Viceroy Washington DC Hotel [In-depth Review]

Key Takeaways

• The Viceroy Washington DC sits just off the lively 14th Street Corridor and is less than a mile from the White House.
• My guestroom at the Viceroy Washington DC was excellent. It was spacious, modern, and full of personality with textured wallpaper and bold artwork.
• One notable downside was the absence of an in-room coffee maker, a feature typically expected from a brand like Viceroy.

I love a good weekend trip to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life for a couple of days. Recently, my husband and I decided to check out Washington, D.C., since it’s just a short 1-hour plane ride from Columbus (although Southwest changed our flight there and we ended up with a layover in Orlando, but that’s another story).

We spent 2 nights at the Viceroy Washington DC hotel while we explored all of the typical tourist attractions in the area. This was my first time staying at a Viceroy hotel, so I was excited to check out this new-to-me brand.

In this review, I’ll take you on a tour of the property to show you what you can expect from this artsy, boutique hotel.

Viceroy Hotels

Viceroy Hotels is a small luxury hotel brand that focuses on impeccable design and top-notch service. With a small footprint (only 13 properties currently), you won’t find a Viceroy hotel in every location, but instead, they are carefully sprinkled across high-end tourist destinations across the globe.

Some of the best Viceroy Hotels are located in places like California, Mexico, and St. Lucia.

Hotel Location

The Viceroy Washington DC is located on a tree-lined street, just steps from the 14th Street Corridor in downtown Washington, D.C. Less than a mile from The White House, this hotel is a great place to stay to explore all of Washington, D.C.’s most popular attractions.

If you’re flying in, there are lots of airport options that are convenient. The hotel is only 5 miles from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), about 28 miles from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), and about 33 miles from Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI).

I flew into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and took a quick 15-minute Uber ride to get to the hotel, using the monthly Uber Cash I receive via The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Hot Tip: There are actually 2 Viceroy hotels in Washington, D.C. — Viceroy Washington DC and Hotel Zena Washington DC.

Booking

The bad news about booking a Viceroy hotel is that it doesn’t have a traditional points program, so you can’t book it with hotel points. If you want to use points, you’ll need to book through a points-program travel portal (Amex, Capital One, Chase, or Citi).

Another option to book the Viceroy Washington DC is through a Viceroy Guild travel advisor. By booking through this channel, guests are eligible for extra perks and benefits like complimentary breakfast and late checkout.

If you choose to pay for your stay the old-fashioned way, check out our recommended credit cards that offer 2x to 3x bonus points on travel expenses. Some of our top picks also earn 5x to 10x bonus points on prepaid hotels, but only when booked through the card’s respective travel portal.

The Hotel Collection

The Viceroy Washington DC is part of American Express’ The Hotel Collection. That means select American Express cardholders are eligible for extra benefits on bookings of 2 nights or more through the AmexTravel.com portal.

To enjoy The Hotel Collection benefits, you’ll need an American Express^® Business Gold Card, American Express^® Gold Card, Amex Platinum card, The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, or Centurion^® Card from American Express.

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

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The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome Offer

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

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$695

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Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

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Card Highlights

• You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel^® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel^®.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• Enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, with over $500 of annual value if you visit Centurion Lounges and each of our partner lounges including Delta Sky Club^® lounges when flying an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations) , select Lufthansa lounges when flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium lounges and Escape Lounges, and enroll in Priority Pass Select. See terms.
• A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card^® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
• $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card^® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
• $199 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card^®.
• Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
• $695 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Benefits of booking 2+ nights through the American Express Hotel Collection include:

• $100 onsite credit for dining, spa, and resort charges
• Room upgrade upon check-in (if available)

Unfortunately, you’ll have a hard time spending $100 at the Viceroy Washington DC until the restaurant is opened, and that’s not scheduled until early 2022.

Hot Tip: You can use your Amex Platinum card’s prepaid hotel credit to book a 2+ night stay at the Viceroy Washington DC hotel since it’s part of The Hotel Collection. 

Check-In

Upon arrival at the Viceroy Washington DC, I was greeted by a doorman who offered to help with my luggage. The front desk staff was welcoming and got me checked in quickly.

Elite Benefits

I had just signed up for the GHA DISCOVERY loyalty program (which offers benefits across 35+ independent luxury hotel brands), so I didn’t have many elite benefits available. The benefits I was eligible for (complimentary Wi-Fi and bottled water) were already included in the room rate.

Amenities at Viceroy Washington DC

The Viceroy Washington DC is a gorgeous hotel in an excellent location. But unfortunately, it lacks some of the amenities you may find at a bigger hotel.

Here’s what you can expect:

Pool

There’s a rooftop pool that is only open seasonally. When the pool is closed (as was the case during my visit), the entire rooftop is locked; you can’t go up to use the patio at all unless you’re traveling in the summer.

Gym

The hotel has a very small gym that offered weights, a couple of cardio machines, and a Peloton bike.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi was included with my stay and the password was provided at check-in. The signal was very strong, so you could easily get some work done at your guest room desk or in the lobby lounge.

Outdoor Courtyard

There was a lovely outdoor courtyard for guests to use. 2 firepits and plenty of seating made this a comfortable area to enjoy a cup of coffee or a quick bite to eat.

Parking

Valet parking was available for $26.99 plus tax during the day or $49.99 plus tax overnight.

Pet-Friendly

The Viceroy Washington DC hotel is pet-friendly. There’s no fee to bring your pet, and they’re welcome in every part of the hotel, except the rooftop. The hotel provides pet beds and food bowls upon request.

Guest Amenities Fee

You may be familiar with resort fees at large, resort hotels, but you might be surprised to know that some hotels charge similar fees regardless of how many amenities they offer.

The Viceroy Washington, D.C. charges a daily guest amenities fee of $25 plus tax ($28.74).

The hotel’s website indicates that this fee includes, but is not limited to, pool and gym access, Wi-Fi, unlimited local and long-distance phone calls, and printing and business services.

Viceroy King Room

My guestroom at the Viceroy Washington DC hotel was fantastic. The spacious room was modern, elegant, and whimsical. The room exuded a city-chic vibe with textured wallpaper, unique furnishings, and fun artwork. The furnishings and decor had a definite masculine vibe but were still warm and inviting.

The king-sized bed was made with crisp white sheets and pillows that felt like sleeping on clouds. I got a great night’s sleep during my 2-night stay.

Each bedside lamp had a plug and USB outlet so that you could easily charge your devices. There was also a Google Nest Hub that offered hotel information and a curated playlist.

My room had a huge window with a city view. There was both a light-filtering shade and a blackout shade so that you could adjust the room’s light exactly to your liking.

The large work area didn’t have your typical hotel desk. The contemporary white marble desktop was paired with a chair that exuded mid-century modern vibes. It was an über-cool combination.

Connected to the desk were a set of drawers and a mini-fridge.

Bathroom

The gorgeous black and white marble bathroom was spacious and functional. There was a single sink with ample counter space, plenty of towels, and a hair dryer.

I loved the large walk-in shower with black floor tiles.

The bathroom featured ROIL bath products. I appreciated that they were full-sized bottles so that I didn’t feel wasteful opening a travel-sized bottle for 1 or 2 uses. Plus, the products themselves were wonderful — some of the best bath products I’ve come across in years.

What Was Missing?

One of the hotel’s biggest misses was the absence of an in-room coffee maker. In today’s world, in-room coffee is a standard amenity that most guests expect, especially at a luxury brand like Viceroy.

According to a hotel representative, in-room coffee is offered in the suites only.

Bottom Line: My room at the Viceroy Washington DC was stylish, spacious, and very comfortable. The biggest drawback was that there wasn’t an in-room coffee maker. 

Food and Beverage

While there aren’t many food or beverage options at the hotel, there are plenty of restaurants within a few blocks, so you won’t go hungry.

Here’s what you can expect at the Viceroy Washington DC:

BPM Coffee & Wine

This lobby cafe is open daily from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and serves a small selection of coffee, pastries, pre-made sandwiches and snacks, wine, and beer. I was disappointed in the quality and selection of food and beverages. There was no decaf coffee available and the pastries were mediocre.

Hush Rooftop Bar

Hush Rooftop Bar serves cocktails and light bites but is only open during pool season, so if you’re not traveling in the summer, you won’t have access to this bar. The opening and closing dates are not stated on the website, so you’ll want to contact the hotel directly to confirm if the rooftop bar will be open during your stay.

Dovetail Bar and Restaurant — Coming in 2022

This contemporary bar and restaurant is scheduled to open in early 2022.

Service

The service I received during my stay at the Viceroy Washington DC was great. The front desk staff was friendly and welcoming upon check-in and was accommodating in storing our luggage for the day upon checkout.

COVID-19 Protocols

There were lots of COVID-19 protocols in place throughout the hotel. Masks were required at the time of my visit and there was hand sanitizer available throughout the hotel. Signs were posted reminding guests to wear a mask and practice social distancing.

Housekeeping

Housekeeping was offered without a special request. This was a really nice perk in a world where this previously standard hotel amenity has taken a hit.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed my 2-night stay at the Viceroy Washington DC hotel. The room was spacious and very comfortable and the location was convenient to all of Washington, D.C.’s top attractions. However, I was disappointed that there was no in-room coffee maker, and I thought the lobby coffee shop was mediocre.

If you’re looking for a unique hotel in a nice neighborhood with large, comfortable rooms (and don’t care about in-room coffee) this could be a great option for your Washington, D.C. trip.