My girlfriend and my son stayed at the Hotel George in November. The hotel was excellent, the staff friendly and helpful. Great location, 5 minute walk from Union Station. 5 minuts from the Capital and about 10 minutes from the Smithsonian. Great deal on the price of accommodation as well. We will definitely be back

My husband travels extensively and is very picky. I chose this hotel because we were traveling with a baby and wanted something close to Union Station (thank heavens, since we were 3+hours delayed on Amtrak, and arrived exhausted). It was great to be a couple of blocks from Union Station. The hotel staff were excellent. The room was very nice - great bed, and lovely linens. The new crib was all set up upon our arrival. The restaurant next door is owned by the same owners as Vidalia (a superb restaurant), and this restaurant is also terrific. French and perhaps a little rich, but lovely. We stayed on the E Street side and didn't find it too noisy. I generally think that if you are staying downtown in a city, you have to expect noise. Overall, this is a very good hotel and I would stay here again.

I chose this hotel following other reviews and ratings. Staff was courteous and helpful, and the room was nicely decorated and comfortable. There was a complimentary wine tasting, and an adjoining french restaurant which was crowded. In the lobby was the aroma of french food, which was much to my liking. I used the steam room, which was nice at the end of the day, and though small, it was sufficient. Each room had a large TV, interesting magazines, and a DVD player. There was also free high-speed internet access, which made it easier to work in one's room. The turndown service from housekeeping was a nice added touch, as was complimentary shoeshine, and two newspapers at your door in the morning. The bathrooms are marble, with a separate shower stall and separate bathtub. This was my first experience at a Kimpton Hotel, and I would stay at this hotel again. The hotel is very close to Union Station, for easy accessibility to the Metro.

Overall I liked this hotel. I have a preference for boutique hotels as they offer a more interesting experience. Here are my Pros and Cons:
1. Location (1 block from gorgeous Union station) is a plus for those cramming in multiple site-seeing locations and not wanting to cab. This is NOT the location for those looking to walk out of their rooms and explore a fun neighbourhood.

2. Hotel and rooms- clean, very nice, nice bathrooms, great beds and cocktail reception is a good touch. Restaurant - very cosy, popular at lunch, excellent food, fairly pricey but not outrageous. As per the previous poster I was also surprised by the maid. Obviously thrill seekers ;-) Hotel George... tell them to knock, count to 5 and then come in. NOT count to 5, come in and then knock.

WARNING - previous poster was spot on about the garbage pickup. (Although he was 7 minutes off the arrival time ;-).
I had taken his advice and requested a room at the front, which was granted, but arrived early. Alas, only back rooms were ready (now I know why). The front desk sheepishly suggested the pickup was on Thurs/Friday - I was there Mon/Tues so I took it. Hmm I guess he had the days mixed up. Yikes it was loud. I am an average sleeper and you have been forewarned twice.

3. Staff: I've found that hiring younger/hipper staff has a trade-off in professionalism. If I'm not mistaken I believe that the concierge desk was manned sometimes by the concierge, sometimes desk clerk and sometimes bellman. That being said, the staff was courteous, helpful and very nice. Just don't expect to see the Clefs D'Or designation on their lapel. They found me a limo when there was a 1 day cab strike and proactively reserved my airline seats online and delivered the printed boarding pass (no charge) VERY nice touch.

Oh, as a previous poster mentioned, when they give you dinner directions they will send you to 7th, a 10 minute walk away. I must admit this is the first time a concierge has sent me to a destination in which I passed a drug dealer on every corner and 35 homeless people (Shelter is a block away). And why do they all have cell phones?
Hotel George, if you are reading this note that some people still get freaked out by this. At least give us a fair chance by suggesting we take a cab ride after dark.
Since I walked pass some law buildings at least I was guaranteed some good video footage had anything happened to me!

Summary: Although my review sounds negative it's simply meant to highlight the caveats. The hotel was nice, just keep these and other posters comments in mind.