Residence Inn Washington, DC / Dupont Circle

This hotel has several pros but also some cons that make it 4 (or 3.5) stars. Pros: Location is good - easy access to METRO and walkable neighborhood. Staff were very kind and accommodating - friendly, polite, helpful. The staff are the standout reason to book this hotel and would be why we would return if we did. Rooms are large enough and breakfast is free. Parking is secure and underground (albeit expensive). Cons: Rooms are dated. Soft goods and bathrooms are reasonable updated and beds and pillows were fine but the carpet is tired (and stained) and the lighting is just awful in the rooms. Among the worst I’ve seen. Some of the table lamps offer great light but the bathroom lighting is yellow and dim as is the kitchen. Sofa bed is pretty uncomfortable. Room wasn’t as pictured. We booked a 2BR and one room had no dresser at all. When you open the sofa bed you can’t reach the curtains in the LR. Kitchen was much more dated than implied in photos (though entirely functional for basic food needs). Overall we were happy enough with our stay but would be much more likely to return after an update.

The Good: The staff are great. Very helpful and friendly. The rooms are a great size with everything you’ll need. The location is quiet and well located in DuPont Circle. The Bad: The sofa bed is beyond TERRIBLE. It’s so uncomfortable it’s impossible to sleep on. I got a room with a bedroom so the two of us staying in the room would each have some privacy but the sofa bed was so AWFUL to sleep on we had to share the one bed. The air conditioning works well but is very noisy. At times the bed vibrated from it which was annoying for sleep.

My family had a great stay at Residence Inn by Marriott, it’s located in a quiet street and close to Dupont Circle Metro Station (just 5-6 minutes walk). It’s close to downtown DC (3 stations to The Triangle Federal Station), The White House, Capital Building, and Ronald Reagan Airport (6 miles). Staffs are very friendly, they greeted us with a smile when we showed up for breakfast. Breakfast was changed every day. I highly recommend this hotel when you are in DC.

This hotel is a bit further from city center and it is at least a 20-minute walk to the Foggy Bottom metro stop. Something to consider if you need to get around DC via metro. Nonetheless, the area has various food options nearby. The hotel is small and dated. From the rooms to furniture around the hotel, you can tell it hasn't been updated in years. I arrived and the front desk woman was on the phone and went into the back room to talk. I stood waiting at an empty desk for some time. Eventually she came out to check me in. They seemed short staffed as she was checking me in, answering calls, baking cookies, making popcorn, etc. They had a water jug with lemons in the lobby that was almost empty, and I asked if there was more water. She told me she gave me a water bottle when I checked in. True, but I was wondering about the lemon water. Probably helpful if they had one more person at the desk. Anyway, if you get lucky enough to be there when someone is baking be sure to grab the hot chocolate chip cookies. I got upgraded to a huge 2-bedroom apt style room with a full kitchen. The kitchen is stocked with everything you need for an extended stay. The rooms are cleaned every other day unless you make a request. Wifi is a bit slow. Bathroom has big bottles of shower gel, shampoo, & conditioner attached to the wall for your use. The vanity area had small bars of soap and even mini bottles of lotion (rare to find these days) and a makeup remover wipe. Breakfast was decent with Chobani plain greek yogurt, fresh oatmeal with various toppings to add, waffle bar, hot foods, milk cartons for kids, and coffee. Overall, an okay stay. Just felt far from the city and old hotel feeling.

The rooms are large and spacious and the location of the hotel is very convenient, close to the metro

The breakfast is very basic without vegetables or fruits. The kitchen staff answered in the negative to every request

Quiet neighborhood with plenty of local dining options. Access to Metro Rail was great and made getting to our daily destinations easy. The staff was friendly and very knowledgeable about the area.

The property was under renovations but all areas are clean and safe. The renovations did not interrupt our stay. We would definitely stay again.