Sadly, the title of this listing is fairly deceptive. While I do believe this is a decent value for the price of staying within DC proper, nothing about this place is elegant in any way.
The description of an “ABC Store” next door stirred images of corner shops like you see in Hawaii or Las Vegas. However, the shop next door is ABC Liquor with barred windows and a generally scuzzy vibe.
The immediate neighborhood is rough, with newer developments starting a block or two from the location. While close to Metro stations, some members of the group were not comfortable walking outside at night. It is a central location, with Ubers ranging from $9-15 to get to nearby destinations.
The photos of the interior are equally deceptive. The reality included gashes in the wall, warped floors, displaced floor trim, and batteries removed from smoke detectors. WiFi instructions were to use the ABC Liquor’s WiFi next door. We had no idea if this Internet sharing was consensual or bootlegging. Regardless, the signal was only available near the entrance, with the rest of the unit being a dead zone.
The place was not clean. Had it been a hotel we would have requested a new room. Sheets were clean and beds made and bedroom surfaces were dusted, though the bed’s headboard was very dusty. Vents were dusty but AC worked beautifully. This is not a location to stay if you have allergies to mold or dust. There was a musty odor and the previous patrons’ hair was still coiled in the shower drain.
The cooking area was not clean enough to prepare food. There was also a carton of expired soymilk left in the fridge. The showerhead was leaky. There was soap provided but no hand towels and the towel bar was broken. Missing light bulb in bathroom. Motel-style hair dryer. Floors in one bedroom were filthy, with dead flies on the floor.
Did I mention we were warmly greeted by a fly-swarmed, smelly trashcan at the front door? Or the COCKROACHES!? Getting in late one evening, the patio light turned on to send dozens of cockroaches scattering across the entranceway and one of our guests screaming.
Had this been described as a bare bones, Motel 6-like place to stay in a centrally located, soon to be transitional neighborhood, it would be accurate. One our members has travelled every continent but Antarctica and backpacked for extended periods of time, and even they slept with a light on for fear of unleashing unseen cockroaches. No one in our group felt comfortable without shoes due to the uncleanliness of the floors.
A very disappointing experience that turned out to be the biggest damper on our trip.