George Washington Hotel

ou are considering this venue, it is important to separate the event team from the hotel operations because the contrast was significant. The venue itself is beautiful. Built in 1922, the architecture and design create a stunning backdrop that impressed us and our guests. The ballroom, lobby areas, and event spaces provided the elegant atmosphere we hoped for, and the food was excellent. Our guests especially praised the crab cakes, beef, and sides. Hayley, the event coordinator, was outstanding. She was responsive, organized, creative, and present throughout the celebration to make sure everything went smoothly. The event staff were professional, efficient, and attentive. From setup to final send-off, the wedding execution was flawless. If we could rate the event team alone, they would receive a 5-star review. Unfortunately, the experience with the hotel itself was the opposite. Many of the hotel rooms were not consistent with what we were shown during the tour, including rooms charged at suite rates that were sparse, unfinished, lacked furniture, or felt more like dorm rooms than the upscale accommodations we were shown. Some guests found maintenance problems including a malfunctioning shower that flooded the bathroom, a broken door frame, and cleanliness issues such as dead flies on windowsills and dried food on the floor. We had multiple guests cancel their reservations after seeing the state of the rooms. When dealing with these issues, Robert, the hotel manager, was arrogant and difficult to work with. After complaints were made, guests were moved into different rooms without communication. Guests who had not arrived yet were placed into the malfunctioning rooms, in the hopes that a different guest would just ignore the problems. These issues created unnecessary stress during what should have been an exciting and celebratory weekend. We were embarrassed to see the rooms that some of our guests were charged a premium price to stay in. After too much effort dealing with what seemed like a never-ending list of issues, some rooms were later adjusted or comped. This could have been avoided with honesty and hospitality. In summary: Event venue, coordination, and catering: 5 stars. Hotel operations and communication, room quality, and management experience, specifically, Robert: 1 star. We would recommend this venue for the beauty of the space and the excellence of the event staff, especially Hayley. If you book here, do not plan to use all the available rooms, confirm room types in writing (and ask for current photos or to actually see all of the rooms in person) and prepare to advocate for your guests to ensure the lodging experience matches what is advertised.