could decompress from business meetings. Not quite.
Backing up a bit: the staff is unfailing polite, from the doormen to the front desk to room service. The hotel is drop-dead beautiful, and the food is well beyond what you'd expect from a hotel.
However, when I checked into my courtyard-view room on a low floor, I immediately heard the loud vent right outside the window. Construction is everywhere on the exterior of the hotel, and the courtyard was filled with a roll-off, debris and all kinds of pipes and vents that were quite noisy. I asked to be relocated, and the hotel complied. So I moved to the same room, on a higher floor. But since the courtyard is brick, the sound still carried up to my floor. During the evening, I could hear the vent turn on and off, even over my TV.
At 5:30 a.m., I was awakened by huge crashing and banging and beeping noises. Looking at the window, I saw construction trucks getting started for the day in the alley right next to the hotel. They backed up (beeping), picked up the roll-off (banging), dropped things into it (crashing). There was no way anyone could sleep through this cacophony, and it continued until I finaly gave up at 6:30 a.m.
My room was on the end of one building and I never could get it warm throughout the entire evening. Using the in-room temperature control I put it on heat, auto, everything - even cranked the temp up to 84! - and it never, ever got warm. Outside temps were in the teens, so this was really uncomfortable.
Admittedly, I didn't call the front desk about either the temp or the construction noise. I was really hoping for a little peace and quiet and privacy while there and I didn't want service people tromping in and out of my room.
I mentioned the construction noise at check-out and while the staffer was appropriately apologetic, no explanation was offered.
So, my dream of a lovely little respite during a stresful business trip came crashing down. I was very disappointed in the Hay-Adams. Perhaps after the construction is finished (some time in 2011) at least one of these challenges will be fixed. I don't plan to stay there again - there are other, just-as-nice hotels where I can get my room warm and not be awakened before the crack of dawn.
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