I have stayed here at the Monaco in Alexandria many times and have always had a very good time.
My most recent stay (2/13-2/20) I had too many customer service issues to suit me. For those wanting the short version, this hotel is still a nice place to stay and I will continue to recommend it.
The location is Old Town Alexandria is near perfect, and the Kimpton happy hour in the lobby is always wonderful. I'm going to be very exacting with the issues, so bare with me...Now for the other side...We checked into room 519, called a deluxe double by the cheery member of the front desk staff. I plunked down my Kimpton in touch card and the staff said "No need, you booked through Howire so the card doesn't matter." From previous visits, I know this Kimpton does not give you the $10 off the minibar, the free newspaper or "credit" for visiting a Kimpton. I wrote Kimpton about this and it seems to be an option each property can exercise. I think it is a bad move on the Monaco's part, and it is not acceptable to "demean" a reservation because one booked through site X. Yes, Kimpton will match 3rd party sites, but not blind bidding (Hotwire) sites. So I started our stay with a bad taste in my mouth.
The room was near the elevators (noise averse, don't book this room!) which was fine. The room looked good and was quite spacious. We went to the rest room to turn on the hot water in the faucet...and it was cold...eventually getting to luke warm. No big deal, as the shower/tub water seemed fine. The next day, I called the front desk to have them address the problem. When we got back to the room, a card was placed under the tv saying the problem had been corrected by person x (name deleted to protect the guilty). We tried the water...still the same cold to luke warm. The next day, I called the front desk and told them to send someone up and I would wait to show them the problem. They did, and I showed the very nice gentleman what was wrong. He went under the sink and said he would have to check something on the 2nd floor. We said fine, and we left the room. As you might gather, when we returned, the problem still remained. No note from him or the staff about this. Of course, that is not all. The housekeeping staff evidently is not taking care to replenish and remake the rooms as they have in the past. This trip, we had to call housekeeping directly every day to make sure they changed the sheets. In the past, each room would have a card that you would leave on the bed to indicate if you wanted the sheets changed. We had no such card, so we called every day. My lady called the front desk on our 6th night to ask about the card...they said there should have been one in the room. One was not given to us at any point in our stay. The housekeepers did not replenish our body wash (again, we had to ask) and did not regularly replace used water glasses (they did sometimes). Lastly, on our last day, I noticed one of the bathrobes (the tiger stripe) was missing!
I know it was there, as my lady enjoys wearing the robes during the stay. Also, I noticed one beverage slot was empty in the mini bar. I can't swear a beverage was in that spot, but there might have been. I was really irritated after all this, and I may have been a bit too brusque (according to my lady) with the front desk staff. An East Indian staffer asked "How was the service?" and I said mediocre at best. I was half expecting a query as to why, but I got no such thing. I told her about the missing robe and the missing beverage and asked (...well...told) her not to put these on my bill. She noted something on the computer and we left. For those that have read this far, I thought the doorpersons were great and the Jackson 20 (restaurant) staff were all wonderful! But I have written all this in hopes the Monaco won't rest on their laurels. This is one of my favorite hotels, but I bet they don't even know how many times I have stayed with them because of their refusal to acknowledge their In Touch membership cards for discounted rate guests. Their customer service responses were not up to the Kimpton standard. I'm hoping this is just a anomaly and that our next stay will be better. I will be back, but I'll be checking on their service levels. It is so easy to let things slide...I don't want to see the Monaco slip to mediocrity...

With an outstanding location (King Street), this boutique hotel provides a welcoming atmosphere, comfortable surroundings, and professional yet friendly/helpful staff. The room was not only comfortable, (comfortable bed), but the hotel works to limit its impact on the environment with lighting and providing a recycling receptacle. The room/bathroom was very clean. In the afternoon, there is a reception in the small lobby that promotes a friendly atmosphere. Also, the hotel is pet friendly. Although we did not take a pet, we loved the fact they were there! I believe the dogs encourage friendliness and prompting guests, who do not know one another, to engage in conversation. We were at the hotel for a wedding and although we did not eat in the restaurant, the quality of the food at the wedding reception was very good!

Where can I start? How about check in,

1. Front desk very friendly. ( always confirm your reservation if you don't hear from the Hotel ) check in was perfect for me.

2. My room was clean and comfy and decorated with great taste. My little dog loved his bed and cookies ;) great view of King Street / Lobby is warm and inviting , I loved that I could sit and talk with other guests it felt like family.

3: location is perfect.. Everything I could need is within walking distance. 24 hr. CVS, restaurants and shops .

4. Parking is 25.00 a night. You can go in and out , but front doormen and valet constantly needing tips ? Adds up if your using your car. Bring dollar bills.

5. I wish when I booked my room someone would have told me about the room specials ? I could have saved some money. So check! I know I will next time.

6. Finally ...we LOVED it. And I am now a Kimpton fan and will tell everyone how terrific the Hotel Monaco is! *Don't forget to join the Kimpton reward program for some cool benefits .

I recently visited this hotel with 10 of my friends and we all agreed that this was a fabulous hotel ideally located in the heart of Old Town Alexandria! The rooms were beautiful, the beds were comfortable and the staff was great! I'm looking forward to returning to this hotel when the weather gets warmer!