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Washington Court Hotel
Category: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Hotels
525 New Jersey Ave NW(between N E St & N F St)
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 628-2100
- Nearest Transit:
-
Union Station Metro Station (Red)
Judiciary Square Metro Station (Red)
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Paid
34 reviews for Washington Court Hotel
Review Highlights
"The front desk staff were extremely congenial and helpful."
(in 3 reviews)
"...walking distance from Union Station was phenomenal."
(in 5 reviews)
"It was within walking distance to Union Station, so it was..."
(in 3 reviews)
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34 reviews in English
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Review from Jane R.
Los Altos, CA
12/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great location, great rooms and beds, amenities all the way down to the nice toiletries! You can get to just about all of the sites walking right out the door of this hotel. Look up the street and the capitol building shines day or night!
Drawback? Snippy check-in gal! Really! "I already told you..." began one of the answers to our questions. I don't let my teenager speak to me like that!
Snippy bartender (wore glasses), who didn't want to tell us we could order from the restaurant, not just the bar menu, or get the menu (why don't you just have one at the bar?), or remember to bring water....until the rest of my party arrived. Was I just not worth it alone? There were only 4 other people in the large bar! And they were already served! C'mon! (Other barman was great)
So, small negatives weigh on the great review potential. The price of our rooms makes up for them, but there is a lot of great competition in DC for your hotel $$. -
Review from Liz G.
Saint Louis, MO
12/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
I will preface this review by saying that I booked the Washington Court blindly though a Hotwire deal - which I've never done before, so my expectations were a bit low but optimistic none the less.
My 6-day stay was ho-hum, the room was nice and was reciently remodeled. The queen sized bed was so comfortable that it was hard to find motivation to get going some mornings. The alarm clock had a dock for iPhone which charged it and let you wake up to music. The bellmen were so friendly and helpful with hailing taxis and holding my baggage after my checkout the final day of my stay.
However, the ice machine on my floor never worked until the last night of my stay and the one on the floor below me only worked some of the time. The cold water in the sink and shower in my room was scalding hot when you turned it on, it would turn cold after left running for a few minutes. The heat/AC in the room was also not in working order upon my arrival but maintenance took care of it pretty quickly after I called.
And here's some big issues for the tech-reliant traveler like me:
- $10 per day for in-room wi-fi
- Free wi-fi in the lobby but only for the first 24 hours of your stay, and it was a bad signal
- "Business Center" computers charged $10 for 10 minutes of internet.
+ But they did have both a Mac and PC, free to go onto airline sites to check in and print boarding passes.
It was nice having a little shop in the lobby for buying forgotten items or a bottle of water. The Federal City Bar and Bistro 525 are nice for a drink and food when you don't feel like venturing out, but didn't wow me in any way.
The location can't be beat because you're in walking distance of so many things and approximately 2-3 blocks from Union Station where you can hop on the Metro and get anywhere you need to go. But with the combo of Union Station and a nearby homeless shelter, there were a lot of people pan-handling and several sleeping on the streets. Being an urbanite this didn't bother me, but as a female walking alone in the dark early morning and late evening hours, I made sure to be very aware of my surroundings when walking this area - as anyone should be when traveling, period.
The lobby was big and had a lot of comfy seating, but after walking past the floral arrangement just inside the doorway, there was usually a sour smell that lingered just up towards the front desk area.
Overall this was a good deal and while not my first choice, I'd consider the Washington Court if I'm ever in DC again. -
Review from Arwen C.
Vista, CA
1/3/2012
I really liked this hotel. At first, I was nervous because of the bad reviews but I was pleasantly surprised. The people at the front desk were very helpful and nice. The room was spacious, the beds were comfortable, and everything was clean. The closet was nicely sized as well. I loved the way the bathroom was laid out and the shampoo smelled great. Housecleaning did a nice job with our rooms every day. We had a great view of the capital. The temperature in the room was easy to control. The television had a variety of channels. My only complaint was that the wi-fi cost ten dollars a day. We ended up using YMax wireless on our laptops. The overnight parking was also really expensive, at $40 dollars a night, so we ended up parking a couple of blocks away and then walking. Overall, a good place to stay.
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Review from Lisa G.
Richmond, VA
12/10/2011
Didn't use many of the amenities to review them, but the staff (bellmen and front desk) were especially nice. The rooms are clean, roomy and nicely decorated. The location of the hotel is close to everything, but not too close to get caught up in traffic jams. And the price was right.
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Review from Janice F.
Pfafftown, NC
1/22/2012
Love this hotel; rooms are modern, clean, and spacious. Staff is great and the location is the absolute best!
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Review from Stephanie K.
Washington, DC
11/6/2011
I love this hotel- the staff is wonderful, the rooms are clean and cozy, and the restaurant is amazing.
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Review from Jam Rockah E.
Oakland, CA
10/19/2011
So I get that it's DC, it's Capitol Hill and it's within walking distance to a lot (I totally discovered DC's Chinatown which I never had explored, even when I lived here), but you'd think for $260/night (and that was the discounted rate) I could at least get a fresh bar of soap every day? This hotel is alright, but keep in mind you're paying for the location and not necessarily luxury. On the plus side, I liked the fitness room, the staff was really friendly and nice and the bartender carded me and pronounced my name correctly. That in itself earned this hotel another star!
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Review from Mel G.
San Francisco, CA
9/30/2011
Quiet and cozy, and in a fantastic location. It would truly earn the 4th star if there was a fitness center on site, though. Otherwise, friendly staff, clean rooms, nice place.
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Review from Robert E.
Newport Beach, CA
3/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I would probably not voluntarily choose this hotel again. I came here on business and also attended a conference and this was the hotel that was selected by the organizers.
The morning desk people were rude and dismissive. I don't think they like each other either, as I saw them arguing amongst each other...actually one of them seemed to be arguing or yelling at everyone else. One bad apple...
The evening desk crew, however was very pleasant and helpful.
The room was not that comfortable. It took forever to heat the room up and it made the room very dry. The bed and the bath were clean, but nothing special. -
Review from Elizabeth S.
Montclair, NJ
6/13/2011
No place is perfect, but this place was pretty darn awesome. Let's start with the positives:
1. You can't beat the location -- walking distance from Union Station was phenomenal. It was also a few blocks' distance from Chinatown for awesome restaurants and shopping.
2. The front desk staff were extremely congenial and helpful. This included recommendations for restaurants that were awesome.
3. Loved the lobby -- this is important because the internet access was free in the lobby.
Cons:
1. No internet or cell phone access in meeting rooms -- was there for a conference and this was very challenging.
2. It was super hot when I was there, and although my room was clean, the air conditioning wasn't as fired up as it needed to be in hot, humid, muggy DC.
But overall great -- I'd definitely stay there again! -
Review from jess o.
4/13/2011
This is a decent hotel with beautiful views of the capitol and a good choice if you are looking to stay near Union Station or Georgetown Law. The other hotels around here tend to be pretty expensive, but you can often find deals here.
It's annoying that they charge for everything (like internet) but I have found the employees here to be remarkably pleasant. -
Review from Derrick F.
Washington, DC
3/11/2011
I was heading home and had to piss furiously! But I didn't want to wait 15 minutes on the train at McPherson Square so I walked from there and in fear that Chinatown trains would be just as slow I walked all the way to my office on New Jersey (13-14 blocks).
I get in and security gives me a badge and I go ahead and use the restroom (I was really struggling). Afterwards, I go up to my office and check my mail and stuff...I'm finishing up and I'm walking down the hall hoping I don't run into anyone and thinking it would be impossible because it's like 830 or so...and also because I have a little leakage from my struggle to the building.
As I'm walking down the hall I pass my coworker Michelle's office and see that she's there and she's like "Derrrrrick!" so we chat for a sec and I and sit down when she suggests we grab a drink and I suggest food would be good as well...
we go next door to our building to the bar and talk shop for a good while before Michelle just breaks out with
"Lil Wayne is the best rapper of all time... don't you think Lil Wayne is the best rapper of all time...?"
I'm a little startled...because Wayne isn't even on my radar so in my mind I'm like "she's sh*tting you Derrick, don't engage" but I can't resist....I"m like "Hell NO!"
I suggest at the very least, Eminem and if we want to really get into let's bring in Nas, Andre 3000, Rakim, and many others long before Wayne is even at the table...and not in that order.
Michelle is livid...she argues me down to the point where she says "Fuck You, Lil Wayne is the best rapper of all time...." She leaves the bar, I kid you not yelling "F*ck you, f*ck you, Lil Wayne b*tch, Lil Wayne..."
I'm kind of dumbfounded...but I assure the folks at the bar that she's joking and probably just going for a smoke..."
She doesn't come back...I can't believe it so I leave and hop in a cab...
The lamb burger was great, the fries were sinful (both orders) and the service was timely. I'll be back. -
Review from Sara L.
Raleigh, NC
8/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
The room was clean but the bathroom was outdated and had mold on the ceiling.. the $200 price tag was VERY disappointing for what we got. We should have went to the hyatt across the street.
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Review from Jason F.
1/18/2011
Five good things: the Washington Court Hotel is clean, quiet, and well located. The beds and pillows were comfortable. The front desk staff was friendly enough.
Two bad things: the sheets were really itchy; perhaps I was allergic to their detergent, but it got so bad i woke up every night and even tore up the sheets looking for bed bugs like a paranoid neurotic (none were found, nor did I have bites, I was just annoyed). Second and minor point: the ice bucket in the room had stagnant water in it. -
Review from Gerard Y.
10/31/2010
Friendly staff for the most part. When we checked in, the guy at the front desk mentioned that they are fully booked and there were no rollaway beds available. I asked a different person, a lady at the front desk and she mentioned that there was a rollaway bed available. I expect not to be lied to the 1st time around. Then when I ordered room service for breakfast, they gave me bacon instead of sausage with my order, not once, but twice. I even circled sausage on the paper the 2nd time around. There are barely any restaurants available within walking distance.
The rooms are adequate for a 2 bed room. The bathroom is spacious. I like the fact that their tv has most of the usual cable channels so you're not stuck with watching junk. Luckily this hotel is near the Union Station and you can catch a bus to go to other areas of DC. It's also located near the downtown area and the Mall. -
Review from Miriam B.
3/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Our room was large and beautiful. The staff were all very friendly. But the lobby, restaurant and each hallway were all freezing!. Also the lobby reeked of cigarettes. Skip this place and try embassy sweets instead.
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Review from Jennifer N.
Philadelphia, PA
6/17/2011
The was a decent hotel. Much better than I expected based on other reviews. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful- I had trouble getting on to the wireless and one of the front desk staff gave me a free code, which was nice. The location is fantastic if you are doing stuff on the Hill. The room was nice, if small.
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Review from Lisa J.
Honolulu, HI
6/5/2008
This was our Priceline find for our trip to DC last October. We paid less than $200/night for a deluxe king room, which is about half of what the rack rate is. The room was clean, spacious, and nice. Loved the mini tv in the bathroom!
It was within walking distance to Union Station, so it was VERY convenient. Also, getting a cab at the front was quick and easy even though the cabbies were supposed to be on strike. Staff was friendly and helpful. Oh, and the floral arrangements in the hotel were awesome! Cymbidium orchids galore! =) -
Review from Michael C.
Easton, PA
3/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Old-school decor and food. Service was good. Hang out in the atrium lobby for a while after you eat.
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Review from L I.
New Bedford, MA
1/8/2007
A fine hotel with real attention paid to customer service. The spacious lobby is an impressive introduction. Expect everything that comes with the territory -- concierge, piano bar, fine restaurant.
I booked one of the less expensive room options, but was impressed that I had a splendid view of the Capital dome right from by window. The room was complete with everything one could ask for (and a few one might not) -- including a marble-floored bathroom with a single-pod coffee maker and a mini tv (with cable!).
The hotel is docked one star because of some noise problems I experienced. With some luck you may have polite neighbors. Mine, however, made quite a bit of noise watching football games. The walls are on the thin side. -
Review from Kim K.
Luxurious! Very nice, spacious, opulent lobby. Our room was small but the bed was unbelievably comfortable! The bathroom was big and the swiveling flat screen TV was a nice touch. The whole place was spotless and modernly decorated. I would come back anytime.
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Review from Sheree C.
Hyattsville, MD
3/4/2008
I stayed here once and while the lobby was gorgeous, the actual room I had was nothing special. I'm assuming it was a cheap room being that it was free to me and all others attending the CLEO law forum that weekend, but anyway, I want to talk about the restaurant. I still have dreams about their seafood salad. My friend and I spent hours trying to figure out what was in it, but kept getting distracted by its phenomenal taste. I seriously can't remember anything else I ate that night, but figured that the seafood salad was enough on its own to write about. I would recommend everyone try out the restaurant.
I do remember the service being good, but that's extent of my memory. -
Review from Laurel B.
San Francisco, CA
11/15/2009
The room was big, the sheets and pillows were fine, and the room service burger was decent. So it wasn't bad. I hate paying for wi-fi, though. Hate it. There's no excuse with a higher-priced hotel. Next time, I'll go Kimpton. The Hotel George is right around the corner, and I'm sure I could have gotten a similar rate.
Listed in: Hotels here and there, Washington, D.C.
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Review from Natalie C.
San Diego, CA
6/18/2008
I have stayed in this hotel four years in a row for a conference. This hotel is honestly pretty awful, and I would never stay here if I were paying for it, unless it was like $50 per night. Generally, it's just not that pleasant. Specifically:
1) The elevator NEVER works. Last year, neither of the main elevators worked, so we had to through the back to use the service elevator. This year, they are just ridiculously slow! I am on the 4th floor, and it takes the elevator 5 minutes, literally, to come. Not only that, but there are no signs as to where the stairs are. I looked all over the place, and it turns out they were hidden behind an unmarked door - great fire safety!
2) While the doormen are nice, the front desk ladies are not helpful or friendly at all, and one has been rude to me every year consistently. Generally, they all just seem to hate their jobs and hate the people staying at the hotel. It's generally just awkward and unpleasant to deal with them.
3) The "cold" water is not cold, nor is it even room temperature. It's actually warm.
4) The pillows are horrendous. Not just normal hotel pillow bad, like all misshapen and very hard.
Guess that's all. I just wouldn't stay here considering I'm sure there are hundreds of other choices in DC. -
Review from Al I.
Chicago, IL
9/27/2010
Room was clean. Ceiling had some water damage. Bathroom was circa 1980s but everything worked, no problems. Room had cool radio with iPod dock. Service in the lobby bar was excellent. Service at breakfast in the hotel restaurant was awful. Had to steal settings off of another table. Had to ask for water multiple times. Multiple tables piled with dirty dishes, etc. C'mon, I just want eggs and bacon without hassle, is that so hard?
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Review from Christine E.
Washington, DC
8/4/2007
Okay, now I was pretty pissed after coming to the rooftop bar and finding out that they no longer served the flambe dessert that Rachel Ray featured on her $40/day show in DC! So, I had to settle for another dessert instead. Boo! But two stars go for the awesome views of the national monuments and the sweet woman who served us.
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Review from Ian P.
Berkeley, CA
7/24/2010
Worst hotel internet ever!
I've stayed at this hotel a half dozen times in recent years. There are some real pluses and real minuses. But, the very worst thing is the terrible internet connection....this is a real issue if you're attempting to stay here for business. For $10/day you get the privilege to have something that's similar to your 1990 dial-up connection, except now imagine that your dial-up connection is shared with everyone on the floor. The internet was bad enough, checking in with work e-mail was terrible and logging into a secure server was almost impossible as the lag was about 2 seconds/character typed. If you need to stay connected while traveling, this situation can be a deal-breaker.
Aside from the terrible internet, the space and rooms are generally quite nice. The beds are very comfortable, the rooms are clean, and it's fairly quiet. Some rooms have great views (which I've had in the past), although this one and many others looked directly into a very close office building....required leaving the curtains closed most of the time. The staff are pretty uneven and have on average become less friendly and professional than in the past. One of my colleagues on this trip had a very strange experience. He was given a room that did not contain a bed! It was the parlor room of one of their suites which they decided to rent out separately. He had to sleep on a very uncomfortable fold out sofa-bed. I think making a buck like this by splitting up a suite is unacceptable. One last plus...the location here is great. You're walking distance to the metro, the capitol, and many museums.
Overall, I'm lukewarm about staying here on someone else's dime. I didn't pay for my room, but this place is expensive...I'd never stay here with my own money! -
Review from jimmy t.
New York, NY
3/11/2009
Great location, about 30 seconds from union station. I got a really cheap room off expedia, but there was one caveat: it only had a fold-out couch instead of a bed. I don't understand why they did this, given that the room was otherwise pretty fancy--big flat-screen TV, nice view of the capitol building, fancy showers--except for that ridiculous couch.
I didn't have too many complaints, but I wasn't impressed either. The place is clean, but the staff is mediocre. Some guy asked the cheapest way to get to the airport, and the front desk girl gave him a completely unintelligible answer. I was also worried about the location, but it is not dangerous, just quiet.
They really need executive management with a vision of what this place should be like. They are spending money, but in all the wrong places. Revamp the restaurant (the prices are totally unreasonable and the food looked awful), pay attention to the little details, and it could be a good spot. Right I would only stay here again if I could get a $50 per night deal again. -
Review from Cory E.
Arlington, VA
7/6/2010 6 Check-ins Here
I stayed there for free but I still had a great experience. The staff was super nice and helpful. My bed was comfortable and the iHome docking station was a great addition that I've never had at another hotel, it was great (I have an Ipod and Iphone so the docking station was great). The rooms were really modern and the bathroom was spectacular in my room. The maid was nice and courteous, I stayed there for 5 days and was sad when I had to leave. I gave it 4 stars because they advertise that they have complementary WIFI but they don't. Which really ticked off a bunch of the people at my conference and was an annoyance, there is no way I'm going to pay 9.99 for one day of interent. It was a great hotel, I guess the bad reviews were before they remodeled.
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Review from Nancy B.
Huntington, MA
6/30/2010
We stayed here for the weekend and loved it. The location was superb, the room was spacious, and the staff was fantastic! We enjoyed the lobby area and the restaurant-with kids there was enough room to move around. And we really appreciated a staff member bringing us water after a walk around the capital!! We did have to pay for wireless, and quite a bit for parking.
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Review from SKD D.
Huntsville, AL
2/7/2008
I have not staye here, but I ate at the restaurant. They had excellent Crab Cakes. Tons of crab meeat, ligh on the breading.
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Review from James D.
Weston, MA
11/21/2009
I spent two nights at the Washington Court and found the service to be excellent. At times the front desk was crowded, but the staff was friendly and helpful, particularly at the front door.
The lobby is very nice and spacious compared to other hotels in the immediate area. And a nice bar.
However, my major complaint is that they did not hold an ADA accessible room for me despite many attempts to tell them how essential it was for me. I was unable to take a shower until I changed rooms the next day. If not for this problem, I would have rated them a 5.
If you aren't handicapped, you should know that most hotels are terrible at this. Probably their information systems are inadequate. So my comment does not reflect badly on this hotel so much as the industry. But some do get it right so I am going to keep rewarding those who do by downgrading those who don't. -
Review from Sunny D.
Washington, DC
6/15/2010
*review for attendance at an event @ WCH, not actually staying in a room*
this is probably more of a 1-star than a 2, but since i haven't stayed in a room, i'll be generous.
less than thrilled with having to be bossman's representative at a stuff-shirt luch meeting of capital hill types and their flukies/worshipers, i exited a cab and trudged into WCH. it seemed much larger on the inside than it looks from the outside, and was very hushed in the lobby. i didn't see any of those conference signs that tell you which room your meeting's in, so approached the front desk. there were three women at the desk and none acknowledged me. one on the phone and two with their heads down looking at computer screens, they continued doing what they were doing and i waited. after a couple minutes passed i said "excuse me" and the one closest to me looked up for a quick moment before tilting her head towards the next woman and saying, "i'm closed; she can help you." ummm...okay. the she who could help me was the one on the phone. i asked the third one and while friendly enough when she finally looked up, she seemed completey oblivious to what was going on around her. *eyeroll* you all work the FRONT desk. you need to realize that you are the first impression guests/clients get of the property! ugh. annoying.
onto the event i had to attend. it was downstairs in a banquet room, and shorter than, but as boring as, i'd expected. in my boredom, i tuned out the long speeches and stories and yuck yucking of fellow attendees, and took in all my surroundings. the room itself was clean, but too dimly lit for a midday event. they tables were nicely set; the chairs were cheesey banquet hall style chairs. the catering/waitstaff was very attentive. unfortunately - especially for me b/c i noticed this halfway through the meal - several of the dishes they used to serve on were dirty! *eewww* a couple of the [unused] drinking glasses had lip[stick] markings and a LOT of the dessert dishes had stains and/or crud on them. no, not marks that could've been drips of the food they were serving on the plates, but i'm talking a plate w/ chocolate cake on it w/ a blue or orange mark. WTH? how does one not notice that before handing it to someone to eat? blech.
i stopped eating and the minute the last speech was finished i excused myself. (you know it's bad when you can't wait to leave lunch to go BACK to work.) on my way out i passed the front desk she-drones still in their own worlds and ignoring some other poor soul waiting to be acknowledged like i had. at least the bell hop was very sweet and chatted me up while i waited for a cab. other than that, the WCH was pretty pathetic, IMO. it will not make it to my list of places i suggest to stay for out of town friends, and most definitely WILL make to my list of places NOT to hold events. -
Review from Jon H.
Spring, TX
4/13/2010
First a few comments about the good this hotel has to offer and that is location and very enjoyable atmosphere in the bar area. The staff behind the front desk and the check in situation is the problem this trip, and I have stayed here several times, but unless this hotel is much cheaper than others never again.
Upon check in we picked up keys to both rooms (I rented a second adjoining room for some relatives) and placed our luggage in our room and checked the keys to the adjoining room and all seemed fine. Upon returning from the airport after picking up my relatives (5 hours later) we took them to their room to find someone else in it and our keys no longer worked. This was at 10:00 at night and I confronted the front desk where I was informed that the lady in the room was suppose to have been in another room. They said they would move her and have housekeeping get the room ready while we went to dinner. An hour later we came back and the other lady was gone but the room was still trashed so I went back to the front desk where the night shift was on duty and no one had any idea what was going on. After going through the situation with them I was told that housekeeping wasn't even there to have cleaned the room and the best they could do is put my relatives in a room with only a fold out bed where they had a very poor nights sleep. I of course was very angry and the front desk apologized by saying the would not charge for either of my rooms for that first night. The rest of the stay (6 nights) went fine until I went to check out and the guy that promised no charge for BOTH rooms could not seem to ever remember saying that so only the one room (the much cheaper one) was taken off the bill.
Not only does this show extreme incompetence in running a hotel but it creates some serious security issue when they give keys to a room that has already been rented. Luckily I had not left anything in the double rented room and the hotel had not unlocked the adjoining doors as I had asked upon leaving for the airport.
