My boyfriend and I stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott DC Convention Center from July 18th to July 20th. We arrived at the hotel around 12:45 however since check-out is noon, there were no rooms available for us just yet since they were being cleaned. The front desk took our bags tho and told that that we'd be automatically checked in as soon as a room opened up. The staff at the front desk was very friendly.

We left the hotel to grab some lunch at Ella's wood fired pizza located at 901 F Street NW. We both really enjoyed the meal and the atmosphere there. The pizza and the staff there get a thumbs up from us. We then spent the rest of the day walking around, taking in the sights. The hotel is centrally located and within easy walking distance to all museums, the White House and the National Mall. We easily walked to Union Station and to the National Postage Museum. Chinatown was also an easy walk from the hotel.

We returned to the hotel at around 6:00PM and went to the front desk. We had been checked in and our room keys were waiting for us. We got our bags and headed up to the room. The hotel is very secure. The elevator won't work unless you insert your room key into a slot and press your floor number - if you try to press another floor, it won't work. When you're leaving the hotel, the elevator won't let you go to any floor but the lobby. Yes, my boyfriend and I tested the security of the hotel.

The room was very nice and well appointed. The only thing you must keep in mind is that the sink area of the bathroom is separate from the toilet and bath/shower. The toilet and shower are in one room and the sink area is right outside. There is a closet space located across from the sink area. We weren't aware that the set up was like this because it wasn't mentioned anywhere and we didn't recall reading it in any reviews so we figured we'd let people know ourselves. It wasn't a big deal but it was a bit inconvenient because we both like to have a lot of countertop space to put our toiletries. Also, they don't have glasses here, the hotel utilizes styrofoam and plastic cups. The bathroom had a weird configuration. The towel rack was above the toilet instead of anywhere near the shower. It would have been nice if the towel rack was closer to the shower like in most other hotels. Other than that, the bathroom and sink area were very clean.

The TV could use an update with a nice flat screen but it was fine. The room had a nice writing desk with swivel chair. There was also a nice cushy seat by the window. We had a nice view from our room of a restaurant across the street. The room had good light.

On the second day of our stay, the light bulb in the bathroom burnt out. We called the front desk and they sent someone to fix it ASAP. Also that day, we came back to the hotel around 6:00PM to rest before dinner. We received a really weird phone call and promptly called the front desk. They had transferred a call to our room but could not tell us who the person was or from what number they were calling from. It kind of freaked us out. Also, when we returned to the room, we noticed what appeared to be blood stains on the bed sheets. We called the front desk and were told that housekeeping would take care of it right away. When we returned later that night, all was fine.

As for places to eat, we recommend Wok n' Roll in Chinatown. In NY, wok n' roll is a gross Chinese fast food place located in most shopping malls. However, in DC, this wok n' roll was an actual restaurant with really good food and really good service. We both commented that we never thought we'd ever say the words "go eat at wok n' roll" but yes, when in DC, you can't go wrong there.

We also recommend a place in Chinatown called Eat First (or something like that). The place doesn't look like much from the outside but the food there was really good - not as good as wok n' roll though.

We also ate at Kanlaya which is a Thai restaurant. The food was good but the service was horrible. My boyfriend had finished off his glass of water and mine was less than half full. I asked a waiter if we could please have some more water and he told our waitress. She comes over, pours my bf water and then walks away. I guess she didn't think I needed to drink. Then during the meal she comes over and asks my bf if everything with the meal is okay and doesn't even acknowledge my existence. That really upset me. I believe that people in the service industry should be hospitable to everyone. I hate it when I go to restaurants and the waiters/waitresses aren't kind to everyone. I personally didn't enjoy my time there.

Word of caution. The museums in the National Mall are free. However, the food courts/cafeterias in the museums charge a $5 for a bottle of water. I don't recall the other prices of beverages but prices were well over $5. Carry your own drinks if you can.

Okay so overall, we would definitely recommend the Courtyard by Mariott DC Convention Center. It was close to everything you could possibly want to do and allowed us to walk everywhere. It's also very safe at night in the area. Oh and check-out was a breeze! Very nice staff at this hotel.