POV

So coming here has been on my to-​do list for a while since moving to DC. I’ll keep this short and to the point. Came here on a Saturday night.
(1) You don’t really get access to the beautiful view if you don’t pay for a table. But in the second room you can snap a picture from behind the barrier to get the Washington Monument in the background.
(2) The little crevices where you can see DC and some of the Washington Monument/​White House are usually infested with people trying to do the same thing as you.
(3) Very strange mixture of people. Some very dressed up, and some very not. Some older, some young. Some old married couples, and a couple of bachelorette parties.
(4) Paid $ 5.50 for a Sprite, and another $ 5.50 for a Coke which were both essentially a cup of ice.
(5) Service is terrible. Bartenders are in their own world and literally have to wave them down for about 3 minutes to get their attention. Charged me for shots I never ordered. Took another 3 – 4 minutes to wave down the second time to get him to fix the bill.
(6) DJ transitioned songs like it was his first time DJing. Terrible. Song selection was at times to my taste though.
(7) Long line to get in.
Honestly, the view from the street was more worth it to me.
The end.

Fabulous view at the POV! W hotel is in a prime location. The pepperoni pizza was delicious. The perfect snow day escape.

The POV lounge at the W is only cool if you’re hosting tourist, having a private party, or just to do as a one off thing to see the great view or White house up close.
Getting up to the lounge especially during the summer or during late night hours is a pain since you have to be ushered to the rooftop. The ushers can be quite rude, and obviously hotel guests take priority.
Drinks are pricey. I know that were in DC, but paying 17 $ for a glass of wine that costs 7 $ for the entire bottle is a little excessive. The small plate options were tasteless. We ordered the duck quesadilla and roasted chicken wraps… I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between duck (which should be rich, succulent, and a bit sweeter) compared to the chicken… it was all just sort of poultry. The quesadillas which were really just like a fried corn tortilla stuffed with «duck» were fried, and very greasy.
There was really a mixed group of people here on my last excursion. There were people with babies changing them on tables, tons of tourists, and then some locals peppered in who were trying very hard to be vogue.
I did go to a friends private party here with bottle service and our own section of the bar. This was very nice as we were separated from the touristas, but all the food we were served was still mediocre for what the POV lounge tries to make itself.
Its a nice place to come… like once…

We came during the winter, so the rooftop is enclosed with clear tarp. I bet the view is awesome during warmer months! Definitely worth a trip to the top if you’re in the area… and not afraid of heights.

Overall, my trip to Washington D.C. was filled with 5-​star experiences. The food, AirBNB, sights, and museums were all spectacular representations of D.C. and the United States.
POV was an unfortunate outlier in this experience. We came to this bar on recommendation. Evidently, the view was supposed to be amazing. I will say that the view was very nice. It was about midnight when we went, so everything was dark. However, I could tell that the view would have been much nicer during the day. It overlooks the Treasury, White House, Washington Monument, and other sights. The view was the only thing worthwhile about this place.
While people watching in line, a bad feeling came over me. Some stereotypical bros were using their «connections» to cut the line. These guys reeked of pretension, desperation, axe body spray and their daddy’s trust fund. I should have left the second I heard these guys start talking. I ignored this conversation and my group went to the rooftop.
We were immediately greeted by a half-​empty rooftop bar, with musical remixes from such lyrical geniuses such as Soulja Boy, Big Sean, and Nicki Minaj — three names that are RIGHT up there with Bob Dylan and Carol King. I LOVED that they played this Nobel Prize Winning music SO loudly that the floors shook, and I had to yell and scream to my group who stood less than 4 feet away from me.
This was an attempt at written sarcasm, how did you like it?
In all seriousness, the «music,» was only part of the overall problem with this bar.
They had heat lamps on, and turned up far too high. It was unbearably hot inside the bar, especially with everybody standing in the middle of the bar and not sitting. This made it impossible to maneuver through the bar, as it was exceptionally overcrowded in the primary walkways. I was looked at like I had two heads when I uttered the phrase «excuse me,» as if no one has ever said that to them before.
The fact that the bar floor was so crowded was weird, because 15 tables were completely unoccupied. Yes, I COUNTED 15 tables that had a «reserved» sign, but no one sitting at them. It’s not like it was 7pm and the bar just opened. It was midnight. Were they expecting a influx at 1am? Not likely, since the bar closed at 2am. Bad business practice? Pretentiousness? Hazardous? A little bit of all three?
I didn’t interact with the servers and staff, as I didn’t feel like spending $ 8 for an Amstel Light, so I cannot attribute any personal experiences to the service or staff. Based on other reviews, it’s probably a good thing that I didn’t interact with them at all.
I did, however, bear witness to some rather sad patronage of this bar. On one hand, you have the 20-​something crowd. This crowd was filled with stereotypical bros with their daddy’s credit cards and their scantily clad female counterparts. On the other hand, you have the 40-​something crowd, mostly male, wearing off-​the-​rack suits to appear rich and try to hook up with the 20-​something girls.
Combine all of these attributes, and my experience at the POV was a staggering black-​hole on an otherwise five-​star vacation.

POV w/​POS service. That pretty much sums it up. The W has a reputation for being excellent with its «Whatever. Whenever» policy, but that definitely doesn’t extend to the rooftop bar, POV. In fact, you will be lucky if you just get what you ask for.
We went the night of ¹²⁄₂₆ to celebrate my birthday and were told that we could have sit at a table as long as we didn’t have any more people than eight. Since we were only having 5 to 8, we took them up on it. The second we hit eight though, they were trying to make us get a bottle — which we would have done if we had already been buying drinks for more than hour. We would have done that to begin with. My husband told the waitress that that is not what she said and she got one of her peers (not a manager) to try and tell us differently. In the end, two in our party left anyway because they were so uncomfortable.
After that, another two tried to pay for their drinks as they were leaving earlier than the remaining four which included myself. The waitress rudely refused their payment saying «I’m not doing that,» and when they inquired as to what she was referring, she curtly answered, «I am not splitting checks!» and then stormed off. Seriously? Did you not realize you would have gotten a bigger tip if you did? Plus, again, this was not a «table/​bottle» situation EVER, so what her issue was, I am not sure.
My fabulous husband and great friends kept me insulated from our disaster of a waitress, so I missed all of this in real time. But afterwards, when they told me, I was appalled! I would have made us leave on the spot had I known (perhaps why they didn’t tell me). POV has an undeniably great view (hence the reason I can’t just give this place one star), but the horrible waitress ruined what could have been a great night. I doubt I will be back. There are too many places in DC to pick from to be fooling around with this nonesense.

AMAZING ROOFTOP BAR! Located at the top of The W with a view that overlooks the majority of DC and it’s surrounding area, this is the perfect place to meet, drink, or sit and think. The bar and seating/​standing room is narrow, rectangular, and while it is an open air covered balcony type area, there are clear wind coverings that control temperature without compromising the view. Stocked bat, friendly staff, competent and creative bartenders, an incomparable atmosphere.

Terrible service & prices but it’s all worth the view. Décor is pretty neat, though I wish it had been warmer and we could have done without the screens. When they turned on the outdoor heaters it REALLY smelled like gas in there — not sure if it was not broken or what. If you’re in town for visit and don’t mind shelling out $ 15 for an average cocktail, it’s worth sitting up there to enjoy a sunset over DC.

Great view. Overpriced. You’re paying for the view. The ambiance is nice, with an air of pretentiousness. I had a great time here, don’t get me wrong, but I think my enjoyment of it had a lot to do with having a reserved area and bottle service. I danced all night. I think if I just came just to have a drink, I’d leave after that one drink and say I’ve done it.

I loved wrapping the end of a busy workday with a (pricey) cocktail, overlooking the beauty of DC.
Our drinks were good (I had the strawberry lemonade and a hibiscus martini), yet a whopping $ 15 each, which, while not a surprise, was still a bit high. Luckily, we were able to intrude upon a gentleman who was seated at a table for four, playing with an ipad – otherwise, we wouldn’t have had a seat at all.
The view is incredible, and the drinks were decent… if you go, you should go for the view. Nothing stood out about the service or setup – the gorgeous panoramic view of the city is what earns all of the stars here.

Overrated doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Friend made reservations for her birthday here while in town. Online reservation indicated a $ 225 deposit for the table which she was fine with but when we arrived we were told by the waiter there was a $ 750 minimum. It was 10:30pm and they closed at 12:45am so that wasn’t going to happen since there were 4 of us. Eventually spoke to the manager who moved us to another table and agreed to use the $ 225 deposit towards our balance. No problem.
The problem that I had with POV is that it remains open solely because of the view. The DJ on our Thursday night had ADHD and played portions of every song. The floor is made up of large slippery tiles where your heels get stuck if you attempt to dance. The drinks were either too sweet or too bland. After ordering two ridiculously sweet drinks (a mojito and something else) I switched to gin & tonics.
POV knows it doesn’t have to try and no matter how many crappy reviews people write, people will still visit because of the view. So I’ll just add my review to the masses in hopes that it’ll save another poor soul his/​her money.

A great rooftop lounge in DC with mind-​blowing views!
The bar gets pretty crowded especially during weekend nights. The lounge has gorgeous views of the city, Washington monument on one side and the White House on the other end.
Came here to get a couple of drinks and had a great experience. Will definitely come again during my next visit to DC.

If you only plan on visiting this establishment for happy hour, I highly suggest that you go somewhere else and save yourself some time OR arrive super early.
I was forewarned that this place was difficult to get a table on the rooftop terrace even if it’s just for drinks. However, my friends and I wanted to check it out, so we went anyway. I arrived at 5:30 pm on a Friday evening and this place was packed! There was hardly any room to move around. I asked guest service how long it would be before we could get a table for six and was told it would have been forty-​five minutes to an hour. We waited for a couple minutes and noticed that other people who came after us were being seated right away. Apparently, you only get reserved seats if you are a guest at the hotel.
We ended up going to the Pinea restaurant that was on the first floor. You can always reserve tables on POV website, but personally I think the price is excessive especially that there is a minimum table charge. The ambiance is modern and classy, so I suppose this justifies the heavy price tag.
Overall, I would not recommend POV for happy hour, especially on Friday evenings if you’re looking hangout and carry conversation; but it would be a really nice place to have a great time at night since they do operate as a nightclub as well.

Stopped by for a drink after work on Monday. No happy hour specials, and drinks were in the $ 12-​$ 15 range. Not bad considering the view and environment you’re getting, but also not great. The view itself is very nice, although you’re really just seeing the roofs of the surrounding buildings and about ¹⁄₅ of the White House.
Service was okay. We asked to open a tab and were told that we couldn’t because they were changing shifts. I understand the need to do so, but telling people they aren’t allowed to start tabs at 5:30pm just seems like bad business. We likely would have stayed for another round if we hadn’t already paid for our drinks.
I thought the experience as a whole was okay until I went to the bathrooms. Out of the 5 – 6 stalls, 3 of the toilets were unflushed and messy. Then at the sinks, there was no soap by my sink, so I had to awkwardly lunge across the woman to my left.
I could normally deal with a less than ideal bar experience, but this is a W hotel and I’ve come to expect a much higher level of quality and service from them. Would only return if out of towners really wanted a bar with a view.

The only thing this place has going for it is the views. We stopped in for a drink at the bar to find a pretty rude bartender. For the hefty prices of the drinks, I expected the drinks to be better and the service to be even better.
Maybe we would try it again the next time we are in town, but who knows with all of the other places around.

We went on a weeknight around 5:30pm and it was already packed with no tables available. No happy hour, though other reviews had mentioned one. Nice views of the skyline and the White House. It was warm outside (May-​ish), but they hadn’t taken down the plastic ‘windows’ so the patio wasn’t exactly open air.
They had an ok offering of beers from the East Coast (Dogfish etc) and some from DC for ~$ 6 – 7. Cocktails were pricey due the swanky, prime location, but for a pre-​dinner drink and great views, this was a perfect choice. Sitting in the bar area facing out to see the view — nice for relaxing with friends.

Love myself a swanky place with a great view, but holy shit, I am not a fan of the crowd here. So sorry if this pertains to you, but the people that go here are a tad snooty and have that «I am the king of the fxcking world, bow down mothertruckers» vibe to them. I understand that a place that serves 14 dollar craft cocktails will spawn such people, but can’t you just slow your roll?!?
Even the bar tenders promote such ugly behavior with their who do you work for and what brand is your purse questions. Not all of them are like this, but I have heard this before. If you go here, just come for the view and I guess 1 over priced drink if you really must, but this ain’t a turn up kind of place. The dance floor needs to step up their music choice. Just because you are a rooftop bar, doesn’t mean that makes up for crappy music!

If I was writing this review simply based off the view it would be a 5+ star rating! The view is really one you need to see for yourself. I don’t think pictures or descriptions will do it justice! It is absolutely wonderful and is a great reminder that we are in the Nation’s Capital. (Sometimes it’s easy to forget what a powerful and beautiful city DC is!).
The only large drawback is that it is not cheap my friends! I bought two drinks and ended up with a tab that was a bit shocking at first. However, I have to assume you are paying for the view?
I don’t think the price is something to keep you from coming here because the view really is worth seeing! I came here on a weeknight and loved how chill it was. I know there was talk of POV having a dance floor on the weekends, but I’m not sure I would want to come back for that. I will, however, be back for drinks and the view soon!

Point of view has a beautiful open backdrop to the beautiful city known as Washington, D.C. You can look out and see the monument that is surrounded by rows of lit up American flags. It’s definitely a patriot reminder of the nation’s breathtaking capital.
Aside from the breathtaking view, the restaurant turns into a night club/​lounge during late hours. The club is never too crowed which I appreciate.
I come here often, and my friends decided to throw my bacholeette party for me at point of view. The table service was a bit sloppy. I think they need to offer their staff a bit more training and a bit more organizational skills in regard to their table service protocols. The grey goose came out chilled and the bottles came out with a flashy sparkler.
The music is always upbeat. It’s a lot of fun. I do have to say that I have never stayed here the whole night. I even left early for another club on the night of my bachelorette party. The atmosphere gets dull pretty quickly.

A few blocks from the White House and other DC attractions, the W is a must after doing some sightseeing or for residents looking to wind down and have a drink. There’s something special about watching a sunset over the Washington monument. It’s also a nice setting to put on a pair of heels for a night out with the girlfriends looking to have a few cocktails.
By far, one of my favorites in DC, I’ve been here a bunch of times and the view is one of the best in the district. Their service has always been great. Their drinks are good though a bit overpriced.

It’s not cheap but it’s worth it. The view is amazing, having great drinks looking over the White House is an unique experience. The staff is amazing! Loving this place, highly recommended ! Not a place to eat, they do serve food but their main thing is the bar. So come here ready to drink!
The ambience music can get irritating sometimes, specially if you just want to chill and enjoy the view but again, it’s worth it!

The rating is for the view. The rooftop brags about having a view of the White House. This reminds me of going on vacation at the beach and getting «Ocean view» when you expected «Ocean front.» You can see the White House and the view is amazing. You just can’t see all of it.
The rooftop view is incredible. I was lucky enough to arrive before sunset recently. I took some nice pictures before the sun went down and of the city at night. It was wonderful. If the plastic protective covers are down, your «view» won’t be as nice. It is like trying to take a picture through a clear shower curtain. If you ask the bartender to move a section or two, they will. When the weather is nice, all of the coverings are out of the way.
There is an excellent view of the Washington Monument, the Treasury building and the Elypse. If you are inside the other bar, you can see spectacular views of the Washington Monument with planes flying by. It is worth a visit.
The drinks are overpriced. There isn’t much of a food selection. It is more practical to come with friends for drinks and go somewhere else for dinner.
I have visited on my own where I felt «unworthy» of sitting at a reserved table and at a private event where I was treated like a Diva. The back bar area is worth entering just to see the view. Make sure you have your conversations before you enter (or bring cue cards) since you won’t be able to hear everything.
I would suggest arriving early before the terrace is so crowded that you can’t enjoy the view. The city is beautiful from this level. If you need a special place to share good news (or bad news, since no one will know what you actually said), impress out of town guests or just get lost in thought, POV is the perfect place. Plan ahead. You may need a reservation.

Bar tout en haut de l’hôtel W: prenez l’ascenseur, montez au dernier étage, l’expérience vaut le coup ! Bön DJ à l’œuvre, vue imprenable sur la Maison Blanche, service agréable, clientèle intéressante à l’œil… En hiver, des cloisons en plastique transparent et des chauffages d’extérieur permettent de profiter de la terrasse, qui j’imagine doit être encore bien plus agréable en été.