"Good Potential"
Overall Score3.0/ 5
This hotel has great potential. It's small, so not a lot of people coming and going, though there is only one elevator. It does not have an accessible entrance. You have to be able to climb up to four or five steps in one go in order to get in. The parking lot is very small as well. It's not a garage, but there's a fence and a gate that gets locked. You can request access via the front desk if the gate is locked. I suggest parking along the wall of the building next to the lot so you don't have to give the hotel staff permission to move your car, as the other row of parking spots is two cars deep and you may end up blocking someone in. The furniture could use some updating, as it looks tired and worn. The pull out couch frame was inadequate and we found it was more comfortable to just put the mattress on the floor. There are no carpets, everything is marble tile or wood paneling. Our room had some stains on the ceiling that were pretty dark, so I wasn't sure if it was old water stains or actual mold. However, my allergies didn't act up, so it may not have been mold. It could use a fresh coat of paint, however. There was only one TV and phone, which is odd for a suite, but it was better not having a TV in the bedroom as the space where it would have been mounted would have created a problem and we would have been walking into the TV all weekend. Also, the faucet on the sink was loose and wobbly. There are 9 floors, but only 6 rooms on a floor. For a hotel that has no carpet, it's surprisingly quiet. As long as everyone keeps their doors closed, you can't hear the room parties if you're the type that likes to actually get some sleep during con. There's a full kitchen that includes a full size four burner electric glass cooktop, a full size fridge, plates, glasses, flatware and cooking supplies. Wall outlets everywhere, though we did have at least one that didn't work (we tried every switch in the room to see if it would come on, but nope). Tons of closet space, but not a lot of dressers and drawers. However, the closet systems had shelving included, so that made up for it a bit. They also actually left FOUR towels in a four person room. Most hotels leave only three, which can be frustrating if all of you are trying to take showers around the same time and can't wait for the staff to get you an extra towel. The doors inside the suite were all translucent glass, which makes closing off the space to block light extremely difficult. If you go to the bathroom at four am, you're going to wake up your roommates by flooding the room with light through the door. We had a corner unit, so there was tons of natural light in the bedroom area if that's something you like. The shower had a hand held sprayer, a square rainfall style head and eight wall jets to spray water everywhere. It was amazing after a long day on your feet. Just make sure the top two jets are pointed down if you're short, or you'll get blasted in the face! We had an issue with our toilet on the last night, but the hotel staff responded quickly and fixed it. They also tried to help with the pull out couch frame, but it was just not comfortable at all. They let us keep the mattress on the floor after that. The breakfast is only $6, but it didn't offer much. Mostly bread products like bagels and toast, pastries and cereals. No fruit or protein options, which didn't work out for our gluten free roommate and we ended up having to go out for breakfast anyway. I would have gladly paid up to $14 if they had added cooked meats and eggs and some fresh fruit and yogurt to the buffet. There aren't really any additional amenities, no fitness center, no pool and there's one vending machine in the bar. The lobby is very small, so definitely not a place to hang out. The hotel has high ceilings throughout and the doors are higher than average as well, so it's good for large cosplay props provided you can fit in the elevator. It does have free wifi, but the building is old, so they've installed routers on every floor and you have to sometimes switch networks to get the best service. Old buildings are terrible for wireless signals and I found that my cellphone didn't have a great signal in the room, either, for data. Also, the A/C needs an upgrade. The hotel felt damp and warm all weekend and we couldn't make it colder than 68F. DC in July is HOT, and, with those high ceilings and copious windows, a stronger A/C unit would have been a major bonus. Overall, they just need a nice facelift or refresh of the decor, furniture and paint and a few fixes and upgrades to the fixtures and equipment to make this hotel top notch for a con weekend (You know you're going to be too busy to use a pool or fitness center anyway). and maybe a bigger breakfast buffet.
Jessica S. (Individual traveler, booked 1 room), from
30-Jul-2019 Verified Review, stayed from Thu Jul 25 to Mon Jul 29 2019 at a $181.13 average nightly rate.