This spot had some definite pros and cons. Overall, we probably wouldn't stay there again. If you need a basic room in a great location, only bring 1 bag with you that you can carry a mile after parking far away, and need no extras at all- it may work well for you. But for over $200/night, we expected some basic comforts that were easy to provide and just overlooked.
Pros:
- Location! The location is great. It's walkable to everything Dupont Circle and right by the metro. Scooters are available all over to rent and there's tons to do within walking distance.
- Character. The place is old and has character you wouldn't find in modern buildings. Details on ceiling/trim are gorgeous, old doors, wood floors, bay window- everything is quite pretty.
- Customer service. During regular hours, they were very responsive. They answered my questions about parking and gave us some tips on how to find some, which were appreciated. We had a thermostat that wouldn't move past 65 and the customer service did offer us a new room. Unfortunately it took about a day for them to send someone and then make the offer when there wasn't an easy fix, and we were checking out the next day since it was a short trip. Still, the offer was very appreciated and the staff are good and responsive, despite being fully remote.
Cons:
- Misled expectations. The biggest issue we had was the false level of expectation given by the write-up. We thought we'd have typical amenities and that wasn't the case. The app we were asked to download asked my comfort zone temp and music preferences. We thought we were about to have a room pre-heated to our preferences with chill music playing as we walked in the way this thing made it seem. Instead, we walked into a room that would not heat past 65 degrees, barely warm water, and no extras at all to make for a comfortable stay. The write-up even despite the app made it sound like there would at least be hotel-style basic, but there were not.
- Parking. The write-up makes it seem like there is parking affiliated with the spot, but there isn't. Those familiar with DC may understand that paid parking garage means no parking at all, but we aren't from here, so we didn't realize we'd be completely on our own to find parking and that it would be way too far away to load in or out from our car. We luckily had 2 people, so one person was able to carry a load in while the other circled the block 4 or 5 times to get our stuff in (& same procedure to leave), but if you were traveling alone, you'd really be in a pinch if you had more than 1 small bag with you.
- Amenities. There are no things in the room available to you except a bed, towels, minimal amounts of shampoo/soap, toilet paper, a few cups. There's a kettle but no tea. There's no coffee or pour over. No utensils. No bottle/wine opener. The things you'd expect from a typical hotel room or airbnb and the small touches that make airbnbs so awesome are not here.
- Heat/Water Heater. We visited in the winter and it was cold out. The thermostat wouldn't move past 65. I think this is a fluke since they said they'd send someone to check it out. There's a space heater but it isn't very warm. It took over 10 hours to move the temp to 70. I'm incredibly cold natured so I had a very difficult time being comfortable enough to sleep because the room was so chilly. The water heater is also really lacking. My guess is that there's 1 water heater for the entire place (4 rooms or so) and/or that they have it set down to vacation mode or something under regular temps. We tried to take a bath in the clawfoot tub that is so pretty, but the water never got even warm enough to make it happen (plus the tub's paint is peeling on the bottom which is pretty unsettling). A 2-minute shower even ran out the hot water even at non-peak times of the day. For a room that was already cold, this was a pretty miserable bonus.
Overall, we felt like it was overpriced and overpromised. But the location cannot be beat, so if that's what is most important and you pack accordingly knowing these things ahead, it could be great. I think staff should re-write the description to really set people's expectations more so they can plan ahead to make this room work better for them. I'd have been happy to bring a pour over, coffee, and a wine opener- and packed fewer shoes and clothes to carry in- if I'd only known a little more ahead of time.