I recently stayed at the Lorien Hotel and Spa for a long staycation weekend; overall, I was pleased with the "hotel" part of their name. As others have noted, the room is very comfortable with nice bedding (and bigger than I expected for a boutique hotel). I didn't try either of the BRABO restaurants, but ordered a few room service meals from the restaurant and they were all excellent. The staff were friendly overall.

However, their name is "Lorien Hotel and Spa" and I didn't find the spa services or venue to be strong enough for "spa" to be featured in the establishment's name. I know this is probably supposed to be a review of the hotel, not the spa; however, since there may be others who might be looking to identify a place where the "hotel and spa" are equally strong, I'll summarize the areas where the spa fell short:

1) Lackluster Treatments - I'm a fairly frequent spa goer, and would characterize both the hot stone massage and facial as definitely below average (I've also had much better for much less money). The therapists also struggled with some of the basics of how to make sure the treatment is comfortable; for example, the pillow under my legs and heated pillow under my neck were oddly placed. I probably should have spoken up (instead of just shifting uncomfortably over and again as I did), but it surprised me since usually therapists at any kind of luxury establishment just know where to put these things. One plus: the treatment tables themselves stood out in terms of comfort (high quality linens and padding); however, that is the best thing I can say about my facial and massage.

2) Average Facility, With Elements That Were Unprofessional - The spa facilities themselves are decent, but nothing to write home about and certainly not enough to make up for mediocre treatments. There's an ok steam room, but the kind you'd probably find at an inexpensive gym. Also, two very odd things about the facility: (1) there is no dedicated nail space, so for nail treatments they send you to an unoccupied guest room. By this, I don't mean that they've cleared out a guest room to convert it into a nail space. I mean that they've carted the manicure table right there next to the bed in a room that just happens to be open at the moment. Really, this is a $50 pedicure? (2) there aren't enough lockers. When I came in for my facial, the receptionist told me that they didn't have a locker for me. She handed me a robe and slippers. I asked what I should do with my clothing after I changed, and she said to leave it on a chair in the locker room. She said I could leave valuables with her if I wanted. I found this all bizarre, so just carried my clothing with me into the relaxation area. About ten minutes later, she did come with a key to an empty locker, so at least didn't have to carry my clothing to my treatment. She was apologetic and polite and seemed to feel bad (and said that this was very rare--something to do with a large group of women who all got express services but stayed for a long time anyway), but utterly confused and unprofessional in dealing with the snafu. She should at least have given me a plastic bag to put my clothes in!

Now, none of this was deeply distressing -- it's still nice to be at a spa, even if it's overpriced for mediocre treatments and the facilities/service are goofy. But I selected the Lorien over the other Kimptons in Alexandria because I was attracted to the idea that it had a spa. If I could do it over, I probably would have picked the Monaco (which is a bit more centrally located among shops and restaurants, though farther from the Metro) and just gotten a massage at the cheap, hole-in-the-wall place across the street from the Lorien, or some other place.

In short, if you're just looking for solid luxury boutique hotel in Alexandria, or if you aren't terribly discerning about your spa facilities/services, I'd recommend the Lorien. But if you're looking for a hotel with a spa where you feel like the spa prices are at least somewhat justified bye either services or facilities (ideally both), look elsewhere.

I stayed here twice in one month- it looked great online and even better in person
The service was excellent, rooms are very comfortable the beds were great as well. I loved the wine reception, great wines and little gourmet pizzas. It's a great value and location. Plus the restaurant were very good. I plan to stay there with my kids and take the train to DC, the station is 5 min away. I highly recommend this hotel!

My family of four stayed in this hotel in January 2013, during inauguration weekend. Alexandria is a charming place to stay, with a high concentration of lovely shops and restaurants, and this hotel offers easy access to the metro for those who want to go into D.C. The room and bathroom were clean and very nicely appointed. The staff was friendly and helpful--David showed us to our rooms and gave us tips about what to see in Alexandria. When another bellman/valet discovered that we were heading for the free shuttle stop on a Sunday morning, he made the extra effort to run down the block after us to tell us that the shuttle would not start running until later in the morning. We enjoyed dinner at Brabo Tasting Room. We did not have a reservation and arrived for dinner at around 8:00 on a busy weekend--the maitre d' arranged for the four of us to squeeze into a corner table so that our hungry children would not have to endure a 45 minute wait.

I had the pleasure of staying at this propery for a weekend get-a-way in January 2013. I had called ahead to request assistance with a reservation at Restaurant Eve, as well as recommendations for boutique shopping in the area. Not only did Thomas handle my requests promptly via phone, he left two lovely notes with his recommendations in my room along with my Inner Circle welcome amenity. As if that was not enough, he upgraded me to the calming one bedroom suite with private terrace and excellent views of Old Town Alexandria! In addition to Thomas, I would like to recognize Shane, John, Peter, Tiffani, and the valet staff for their excellent customer service. They always addressed me by name and made sure to ask how my stay was going and if I needed anything, Additionally, they provided good dining recommendations, complimentary beverages, and assisted me with checking out a bike for my Saturday morning ride all with a smile.
I did use the spa during my stay. While some issues with malfunctioning equipment forced me to come back two hours after my scheduled appointment time, the staff apologized and comped the service. Peter even wrote me a personal apology and provided a nice surprise to acknowledge the inconvenience.
The calming decor of this property was a nice change from the usual bold decor of several Kimptons in which I have stayed. The staff provided excellent customer service throughout my two day stay. I look forward to returning and experiencing the Lorien hospitality on a future visit to the DC area.