Salamander Washington DC

This review is only for the Salamander SPA. The SPA, unlike the hotel room bathrooms, was SPOTLESS.& SANITARY. My masseuse, Shaniece, was amazing!! Shaniece was sweet, professional, & had extremely strong hands.She gave a wonderful deep tissue massage, and my skin was THE SOFTEST & MOST HYDRATED it's ever been after the Zen Body Treatment Can't wait to return!!

Great location and easy to get anywhere in DC. The hotel has a nice atmosphere, and we booked it through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, so between the benefits and discounted rate it ended up being a pretty good value.

That said, the stay was pretty underwhelming. Our original room was nice, but the AC wasn't circulating air properly and the room got uncomfortably warm. The hotel moved us the next day, but the replacement room was noticeably smaller and not really comparable to what we had originally booked. They explained they didn't have another similar room available. To their credit, management refunded half the cost of our first night and gave us a $100 property credit, which we appreciated.

The hotel itself was quiet, room service was fast, and the amenities were good. The food was okay, but the lounge downstairs was by far the biggest disappointment. Service was slow, orders came out wrong, drinks took forever, and we were even charged twice for one of them before I pointed it out. I mentioned the experience to hotel management and was told someone from the food and beverage team would follow up, but nobody ever did. That's not the level of service I'd expect from a hotel in this price range.

Overall, the location is the best part of the hotel. All of the monuments and museums were only a 10 minute uber away. I'd consider staying again if I got another good FHR rate, but at the regular price I'd probably look elsewhere.

The Salamander was centrally located where we could easily walk to the wharf as well as the Central Mall. The hotel was clean and new and the staff were friendly and welcoming and knowledgeable.

My family and I stayed at Salamander DC for one night on Saturday, July 18, and left feeling that the experience fell far short of what the hotel charges. At this price point, we expected attentive service, reliable basics, and a polished experience throughout the stay. Instead, we encountered a series of small but telling service failures that made the hotel feel poorly managed and not worth the rate.

The issues began as soon as we arrived in our room. Both the body wash and conditioner dispensers were empty, which should have been caught before check-in. We also needed a toothbrush and called down to request one, but after waiting more than half an hour with no delivery, we had to call repeatedly to follow up. These are simple amenities and requests, but the lack of follow-through was frustrating after a long day of travel and set an unfortunate tone for the stay.

Dinner at the hotel bar was another disappointment. The prices were high, but the quality did not match: my club sandwich arrived soggy and cold despite its premium price tag. In addition, a friend who joined us had their meal mixed up, resulting in a long delay while the issue was resolved. Mistakes can happen, but the food quality and the handling of the error did not feel consistent with a luxury hotel.

Checkout reinforced the impression that guest service was not being managed with much care. The bellman was surly and unfriendly, and the situation in front of the hotel—with cabs and Ubers arriving and departing—was chaotic and appeared unmanaged. Rather than ending the stay smoothly, it made departure unnecessarily stressful.

Overall, the stay did not deliver the service, hospitality, or attention to detail that the price suggests. DC has many hotels at a similar rate, and based on this experience, I would strongly consider alternatives that are more consistent and better equipped to provide the level of service guests should reasonably expect.

Jeremy,Tyler,LaNetra best front desk crew accommodating courtesy and very knowledgeable and helpful

Tyler and the team were super helpful and welcoming

Fancy hotel with walking distance to National mall, free museums & pretty wharf. Gorgeous bathroom, delicious food but portion is too small for the price, Nice pool but water appeared not to clean

This stay was booked through the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program. While I had high expectations for this visit, the level of service and professionalism I encountered was significantly below the standards advertised.

Upon arrival, we requested a room upgrade as per our program benefits. While we initially accepted being told the hotel was at full occupancy, a serious lapse occurred when we were escorted to our assigned room only to find it already occupied. This was an unsettling experience for us. Once the front desk was informed of the incident, a manager was called to assist us. Although I was told for a second time that no upgrades were available, we were suddenly offered an upgraded room with a better view just ten minutes later. This inconsistency regarding the actual occupancy was quite confusing and felt disingenuous.

Furthermore, we experienced similar issues at the spa. We had reserved a couples' Signature massage in the couples' suite to celebrate our birthdays before attending a concert. The appointment began approximately 20 minutes late because the suite we reserved was unavailable. The staff had to move an extra bed into a standard room that was not designed for this purpose. While a discount was provided after I requested one, it was granted reluctantly.

The lack of transparency and attentiveness during these instances was highly disappointing. I believe that a luxury establishment should operate with a greater degree of empathy and clear communication when errors occur. I hope they will take this feedback into account to ensure future guests do not encounter similar frustrations.

10/10 Service and experience. Clean room and friendly staff. I really enjoys the food and the location of the hotel. The hotel is luxurious.

We stayed 4 nights and it was delightful. The room was clean and comfortable and well-furnished. The food from the lounge and breakfast and room service was excellent. The staff was ALL helpful and friendly. It was an easy walk to the National Mall and Marina. We would definitely stay there again.

Stayed here for a business conference and have a new favorite DC hotel! Recently renovated, very comfortable rooms. The only thing I was disappointed about was the work space. The round table and chairs were not super comfortable for working. I could not get the large lamp to work while staying there, but that was a minor issue.

I want to recognize the outstanding hospitality LaNetra provided during our stay at Salamander. From the moment we walked into the beautiful property, we were greeted by her warm smile. She was informative, effortlessly guiding us through the amenities and everything we needed to know at check-in. Each time we passed the front desk, she made a point to check in on how our visit was going. We had an incredible experience and look forward to coming back again.

Beautiful and decent location for attractions/sightseeing. .

I recently stayed at the Salamander Washington DC and I can't say enough positive things about the care I received while recovering from surgery. Gonzalo, the front desk manager, went above and beyond from the moment we spoke. He promptly secured a refrigerator for my room and personally checked in to make sure I had everything I needed to be comfortable during my recovery. His kindness and genuine well wishes meant more than he knows.

The food was exceptional, nourishing, beautifully prepared, and truly healing during my recovery. The rest of the staff was equally attentive and thoughtful at every turn.

This is a hotel that truly lives its values. Five-star luxury is one thing, but the Salamander delivers it with a genuinely human touch.

We had an absolutely wonderful experience, and we want to give special recognition to Lanetrita at the front desk and Pong, our bartender, for their exceptional service.

The was the second leg of our honeymoon. I was really looking forward to staying at the Salamander and it was definitely a worth it. We would definitely stay again.

Excellent location and service. Everyone was friendly and helpful. We went there because our flight was cancelled and had to spend an extra night. Should've booked this hotel for my whole trip. Bed is confortable, beatifuk=l room and bathroom

I had an absolutely appalling experience at this hotel. The customer service is entirely nonexistent, and the staff possesses a shockingly arrogant attitude that you feel the moment you begin speaking with them. They take zero responsibility for guest satisfaction.
The biggest issue arose when I discovered they added a mandatory gratuity charge to my bill. When I asked the staff to provide written evidence or a policy showing that this tip was compulsory, they completely failed to do so. Instead of offering an explanation, they simply repeated like a broken record that it was "compulsory."
To make matters worse:
I requested my finalized receipts, and they brushed me off, saying "someone else" would send them to me.
When I asked for a timeline on when I could expect these documents, they literally told me "I don't know."
This establishment operates with zero transparency, zero accountability, and complete disregard for basic hospitality. If you value your money and expect to be treated with basic respect, do not stay here.

Location, the beds! Very quiet hotel, service was outstanding. Everything very good. 😊

We went to celebrate 4th of July, stayed for 4 nights. The hotel is centrally located, our room had direct view of the 4th of July fireworks. The room was beautiful, great amenities, amazing restaurant Dōgon, highly recommend. And our experience was made so much better by the wonderful hotel staff who made us welcome and ensured our stay was up to the highest standards! We would like to say Thank You to Nate, one of the first hotel staff we met. Nate’s friendly smile and excellent customer service skills were unmatched! And we also would like to extend our Thank You to Tavi, the hotel manager for his professionalism and committed to ensure the hotel guests are well taken care of! And we appreciate every one of the hotel staff for making our stay unforgettable!