Donovan House, a Kimpton Hotel - Washington

It's not the newest building... but it's kept up well and done in very modern decor. I also love the Logan Circle neighborhood it's in. It's not right on any metro line, but it's a 10-15 minute walk to any color you want and very close to the White House and other touristy stuff without being in a touristy area. The rooftop pool is nice during the summer […] too. Read more

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I was very disappointed in that our room did not contain two beds, as I specifically requested that through hotels.com, after spending 30 minutes on the phone with an operator. This was requested of the hotel but somewhere between hotels.com and the hotel, the information was lost.

Hotel is tired and needs a makeover.

second time I stay at this hotel, overall it is a good value and nice hotel, younger crowd, hip furnishings.

Very accomadating staff, I would have given all 5's if the hotel from the previous night in Philly hadn't been even better. I loved the animal print bathrobes.

Great location, cool and modern rooms!

overall service was good. hotel was in transition to Kimpton from Thompson during our stay. Rooms need work: closet space cramped with doors unable to open fully plus blocked complete access to room safe. yes it is boutique hotel but lighting is just TOO ambient in the room. Bathrooms need most work: ours had mold in shower and on curtain. there are […] two small hooks for towels. no other place to hang hand/face towels. pretty ridiculous. hopefully Kimpton will initiate changes to bring it up to full potential. Read more

Nice, modern hotel. Easy walk to White House, National Mall, etc. Room was great, but could have used a little bit of touch-up paint and TLC (showed quite a bit of wear/tear). Nice bathrooms. Good Restaurant.

Our only complaint was our room was a handicap room and fortunately we do not need a handicap room. There was no chair in the room so we got 2 extra pillows to make reading easier. The view was perfect, very clean, staff very nice, lots of morning coffee and wine at 5PM. Considering we were out of the room all day, then for dinner (the restaurant in […] the hotel was great) the lack of a chair was not a deal breaker. Read more

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The location was good. The service was good but checking was a tad late 3pm. We dropped off our bags to walk around and we were told we'd get a call letting us know when the room was ready but we never received any call. The room was good, near the pool but unfortunately the pool wasn't ready and we couldn't use it in a lovely sunny afternoon. Shame! […] The hotel also charged my card even though I had already made my full payment through Hotels.com On the bright side the staff were friendly and courteous and the wine hour at 5pm was good. Read more

Nice hotel in convenient location. Nice and helpful staff.

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The hotel is well situated and was clean and the staff friendly and helpfully. It seems like it was designed in the 60s with style taking precedence over function. There is a strange circular shower which pools water at the entrance. There is also a strange spherical chair which is rather uncomfortable. The bed was at least a normal rectangular shape. […] Generally the stay was pleasant and was a little like living in an Austin Powers movie. Read more

I hope with Kimpton Hotels taking over, the maintenance of the rooms will improve. There was one broken/burnt out light. The walls looked in need of new paint. The desk in the room was not conducive for working. There were no outlets available by the desk. The news channels like CNN came in snowy on the TV.

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We stayed at the Donovan House during the Cherry Blossom Festival and freely recommend it to others based on 1) location and 2) comfort. Location: The hotel is very conveniently located on 14th and J two blocks from the McPherson Sq. Metro stop. Directly across the street is a 24 hour CVS - which was very convenient for my allergy medicine and our […] late night ice cream cravings. The hotel is located on a roundabout - circle in the middle of a very nice and picturesque neighborhood. We walked two blocks north on 14th Street through a residential tree-lined neighborhood with beautiful brownstones and two very beautiful and old churches. One has a statue of Martin Luther facing the circle. Up two blocks is the Mary McLeod Bethune National Historic site, which was a nice unexpected example of DC's rich history. It's worth a quick stop to learn about someone who was an important advisor to FDR. The more mainstream tourist attractions are also closeby in the other direction. The White House and Pennsylvania Avenue and the Mall are about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. There is a good indian food restaurant about 5-6 blocks away as well. All in all, it was a good location. Comfort: The hotel lobby is terrific. There is free wi-fi in the lobby and some great furnishings, including some classic acrylic egg chairs suspended from the ceiling. While the lobby is relatively small compared to other hotels, it seems to be a gathering place - probably due to the free wi-fi. The rooms were very modern with probably my favorite looking hotel shower in a long time. The shower was a white plastic capsule that lit up the room. The bed was possibly a little firmer than most people prefer, but I found it comfortable. We were upgraded to a suite which included a separate room with a couch and a desk. Quibbles: I just don't understand why hotels continue to charge for in-room wi-fi. While it is certainly a way to make money, it usually serves to simply aggravate the guests. Also, if t Read more

My fiance and I just wanted a quick getaway, so we chose DC and based on the pictures of the hotel, with its contemporary decor we were immediately attracted to the Donovan House. The location is perfect for anyone interested in visiting DC, as the location is convenient to any, if not all sites and attractions. The staff is EXTREMELY professional, […] from the front desk, to housekeeping, the valet guys, and even the staff of restaurant. The hotel was probably last renovated a number of years ago, so if you are expecting a "fresh" look this will not be the case, HOWEVER, it is still a very nice hotel. Honestly the only complaints I have are as follows: $42.00/night for parking is a bit steep The shower pressure is HORRIBLE ..That's it!!! If you choose to stay, considering what I have shared you should have a good experience. If your looking for a full 5 star experience, this is not the hotel but a 5 star staff, and a 3.5 star ambiance...will make up for other areas of lack.... Read more

The Donovan is the place to stay when in Washington. The staff is always very friendly, helpful, and accomodating. I prefer to stay on a high floor, away from the elevator and I have never had any problems having this request fulfilled. I have stayed here twice, and will most definately stay here again when I return to Washington.

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I thought I was getting a deal at Hotels.com for this hotel but hotel's website rate was the same! Didn't really matter; I enjoyed the stay. Beautiful view of Thomas Circle out the floor to ceiling window. Accountrements in the bathroom were unusual as well as functional. Lobby restaurant was a very cool and apparently very popular sushi place. Next […] time, will have to check out the rooftop pool and bar with supposedly a great view of the city. Read more

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Hotel staff were very friendly, extras were pricey like valet parking but you'll pay that wherever u stay in the city. Room was small but efficient and big enough for 2, wish there was a nightstand on either side of the bed. I liked the shower and it was different to say the least but couldve had better water pressure and my boyfriend seemed to get […] dizzy from the opaque, white, circular pod. CVS across the street was a lifesaver for cheaper items offered in the mini bar and umbrellas! Hotel is located 3 blocks from McPherson Square station which is a nice walk but after va long day of walking/sightseeing I kinda wished the hilton garden inn wasnt booked as it was right across the street from the metro. Read more

I'll start by saying that the Donovan House was perfectly nice - my room was clean, the staff was nice, etc. However, the place is just weird. For starters the hotel is in an odd neighborhood - pretty centrally located walking distance from a lot of things, but there is NOTHING interesting in the 2 or 3 blocks surrounding the hotel. Second, the place […] has not been very well maintained - which show because of the super stylized trendy design. From what it appears Thompson probably thought that the regentrification and cool hip vibe of the 14th street revival was going to keep coming south, but when it didn't they turned their attention elsewhere and have neglected this hotel. Read more

Just a few annoyances -- I called housekeeping to request extra pillows, no one answered, I left a message and no one ever called back, so I had to call again. They charge $2 for a Keurig coffee pod -- seems a little ridiculous. There were oil (?) marks on the headboard and nightstand -- just didn't seem like the cleanest room.

I only go to DC once a year for a large conference and I like to try to stay away form the conference hotels and bars and get away from the crowd with clients. The MC was recommended to my by a colleague and I was very happy. This is not a glamorous or trendy hotels as some of the more boutique hotels sam to be. But a beautiful old mansion with excellent […] service, great location and quiet. My room consisted of a nice living area and separate bed room. The TV was very small but I was happy that it was not in the bedroom. I don't want to recommend this to colleagues who attend this conference but I am sure they would like it and that would just take away one of the reasons I will return. I did not try the restaurant but it looked full every morning. Read more

Excellent except my only gripes are: no bathtub in rooms, and there is a staunch checkout time of 12pm, no exceptions. No late checkout, no wiggle room...that seemed a little strange for such a cushy hotel.

It was a decent place to stay, but my room was VERY small. I guess I'm to blame for this because I reserved a queen-sized room. However, the water pressure in the shower was terrible; the TV didn't have all the stations the guide said it did; you have to go out front of the building to smoke; and there were a few other minor gripes I have. The service […] at the front desk and concierge was great and everyone was friendly. The hotel is in a great location and I had a good time, despite all the minor complaints. Read more

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The Donovan is fraying around the edges a bit, but the rooms are nice and my corner room had a great view of Logan Circle. The service was acceptable. The room service comes from a high end asian fusion and sushi restaurant on the ground floor. The surrounding area is a business district with a prevalence of lunch style take out food. All in all a decent, […] but fairly expensive, hotel. Read more

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Very chic/contemporary hotel. Clean and friendly staff. Hotel is very reminiscent of the W-Hotel chain. Only downside is the shower water-pressure, very low pressure (rain shower faucet). Stayed twice, second room which was located on the 6th floor had better pressure but still not the best.

I wasn't asking for much in a hotel...Having just run 26.2 miles, I just wanted a decent bed and a tub. I think the only downside is the lack of an indoor pool. They seem to have upgraded their customer service compared to the reviews I read. They were polite at the front desk.

Ecerything was great except for the most important detail- room temperature. It was steaming hot all night and very difficult to sleep due to it! Out the ac on as low as it could go and still the temperature was 80 degrees in the room.

This hotel has a unique theme to the rooms, modern chic. This was pursued to a fault in my opinion. the bathroom sink was too large with square bottom which took forever to drain. The shower was kind of neat in that it was shaped like a snail's shell, but it took up too much room for this. Our room faced a traffic circle and was noisy. i requested a […] quiter room toward the inside of the block which addressed the noise problem. Great helpfull staff, with a convenient location to great dining and not too far from the National Mall. Read more

This hotel is in a great location, loved the ambiance as soon as you walk in. The whole look of the hotel is awesome, definitely puts you in the party mood. I have heard great things about the Donovan House, and had fairly high expectations. But, I was not impressed - I stayed in a double room on the 4th floor. The hotel overall is dark, I expected […] a bit more light in the room... I was disappointed by how poorly lit it was. My friend and I were going out and found it difficult to see to get dressed. The beds were comfy, and I loved the shower- however our room did not come with the basics as far as toiletries, and enough towels. We were given one bar of soap, a travel size bottle of shampoo & conditioner. The staff however, was very apologetic and immediately brought up more towels, and toiletries. Donovan House is a nice place to stay, but for the price, I would like to see a few added amenities. Read more

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The hotel was nice and so was the staff. However, I was not pleased with the cleanliness of the room after the second night, especially the bathroom. Also, I was disappointed by the fact that everything costs! I have never stayed at a place where the in-room coffee machine costs to use...ridiculous. There are mugs and tea bags and price list indicating […] how much tea costs...ridiculous. The on-site restaurant has limited fare (primarily sushi). Some people may like sushi but for that to be your only on-site option is very short sighted. The elevator is unnecessarily dark. It's one thing to be "hip and cool" and another thing to try and distort the vision of every guest. There also is no ATM at the hotel, you have to walk across the street to the drug store. Bright note: The young man who helped hail our cab was very nice and helpful as well as the staff. Read more

The hotel is of "minimalist" style, which is OK with me, but my guest room did not have chair, one had to sit on the bed to accomplish any work. The hotel is quite a hike to the nearest Metro station. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful, obviously they are well trained.

Hotel personnel were wonderful. However, I've stayed in many wonderful hotels and this is the first time I was asked to pay for the room coffee maker. Disappointing.

The staff at the front desk were always amazingly friendly and responsive, and even went out of their way to help me print some documents needed for a morning meeting. The room was comfortable and clean. The only thing I didn't like is that there was no top sheet on the bed, just a bottom sheet and a duvet. I am sure the duvet cover was washed, but […] I would have preferred a sheet as well. The neighborhood seemed safe, although there were not a ton of restaurants within walking distance for dinner, but at lunch there were many places open. The fitness center was nice and clean, and I would definitely recommend this hotel to a friend. The price was very reasonable for the area. Read more

I have stayed here on more than on occasion. It's a great hotel with awesome customer service. Close to major clubs but also very quiet and comfortable.

The Donovan house is in a great part of town. There is a Starbucks one block up, an attached Asian fusion restaurant and the mall is about a mile walk in a straight line which is easily managed on a nice day. The shower is interesting, certainly not something one forgets. The mini bar was expensive, it was better to go to the cvs across the street. Great […] time will come again. Read more

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I don't ask for much, but a bathroom sink that drains and a shower with good water pressure sort of top my hotel needs. These need attention.