I reserved 3 rooms this weekend at Hotel Derek for 5 guests. We never received a confirmation for the third room (booked seperately from the first two which were booked on expedia). We called several times to ask questions such as the cost of valet parking (there are no other options) and did not find the staff answering the phone helpful or friendly. As a matter of fact, when I found that my flight was delayed by 4 hours I called to make sure the other members of my family could still check into the hotel and was told they could not, they would have to wait for my arrival (almost 6 hours late by this time) in order to access the rooms because I had booked them all. (When my family arrived, they were eventually allowed to check in without me.)

The first two rooms were unsatisfactory as the A/C vent was oozing dirt and sounded as though there was a jackhammer in the way and the other room reaked of cigarette smoke despite our request for a non-smoking room. We asked to move and eventually they gave us two rooms except that one only had a king size bed and we had asked for two double beds in each room (one per person as we have various issues such as a pregnancy making it hard to share beds). In addition, while the A/C in one room was at least clean and silent, it only worked on one temperature. The thermostat was set at the highest, 78 degrees, however the room was so cold we could only be in it fully clothed for winter and under blankets. The second room you could smell the cigarette smoke from either the room next door or below all night long simply through the walls.

In return for our troubles, we were given valet parking free for the weekend and they gave us a glass of wine and one appetizer that we had ordered for free. (The appetizer was not good.) And, the valet parking was fine but only because the traffic is so horrific that after an hour of driving we gave up and never made it to the galleria even though the hotel is on Westhimer and in DC you would simply walk across the freeway to get to it. (In case you don't know, Westhimer on both sides is closed. You cannot cross the freeway to get to the Galleria right now.)

The decor is "uber-hip" and there are all sorts of exotic men and women wandering the hotel although there seemed to be an unusual number of younger men and women drinking canned beer. The point being the clientele is very "eurotrash" and "frat boy" and a few dogs.

As for the decor, it is modern but not very comfortable. Let's just say at 35 I recognized that the baskets rather then actual drawers and other decor was a money saving device while my 22 year old sister thought it was very cool.

Overall, I can only think that those giving this hotel anything over a 2 or 3 rating have not actually stayed in a real 4 star hotel.