Hotel Monaco Alexandria - a Kimpton Hotel

, Alexandria, United States
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Hotel Monaco Alexandria - a Kimpton Hotel

480 King St - Alexandria - Virginia - 22314 - United States Hotel Website | 703-549-6080
628 Traveller

Reviews - Hotel Monaco Alexandria - a Kimpton Hotel

Historical Traveller Reviews of Hotel Monaco Alexandria - a Kimpton Hotel

Jackson 20

from JillyWashingtonDC
We didn't actually stay at the Hotel Monoco, but recently dined at Jackson 20, the hotel's restaurant. I had read the internet reviews, so I wasn't surprised by my experience. As various reviewers mentioned, the place is so noisy, you can't hear the waiter much less your dining companions. Both my husband and I had raging headaches after eating there. That was on a Monday -- I can't imagine what Friday and Saturday must be like. As various reviewers mentioned, you have to wait a long time to get your drinks. Three of us ordered a bottle of wine to share and one ordered a beer. By the time the wine got to us, the beer guy had long finished his beer! As various reviewers mentioned, they seem to be out of almost everything you order. It got to be a joke when the waiter kept coming back and telling us what was not available -- long after we had ordered. The best was when she told us they were out of the rice that came with the entree. I guess it's not true that the rice shortage has not hit the U.S.!! They should figure out what they don't have so they can tell you when you order. In fairness, on the plus side, as many of the reviewers mentioned, the fried chicken was quite tasty. I would give Jackson 20 another try but would try to figure out what time would be less noisy.

Pleasant stay except for some glitches

from royalgreymini
There were a lot of positive things about my stay, but also some problems.

The good:
Comfortable bed and great toiletries (like all Kimpton hotels I've visited). Room was beautifully decorated. Tub/shower combo was deep enough for a decent bath. Flat panel TV with some HD channels a plus. Staff friendly. Located right on King St with lots of restaurants nearby, a drugstore, etc., with a bus stop right across the street. Indoor pool area looked nice, with comfortable-looking lounge chairs, although I never got around to using it.

The less good:
Many problems with air conditioning. First room they gave me, the AC didn't work at all; they moved me to another room where the AC stopped working (coils totally covered in frost, no airflow) within a couple days (they came and fixed it). I talked to another guest who had no AC either.
The hotel is located about 13 blocks from the Metro. The free shuttle service did not turn out to be very usable at times - airport pickup was half an hour late, and when I asked for a ride to the Metro a couple hours later I was told the shuttle was out of service (?). Wound up taking the DASH bus or free trolley instead for the rest of my stay. Since I was commuting to DC daily to work, this was a bit of a hassle -- I doubt I will stay this far from DC again.
We had heavy rains on the last night of my visit and the power went out at 1 AM; the fire department came by to investigate a "possible smoke or fire situation" (as the front desk put it when I called to inquire about the flashing lights in front of the building)... apparently some water got into the electrical system, causing the outage and some smoke. Not a restful night, but the staff did the best they could with a difficult situation.
Management Response from Monaco-Alexandria
Dear Royal Grey Mini,

As Assistant General Manager of the Hotel Monaco Alexandria I wanted to write and thank you for the comments you provided regarding your recent experience at our property. As a new hotel in the community we are very grateful for the feedback of our guests. I was quite happy to read about the comfort and style that you felt at our property; an enormous amount of effort went into our renovation and we’re very proud of our hotel.

I was concerned however to read of the challenges you encountered during your stay, especially those with our air conditioning. We are in the process of implementing a solution in which new air conditioning units are being installed in those guest rooms that have had temperature issues. That project is ongoing and I’m happy to report that we expect the air conditioning issues to be resolved very soon.

Royal Grey Mini, we are proud of our people and product, but continually examine any issues that occur to our guests. We want to learn from those challenges to ensure that we never stop perfecting the delivery of our product and service. It’s our desire to be the best hotel in Alexandria, but we will never achieve that goal until we learn and grow from the times we aren’t at our best. Thank you again for your feedback and we hope that you will rejoin us soon.

Stay Inspired,

The Hotel Monaco Alexandria Team

Exotic with excellent service

from TNACgal
When you step into the lobby a lovely scent envelopes you. The service is impeccable. Friendly, efficent, safe, through and helpful, are just some of the words to express about the staff. The restaurant attached has delicious eggs benedict & hash browns! So clean I didnt even use my lysol! Beautiful courtyard. Walking distance to all attractions in Alexandria.

Great Location - Good Value

from LSW-VA
Stayed at Hotel Monaco in Alexandria on a Saturday night April 28, 2008. The newly renovated hotel is upscale but unique and quirky. A fun place to stay. You can’t beat the location in Old Town. There is lots to do and it is quick walk down to the waterfront.

The staff was very accommodating and helpful. The rooms were very small (windows on the 6th floor are tiny), but it had everything we needed including a flat screen TV, Ipod dock and leopard print bath robes! The bed was comfortable and the linens were great.

It was the first time the hotel had turned on their AC units and they had all frozen up. Therefore, we did not have AC and the room was pretty hot. The hotel did try to accommodate us by moving rooms, but the same thing happened in the new room. In the end leaving the window open for the night was the only solution.

Once they figure out that issue, I will happily go back and stay with them again.

Book a Terrace Room

from kennethwalker
Enjoyed night at new Hotel Monaco Alexandria. Excellent location (formerly Holiday Inn) right in Old Town in the heart of historic Alexandria. Rooms are very comfortable with usual Kimpton decor. Baths very nice with LOccitane amenities. Our 400 sq ft terrace room overlooking the bricked couryard was worth the $40 extra as the room would have been HOT if we did not have the terrace door to open. Heard from other guests that they could not get their room to cool off. New hotel so hopefully they will get the temperature worked out. Nice pool but tiny fitness center. Disappointed they do not offer the regular Kimpton wine happy hour in the lobby (Virginia law?) No standard DVD player in room, but Monaco sent one up but then it took two engineers to get it working properly. No problems that a new hotel should not be able to get worked out soon. It was also my birthday and Monaco missed birthday welcome but sent regular Kimpton amenity (dessert plate) which I believe they provide for all InTouch members.

Hotel Monaco Has Style!

from HugeCat
We just returned from a three-night stay in a deluxe king room at the Hotel Monaco Alexandria. Our room was fresh and we liked the funky yet chic décor. The bed was amazingly comfortable, especially after long days of touring DC. The room contained a comfy chaise, a desk and chair, and a flat screen TV. All of the lights had dimmer switches and the alarm clock had an iPod dock. There was a safe, two adult robes, one child robe, and socks in the closet. Upon arrival we noticed that our heating/cooling unit had no cover, but since it seemed to function properly we didn’t bother to mention it to the staff. We were given a key to the honor bar and found that it was empty. We let the front desk know so we wouldn’t be charged for the items. We really just wanted to use the fridge anyway. The TV didn’t work at first, but after making sure the cords were plugged in properly it was OK. On the first morning, the water in the shower was cold, but on the next two mornings it was fine. We requested turndown service and the room was inviting each evening upon our return, with the lights dimmed and even crushed ice in the ice bucket. The hotel was always quiet. We heard no street noise or even voices in the hallways.

The hotel staff was very polite and helpful. The concierge provided a map of DC, as well as information on using the Metro. The doormen were always friendly and on the first morning one of them sprinted down the block to hail the shuttle van for us. The hotel provides free shuttle service to and from the King Street metro station. There was usually a 10-20 minute wait to get there but the return trip was less predictable. On the first evening the van arrived in about 20 minutes, on the second night it was about a 40-minute wait, and on the third night the service was not available at all. We were told to take another shuttle that supposedly stopped at the station every 15-20 minutes. After waiting for 40 minutes and never seeing the shuttle, we took a DASH bus, which stopped near the hotel.

The hotel had coffee and tea each morning in the living room until 9AM. We enjoyed “tavern bites” and drinks in the Jackson 20 Restaurant one evening. For breakfast we walked down the block to Madeline’s or Bruegger’s.

We enjoyed the amenities of this hotel, as well as its proximity to Washington, D.C. We would certainly stay again when visiting this area in the future.

Wonderful Stay at Hotel Monoco

from LATraveler825
We were extremely surprised and pleased by our stay at Hotel Monoco. Our room was extremely clean and the people working there were probably the friendliest I have ever encountered. We were very surprised to find the bottle of sparkling water and the plate of fruit and candy, along with the handwritten note awaiting us that evening. The hotel furnishes robes which were laid out on the bed each evening. The furnished umbrella came in very handy one day when we were having showers. When we called the front desk for our wake-up calls the desk attendants addressed us by name, this was very impressive. Love the Old Alexandria area -- we enjoyed walking along the sidewalks each night. Very pleasant!

A winner for Kimpton Hotels-I highly recommend this hotel!

from LovinLif
The Monaco Hotel in a former life was the Holiday Inn Select located in the heart of Old Towne Alexandria. Kimpton bought the hotel, remodeled it, and renamed it Monaco Hotel Alexandria. I have stayed at this hotel before (for years), during and after the remodeling/
renovation. Kimpton has done a great job. The hotel is warm, inviting, upscale, and the rooms are beautiful. Check-in was swift and pleasant. My room was gorgeous, with chocolates and fruit waiting with a personalized hand written note placed near the flat-screen TV, along with a bottle of spring water. The hotel restaurant is completely remodeled and sports an open kitchen. The bar is nice and large windows allow visitors to enjoy the scenery outside. The old restaurant was dark, gloomy and closed in. The hotel is within walking distance to some of my favorite restaurants in Old Towne, however I never left the hotel. I stopped by the bar to check out the new look and inspect the menu. The bar/restaurant was so warm and pleasant, I decided to have a cocktail there and order dinner. I couldn't decide so I ordered two appetizers - one shrimp dish and one cornmeal fried oysters in a caper sauce. The shrimp dish was served cold and was excellent, the oyster dish was hot and perfect. Another client ordered beef and I overheard him saying it was the best steak he ever tasted. Another English gentleman couldn't stop raving over his pasta dish.
The food is great, and I doubt I'll be venturing to the other restaurants on King Street during my future visits.

The rates are not too far off from other hotels in Alexandria, but I found a better rate on the Kimpton site using the AAA rate, than I did going directly thru the AAA site.

Another note about the hotel - it is pet friendly. There are people who have used this hotel for years because they can travel with their pets. They also raved about the renovations.

Travel here, enjoy the hotel, walk down the streets of Old Towne, catch the scenery by the harbor, then come back to the hotel for dinner.

Nice stay near Patent Office

from Nexum
Needed to stay in the alexandria for a meeting at the patent office. I needed something close and read the other reviews. This hotel was a fine place to stay. It is the old Holiday Inn downtown. I got in the night before and the town itself gets sleepy early, so not a hot spot, atleast in the winter time.

My room was very nice, quite, free internet acces and the general condition was very good given a recent renovation. The staff was very helpful and the location was a short cab ride both from National airport and to the patent office.

Hip hotel in a perfect location

from knspr
Just got back from a four night stay at the Hotel Monaco and we loved it. The rooms are funky and hip. Lots of extras including really comfy beds and animal print bathrobes. (They even brought a matching leopard robe for my son.) The location is perfect...right in the heart of Old Town close to restaurants and historical sites. Close to Mount Vernon and Arlington and a 15 minute Metro ride to the monuments. Its a perfect refuge after a busy day of sight seeing. The shuttle will take you back and forth to the train station and even took us to the airport for no charge. Try the french bakery on the corner for a great breakfast.

Top Local Tips for Alexandria

Jackson 20 Make sure you stop at Jackson 20 on King St. It was our best dining experience of the trip, but be sure to make reservations well in advance

Things to do King Steet has great shopping and places to eat. Firehook is an amazing bakery as is Bittersweet both have lunch menus as well. We love Hard Times which is at the top of King Steet near the metro. Great chili, burgers. King Street Blues is also good and family friendly. Walk along the piers and see street entertainers, boats, ducks. The kids will love it.

Location and pet friendly This hotel is in a wonder Old Town Alexandria area - wonderful to walk around and see historic locations - and also GREAT RESTAURANTS. Also, the hotel takes pets - gladly. From April to October, they have doggie happy hours on Tuesdays and Thursday. Great chance to meet the locals!

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Other names for Hotel Monaco Alexandria - a Kimpton Hotel

  • hotel monaco alexandria kimpton
  • hotel monaco alexandria
  • Address: 480 King St - Alexandria - Virginia - 22314 - United States
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