Donovan House - A Thompson Hotel - Washington 38.90446, -77.03193

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Stayed here during a nearby conference. I prefer more smaller hotels to larger chains; Donovan House accomplished this objective. Hotel staff varied in friendlyness. Some were very accomodating others cold. My room had modern furniture, a bed low to the floor (not preferred) and the space was small, but all that was needed for a business trip. Bed was very comfortable. Would have preferred a room with a view of the city, but despite low occupancy I was not offered an upgrade. Bathroom shower was closed with only a curtain and did not provide adequate seal for keeping in hot air. Closet was small and awkward, directly next to the entry door. I liked this hotel's proximity to my conference, however there are few restaurants in the area and little social activity on the streets after 5pm. Best to go elsewhere for food, meals. Daily wireless internet rates were reasonable.

The hotel location is very convenient, close to the monuments and Dupont Circle(within walking distance)and close to Georgetown (by car). The hotel is very stylish and modern. The rooms are clean and neat. The deluxe rooms have a nice view of Thomas Circle. The staff are very friendly and helpful. My only complaint was the nightly parking fee which I thought was a bit expensive. Overall, a very good hotel.

we loved our stay! fabulous hotel with a fabulous staff (and walking distance to some great bars and restaurants).... can't wait to stay there again! it might not be a great fit for business travel or long term stay (the closet is a bit on the small side), but PERFECT if you are a fan of great, minimal design or want a sexy getaway with your honey! Super romantic. Great lighting.

The Donovan House is a true gem of a hotel. I very much enjoyed a 3-day stay over the Thanksgiving Weekend. The color scheme of the rooms and the lighting effects are best enjoyed at night, when combined their effect is very seductive and soothing. The egg-plant colored panel that begins with the headboard, runs overhead along the ceiling (with recessed lights) and to the back of the credenza with TV creates an incredible cocoon sensation. I loved that! The lobby is just the right combination of trendy and sophisticated.

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This was my 3rd stay at the Donovan (1st time booking it thru Hotels.com), so obviously I enjoy this hotel. My previous two stays were during the summer months, and I loved the rooftop pool! My first trip was rainy, but the second time I had an afternoon to relax with a friend by the pool. And I also had a chance to check out the pool-side party that takes place in the evening, which was rocking! Definitely a plus in my book; as an out-of-town guest you don't have to search for the party, it comes to you! I also enjoyed the sushi bar of the lobby. The food is excellent. And there is a 24 hour CVS across the street that has anything you need, so you don't have to spend a fortune at the minibar for snacks & drinks. There is no ice machine, but they do bring you ice when you request it. My 1st stay & last stay I had a Queen Superior room, and my 2nd stay I had the King Superior room. I love the decor, sleek & contemporary, with moody lighting. If you're staying more then one night I would suggest spending the extra money, which isn't much, to get the King, as this should get you a street view, with more natural light during the day, and a little extra room, along with the cool shower. Unlike some other reviewers, I didn't have a problem with the water pressure, but during this past stay the sink took forever to drain. I do think that a $10 charge for internet service is ridiculous, considering that even the cheapest hotels have free wireless these days. I did enjoy the Hi-Def flat screen TV. The $35 per day parking is a bit steep (parking in the area averages around $25 for overnight), but I took advantage of the unlimited in & out access, using my car several times, and I found that the valet service was excellent - my car was always waiting for me when I got to the lobby. The staff was friendly and efficient on all my visits, and got me into my room early on every trip - one time at 11:30 am. And I love the neighborhood! Overall I would recommend this hotel for

The modern room was wonderfully decorated. Very cool. The showerhead was great, but the shower design was terrible, like many other high end boutique hotels (like the Delano). The design is such that there is no bathtub and no door so water floods the entire bathroom floor when you shower and you are left wading in the bathroom while trying to get ready. Not a good design. Many hotels are doing this so it is not unique to this hotel...the elevators were very slow. That being said, I would stay there again for the great price we got from hotels.com.

I booked the King Bed upgrade and it was wonderful! The room was spacious, clean, and very comfortable. Will stay again.

The bathroom looks great but trying to get wet in the shower is a problem - it is like a gentle April shower rather than a powerful blast

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Don't miss Zentan, the restaurant in the hotel.

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#1 complaint- $10/day charge for wireless - that's just silly. The hotel is very "cool". Low-lit, dark purple paired with white. It has cool furniture, a cool shower and sink. The thing is, it seems that function is sacrificed for form a bit. The shower and sink don't drain great and the rooms are really dark. Despite paying for a KING SUPERIOR it was quite small. I really like this hotel and would recommend it to friends - you just have to realize what you're getting when you go in. Also, the bar in Zentan is interesting - sushi is priced very reasonably - and is really good. The drinks at the bar are incredibly expensive. Beer - $10, Dragon roll - $13 -????

Great hotel, great area and beautiful hotel

This hotel cared more about the way their staff looks than the person having any level of competance. The service was terribble but the hotel decor was nice.

Great location and the service was very good. The food and beverage items in the room were a little over-priced so I would suggest taking the 2 min walk across the street to the 24-hour CVS. Otherwise, great stay.

They charge for everything which i never experienced. They charged you for coffee and tea. The showers where the worst ever. They had a modern look to them but the usage was absolutely horrible. Just because of the showers I would NEVER stay here again.

We ordered a late night meal, food was bad and they forgot the soy sauce. We didn't even bother to call them back to ask. We ordered breakfast, and barely touched it. We ended up going out to eat after we spent $60 on hotel meal. The staff was so incredibly nice, so we didn't complain about the food. But if I were to go back, I would not order food from the hotel.

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This hotel was very trendy and was a great place to stay. The staff was very nice and eager to answer any questions and provided excellent customer service.

I initially booked a queen room at the Donovan House. I was very excited to stay there given the innovative and modern decor compared to most DC hotels. Upon arriving and going into my room I was very disappointed however. The queen room that I had was on the backside of the hotel overlooking a nursing home. It was stuffy with no good direct light. Also, the bed only had two pillows, sort of strange I thought. I quickly called down to the front desk and asked if they had any queen rooms on the front side. They didn't so I had to upgrade to a king. The king room was another story. The room was significantly larger with four pillows on the bed and a decent view. I overall liked the hotel but the queen rooms were quite unfortunate and depressing.

On the inside everything is great; outside the hotel things are a little rough around the edges, especially after dark. Parking at the garage next to the hotel is way expensive. Park on the street if possible.

We did not like the style. It was very modern to the point of uncomfortable. Would not stay their again. Really disliked the room.

Staff was friendly, helpful and made you feel at home. Room was upscale but comfortable. Loved the bedding! We checked out early in the morning to sight-see and held our bags there, but then our travel plans changed and we needed to kill some time before catching the train. Since it was a warm day, they allowed us use of the rooftop pool (with complimentary Italian ices!)

a perfect stay in a perfect hotel!

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1 - the hotel allowed people that were not staying at the hotel to reserve chairs at the pool...in advance! when i asked about the policy, the manager at the pool pointed to some of the reserved chairs and said, "look, they already ordered a bottle of veuve cliquot...so they get to reserve." not surprising, the place was run over with random people from the outside, and all the paying hotel guests were miserable b/c there was no place to sit at the pool. after we complained, the not-so-witty woman at the front desk looked down her nose at me and said, "it's not like we're letting homeless people in." 2 - they hosted a "private" party on the pool deck with so many people from outside that no one at the hotel could use the pool/deck. they argued it was ok b/c everyone was on a guest list. i asked how large the guest list is, and the manager of the hotel had no idea. it could have been 300 people...for a tiny pool deck. 3 - there was vomit covering a public bathroom wall at 5pm on a Saturday...obviously still there from the night before. 4 - the valets told us there was no public parking in the area, and our best bet was to pay $35+tax/night in the garage there. obviously a lie, as there was free public parking within a block for all 3 days i was there. 5 - they grant 1 hour for late check out. if you want more than that, you have to pay for 1/2 a day at the hotel -- insane. 6 - lobby smelled like sewage Saturday. 7 - no service elevator. each time we went up/down the elevator, it stopped and opened onto the service floor. really stinks b/c the elevators were so slow...but maybe you can do your laundry there? although i'm sure they'd overcharge you, somehow, for that too

Good experience. The staff was helpful and friendly and the decor was nice. The pool is cool but it is not open at night. Some of the finishes in the rooms (ex closet and bathroom doors) are not as good as they should be. They do not have free wireless and they charge for tea and coffee. I had one of the teas, it was $2 but it was pretty good.

Very nice hotel with a clean and retro look. Room was spacious and clean. Only negative was the fact that the rooftop swimming pool was closed to the public for a private function while we were there - we weren't informed of this when we booked or when we checked in.

we arrived very late but were greeted very well. Our room was very nice and clean but unfortunately located near the air conditioning which was very noisy. so the next morning I asked if it was possible to move rooms. The desk staff were very helpful and polite and not only did they change our room they gave us an upgrade as well. This room was lovely, slightly larger and with great views. The efficiency in sorting out a problem was excellent and I recommend this hotel for its very convenient location (a couple of blocks up from the White House and just up from a metro station) and its staff who were very nice and made you feel welcome and their ability to sort out a problem very quickly and to have the authority to make decisions on the spot provided excellent service. The only thing I would say is make sure you check the prices provided for the mini bar (which we did) they do charge for coffee as well. Other than that an excellent experiance.

This hotel was nice and trendy, but at night it morphed into a nightclub. Every night there was a crowd of "club-goers" waiting to get up to the rooftop bar. This came complete with the velvet rope in front of the elevators, and a woman checking to see if you were on the list of invitees. It made me feel uncomfortable in the lobby and elevator as a regular guest. That was my biggest problem, but there were a few other related issues. For example, the elevator played loud club type music even in the morning. Or how the pool closed at 5 (to get ready for the bar scene). It was annoying that if I wanted to do tourist things in the daytime, I couldn't relax by the pool in the evening - when it was still pretty hot. Other than this issue, the hotel was okay. The staff was friendly, and the room was nice. We had a nice view of Thomas Circle. It was a few blocks away from the Metro (but it seemed longer in the heat!) The fitness room was good, with modern treadmills with built in TV's.

Donovan House puts all their effort into their image as a modern, trendy hotel. Fancy lobby, well dressed staff, roof-top bar popular with the under 30 crowd, good neighborhood, 3 blocks from the subway. Perhaps there were better rooms, but my room was incredibly small with no desk space at all and almost no space for luggage. Two people with luggage would never fit. A lot of space was taken by the modern shower stall design. Bed was VERY firm, too much so. Lighting was awkward, again attempting to be trendy. No free internet, no microwave, refrigerator full of items they will charge for. I was charged for using the small coffee maker! Because I travel every week on business, I stay in many hotels. This was one of the worst for business traveler comfort and utility. Not good for families either. Not a good value either. I will not stay there again.

great amenities, lovely rooftop pool. particularly liked the IPOD dock. Friendly and helpful staff.

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Wonderful addition to the DC hotel options. Fabulous restaurant. Great decor. Huge improvement to the Thomas Circle area. All in all - perfect business hotel option. Will be surprised if the very reasonable rates endure but it would be nice if they did.

No room service after noon and before 7 PM. No room service after 10 PM Good exercise room. Clean and spacious bathroom. Modern look

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I am an Interior Designer in Atlanta, and always looks for great design in a hotel when I travel. The Donovan House has great style and a dark color palette, all in all a very cool attitude. I did feel that the rates for what we got were too high. There are so many options in Washington, DC and this hotel was a bit out of the way. I didn't like that the shower in my room had white group that was pink from mildew and I strongly believe that no room in any high-end hotel should have a direct view of the HVAC equipment which our room did have. We were on the 4th floor, I can't say what the view is from a higher level. There was a mini bar, but for the rate we paid I wouldn't expect to have to pay for simple coffee brewed in the room. I have actually never seen a charge for that at any other hotel low or high-end. Definitely not worth the bad impression it left to make a few bucks. My In-Laws we upgraded upon arrival due to availability and there room had a much better vibe. If you stay here please choose the Deluxe King at the least and request a view of the main street, it will make the time spent in your room much more enjoyable. The pool was neat on the roof and the workout facility again had a view of the HVAC but was fine for what it was. Front desk & Bellman were nice and professional. I did speak with Shannon and Christine who were not as helpful when i had an issue upon arrival. I would not refer my friends and family to this hotel for a trip to D.C. unless some changes were made.

great room for the money

This is a GREAT Hotel. The staff was very courteous....especially Chris(Tyra). the room was very contemporary & hip & the attached restaurant, although quite pricey for breakfast, was excellent.

My wife and I booked a King Deluxe room and upon arrival were upgraded to a King Suite: large modular leather sofa and chase lounge, 2 TVs, a huge soaking tub + shower, office desk and mini-bar. The area in which the hotel is located was great, it was just a 5 minute walk to the White House, and a coffee shop and drug store were just across the street! The hotel is very modern, one of the neatest hotels we have stayed at! The attached restaurant serves up awesome asian style cuisine and is recommended! A metro station is just 2 blocks away if you need it! The roof-top pool was small, maybe 8'x16' and only 3.5-4.5 feet deep. I would stay here again!! You should too!

We spent 2 enjoyable nights at the Donovan. The hotel was clean, efficient, with stylish interiors and attentive staff. The rooftop pool and bar was a very nice bonus. Great for lounging during the day and/or a starter drink in the evening before hitting the town. Recommended.

The design of the room was interesting and pretty cool, but the hotel missed on basic comfort. The mattress was uneven and you could hear the doors slamming every time someone entered or left their room. The desk and chair were positioned right in the main entry way and it was a pain to maneuver around them every time you leave the room or go to the bathroom; the chair didn't have wheels. So, sadly I think this is a hotel that focused a lot on design and little on function.

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I checked out Sunday Morning...room service took and hour to get bags...left laptop and they said they wld overnight its Wed and still no lap top. I called yesteday and spoke with lady and she said Mgr was off and she needed to call him for and wld call me back..and never did. Its wed I call again nd speak to another woman and they sid they cld not reach him but they hae my laptop and will send by Friday? And asked me to pay shipping--Nice hotel lousy staff and service was terrible--no room service!! Parking was 70.00 dollars for fri 12pm to sunday 12 pm