While attending The Freddie Awards, we needed a place to stay for one night near Dulles Airport, outside of Washington D.C. I had originally booked a night at the Hyatt Regency but I had a free night from my legacy IHG Rewards Select card that was expiring in a few months. This free night has to be used at an IHG hotel charging 40,000 points or less and I found a suitable hotel near the airport. Since we were only staying one night, we didn’t need more than a clean room and somewhere quiet to sleep.
I booked a room at the Crowne Plaza.
Crowne Plaza Dulles Airport
2200 Centreville Road
Herndon, VA 20170 US
The hotel offers a free shuttle to the airport. It leaves the airport at 15 and 45 past the hour and takes passengers from the hotel at 00 and 30 past each hour.
We arrived around 3:30 and the lobby was empty.
There’s a decent size work space attached to the lobby, which has cubicles as well as spaces suitable for small workgroups
There is also a large seating space with couches around a TV and fireplace.
We were told that we’d been upgraded to a 7th-floor room on the club level. To reach our room, we had to walk through the meeting rooms to the back of the property. There’s a separate elevator for the rear building. The hotel is made up of two towers and the rear one was several floors higher than the front one.
Our room was towards the end of the hallway.
Our view looked over the hotel and at the buildings across the street. However, we were removed from any road noise.
The room was quite large, with plenty of space. Even with a king-size bed and large dresser, there was extra room for a large couch.
The closet/minibar area was typical with a fridge and coffee maker.
The bathroom was average-sized, with bulk toiletries in the shower and by the sink.
Club Lounge
One thing I wasn’t expecting was a club lounge. Open to guests on the 6th and 7th floors, the lounge was open from 6 AM to 9 PM daily. There were several tables and two computers. There was also a large-screen TV.
In addition, there was a complimentary snack bar with chips, cookies, sodas, water and a coffee maker. We stocked up with several bags of Utz potato chips before we hit the road.
Fitness Center
Food Options
There’s a large grab-and-go section next to the lobby, with a self-checkout register. It was one of the most nicely marketed one of these areas I’ve seen at a hotel.
The hotel restaurant is a Houlihans, which has an entrance off the lobby, just past the grab-and-go outlet. In the evening, the bar was busy, but not crowded.
As IHG Platinum guests, we were provided vouchers for a free breakfast. There was a simple buffet spread provided. It wasn’t anything special but I’ve also had much worse.
Final Thought
The Crowne Plaza Dulles Airport was honestly nicer than I expected. The staff were pleasant and the property was up to date. It seems to be a part-business hotel with several conference rooms and work spaces and a part rest stop for airline crews. There were also families and solo travelers like us who needed a place to stay overnight near the airport.
Considering that I redeemed a free night certificate that cost $49 for the annual fee of a credit card, this was an amazing value. Getting an upgrade to a club room with lounge access and free breakfast were two other nice perks.
In a similar situation, I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again.
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1 comment
I wonder if you got the standard treatment at this hotel or if it’s an anomaly/bonus. IHG properties only have to give you Club Lounge access if you choose it for your milestone reward. IHG T&Cs state that lounge access isn’t included even if you get upgraded to a club level room, but some properties give it anyway (after all, an upgrade to a club room isn’t really an upgrade otherwise). Platinum certainly isn’t entitled to free breakfast, either, as that’s a Diamond welcome amenity choice. Regardless, it sounds like a good property for IHG Platinums/Diamonds, based on your stay.