InterContinental The Willard Washington D.C. Reviews

My daughter’s wedding reception was at the Willard. From beginning to end they were amazing. Julia( Catering Director) and her team were exceptional and held our hands and guided us through the whole planning process !! It’s a beautiful and historical venue! We would choose it over and over again!

I would get married here ten times over if I could!! We just had our wedding here in February 2024, we did cocktail hour in the Atrium and then our reception was in the newly renovated Crystal Ballroom (we had approx 105 guests) and it was magical. The drinks and food were high-end and superb (sincerely, the cocktail hour food was delicious and the entree was the best meal I've ever had at a wedding), our cake was delicious and beautifully decorated, and the Crystal Room looks like something out of a movie/a european castle. Also, Michael Deltette was absolutely top-notch to work with--experienced, communicative, detail-oriented, and accommodating; he is a total pro. He went above and beyond to work with me and my wedding planner and make sure everything was absolutely flawless throughout our wedding weekend, and he really spared no detail in making me, my now-husband, and our families feel so special. Everyone & everything at the Willard is lovely, but Michael and his staff were truly exceptional and made me feel like a princess! Numerous guests said this was the best wedding they had ever attended, and that was no doubt because of the food, drink, and the incredible and historic venue. The Willard was a dream!

The Willard was a wonderful wedding venue, and we could not be happier with our choice to have our special day there. Julia was awesome to work with. She was on top of everything, made sure everything ran smoothly, and to our liking. She made sure that my husband and me had time to actually eat, take moments to ourselves, enjoy our favorite drinks, and feel stress free on the day of our wedding. The Crystal ballroom is absolutely gorgeous. The history of the hotel and elegant decor of the ballroom separates this venue from others in DC. Our guests felt this was the best and most historic venue in DC. The Willard exceeded all expectations. We could not be happier.

We held our small wedding of 25 at the Willard in the Crystal Ballroom. We worked with Eun and she was so accomodating and supportive as our plans changed a few times due to COVID. The evening went so smoothly, the food was delicious (our guests were raving about the scallops!!), room was beautiful and everyone had the most amazing time! The Willard ensured we had the wedding of our dreams in a safe beautiful space! We look forward to having a larger party next year in the same room!

Would highly recommend the Willard for any events, special dinners, or formal occasions.

I honestly get emotional writing about my wedding at the Willard because it was more beautiful and elegant than I had hoped and imagined it to be and I'm so grateful to the people there for giving me and my husband the most wonderful memories of our lives. From the moment we became their clients, they treated us like honored guests, with so much grace at all steps along the planning process. They were receptive, responsive, very amenable to changes and willing to work with our coordinator with everything from banquet options to to little itty bitty changes on our timeline. On the day of our wedding, my husband and I felt like royalty. Everyone - from the people who greeted us at the door to the wait and catering staff - was so wonderful to us, constantly checking up on us throughout the stay and asking if we needed anything. At the end of the night, the catering staff sent up sandwiches, popcorn, chocolate covered strawberries and a tiny wedding cake that was SO CUTE. I miss going to this place to check out my wedding venue - the Willard is so special to me now.

My wedding reception at the Willard was an absolute fairytale. All of our guests have nothing but glowing things to say about the wedding weeks later, which if you know anything about my culture is quite a feat, especially considering the vast majority of our guests had traveled from out of state and some out of country! From the very moment the guests walked into the hotel, they knew they were at an event of a different caliber. The venue is stunning and exudes class, glamour, and a timeless elegance. Long before people walked into the ballroom or cocktail hour space, they were blown away. A large part of the recipe to a great event is great food, great drink and an attention to detail and the Willard has that ALL covered. The staff at the Willard ensured that all the needs and desires of the guests were attended to and that the event flowed seamlessly.

The planning process was also reflective of this attention to detail and you truly get the sense that with every event that the Willard takes on they genuinely want you the host and the guests to have an amazing time which shows how serious they are about their dedication to service and quality.

You could say our event coordinator Eun Kim was my fairy godmother! She went above and beyond to address any concern I had and came up with creative solutions to things that I was ultimately needlessly worried about. She was patient with my constant back and forth when it came to making decisions on various aspects. In the end everything was truly a dream come true and I cannot say enough words to describe how fantastic of a day I had at the Willard. As we entered a our suite for the night all our personal items were collected for us and a sweet surprise was waiting for us! It was just a beautiful way to cap off a beautiful night. If you want a celebration that embodies, elegance, glamour, and sophistication look no further!

my experience was wonderful. Their venue is magnificent, their service team is A+, our day of coordinator Eun was great and the experience the day of was seamless. This was the best decision I made in planning my wedding.

Our wedding reception was held in the Grand Ballroom with 200 guests, the most elegant reception ballroom in DC, in our opinion! My husband and I stayed in the Calvin Coolidge (bridal) suite, which we thought was beautiful, spacious and spectacular! Our cocktail hour was held right outside the ballroom and it was just perfect. Our event coordinator, Eun Kim, worked until the wedding reception was complete. She is very result orientated. She is self-motivated and strives to complete all wedding reception tasks on time. She answered every single one of our questions and is a big-picture thinker. She continually seeks to meet all of your expectations for your big day! She worked tirelessly with our families at the initial tasting and trial-run for the dinner menu, until she finalized the complex menu and cake flavor/design. She was PATIENT and GRACIOUS with us - such a pleasure to work with the entire process! Even when I changed the seating arrangements and room configuration the week before the wedding, she didn't hesitate and was on it. From start to finish, the Willard ambiance, the hotel staff, the chefs, the valet, audio-visual team, banquet staff, etc. were accommodating and a pleasure to work with. Trust us and request to work with Eun Kim and your wedding vision will be achieved. Our guests felt this was the best and most historic venue in DC. Glorious room with world-class views, impeccable food, exceptional service! Eun is the absolute best! She replied to all of my emails within one day, she remained organized throughout the process, kept us ahead of schedule and was so thorough and engaged in the process! She puts in the care and attention of a family member and a member of your wedding party! At one point during the reception, she even located and brought me a little bag I had with my ballerina flats, so I could change my heels! The Willard is the best venue and customer service and all my guests were thrilled with their experience! Thank you to The Willard and Eun Kim for our perfect day!

Thinking back on our wedding reception at the Willard, the first and most important thing that comes to mind is the AMAZING service and hospitality of the staff. Of course, you've seen the photos: the hotel is stunningly gorgeous from the lobby to the ballrooms, guestrooms and everything in between. But when it comes to the big day, what matters most is the people!

Eun Kim, our event coordinator, was basically an angel sent from wedding planning heaven. She went above and beyond to ensure that we had everything we needed for the best day of our lives! Her warmth, patience and attention to detail was palpable in every interaction leading up to wedding and even afterwards. Her commitment to her work was reflected in the smooth operations of the event itself as well. Every issue that arose, whether big or small, Eun handled it with grace and professionalism. When our third-party day-of coordinator dropped the ball, Eun along with our photographer picked up the pieces. When my mother and family members ran into some issues, she not only helped rectify it swiftly but made them feel even comfortable while doing so.

Do yourself a favor and choose Eun and her amazing team!!!

Our wedding ceremony was here 8/18/18. It was BEYOND perfect. Paige made sure everything went completely smoothly and she is an absolute rockstar. From start to finish, the Willard took amazing care of us. No detail was overlooked or forgotten. They are amazing. <3

The Willard was the perfect backdrop for our July wedding reception in DC. Kalynne was fantastic and incredibly accommodating leading up to the wedding and was always there to answer any questions or concerns we may have had. We were able to book multiple areas of the hotel to host a cocktail hour and reception. The staff was professional and attentive in making sure everything went seamlessly the day of the wedding. We are so delighted that we chose the Willard for our wedding reception and look forward to going back for anniversaries to remember all the wonderful times we had that night!

A wedding at the Willard is, unsurprisingly, a five star experience. Depending on who your coordinator is in the months leading up will determine the responsiveness during the planning phase, but everyone is really professional and client-oriented. What I mean by that is that sometimes it might take a couple of days for certain coordinators to e-mail you back. Within the city, the value is five stars in that it will be extremely expensive, but it will be well worth it for the impressive service and quality. If you are considering venues outside the city, you will most certainly be able to have a nice wedding for much less, but we all know a wedding inside the city and blocks from the white house with stunning views of the monument will include a premium.

Every time I stood up to give someone a hug or do something during dinner, the staff would come wait by my chair to sweep my large train to a side when I sat so no one would step on it. That is not something I asked for, but their attention to detail is phenomenal. They sent up sandwiches and fries and wedding cake to our honeymoon suite at the end of the night which was so appreciated and again not something we asked for. The staff collected my bridesmaids bouquets which would otherwise probably just be lying somewhere and used them to decorate the cake table. They were constantly attending to us and our guests the entire night and finally orchestrated a flawless sparkler exit for us. Our wedding party was super impressed with the service when we were doing group photos and the staff brought out drinks and butler-passed bites from cocktail hour for everyone to enjoy. The staff brought out our signature mocktail to us during dinner so we could actually see the presentation and taste the drinks which we otherwise would have missed because we did photos. When we walked into our reception - the beauty of the room and the ambiance knocked us off our feet. If you can afford it, this is the place to get married.

My husband and I had our cocktail hour and wedding reception at the Willard and couldn't imagine a more magical place. We planned our wedding in 6 months and could not have done it without this venue. Paige was our Events Coordinator; she is a lovely person full of enthusiasm and ideas. She could not have been more responsive or patient with our numerous inquiries. Paige and the hotel staff guided our selection of a thoughtful menu and she was the single most important person in ensuring that our wedding day was seamless (she gave us poised suggestions for our wedding ceremony as well, which was at a church). The Willard is a beautiful site at any time, but during the holiday season, our guests were treated to the exquisite Peacock Alley. The entire hotel was decorated with classic-but-luxurious trees, wreaths, etc. Many of our guests chose to stay at the Willard for the wedding weekend and many noted that they could not have had a better time. Many thanks to Paige and the Willard staff.

My wedding was only 11 days ago and I cannot say enough wonderful things about the Willard and the team there! They were amazing! Although I worked primarily with Greta, Kalynne played a part at the beginning and they were both AMAZING! Every concern, question, etc. was answered quickly and in detail. There were zero surprises with billing, quality of services, or anything else. Not only were they wonderful working within our budget, but they made us feel like we had a $200,000 wedding! Everyone had only the best things to say! I would recommend this venue to anyone who wants to feel like royalty :)

One of the best decisions we have ever made was having our wedding at the Willard. We received the most exceptional service and the entire process was so seamless. We worked with Steele who is extremely kind and knowledgeable. She has such a great eye for detail and went above and beyond to make our day a dream come true for us. We can't thank her and the staff enough for everything that they did. They took care of us from the very beginning and we are so thankful to them. All the small, personal touches (e.g. sending up champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, club sandwiches, and wedding cake to our spectacularly gorgeous suite) did not go unnoticed. The food was out of this world - hats off to the Chef and his team for creating the most delicious menu for us. Wedding guests are still talking about amazing everything tasted. We are so appreciative for everything they have done for us and hope we can hold another event there in the future!

The Willard InterContinental was our first choice for a wedding venue and it lived up to our expectations in every way. Our guests travelled from around the world to spend the weekend at this beautiful and historic hotel and were beyond impressed. We had a Friday night dinner in The Nest, and held a 24/7 hospital room in Holmes and Hughes. Throughout the weekend we had the opportunity to host events in each of the different rooms in Peacock Alley, each one more magnificent than the next. We had our first look in The Breezeway, which was private and had great lighting for photos. Our pre-ceremony festivities were held in both the Crystal Room and Peacock Lounge, followed by the Ceremony in The Willard Room. We then moved the party downstairs for an incredible reception in The Ballroom. And for late-night, the hotel gave us the Pierce Room where we built our very own Piano Lounge. In addition to the incredible event spaces available, the staff at The Willard were first-class. Shout out to Kalynne McGregor for making our whole family feel like royalty. We feel like we are a part of a unique tradition of Washington love.

Choosing to have our wedding at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel was probably the best decision we made during the planning process. When we initially visited the Willard, we never imagined being able to have our wedding in a place with so much grandeur and history, while staying within our budget. However, Steele Stevenson, the Director of Catering, worked with us and helped us select a room for the ceremony and reception (the Crystal Room) and menu proposal within our budget.

After the initial meeting, we were then assigned a wedding specialist, Jennifer (Jenny). Jenny was absolutely AMAZING!! We did not have a day-of coordinator, but working with Jenny, we did not need one! She helped us create the wedding day timeline, including creating a timeline for the reception. She contacted all vendors leading up to the wedding, ensuring that they had everything that they needed and knew where to go. She organized the wedding party during rehearsal and the morning of. She was simply AMAZING!!

The day of the wedding, everyone was amazed with the hotel, its staff, the ceremony and the reception setup, and the food! Many of our family friends plan to return to the hotel in the future and we will definitely return each year for our anniversary. Everything was PERFECT! If we had to do it over again, we would not change anything.

There were few things that were as fun to say during the wedding planning process as the statement "I am getting married at The Willard." It is a Washington institution, rich with history, and it will be sure to impress both local and out of town guests.

When we were looking for venues in and around the area, my fiance wanted a hotel, and I wanted a historic mansion. In the Willard we were able to get both. All the convenience and amenities of an high-end hotel, with tons of character and charm.

Christina Canalez was our on-site coordinator, and she really made everything SO easy. We held our ceremony in the Crystal Room (so breath-taking and stunning), and our reception in the Willard Room - dark wood, rich columns, it feels like a grand old mansion. I can not say enough about how deciding on the Willard was one of our best decisions. While some of their options are for big budget brides, they worked with our budget and I would say exceeded our expectation in every way. And to be honest, for everything that you get as a Willard bride and groom, their prices are really quite reasonable.

Our contact was Christina Canalez, and she really made my life as a bride a breeze. I coordinated the wedding myself without a planner (however, I did have a friend who was invaluable resource the weekend of the wedding) - which worked out just fine as Christina is an expert with dealing with vendors - so I had no worries on wedding day.

Additionally, they customize so many details for you - down to the actual language on the menu.

If there were problems, I knew of none, and everyone who attended the wedding said they had the time of their lives. The food was delicious - our cake was absolutely gorgeous (!!!!), and staying in the Jenny Lind suite must be like what Cinderella felt like.

My new husband and I agree that we will be coming back to the Willard for anniversaries and other special events for our family. It truly is a magical place.

We was supposed to have our 9/8/12 wedding take place at a private estate on Kent Island, but just a few weeks prior to my date we received a letter in the mail from the owners of the venue that our wedding would be cancelled!! I was absolutely devastated!!! With about two weeks before the wedding we had to find a new church, reception venue and hotel for guest. My husband and I called almost every hotel, museum, banquet hall etc in DC and Baltimore but did not have much luck finding a space that could accommodate 300+ people on such short notice. As luck would have it we came across an AMAZING venue that happened to have availability and had the required capacity for our wedding event!!!

The Willard Intercontinental was absolutely THE perfect venue for our wedding!! The hotel is too gorgeous for words!!! I still can't believe how lucky I was to go from a cancelled wedding to having everything take place at the Willard. The Director of Catering, Christina Canalez, is just fabulous and dealing with her was such an awesome experience. She helped us get through a very difficult situation and I am so grateful to have crossed paths with her.

If you are considering the Willard for your wedding look no further! I'm telling you the high quality of service, exceptional location, gorgeous ambiance and timeless photos will not be found anywhere else :-)

We looked at many hotels in the area. You name it; we looked at it. We selected the Willard, because of its history and lovely rooms, and for its food and service. We actually planned to have a small wedding (80 guests), because we love the Crystal Room. They were able to flip the Crystal Room in less than an hour from ceremony to reception, and even though our decor for both were quite detailed (see http://blueskyfilms.com/films/brendaandjonathan/

Laure was our coordinator/catering manager, and we started working with her more than a year before the event. It was amazing how responsive she was via email and how attentive she was to all our needs. The Willard does not have "wedding packages", but we really got into being able to tailor our wedding. We were planned a Filipino-Jewish (Fewish) wedding, and we wanted the food we selected to reflect both cultures. Laure helped us go outside the menu options (e.g. filipino spring rolls, challah bread and rolls, etc.) and tried to keep to a somewhat kosher-style menu. The Willard also provided the wedding cake, and it was quite yummy. When we weren't quite happy with the selection, she was able to source other options for us, and the chefs were very kind and understanding. We think of ourselves as foodies, so our standards were rather high, and we wanted something more than just the average hotel food (and we've been to enough hotel events to judge). The Willard delivered, and the food and service were excellent.

We also had other events which the Willard organized and delivered beautifully. We started our wedding weekend with a Welcome Dessert Party in the Grant Suite. After our ceremony, we went to our bridal suite (the Jenny Lind Suite!) to have the yichud, which in Jewish weddings is a moment the bride and groom have alone and can share their first meal together. We had an afterparty at the Round Robin Bar, then when we wanted to party more, we took the remaining revelers to our bridal suite and were provided with food and beverage to fuel the party to the wee hours! The next day, we had our Farewell Brunch at the Cafe du Parc which had a wonderful buffet brunch for us.

In all of our wedding activities, the Willard excelled in food, service and organization. A couple of weeks later after the wedding, we were at the Willard for another event, and the staff even remembered us and were so kind and attentive, even though it wasn't OUR wedding anymore!

My husband is the most critical person I know, and he was appalled at the amount of time and money one can spend on a wedding. But after our wedding, he now says that he wishes that we could have such a celebratory event at the Willard every year!!!

The prices are on the high side, so maybe my rating for the value for cost should have been less, but because we were rather picky with our options for not only the menu, but the decor, organization of the events, etc., we think we did receive value for the cost.

Laure was the person with whom we worked and was absolutely the best fit for us. She paid close attention to detail. We had guests attending who required assistance moving about so Laure planned our location and set up based on their predicted needs (we had zero complaints and felt everyone got to enjoy every moment to the fullest without a struggle). She took copious notes when meeting with us to ensure our day would reflect precisely what WE wanted and she succeeded beyond my wildest imagination! She prepared a detailed plan down to the minute of what would happen when and where and who was in charge of that portion of the event, we could then see the day unfold and modify if needed - but she took great notes so we didnt' have to modify because she got it all right within a few meetings! The place was beautiful (we wed in the Crystal room which doesn't even need additional decorations really so that saves $ too), event well coordinated (people moved to cocktail hour and back without a problem), perfectly prepared and elegantly served food (white glove service - we were told it was the BEST chicken people ever ate and certainly best chicken at a wedding!), service fantastic, orderly, reasonably priced, perfectly executed event. We had our own personal staff member tend to our needs (food, beverage, assistance, napkin, etc) anything we might appear to think we may need, they would provide before we even had a chance to ask! We were escorted to and from our room (they gave us a ready room and we had a room the night of the wedding) so we never had to worry about getting lost, or wonder what was next because they lead us from event plan to event plan in such a way that we didn't even realize we were being lead. It was PERFECT! Thanks Laure!!!

Phenomenal venue. Steele Steveson provides personalized service for her brides and grooms and helps you create the wedding day of your dreams - no stress, no fuss, no problems. Highly recommended for brides who don't want a headache coordinating the details.

FIRST CLASS ESTABLISHMENT!! I would not change one thing from my wedding day. We got married on December 28, 2007 and the hotel was incredibly beautiful. The moment you pulled up in front of the hotel you were surrounded by gorgeous decorations for the holidays. The lobby was adorned with amazing Christmas decorations and trees and the hallways lit up with a beautiful glimmer. Our wedding & reception were held in the Crystal Room. The hotel did an amazing job of setting the wedding ceremony and creating a beautiful, warm, romantic environment. The hotel staff flipped the room in 35 mins for the reception. The room was AMAZING!! We had a beautiful combination of round tables and the biggest dance floor they could provide. The lighting was gorgeous and the hotel decor itself is breathtaking. We added lots of beauty with our florist and linens, but aside from that the room was breathtaking. The food was so delicious and the staff were friendly and unobtrusive. The night was so fluid. We didn't have to think about anything but enjoying ourselves. The wedding cake made by The Willard was quite a sight. All of our guests talked about our wedding for months and many said it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever been to.

It was a beautiful location, the food was great and the staff was very helpful and great to work with

We had a wonderful experience with the Willard. Our ceremony and reception was held in the Crystal Room, which has beautiful columns, crystal chandeliers and a very ornate ceiling. The cocktail hour was held in the Courtyard while the room was set up for the reception. The Willard is a first rate hotel and it shows in all of the details. Our catering professional, Christina Presock Canalaz, was wonderful to work with. We met with her several times to set up the menu and event schedule. She faxed me diagrams of the ceremony and reception table set ups. You can see them on our wedding website at www.weddingwire.com/wong. We had a wonderful tasting appointment that gave us a clear idea of what the service would be like at the wedding. The Willard did a beautiful faux cake for us - two types of cake (chocolate and strawberry) were served from sheet cakes. They did our monograms on each of the cake plates and garnished each plate with chocolate candy shaped like a bride and groom in front of a little screen made out of honey. Since we did our wedding on a Sunday, the Willard lowered the usual $15,000 minimum for the Crystal Room to $10,000 and offered the "Honeymoons on Us" promotion qualifying us for a free stay at one of their hotels. We also got a huge complimentary suite (the Abraham Lincoln suite) the night before the wedding and two day use rooms for the day of the wedding. We paid about $200 per person after taxes for the food. Very, very, very highly recommended if you can afford the Willard.