I checked in this hotel after having a horrible experience elsewhere in DC and was so disappointed that I had been too cheap to stay here the whole time. The service was impeccable, the room was fabulous and the location was great.

The Hay Adams is a beautiful hotel which has been very tastefully decorated. It was Christmas time and the tree and trimmings were gorgeous. The room itself was spacious and overlooked St John's Church. The staff (too many of them if anything) did their best to meet all requests with a pleasant manner. The basement bar was great little hangout to people watch. We only had breakfast in the hotel on one morning. It was a fantastic breakfast but far too formal for that time in the morning. Not relaxing at all really. This would be my only criticism. The roof terrace is normally closed during winter, but one night we noticed there was a private party and asked if we could slip upstairs and take in the view. The concierge kindly escorted us. It as the most breathtaking site - a full vista of the whitehouse at night. I scene I shall never forget. If you visit the Hay Adams, pop into Bobby Van's steakhouse a couple of blocks away. Even just for a quick drink at the bar, it is entertaining and fun - and the food is very good too!

My daughter and I checked in there after checking out of a nearby Hilton Hotel which we did not like. The staff was gracious and very helpful from the moment we arrived. Our room (the last one available at the last moment) was small but beautiful and cozy. The Hotel restaurant was excellent and offered to cook my daughter "anything". We will return there !!

Our stay at the Hay-Adams was outstanding. We've experienced quite a few 5-star hotels around the world and this is now one of our Top 5 favorites.

Of course the location is hard to beat -- across the street from the White House and just 2 short blocks from a Metro station.

The decor is exceptionally lovely and tasteful. The bathroom and room amenities are delightful and the Frette linens are downright decadent. The turndown service is the most elaborate I've experienced, with nightly toiletry samples (Evian spray, foot cream, etc) on the pillow in addition to chocolates and Fiji bottled water. Our room had great noiseproofing -- we never heard our neighbors in a 5-night stay.

We asked the concierge for a restaurant recommendation one night and were very happy with the place he suggested, and pleased to get an instant reservation at a very full restaurant. The concierge also gave us friendly and very accurate directions on several occasions. (Yes, any concierge should be able to do this, but you'd be amazed how many don't manage it.) He even arranged a towncar for our return to Reagan/National airport, for which, to our surprise, we were not charged.

The Lafayette Room restaurant is elegant. The Off the Record bar is atmospheric and has outstanding service. (Unfortunately there doesn't appear to be a non-smoking section in the bar, though.)

Our only disappointment was with the food. I think it's fair to say the quality is "mixed." We ate one breakfast, one lunch and one dinner in the Lafayette Room. We also had two breakfasts and a dinner through room service, and a dinner in the bar. So I think we gave it a fair shake, and then some.

In general we thought the appetizers and desserts were excellent, but the entrees ranged from average to terrible. Avoid the halibut on the Lafayette's dinner menu -- it was nearly inedible, overcooked (actually charred) and served with distinctly undercooked diced "roasted root vegetables" that showed no sign of having been roasted. (I should have sent it back, and don't ask me why I didn't.) Also avoid the corned beef hash at breakfast. It seems to be straight out of a can, which is ridiculous at these prices! The eggs were perfectly cooked, however.

Service in the Lafayette room was equally mixed. One day at lunch we were woefully neglected (among other things, they poured one cup of coffee and that was the last we saw of them for 20+ minutes, until we got the manager to bring us our bill). Other times the service was as attentive as one could wish.

The bar offers tasty complimentary snacks. The Mediterranean plate available in the bar was excellent and a relative bargain at $19, since it included four nice-sized lamb chops as well as other delicious items. The Continental breakfast was quite nice, with fresh juice, good coffee/tea and decent pastries.

Overall, a fantastic hotel, but I'd recommend sticking with Continental breakfast and the bar food until they get a better chef.