Hello

Firstly, I want to say a big Thank You, to all those Fodorites who helped with my many postings regarding information on my recent trip from the UK to Washington DC. I am a regular of this website and always use different alias and email address, due to unfortunate accumulation of 'junk mail' which has made it's way to me via this site previously!

However, the information I glebed from all of those who responded to my many requests for hotel, transport and restaurant recommendations has been invaluable and I want to say how much I appreciated it and that I am grateful to those who took the time out to respond - you are all stars!!!!

We stayed at the Westin Fairfax - a fab choice, it made our stay! Great location, beautiful rooms and a hotel with a wealth of character.

The city itself is exceptional! Clean, friendly and compact. Our stay, as always when on holiday, was too short, but we will be back I am sure!

We flew with bmi (british midland) from Manchester - a great service!

I was dubious about the journey with September 11th in mind, but security from London and Manchester was extremely tight and reassuring!

My only gripes about the whole visit were the following:

Westin Fairfax - hotel bar in the evening had hostesses who were potentially 'glorified prostitutes', it completely clashed with the classiness of the hotel and was quite intimidating!

More seriously, security at Dulles appeared obviously slack, in comparison to that offered by the UK. This was extremely surprising and quite worrying!

All in all - a fab time. One more point - as we have made the effort to say 'up yours' to the terrorists by flying to the States, we hope you are going to start coming back to the UK, to show your support! Don't give in to them or they have won!

Thank You.

Millie, I was not one of the people who responded to your previous questions, but nevertheless I live in the Washington metro area and am truly happy you had such a wonderful trip.

However, I don't understand your statement that the "hotel bar in the evening had hostesses who were potentially 'glorified prostitutes.' What exactly do you mean? Were these women hotel employees who, by their behavior or the way they were dressed, made you think they might be prostitutes? Or were they paying customers whose behavior suggested they may have been prostitutes?

Honestly, I don't see how you can make a statement like that without explaining it. And I don't see why you'd draw such a conclusion when in reality there was probably no way you could be sure. The fact that a woman dresses seductively does not by itself mean that she's a "working girl."

Again, Millie, I'm glad you had a good vacation in our area, but that one statement in your post threw me.

Lynn, I think you're taking things a bit too literally here. I'm not quite sure what Millie meant, but who cares? She had a good time in our fair city, and that's all that matters.

Millie....give us a trip report.

Where did you go? What did you see? What did you like and dislike? Were you traveling with kids? Give us all the details!

Where is the Westin Fairfax located?

I am planning a trip as well and would appreciate all comments.

Thanks!!

Interesting post, glad you had a good time. The Westin Fairfax is a very nice hotel just one block from Dupont Circle. It has a long history and was a Ritz-Carlton unless a year or two ago. I have heard that they have a disco in there some nights which attracts those who like European disco milieu (some Europeans in there, also). I would not go with the guy who wanted me to as I don't care for discos, so don't know the atmosphere (he was trying to entice me by telling me it has Italian disco music!!! yikes, enough for me to stay away) I do wonder about the prostitutes running the hotel bar at Westin comment myself. Is this just a comment on their clothing style or did you see/hear them actually soliciting business? If they do have employees dressing a la Las Vegas or something, I agree, that is not so classy.

I would write a letter of complaint to the company, as it obviously bothered you enough for you to take note of it and mention it here as one of your two main gripes about your trip. I care what she meant by that as I think it's important since I sometimes recommend that hotel to others so I'd like to know about negative factors. People shouldn't write things on this forum if they don't mean them or don't want to publicize them or warn people about drawbacks of hotels. That used to be a well-known bar and restaurant even for conservative Republicans, but it has changed. The current restaurant is supposed to be known for a good Sunday brunch, and is more casual style (Cal/French/spanish something), and the bar also. The Cabo bar/restaurant is not now owned by Westin or run by the hotel, actually (the Jockey Club and Fairfax Bar were); it's a separate restaurant company running it so that hotel might be interested in knowing if it is reflecting badly on the hotel.

Hi and thanks for replying to my posting. I think my 'glorified prostitute' has been taken a little out of context!

Basically, I think it is possibly a culture thing - you know how reserved us English girls are suppose to be! I perhaps noticed this situation more, because it would not happen in the UK - only in 'gentlemen club' type bars, where women would not normally frequent.

Basically, the whole set up was as follows:

We ordered our drinks at the bar and then took them to our table. Very nice bar - cosy with roaring log fire and wooden panels with oil paintings - very olde worlde English!

We noticed a waitress with a tray, but the only thing which drew us to her, was her dress sense! She looked completely out of place - long peroxide hair, revealing blouse and skirt which without exageration was more like a belt! When she bent down, it was highly indignified and extremely embarrassing!

My husband went to order more drinks and the girl behind the bar (who was dressed very smartly and appropriately) was very rude and said she no longer took orders but the 'hostess' would.

A few minutes later, the hostess, very seductively leant over my husband, exposing the contents of her blouse and this went on for the rest of the evening.

It just seemed so out of character for the rest of the hotel and as I have already mentioned, more suited to a Gentleman's club! I felt sorry for this girl, because she probably would gain bigger tips, if she was less obvious!

As I have previously said, it is not the sort of thing that happens in bars in the UK., unless they are theme bars or men only clubs. Our days of the 'busty barmaid' are long liberated and women in this country no longer have to dress like this for work, unless it is a 'speciality', certainly not in a classy hotel like the Westin Fairfax!

This hotel is located in the Gay district and it was ironic juxtaposition to see how equality and acceptance is so much more forward in the US than in the UK., but how backward it was in its stereotypical 'barmaid'!!!!

I hope this explains things a bit further.

Our trip was however, fantastic - just love the city. You are all so friendly and accommodating. London has a long way to compete with your cleanliness - I know our buildings are much much older, but most of them are in desperate need of a good sandblasting!

Your service in restaurants is outstanding.

Strong Recommendations:
Krammerbooks - superb blueberry pancakes
Mimi's - great restaurant with singing waiting staff, very classy not at all corny!
Westin Fairfax Hotel - beautiful luxury appointed hotel - heavenly beds are just that! Shame about the bar maid though!

If I can help anyone just leave a question and I will try and help.

By the way, no-one answered my question - when are you coming to see us?

Hi again, Millie, and thanks for your clarification of the situation in the bar at the Westin Fairfax. That's really unfortunate, not only because it was so embarrassing but also because there are women out there who still think they have to behave like whores to earn a living.

Like Christina, I was interested in your comment because I'm in a position to recommend that hotel to others and wanted to be sure I wasn't sending someone into a bad situation, even if it was only in the bar and the rest of the hotel was fabulous. I really appreciate your taking the time to clarify--again, it's a shame you were exposed to that during an otherwise great trip. Come back and see us again!

As for your question, I'd love to visit the UK, if I can ever get my husband to agree to travel there with me. All he ever wants to do on vacations is go to Hawaii or Florida! That's fine, I love the beach, too--but I want to see Europe, and the UK is at the top of my list! I'll keep working on him!

Why did you people even have to ASK Millie what she meant about those cheap looking "bar maids?" It was perfectly CLEAR what she meant the first time: They were cheap looking harlots and very low class for the hotel atmosphere! NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!?!!!

Edward:

1. Your post is time-stamped 3:35 a.m., indicating that you're a loser and have nothing better to do all night long than to harass other people.

2. Both Christina and I made it perfectly clear in our posts why we asked Millie for clarification: we're in a position to recommend hotels to other people, and we didn't want to send anyone into a bad situation.

So, loser, get a life, and NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!?!!!

Lynn,

Relax a little. MAny who post at the wee hours of the morning are doing so from abroad. NOt saying Edward is that person, but chill a little. Not a good way to start your morning.

Chris, I don't need to chill; I am simply tired of people who post here and say things that have little or nothing to do with the topic under discussion. Posting for the sole purpose of ridiculing another person's question or comment is stupid, and Edward's post is a perfect example. So YOU chill, and while you're at it, mind your own business!

omigod lynn, you really do need to chill. and by the way, the point of boards like this is to not mind your own business...

Yes, "xxx," (how brave of you to use your real name!) the point of this board IS to mind your own business, at least when you're straying off the topic and not adding a thing to the discussion other than berating others who are in the process of carrying on a discussion about the original topic. Are you honestly going to tell me that Edward's point was rational or that it contributed to the topic at hand? Oh puh-leeze, give me a break! The fact that you'd defend such a moronic post speaks for itself. Really, get a life!

Babble on, Lynn, babble on, because it's quite obvious that's what you do BEST in life! Again, your original MORONIC (as you put it) request for an "interpretation" that was quite clear was actually the big WASTE of time on this baord, not my retort! I sugggest that YOU get a life and stop WASTING people's time with sophomoric questions!!!

Also, for you to be presumptuous enough to even have the foggiest idea as to WHY I'm even up at this hour (and there could be DOZENS of reasons, of course, none of which is any of your damn business anyway!) is simply another indication of your lack of intelligence and common sense -- naturally!!!

Hi

I'm going to jump to my true Fodorite friend's defence here and add, that I too feel there was no need for Edward to be so aggressive in his posting - infact his posting was totally unnecessary. I fully understood the request for me to provide further information, which was why I did!

There is absolutely no need on this site for aggressive attitudes or attacks on posters - this is a fabulous website and it is a shame that a small minority have to abuse it, basically because they probably have nothing better to do with their lives. They are obviously not 'travellers' because they are unable to interact with others in a hospitable and social manner - which signals them as loners. If this is the case then we must take pity on them - it must be a dire situation to be so bored and lonely!!

Let's just hope such people don't infiltrate this site too often, or it will spoil it for the rest of us!

Thank you, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Jr.! Now I will be as civil as I can be: I CAN ASSURE YOU -- THERE IS NO NEED WHATSOEVER TO TAKE PITY ON ME!!!