Had a 2-night stay here last Sunday - Tuesday.
Service
Very responsive to most requests (bowls and spoons for the cereal I bought from CVS, shoe shines, getting the car, wake-up and follow-up calls, etc.). I never felt like I was being a pain by asking for something, which unfortunately I do at other properties, i.e. the W hotels I've stayed at. Sole exception, next paragraph.
Platinum Recognition
Not good. This was the major problem at this property. I had made the reservation last year when I was still Gold. Lurker says that properties are provided lists of upcoming elite guests and their status. Evidently, this property does not pay attention to this information. There was no recognition at check-in. When I got to my room (*46), I noticed my keyholder said Gold.
I called down and asked if they had my Plat status. They said I was a gold. I said I was a platinum. They actually told me to call SPG and have someone call them. I felt that a property of this caliber should be expected to do the leg work for the guest on something like this. I said that I would call, and I inquired if a suite was available. I was told that none were available.
I called SPG. They said, well your reservation shows that you're a platinum, I don't know what they're talking about. I waited on hold a few minutes. Then the platinum concierge says she's called the hotel, they're updating my status, and they're "cleaning" a deluxe suite and that they'll call me to move me. SPG.com had shown select standard suites for sale, so I figured the guy's line was a ruse.
We were about to go to dinner, so I called down, the front desk clerk (very friendly about all of this, which was the redeeming factor), says that if we leave our bags in the room, they'll be moved by the time we get back. I said, "thank you for accommodating us," we left for dinner, and when we got back, sure enough, our bags had been moved into a nice suite (*00) overlooking Mass Ave, turned down with robes and slippers laid out.
Parking
Actually it's $42.56 per night because parking is taxed here. But it really is very convenient...
There is very limited meter parking available nearby. Actually, spots are not hard to come by at certain times of the day, but the no-parking hours (M-F 7-9:30 and 4-6:30, IIRC, I may be wrong) made the valet worthwhile. If you want to pay less, there are a few overnight garages in DC for $10-15, but it would either be a hike or a train ride.
Overall, the stay was great except for the hiccup at check-in. Honestly, if any of the other staff members we encountered had been manning the front desk that night, it might have gone very differently. And considering I got a great $144 prepaid rate on SPG (rooms were going for $369 for our nights about a week before we stayed), it was an excellent value.
I would stay here again, but if the same thing happens in the future, I'll be disappointed.