Marriott Vacation Club at the Mayflower, Washington, D.C.

My wife and I are owners at several MCVI properties and welcomed the addition of the Pulse concept when it was introduced a few years ago since we don't necessarily like to vacation at spots that offer the full villa experience. As we get older (early 60's), we find ourselves visiting cities more and more and the Pulse fits our lifestyle. Yes they are simply hotel rooms, but they are typically well appointed and in the heart of things. That said, we spent four nights at the Mayflower two weeks ago and wasn't disappointed. We opted for an Executive room, which is a very large one bedroom. The bedroom was huge, but as others have mentioned, a bit sp****. For all of the square footage that the bedroom has to offer, Marriott decided not to place a dresser in it, which meant that my wife and I lived out of our suitcases for our entire stay. Not cool. The rest of the unit consists of a very large living room area and small kitchenette. While it doesn't contain a microwave, there is one available on the floor next to the ice machine. The large, well appointed bathroom's shower had plenty of pressure and hot water. The Mayflower is an old hotel in the grand fashion and it sparkles throughout. The location of the Mayflower just can't be beat. Situated near the corner of Connecticut and L Street, it's literally steps away from the Farragut North Metro station. There are plenty of restaurants nearby and our favorite was about fifty feet away from the hotel, a French restaurant named Les Desales, on Desales Street. They have a fantastic Happy Hour and their dinner menu was phenomenal. Not terribly far away is Old Ebbitt, where a great meal can be had anytime of day. My wife and I were so impressed by this property that we are offering our children some points to experience it for themselves. Some here have voiced disappoin**ent that their Elite status wasn't honored at this property, which should be expected as it is clearly stated in the program rules that Vacation Club properties do not participate in elite benefits (and never have), whether it's breakfast or late checkout. I'm a lifetime Titanium (2,100+ days) and knew going into this property that I would not be entitled to breakfast in the restaurant. Others have mentioned small rooms, which is to be expected since Pulse properties are in urban areas where space is at a premium. My wife and I have spent at least 40 nights at the Pulse New York and know exactly what to expect in terms of accommodations and service. Others have mentioned the lack of a kitchen, pffft.

You check in at the main hotel desk for the Mayflower. We were thanked for our platinum status, however no benefits offered when using MVC. No welcome gift, no club access, no breakfast credit. We were in room718. This has to be the smallest room in the hotel. Also this room is right next to the elevator, so all say and all night you literally hear the elevator if your room is quiet. Fortunately I had ear plugs. Unfortunately my husband did not, so he slept lousy. The room is clean and renovated, however the furnishings are sp****. There is one desk chair to sit on. There was a bench for luggage, which I used to sit on, or the bed. This room had one king bed and no tub. The TV was at the foot of the bed, which made it awkward to watch unless I was laying in bed. I don’t like to lay in bed and watch TV. I find it uncomfortable. For some I’m sure it is fine. The room was dark. Two lights on the wall, and a small desk lamp. No wall art. I felt like I was in a budget hotel. Nothing felt luxurious at all. The bathroom amenities were nothing special either. The bed was comfortable. The room does have a Kuerig single cup coffee maker. Bright at the MVC welcome desk was wonderful. He was helpful and friendly. Parking is $69 a night to valet at the hotel. They do not take oversized vehicles. We were told by Darren they did, and when we got there we were turned away in our F150 pick up truck. There is a parking garage on the side street of the hotel, DeSales St. we paid $70 for two nights and it is literally out the side door of the Mayflower and across the street. Super easy if you want to save a few dollars. I am not sure how the hotel side of this property is, however I would not recommend this MVC property for leisure travel. It was a stark business type of accommodation suited more for a single traveler or people who don’t spend any down time in the room.

I am a longtime Marriott timeshare owner, over two decades. We own timeshares at the Timberlodge, Ko Olina, Waiohai, and Palm Desert Villas 2. I am also a titanium elite member, which means at least 75 Marriott stays per year. Needless to say, I have a lot of experience with both timeshare and hotel properties owned by Marriott. I have also stayed at the Pulse properties in SF and San Diego. We checked into the Mayflower Pulse today. When I compare this room to other Marriott Pulses, timeshares, AND Marriott hotels, this property hits well below all marks. First, this is NOT like other Pulses or hotels. Other Marriott pulses and timeshares have silverware, dishes, and microwaves etc, as timeshares are meant for extended stays, unlike hotels. This Pulse has None of the above. It’s a tiny hotel room that lacks even basic hotel, and even motel, features. For example, every hotel I’ve ever stayed in has rudimentary furnishings, like NIGHTSTANDS. I have never stayed in a hotel- I have stayed at literally hundreds of hotels around the world- that didn’t even have nightstands. I measured the space beside the bed and went online and found several nightstands that fit the spaces. It really is quite remarkable that a simple, extremely basic, very affordable detail like a nightstand, something that is found in pretty much every hotel, is not even here. I needed to leave this review so that you can plan accordingly and manage, or lower, your expectations. For saavy travelers, and for those who are looking to use their Marriott timeshare points at a Pulse, don’t use them at this one. The location is good but that is it. The Metro gets you everywhere so you don’t need a “prime” location if you prefer a bigger space and basic features offered in other hotel rooms, like nightstands. The San Francisco Pulse and the San Diego Pulse are fantastic. For this Pulse, save your points and just book a DC hotel. Internet is also not reliable, either, for those needing good access.

We are Marriott Vacation Club owners visiting a Club Pulse property for the first time. First impressions are positive: We checked in at 8:30 am and were pleased to learn that there was a room ready on the 7th floor, which is the club pulse floor with complimentary coffee and pastries in the morning and afternoon snacks. There is a concierge station where the friendly staff can provide tour maps and assist with restaurant reservations, etc. The room is a regular hotel room, very recently renovated. In fact, there’s still some construction work going on, but expected to be done this week. The room is sp****ly furnished but clean. We were told that some new furniture is pending delivery. Nonetheless, there’s a mini fridge, keurig coffee machine and safe deposit. The location is central to lots of tourist attractions and great restaurants. The hotel itself is historic; we look forward to exploring the building. Check in was friendly and quick. Will update the review at the end of our stay, but so far so good.

Most everything was perfect but the noise from the streets was very loud most of the night I couldn’t sleep if they changed the windows would make perfect place

Only two queen beds for 3 adults was not a great option for us and the hotel did not offer another reasonable affordable option. There was no sofa sleeper or roll out beds. We defaulted to an air mattress that no one was trilled about for three nights. We otherwise met Kevin on the first day and he was helpful with great local info, was always friendly, and he always offered a daily warm greeting and smile. Kevin did his part to help make our experience in DC an overall great family visit.

The outdoor and interior aesthetics were excellent! The location was excellent. Hotel staff was accommodating. Dislikes: the bathroom was spacious but poorly designed (e.g. toilet paper location is borderline inaccessible). The bathroom ventilation fan seemed ineffective.

The quality of all Marriott Vacation Club properties has gone downhill recently, but this property might be the worst of their collection. Our room was disgusting—dirty, stinky, and dated. The entire building feels dingy.

Great hotel, awesome location, near to the airport. Great staff!