If you’ve never considered staying on the concierge (club) level of a hotel you should. The individual attention, privacy and access to the lounge can elevate your hotel stay and make it less stressful plus there are free cookies (ok, maybe something only I value)! When I stayed at the newly renovated, modern luxury, Fairmont Washington, D.C. a few weeks ago, I was thrilled to receive an upgrade to my standard reservation to the Gold Experience with Gold Lounge access. It is a hotel within a hotel and like that upgrade to first class, its hard to go back to coach because now you know what you are missing. So I’ll share so you are in the know when it comes to the Gold Level at the Fairmont, D.C. because first class luxury is awesome!
Fairmont D.C. Gold Level Arrival In Georgetown
When you arrive, you only need tell the bellman as he greets you that you are staying on the Gold level and he will escort you to the elevators and/or lounge on the 9th floor. If, like me, you had a carryon bag and just walked into the hotel as you normally do to check-in, the front desk will welcome you and have someone escort you to the elevator/lounge for check in. For security access you need to tap your keycard to access the 9th & 10th Gold level rooms.
When you arrive on the 9th floor and exit the elevators the Fairmont D.C. Gold Level lounge is in front of you. The front desk is on the left and is generally staffed by two people throughout the day. They also serve as your concierge team to assist you throughout your stay with whatever you need. While a newspaper is delivered to your door, the lounge has a plethora of other newspapers and current magazines to read.
Fairmont D.C. Gold Level Rooms
The gold level King Room is the same size as the standard King room at 400 sq. ft. which is already a good sized room in my opinion. Staying on the gold level will also provide you with complimentary Wi-Fi during your stay as well as Gold Lounge access and amenities. The rooms have a nice sized table (in lieu of a fixed desk) to work on and if you need more space you can camp out in the gold lounge in a variety of seating (and working) options.
Fairmont D.C. Gold Level Lounge Tour
The Gold Lounge design is in step with the rest of the modern luxury sophistication throughout the hotel with touches of art mixed in. There is one television monitor that can be changed by the staff if you are keen to watch the game or other channel. During my visit it was tuned to CNN and thankfully the volume was low because honestly, I wanted to get away from any and all political news for just a weekend.
Video Tour
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5KdPg7vaFA[/embedyt]
The lounge offers food & drink throughout the day – breakfast, mid-day treats and evening canapes.There is an honor bar for alcohol and cocktails. The Nespresso machine was a bit hit with lounge guests.
Fairmont D.C. Gold Level Lounge Seating
The large lounge offers various seating options from the group table that can seat 10-12 to intimate tables for two. The mood is relaxation and comfort. There is a small area with a computer and printer if you need a business center. The three rooms are spread out and even when busy on the weekend, it didn’t seem too crowded.
Fairmont Gold Level Lounge Food
If you want more than is offered by the gold level lounge, you are welcome to order room service and have it delivered to you in the lounge (great idea for those that have that friend or family member that is an issue –usually me!). As I’m dairy and gluten free, I had considered using room service but was happy to find enough choice for me during the day, especially at breakfast.
While I couldn’t eat the tempting breads and pastries, I was able to make a meal of hard boiled eggs, a plethora of crispy bacon and a bowl of fresh fruit (don’t judge, it’s a balanced meal – healthy + unhealthy). If I could, I would have stacked my plate with pancakes one morning and waffles the next day.
Mid day snacks were cookies and candy jars full of gummy bears, starbursts, jelly belly jellybeans and M&Ms with bags and ties provided to fill up to your heart’s content.
Evening canapes varied and on Saturday night had an Asian theme with dumplings and sushi. I missed out on the other nights as I was out and about in D.C.
Final Thoughts – Fairmont D.C. Gold Level Experience
Staying on the Gold level at the Fairmont, D.C. added another layer of security (keycard access on the elevators) which is great for solo travelers, extra attention by the lounge staff who greeted me by name each day and the feeling of special luxury because this was an exclusive part of the hotel. Who doesn’t love to feel special and recognized? I definitely ate/drank my share of bacon, bottled water, cookies and candy. The Fairmont D.C. Gold Level experience was definitely a great add-on to my stay in Georgetown for the Art Weekend in D.C. and should be a great add-on for you too on your next stay in D.C. Don’t worry I left you some cookies and jellybeans!
Thank you to the Fairmont Washington, D.C. in Georgetown for my complimentary upgrade to Gold, it was a pleasant surprise at check-in. As always, all opinions (long winded as they are) about my stay and experience are uniquely mine.