Must-stay! Gorgeous property, great location. This is one of my favorite AirBnB experiences. WhyHotel has ownership of a slew of apartments in an apartment complex in the Union Market/NoMa area, called Press House. The building is super new, and very hip. I felt like a local living in the lap of luxury while staying here.
I have to say, I was really bummed that we don’t have access to all of the building amenities. You only have access to the front door, the elevators, your room, and the fitness center. All other doors are locked. And they have a lot to offer! One of the things I wanted was to sit outside and work, but my key did not open the door to the courtyard garden, or the rooftop. I wish you could pay an extra fee to have access to the other amenities that this building offers. I am glad I booked a unit with a balcony, because that let me open the door and get fresh air, but also go sit out there and work a little bit. The balcony is very small, but has two chairs and a small table that you can put your laptop on and work. You don’t have much protection from the rain, if any, though, so I would save your money and book a unit without a balcony if you are going to be staying there when it’s raining. The window in the bedroom does crack open, so you can get a little bit of fresh air that way.
The apartment was super chic. It’s very basic as far as decor goes, but I actually enjoyed that about the place. It makes it seem bigger. The washer/dryer in the unit is fantastic. The bed is comfortable. The pillows are comfortable. The towels are soft. I loved the Apple TV, because it’s so easy to get started streaming right away without having to enter a whole bunch of login information. The kitchen has all of your basic needs for cooking and eating. The fridge is full size and works great.
WhyHotel Contacts you just about every day to check in on you. I ended up needing a sleeping mask because I was on the south side of the building, where they are constructing a new high-rise across the way, and that property has all of their construction lights on throughout the night. They’re sleeping mask is not cheaply made, so I appreciated that! You are staying in the heart of a city, so do you expect to hear some noise, and yes there is outdoor lighting. The curtains are not black out like you’d see in a hotel, so definitely bring an eye mask or ask for one, if you’re a light sleeper like me.
It appears that WhyHotel owns apartments on floors 7-11 (out of 12 floors), so you’re high up enough to not hear the street noises if all your windows and doors are shut. I faced south, which also gave me a view of East Washington DC. I loved that.
Let’s talk about the location. You are a five minute walk from the NoMa/Gallaudet red line Metro stop. Yes there is an underpass that you have to walk through which does seem kind of sketchy if you look at it on Google maps, however I felt safe because of the lighting, and I also kept an eye out for people around me. As I was taking the metro, there was usually always someone else walking with me because others are also walking home, too. If it’s raining though, The one side of the street sidewalk that you use gets flooded, and you’ll have to cross the street and walk on the other side. Someone drove quickly through a puddle and splashed me real good, which I was not happy about. So definitely be careful in the rain. Keep your eyes out for who’s driving around you, use your umbrella to shield you from the water splashing, and also go as quickly as you can through the underpass and that should help. The metro station is two stops away from Gallery / China Town which is the stop for the Capitals and Wizards arena. The metro is one stop away from Union Station which makes it a super quick trip to catch the Amtrak. It’s about a 30-minute trip from Reagan airport to the NoMa metro stop.
Also, you are across the street from Trader Joe’s if you need groceries, wine, or beer. Also across the street is Union Market which has a slew of shops and restaurants. The closest pharmacy is CVS and it’s about a 15 minute walk from Press House. In general, the area is walkable, and it’s not really sketchy. I travelled alone, and kept my guard up, and felt good about walking around alone.
I am sad to have to leave my apartment rental at Press House, and will definitely try to stay there again in my future trips.