First of all, I would like to state that the location of this residence is fantastic, as mentioned below by other guests! Just off CT Ave and a few blocks from Dupont Circle, it is near some great restaurants and bars. For those visiting embassies for business, most are within a ten-minute walk. Speaking of which, walking the immediate neighborhood is amazing if you love seeing row houses try their hardest to be unique and set themselves apart from the adjacent buildings, whether it’s with color or variations of architecture. We walked to the White House in 15 minutes, and also took the metro to Smithsonian (four stops with one line change from Dupont Circle roughly $2.50 one way off-peak). Elliott is very responsive and accommodating. When we had a mirror-dropping accident, he came over to secure it to the wall to prevent my two-year-old daughter from hurting herself (we ended up moving the mirror to the closet). I had my in-laws visit one weekend and my own parents another, and Elliott understood my request for these additions in guests and permitted it without the extra charge. Although the single bed or the sofa does not provide luxurious comfort for additional guests, we made do and everyone was satisfied with the arrangement.
Now, I think it will be hard to beat the price of this accommodation, given the location of the residence and the square footage you are getting, but I feel obligated to mention the following, as it was not clearly stated in the description: it’s a BASEMENT unit. It wouldn’t be that bad but it comes with a few cons.
One, the staircase leading to this unit is brutal and is not for the elderly or the very young. It’s really narrow so maneuvering anything other than your own body weight would be challenging for anyone above 30% body fat.
Two, there is no one below you, the doors and window have crevices/gaps, and the floor is not carpeted. It wasn’t that bad indoors when it was 50 degrees outside, but we were lucky and visited when the Polar Vortex dropped the temperature down to 15-25 degrees. I had to literally insulate the French doors leading to the patio and the front door outside, with multiple bed sheets to stop the cold air from coming in. We still followed the “no shoes” rule, but my wife did buy some wool socks and my child doubled up on hers, as the floor was really cold to walk on.
Three, there were some forgotten spaces in terms of cleanliness. I dropped something behind the dresser and when I moved it away from the wall, I found the most surprising items: toothbrush, cigarillos, Forever21 receipt, Q-tip, “Primed & Peachy” cream box and dust bunnies beyond ones imagination. I took a picture for my family album and added another item to the pile to see if we, as guests, can build a treasure cove of various memorabilia that will put “O Street Mansion” to shame.
Having said that, I would still rent here again, if I am still welcome and not able to find a unit 100 feet above sea level (aka “not a basement”) in this great neighborhood with a price under $160 a night.