# Wyndham National Harbor



## Don40 (Mar 9, 2010)

Has anyone stayed at the new National Harbor TS.  WE are planning on staying in mid April and would like any advice, as to parking and the Metro. I also wanted to know if there is a shuttle from National Harbor to Old Town.

TIA

Don


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## bsheets326 (Mar 9, 2010)

There is not a metro stop near National Harbor, however there is supposed to be a ferry that runs between National Harbor and Old Town.  I have stayed at National Harbor but not in the new Wyndham property.


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## islandguy (Mar 10, 2010)

*My Stay at National Harbor*

I just spend a weekend there in a 3 bdr.  They have a lot of procedures to work out.  The resort staff is just not ready for customers right now. 

Location is weak for getting to DC.  You have to have a car here.  So you pay $11 parking per day then you drive to DC or VA and pay parking and/or METRO after you pay to park at a METRO lot. 

Units are just OK.  Weakness is that Washer and Dryer are not in units execpt for the presidental units which are much higher in points. 

There is really nothing to do at National Harbor and the resort pool is very small.  

Overall not a good resort to go to.  Don't waste your time at this resort unless you only want a bed to sleep in.


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## Paumavista (Mar 10, 2010)

*We are also going Mid-April*

We found a really good $ week (and could NOT find anything at Alexandria where we wanted to stay).....so now we are set.  We know about the parking fee at the resort and we are planning to drive and park in Washington....(if anyone has any suggestions on that I'd really appreciate it....other than "don't drive").......we are a family of 5 and by the time I pay metro parking and tickets...it works out to be more flexible and cheaper to drive.  Can anyone recommend a good parking garage downtown near the "sites"....is there a business or hotel that will allow additional paid parking?

As for the resort........I'm really disappointed to hear that it didn't seem measure up.  I did think there was laundry in the unit so thanks for the update.  I'd hoped for a better pool where the kids could relax while we weren't touring......so I'l sorry to hear that as well.

Was the unit comfortable at least?....we have a two-bedroom.  Was there plenty of room?  It's got to be basically clean since it's basically new right? 
I will post a full review after our return...but any other review information you can provide would be appreciated.   Was there internet access in the rooms?  Plenty of dishes and pans in the kitchen?  Did they provide dishsoap, paper products (towels, plenty of toilet paper).  

thank you,
Judy


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## YeongWoo (Mar 10, 2010)

*Our stay at NH*

I believe I've posted some on this before so I'll check my posts later.  The transportation thing has definitely been commented on.  Personally, I didn't have a problem with the drive back and forth to DC.  The roads are real easy to follow but don't rely entirely on your GPS unless it's really current.  I never had  a problem finding parking.  You will have to walk once you find a parking space but you'll do that anyway.  

I stayed in a 2 bedroom and thought it was spacious enough.  We enjoyed our stay and thought everything was well done.  I'm pretty sure there is an outside pool that isn't going to be open in April and yes, the indoor pool is small.  As far as things to do, we spent all of our time on the mall or in Old Town.  You could be at either of those in 15 minutes.  Personally, I rather stay at the Alexandria location but I wouldn't dismiss NH.


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## bsheets326 (Mar 10, 2010)

I don't think you will have any problem driving and parking in DC.  The roads are clearly marked, and there is plenty of parking near the Mall.  Just look for the public parking signs.  

There are several restaurants in the National Harbor complex, but they are somewhat expensive.  I think they are geared more toward the convention crowd.


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## Don40 (Mar 10, 2010)

At one time I thought that NH ran a shuttle to Old Town.  I had booked Alexandria, but our school Spring break dates got changed so I had the wrong week booked and luckily got into NH.  I also got lucky and upgraded to a presidential unit so I have a washer and dryer.  This is definitely not my first choice, but will have to do as I have a tour of the White House scheduled which should be a wonderful experience for the family. 

I really do not like that we have to pay for parking at the resort as if seems that WYN should have had that figured into the construction of the TS units.

Thanks

Don


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## YeongWoo (Mar 11, 2010)

The shuttle is a water taxi I believe.  I'm not positive that it's in operation.  But everything looked setup for it.  I'm sure there is a fee for it.  IMHO it would be easier to just drive over the bridge to Old Town...

The parking is in an adjacent garage owned by another company.  Honestly you could probably park on the street next to the resort.  There are parking spaces but they are metered.


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## lprstn (Mar 11, 2010)

We went there, and I loved it. We walked to the restaurants, shops, bars. Also, you will need a car here. Parking is $11 a day, and there are no vending machines in the building. The rooms are really nice - heck - they are new! They have a game room but it's more like a wii room. My kids loved the room. The pool is small, but decent. There is also an outdoor / indoor pool. The staff is still new, and they were nice to us. It's not a hotel but compared to timeshares that I've stayed at - this one is worth the trip. There are other Wyn properties that you have to pay for parking. All of the hotels charge for it there. This is a high rent district so don't go if you don't have the extra money to pay for parking or transportation.  They also have several tour buses (that you have to pay for) that come and pick you up there.  The service I got was wonderful.

It is in Maryland. If you want to be where the action is, and easy metro access - chose Alexandria - Old Town.


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## Don40 (Mar 11, 2010)

I am excited to hear the resort is rally nice, and that the area is nice also. my concern with the parking is access to the Merto,  at Old Town you can just walk to the Metro and be on your way.  Driving to the metro station requires a Metro parking pass as they do not accept credit cards.  I really did not want to drive in DC as traffic is horrible and Spring break makes life even worse.

Thanks for the input on the resort and parking options.

Don


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## Timeshare Von (Mar 11, 2010)

Isn't it over in Maryland?

That alone makes it worthwhile to stay at Old Town Alexandria instead!


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## Don40 (Mar 13, 2010)

I Would agree on staying at Old Town, But reservations are difficult to get as the demand is so great especially for Cherry Blossom time.  I had reservations but made them for the wrong week of our Spring break, but looking back I should have placed the unit up for rent before I returned it to inventory.  I always want a member to benefit before to general public.

Don


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## belfry (Mar 18, 2010)

Don40 said:


> Has anyone stayed at the new National Harbor TS.  WE are planning on staying in mid April and would like any advice, as to parking and the Metro. I also wanted to know if there is a shuttle from National Harbor to Old Town.
> 
> TIA
> 
> Don



I had a fantastic stayed at Wyndham National Harbor from March 14-18. I had a beautiful and spacious one bedroom deluxe. I was travelling with my 8 year old son, so one bedroom and sofa bed was adequate.  There is a laundry room with washers and dryers on every floor.
The only vending machines I notice were in front of the laundry areas.  I only saw soda machines not snack machines. There will be a CVS store opening soon.  How soon I do not know.  However, you can drive the 6.5 miles to a Target store for groceries. There is also a Walmart  that is 7 miles away. The Gaylor Hotel across the street has a small store.
Upon checking in you will receive a parking validation ticket for entry into the parking garage that is across the street from the resort entrance. You pay nothing ahead of time. At the end of your stay is when you pay for your parking tab at the front desk during checkout time.
As far as transportation is concerned, there is a tour bus($60.00) that leaves from in front of the resort daily at 9am that will take you to the National Mall and many other sites too numerous to name. This particular tour bus has a tour guide and you can get off the bus and see the monuments up close while listening to your tour guide. In this tour, everyone on the bus stays together as a group.
There are different tour buses($20.00) that leave from the Wyndham resort every hour on the hour that will take you to the National Mall and places beyond.  It operates from 8:00am to 8:00pm, everyday. Buses run in a loop, and stop at each attraction every 30 minutes. You can exit and reboard these buses as many times as you wish.  You will not tour as a group because people can get off at any stop that they want and then reboard at any stop you want.  You will have to show your ticket when reboarding. You will not have a tour guide with this option. This bus will pick you up from Wyndam National Harbor and take you back to Wyndham National Harbor.  
There is a Metro bus($1.45) stop across the street from Wyndham National Harbor. It is called - NH1. Take the NH1 bus to the Branch Ave Metro subway train station($2.50).
At the Metro subway stop take the green line train to L’Enfant Plaza.  Get off at the L’Enfant stop.  Get on the orange line going towards Vienna.  Get off at the Smithsonian stop. 
 There is a Water Taxi that leaves from the National Harbor Dock then goes to Alexandria, VA back across the Potomac River to the Gaylord Hotel Dock and finally stopping again at the National Harbor. From March 1 to April 30, the water taxi leaves every 70 minutes.  After April 30 the departure and arrival times will change. Internet service is free. I think most of us are familiar with Wayport_ Access. 
There is a wii room, an arcade room with at the most 6 games.  The games are NOT NOT free. Game prices range from .50 to $1.00.  There is a change machine in the game room.  There is a kid’s room with small toys, crayons, puzzles, small books, legos and TV.  It looks to be geared for 1-5 year olds.  There is a board game room. The computer room has three computers. The indoor pool is small. 
Belfry


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## belfry (Jun 25, 2010)

*[Deleted - duplicate]*

[Duplicate posts are not permitted on TUG - DeniseM Moderator]


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## atlantamom (Jul 19, 2010)

On the tour buses, are they good for the length of your stay, or just for the day?


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## BellaWyn (Jul 19, 2010)

*NH Parking & Transportation*

Generally you pay by the day for the tour buses but I think you can get multi-day tickets.  There is no way you can do the entire National Mall in a few days. Also, there are few places to eat at the National Mall so either pack food or plan on paying high prices and walking a long way for meals.

The Water Taxi goes from NH to Alexandria and you can even take it into Georgetown.  It's operated by the Potomac Riverboat Company and tickets can be purchased online 2-hours in advance of your travel times. You MUST schedule your return time if you are doing a round trip.  Or, you can walk to the kiosk near the waterfront (where you have to pick up your will-call tickets anyway) and purchase for the next scheduled departure.  It's about a 5-minute walk from the Wyndham or a little farther if you are getting tickets at the Gaylord Hotel at the south dock.

Parking expense has changed from $11 to $17 a day.  Wyndham does NOT own the parking garage so has no control over the fees.  If you do a 45-minute tour then marketing will pick up the expense.  Whether that's worth your time or not is another issue.  It's considered an urban area so having to pay extra fees for parking is not unheard of, regardless of where you are staying.

For TUG Members there are at least three (3) detailed reviews on this location in the resort ratings area. 

We had an 11-day stay at this location in late May and found the staff to be enormously friendly and helpful.  For our White House Tour we researched parking garages closest to the White House to determine which would be best for us.  You're going to queue up to enter for your tour from the East Entrance just off of 15th & E Streets.  Plan to wait in line because White House Security is less concerned about your appointment time than making sure everyone entering is "on the list."  Don't be surprised if your tour time shifts.  It's subject to White House events.  They combined three pre-scheduled tour dates into one on the day we went and the Secret Service staff we chatted with indicated this was not at all unusual.  Lots of school groups.  Once you get in though, you can stay as long as you want.


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## brego (Jul 20, 2010)

We just returned from a 2 night stay. I wanted to update some of the information that was provided by other posters. We found the units to be beautifully furnished. While the facilities are also nice, they do not seem to be large enough to accommodate the number of guests at the resort (During our visit the resort was full). The gym, outdoor pool, game room, etc. are very small given the size of the property. The pool was always packed with children and we could barely find a spot to stand in the pool to cool off.

I think it would be difficult and expensive to stay here without a car. For example, the water taxi to Alexandria is $25 round trip per person. Also, no convenience store to buy groceries and the restaurants are pricey.  We had a car and found it easy to get into Alexandria and D.C. Once in these areas we just parked on the street.

I also wanted to give a parking update at the resort. There are 2 options: park your car and leave it in the lot for $11 per 24 hours period (no in and out) or use valet parking (which allows in and out of the garage) for $17 per 24 hour period. This is a recent change I was told by the front desk. While there are meters on the street, they are in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with a charge of $3 an hour. Saw lots of meter petrol personnel out checking the meters. There are absolutely no other parking options we could find. This, to me, is a draw back of this location.

Overall, we enjoyed our stay and found the accommodations to be very nice but prefer the Old Town location.


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## Goofyhobbie (Jul 20, 2010)

brego,

Thanks for the report. It has been 43 days since the last review of Wyndham National Harbor in the Northeast Section of the TUG Review Resort Database.

Consider writing a review for the resort so that it will be available for other TUG Members who go to the Review section for the latest information about Wyndham National Harbor.


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## gophish (Jul 27, 2010)

There is a shuttle bus (not free, I think .75 or $1) that runs a route between NH and the closest metro station. From there you can catch the regular metro to downtown DC or anywhere the metro goes. That is how we got back and forth when we were there when it first opened. It worked out fine for us and we didn't have to worry about driving in or parking. 
As others have said the pools are small as is the gym. 
We found the staff to be very helpful. There are a few places to eat at NH and supposedly more coming.


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