Hampton Inn & Suites National Harbor Review [2023]
Hampton Inn & Suites National Harbor is located in the National Harbor waterfront area in Oxon Hill, Maryland. It is located off of I-495 and is 15 minutes away from National Airport (DCA) and 12 miles from downtown Washington, D.C. The hotel is directly across the street from Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center and is the only Hilton property in National Harbor. If you have an event at Gaylord National, you may be considering hotels off the property like I was. Is that a good idea? I’ll cover that in this review!
Booking Hampton Inn National Harbor
I always book Hilton hotels directly with Hilton. This is because I have Diamond status with Hilton through my Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. I paid $205.62 per night for a standard King room, which was almost half the price of staying at National Harbor. There is no resort fee at Hampton Inn & Suites, either! While Diamond status doesn’t offer many benefits at Hampton Inn, you do earn 34X points per dollar when paying the Aspire Card.
Hampton Inn National Harbor Location & Parking
Hampton Inn & Suites National Harbor is located in a prime location (arguably the best) if you need to be at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. It is directly across the street from the front entrance. While I haven’t stayed overnight at Gaylord National, I heard from several people at my event that Hampton Inn is actually closer to the conference center than the guest rooms at Gaylord National. All of the restaurants and attractions are a short walk away from the Hampton Inn, too, and MGM National Harbor is a 5-minute Uber ride.
A parking garage is available for self-parking directly behind the hotel (there is a rear hotel entrance, too). It costs $24 per day.
Hampton Inn National Harbor Lobby & Check-In
While Hampton Inn & Suites National Harbor is the largest Hampton Inn I’ve stayed at (it is a large tower!), it isn’t a resort like Gaylord National is which means the check-in process is like any other Hampton Inn.
While I have Diamond Status with Hilton, upgrades are not offered at Hampton Inn properties, even though this location offers suites. While I was hopeful I’d score an upgrade regardless, they put me in a standard room. Oh well!
I always appreciate the ability to check in early, which the hotel had no problem accommodating. My flight landed at DCA around 11:00AM, and I made it to my room just before noon, three hours before the official check-in time.
My Room at Hampton Inn National Harbor
I was assigned room 1110 on the 11th floor. My room faced the parking garage behind the hotel. My room was high enough that I had a decent view of the surrounding area.
I had a standard Hampton Inn-style room with a King Bed. It seemed like parts of the hotel were remodeled relatively recently, which included the look and feel of the guest room, but they didn’t renovate the bathroom much.
Overall, I my room was spacious and I didn’t have any complaints really other than the bathroom feeling a bit out of date.
My room’s bathroom was spacious but something felt a bit dated (especially the shower):
Here was the view from my room:
It was nothing to write home about but it wasn’t bad, either. You could see parts of National Harbor.
Dining at Hampton Inn National Harbor
Just like other hotels of this caliber, there are limited dining options onsite. Hampton Inn National Harbor offers a free breakfast buffet in the morning and there are light snacks and refreshments available behind the front desk.
There are several restaurants within walking of the hotel, though. The closest are:
- Cadillac Ranch
- Public House National Harbor
- Brother Jimmy’s BBQ
- Bobby McKey’s Dueling Piano Bar
- The Brass Tap
- The Irish Whisper
There is a Starbucks inside of the Westin Washington National Harbor, which is a short walk away, along with a coffee shop inside of the Gaylord National Resort complex that also serves handcrafted coffees.
Amenities at Hampton Inn National Harbor
Hampton Inn National Harbor has everything you need for a quick business trip. Coin-operated laundry, a gym, and a pool are all on the first floor of the property. They sell laundry supplies at the front desk.
Summary
Hampton Inn & Suites National Harbor is a great choice if you need to attend an event or conference at Gaylord National. It is directly across the street from the conference center, and may even be more convenient than staying directly at the Gaylord. The hotel seems to be recently remodeled and my room was relatively spacious, but the bathroom could have been remolded while they were at it. Overall, I enjoyed my stay there and would choose the hotel again, given I’m a Hilton loyalist.
Have you stayed at Hampton Inn & Suites National Harbor? Add your experience below!
