We booked this hotel because it had a kitchen. We're traveling with 2 small kids and eating out is impossible. Its about 4 blocks from the metro, 10 to 15 minutes walk. Next door was a liquor store and a CVS open 24 hours which had some basic groceries. The neighborhood is reasonable, not scary, lots of college students. But nothing much to eat or see until you walk 4 blocks north to Pennsylvania Ave. The rooms were very large and comfortable, and everything was very clean. Good number of cable channels to keep the kids engaged while we tried to make meals in the kitchen. Its an older hotel but in reasonable shape. Our complaints would be a loud heater system, no microwave, and only 1 pan to cook with. We had to ask 3 times to get them to give us more pans to cook with -- that got a bit frustrating. They did bring over a microwave after we complained, but the carousel didn't work. Still it was appreciated. Don't expect much service, the front desk was very polite but they don't appear to have an effective system to handle requests or problems. There are plenty of people at the front desk but none of them are interested in helping with your baggage. Trying to haul 2 kids and our baggage is an obvious challenge but no one was interested in helping. That's especially frustrating when you must climb 10 steps to get to the main hallway from the front lobby. The hotel is quite expensive, considering the age and location.

We will stay at this hotel again! It was an awesome rate, only blocks from the National Mall, with a great breakfast in the morning and helpful staff. The suites have a kitchen and wonderful 50's decor fixtures. Really great!

If you think this is a boutique hotel with all the service, décor, and comfort that that image implies, stop and adjust your perception.

The location of this property is it’s best aspect. A five-minute walk is all it takes to get to the Metro (subway), Washington Mall, and restaurants of all classes. These walks are safe at night due to the security afforded by George Washington University and the Monument Security provided throughout the Mall.

The cons that weigh against its great location include a limited number of service staff that result in long waits for services such as check-in and check-out. The kitchenettes and bathrooms are clean, but are filled with outdated, if not just old, furnishings. And the carpeting is a bit worn and was uplifting at places.

The beds were comfortable, but the central heating in the hotel was not turned on even though nights in Washington were dipping into the low 40’s during our stay. A ocmplaint to the front desk resulted in the delivery of a small space heater that was adequate for removing the chill from the air at night.

Overall, all the pros were good, but the cons were discouraging. An average experience.

Dan Villines
[-]
Laguna Hills, CA

hotel was amazing, clean huge rooms on suite and with kitchen. There is internet room down stairs (at a price) and a free gym which was empty so had could get on any machine. staff were extremely helpful and porter available for luggage. free news paper in the morning and restuarant facilities down stairs. location bout a 10 minute walk from the white house and close to all the bars in george town. got a very good deal on this hotel through the internet site otel.com

only real bad thing i can say about this hotel is there was no swimming pool