Washington Court Hotel on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC

The Washington Court Hotel is a premier, 268 bedroom, downtown Washington, D.C. hotel in a great central location, just three blocks from the US Capitol Building and national mall. The hotel has been recently remodeled and offers a modern and stylish base for enjoying the city

This hotel caters for business travelers - I have stayed on both weekdays and the weekend and noticed the lack of visible customers on the weekend days.
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The Washington Court hotel sells itself as the hotel with "the only true view of the Capitol Building!" This is a good choice for a good choice for a hotel in central D.C. It's an easy walk to Capitol Hill, and you will definitely know which way to walk - you can't miss it. If you want a view request a (not guaranteed) view of the Capitol. You get a great view of the Capitol Hill skyline. Other rooms have a view onto office ... more

The Washington Court Hotel is a premier, 268 bedroom, downtown Washington, D.C. hotel in a great central location, just three blocks from the US Capitol Building and national mall. The hotel has been recently remodeled and offers a modern and stylish base for enjoying the city

This hotel caters for business travelers - I have stayed on both weekdays and the weekend and noticed the lack of visible customers on the weekend days.

The Rooms ...

I always book a "Deluxe Room" when staying here. In the spirit of most US hotels rooms often feature two Double beds, but I always make sure to ask for one King size bed instead - here these rooms are the same price that is a bit of a bonus.
The bed is amazing! The blankets are double sheeted, there are loads of pillows and it is really comfortable. The feather mattress topper and duvet is lovely. I often find the duvets in the US are a bit thin for my liking - but this one was perfect.

The rooms here have been recently remodeled and in a contemporary design. Rooms are a good size, with plenty of floor space so you don't feel too cramped.
There is a stylish, modern seating area with comfortable club chairs and an ottoman - and it is nicely spaced out instead of being squashed up next to a wall, as is often the case. The large flat screen TV had a decent choice of channels - I found myself watching an episode (or two) or vintage Eastenders one evening before going out to my boyfriends great displeasure. 
The desk is large, with a good size mirror above it. Good room lighting for a variety of moods and the right mix of style and functionality. Room temperature is adjustable with tolerable noise levels.

I never see trouser presses in the US - not that I ever use them anyway! - There was an iron and board in the (decent sized) wardrobe instead - plus dry cleaning and laundry service available. Rooms have a large window covering most of the outside wall - even if you don't get the good view I think this is a nice feature.

If you don't go for the deluxe room a cheaper option (which I have never seen anywhere but this hotel) is The Parlor Room. This is a room with no bed and instead a full size sofa bed. All the other features seem to be the same as the other room type, in a smaller room. This room type might appeal business travelers working from their rooms, but I have not yet tried it. The cheaper price can't tempt me away from an actual bed! Suites are also available, but I haven't tried these either.

Bathroom...

The bathrooms are presented as a hotel highlight - they are very large and completely tiled with Italian marble. There is a nice deep sunk bath, decent shower, two sinks set in a well-lit vanity area, and a rather ornate toilet! Plenty of shelves and loads of towels in all sorts of sizes.

I can be a bit suspicious of hotel toiletries but the Tarocco toiletries on offer were rather good - products were olive oil and Sicilian blood Orange - they included shampoo, conditioner, shower and bath gel, a soap, body lotion and a really good exfoliating bar - wish I had brought one back with me now. The products were of a good size. The bathroom was full of little extras like cotton balls and swabs, and a decent hairdryer (A rare find in a hotel!) I even got some free champagne left in the room for us two nights into the stay - the girl on the desk told us it was a free gift for staying with them. Bathrobes are available on request - Ask at check in and they will be with you in no time. There is a turn down service on request (old school but lovely) - This includes a clean up of the bathroom if necessary - with fresh towels and products

Cleanliness...

The bedroom and public areas of the hotel are kept to a high standard of cleanliness. I especially like all the crisp white bedding - it's so easy to see that it is kept well. My only complaint is regards the bath which
was not as clean as it should have been. The bedrooms have all been (very) recently upgraded - but some of the bathrooms, which were once the highlight of the hotel, are now looking slightly grubby in comparison. This is not to say that the bathrooms are not generally clean - housekeeping are still doing an thorough job - but when in the bath (and from this view only) you can see some grubbiness and mould around the fittings and grout.

Peace and Quiet...

Noise levels from the street have never bothered me here. I know that on trip advisor some people have complained about the nearby fire department waking up people, so maybe I have been lucky with my room locations. I am a very light sleeper but have also lived on main roads in London so maybe I have become immune to blaring sirens

I have heard some noise from other rooms while staying here. On my last trip my room had an adjoining door and when the guests from next door came back to their room one evening I could hear them loud and clear as they came in. I think the sound must have traveled through the adjoining door (which was next to the main door) as I could only hear them for a minute or so as they came into their room. Then there was no noise from next door at all and this really wasn't a problem.

WiFi...

My major complaint about the hotel has to be the lack of free Internet. I know many hotels are still charging, but how upscale hotels can't offer this service to their clients when pubs and McDonalds can is beyond me.
I haven't stayed here on business - an I guess a holiday from constantly checking email isn't always a bad thing, but I found the $10 a day charge to use the internet a very annoying shortfall of the hotel.

Public Areas...

The Hotel has a large, somewhat dated but nevertheless impressive, atrium lobby. I think this might be next on the list for a redesign to bring the style up to date. A good variety of seating, and free papers (which also can be delivered to your room for free on request.) There is a gift shop in the hotel that I haven't tried.

The Gym...

The hotel gym was quite small - bur comparable to many business hotel offerings. A few treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and plenty of weights. The gym was quiet during my stay and it was easy to access whatever you wanted. Open 24 hours - not that I have ever attempted a 4am workout myself!

Food and Drink...

The Bistro 525 restaurant serves regional cuisine. As I haven't tried the food I really can't comment on the quality of the restaurant. The Federal City Bar also serves a simpler menu (again I haven't tried it) along with drinks (which I have!) It has a pool table and is lively enough for a hotel bar - It's ok, and as the surrounding area is very quiet a good choice if you don't wish to venture far.

The only food I have tried here is the room service. Room service is delivered quickly and piping hot. It costs around $60 for two mains and two drinks which I think is decent value. Trays come with a beautiful rose. Maryland crab is delicious! I am addicted to the crab cakes.

Service...

All the staff here are friendly and customer focused. Check in is 4pm - I have always arrived after this time, so I'm not sure how well they do on letting you in early. Check in is always very smooth and quick -There never seems to be a problem with queues and staff are friendly and efficient. Check out is a nice and leisurely 12 noon - you can check out using the TV or at the desk. The doormen were excellent - they were always quick to open doors or get you a taxi. Friendly and chatty when leaving luggage with them. The concierge is very helpful and the post always seems to be manned.

Parking...

Parking is nearby and there is a valet service available. The only time I used this service staff were friendly and helpful, but it was slow to get the car back. Parking costs about $25 a day.

Location ...

The Washington Court hotel sells itself as the hotel with "the only true view of the Capitol Building!" This is a good choice for a good choice for a hotel in central D.C. It's an easy walk to Capitol Hill, and you will definitely know which way to walk - you can't miss it. If you want a view request a (not guaranteed) view of the Capitol. You get a great view of the Capitol Hill skyline. Other rooms have a view onto office building across the courtyard - not the worse view I have had from a hotel bedroom but certainly not the best. 



Union Station is a very convenient 2 blocks away. Union Station is served by buses, Red Line subway trains and national railway. It also has some shops and an ugly foodcourt. The station is much lauded, and has some nice period features but the shopping and dining compare very unfavourably to their promotion. This is not the area of the city you want to stay if you want entertainment or shopping (go further north and west) but is great for sightseeing - which is DCs strongest point anyway.

Before I stayed here for the first time I was slightly concerned by the number of trip advisor reviews that mentioned the nearby homeless shelter and the number of homeless people making the area feel unsafe at night. As a single girl staying in an unfamiliar city I thought about this but then decided to book it anyway. I have never found this a problem - there are some homeless people visible - but I have never found them to be intimidating, and have never been asked for money, unlike in London and other big cities. I find the lack of anybody being about to be the scarier feature of the neighbourhood. It really can be ghostly quiet at times despite being in the centre of town.

Price...

For spring 2009 the prices are in the region of:

Weeknight
- Parlour Rooms $231, Deluxe $261
Weekend
- Parlour Rooms $157, Deluxe $189

I haven't bothered with the GBP price because of the fluctuating exchange rate, but its about 70p to the $ at the moment. Can be found for slightly cheaper on hotels.com, or check the hotel website for special deals - especially on weekends.

I think this is excellent value. It compares favourably with other DC hotels, and massively favourably with hotels in London and New York.  

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