My wife and son and I went to DC for a quick four day visit and based upon the star rating of the hotel, its history and previous reviews decided on the Omni. Here is a breakdown of our thoughts and experience while there.

We booked what is referred to as a Deluxe room directly through the main reservation number. Upon arrival we were pleasantly surprised by the beautiful lobby and very friendly doormen. A quick look at the grounds and pool also proved to confirm the four star rating this hotel has received. Our initial front desk experience was also very pleasant as they gave my seven year old son a goodie bag filled with coloring books and other activities which thrilled him.

When we entered our room which was at the very end of an incredibly long hallway, we found the room to be okay. The actual room was a decent size but the bathroom was very small. The pedestal sink had four large cracks in it that had been filled, but the cracks had since become discolored and brown. The carpet in the room had a big red stain in one corner which was partially concealed by a chair, and the two queen beds were something one would expect to find in a $20 per night mom and pop motel. They were hard, the sheets were worn and the bedspread looked like it was from the 1970s. The hotel advertises that they offer free WiFi which I needed to use to check emails and conduct business when we were in the room. It was impossible to get a signal unless I held my laptop in one hand and stood near the window. Even then, the signal was intermittent at best.

After totally giving up on the wireless, we went out for dinner. Upon returning the lobby was packed with conference attendees which seems to be a very major source of income for this hotel as it has numerous conference facilities. When we finally got to the front desk to ask about the WiFi situation, the woman behind the desk informed me that they did have some signal boosters available but she needed to save them for the conference attendees as they were from all over the world and needed to have access. I informed her that though I was from the U.S., I too needed access. She informed me there was nothing she could do. I finally spoke with a different staff member who did get me a signal booster but even with this the signal was so poor I was never able to connect consistently.

When we called down that evening to ask could they move us to a room closer to the lobby, with the hope that the signal strength might be better, the front desk team was unwilling to comply with our request. When we asked to speak to a manager, we were left on hold for 20 minutes before we were told that the manager was very busy attending to the conference attendees and would need to call me back. Of course we never did receive a call that night.

The following morning, after calmly explaining our dismay at spending over $400 for a room and receiving such substandard service we were relocated a room that was much closer to the lobby. The WiFi signal was stronger but still inconsistent so I resorted to using dial-up access for the remainder of the trip.

Throughout the stay almost every request we made seemed to take a backseat to various conference attendee needs. And I must say that if I was ever attending a conference in DC the hotels facilities are excellent and well designed for one. However, for a vacation visit, I would recommend staying at a hotel that is closer and more conducive to vacationers. The Omni is a grand old hotel with a rich history, but not the four star grand old hotel the description would have you believe.