Donovan House, a Kimpton Hotel

I stayed at Donovan 2 yrs ago. The service was impeccable, the amenities were clean, the room was nice although not big. This time, I chose to return to Donovan and chose it over 3 other hotels offered at lower prices and with higher star ratings. The stay was disappointing. I was checked in with the indication of receiving the room with the view. Upon […] entering the room, I found the windows were facing the neighboring windows and the back yard. The biggest disappointment was the room itself - completely worn out carpet, exhausted to losing its color and stained with dark spots throughout the room. Gowns offered were worn out, so was the furniture. The impression was the room was tired of visitors. I called the front desk requesting another room. The manager, although tactfully, still quite intentionally decided to remind me that I bought my stay "through expedia" and was given the upgrade to the king size bed, despite my booking being for a queen size. He then proceeded to ask me whether I would like to downgrade back to queen size. I cared about the cleanliness of the room more than the size of the bed. I went downstairs and requested a downgrade to a room that would have a cleaner carpet. I received the queen size room, and to my disappointment, the glamor of the Kimpton spirit that I am familiar with, was far absent. I will not stay in this Kimpton location again, both because of staff and the condition of the rooms. What a disappointment. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Im a devout Kimpton fan so I was very much looking forward to my first trip to DC to be spent with The Donovan House. The first room we got was beautiful but someone had destroyed it by smoking weed in it. Don't get me wrong, totally down for being 420 friendly but it was unbearable. Our next Suite was amazing. The most comfortable hotel bed (and pillows) […] I've ever had. Two bathrooms, an incredible view and within walking distance of great restaurants. The problem was...every time was ordered or needed something it was often wrong; coffee/cold...dinner/wrong.. BUT where they lacked in perfection they made up in personality. They got it right the second (or third) time and were so darn willing you couldn't be upset :) Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This was the second time my boyfriend and I stayed at a kingpin hotel! We really enjoyed the location and the modern aspects of the hotel! The only thing of course was the limited parking but it is dc so what do you expect? Other than that everyone was very nice and friendly ! I like these chains of hotels!

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I really enjoyed my stay at the Donovan House. The room was very comfortable and the location is close to the Metro and to a lot of great restaurants.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The front desk staff was the best you could wish for, very polite, cheerful, & helpful. The same thing with the doormen, they were tops! The hotel is about 1 mile from the attractions. If you are a walker, you don't need to take a cab but if you have little ones, the walk would be too much for them. Me & my husband did a little of both and the cab was […] about $8 when we chose to catch a ride. I would highly recommend this hotel. The only slight issue was that my husband and I went sightseeing and got back to our hotel at 1pm. The room still hadn't been tidied up by housekeeping so we just opted out of cleaning for that day. (We were ready for a nap, didn't want to worry about housekeeping knocking on the door.) But I would definitely return to this hotel. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The Weekend Front Desk staff was absolutely fabulous.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Mark made our stay great with Awesome customer service!

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This is a really fine hotel with a great staff. However the room temperature was hot and I could never get it to cool down-yes in January. You would expect that the sheets in such a great hotel would be comfy but they felt hard like they had cardboard added.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The decor is decidedly modern, and sacrifices a bit of comfort for it. The furniture is not the most comfortable and as another reviewer posted, the lighting is pretty bad in the rooms. I don't spend lots of time on my makeup, but the harsh shadows made it pretty tricky to apply. The bed was fine - no trouble sleeping, but ask for a high floor since […] the Thomas Circle traffic can be bothersome if you're sensitive to outside noises. I had to stay here during inauguration week, so prices were a lot higher than usual. All in all, I think the hotel was good and the location is PERFECT. Their gratis happy hour each evening is a REALLY great way to end a long day. Kimpton does some things VERY well: free wine and free wifi. Those things cover up a few other imperfections. Staff is always exceptionally friendly and helpful. Would stay again. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

We had a great stay with great service. The complimentary glass of champagne upon arrival was a nice touch!

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

it was one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed at and that was only for one night. After that I just packed and checked into another hotel.

Genuine Expedia guest review

The front desk staff was very friendly and efficient. They answered all of my questions and the guys even pointed me in the direction of a nail salon! The room was modern and chic. Could have used a bit more lighting though. The restaurant food was great! It turned into quite the hotspot in the evening. My only quibble is that I requested additional […] blankets and they didn't bring them within 30 minutes, so I had to call back. Overall, I was very pleased and would definitely stay there again. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I enjoyed my stay at the Donovan House and will gladly return. The staff were professional and extremely courteous. The ambiance was calming and relaxing. The location to the Convention Center was ideal...close enough to walk and not overwhelming to take a taxi. The view from our room was wonderful! There is nothing that I did not like about my staff […] at the Donovan House. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Everything was fine until we pulled down the comforter and saw the stained sheets and several hairs in the bed. Ruined my nights sleep . Also the rugs were old and stained in many places.The iidea of the boutique hotel was there but the condition of the hotel needs much improvement .

Genuine Expedia guest review

Great location, great decor. I wouldn't stay here with kids though, the shower intentionally has a lack of privacy. Great for singles and couples.

Genuine Expedia guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The only thing lacking was the quality of stocking the room with washcloths and coffee supplies. We had to call and request these things everyday during our stay.

Genuine Expedia guest review

We really enjoyed our stay at the Donovan House. The staff was super friendly and attentive. We can't wait to go back in the summer when the pool is open!

Genuine Expedia guest review

Very nice service, decoration and location, Approved.

Genuine Expedia guest review

This hotel was mostly good - good service, nice restaurant, clean rooms. But whose idea is it to use spotlighting in the rooms???!!!! My experience was ruined because of the lighting. It was just horrible. I couldn't do my make up in the morning, because there were shadows everywhere, including my face. I can't read, because if I turn the lights up, […] it is too hot - the lights are hot! - but if I dim the light, it is too dim to read. Lastly, I was here on business, and this hotel is not business-friendly - there was no desk to work at. Where's the desk?! So, I will not stay here again and I will not recommend this hotel to anyone else. While most of the hotel is pretty good, the spotlighting was just dreadful! And it was used all over the hotel. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Staff.was great...room.was clean.and comfortable....a little small but the location made up for the size. Bed was so comfortable.....

Genuine Expedia guest review

Overall The Donovan House provided great accommodations in the heart of DC close to several national landmarks, dining, recreation and points of interests. The roof terrace/bar provided fantastic panoramic views of downtown but was a bit noisy, not to an annoyance level, on Friday and Saturday nights.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I love Kimpton hotels. Small, chic, comfortable, friendly.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Great ambience and a nice change to the standard chain hotel. Cool roof top bar. Baths not in all rooms. Breakfast lets the hotel down. Overall highly recommended

Genuine Expedia guest review

Great hotel. My next trip to DC I would definitely consider staying again.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Hotel Location great three blocks from metro and nearby Mios Resturant A must Place

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The room did not have a desk, nor a chair. Hence completely unusable. I had to switch to another hotel.

Genuine Expedia guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

What a great find! This is a downtown treasure for those looking for something upscale yet moderately priced. My room was clean, comfortable and very nicely decorated. The rooftop bar was a terrific after hours spot although the pool (also rooftop) closes a bit early if you're there with kids. The staff was courteous, attentive ave very accommodating. […] Overall, a great place to stay! Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The hotel was in a great location for sight seeing - just blocks from the white house and Smithsonian. We were a family of 4 with two kids who were 7 and 9 - we enjoyed the rooftop pool (but note it does close around 5 pm) service was great - everyone was really friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend this hotel!!

Genuine Expedia guest review

The staff was excellent. I have experienced difficulties at other places due to the unconventional look of my boyfriend and I, but not here! The room was nice, but items such as the lamps were cheap. Lighting is not good for make-up application (created horrible shadows and was dim in general). The bed was great, though! Overall, a nice hotel, but […] I would not pay full price or even the price that I paid through expedia to stay here again. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Hotel has a great vibe. Lobby is stylish.. Check in / Check out was easy and very accomodating to my requests. Room was ready when i arrived; a bit early. Room was very clean... Rooftop pool / lounge - low key but fun.. Great location, easy walk to everything; dinner, bars etc... Would recommend and would stay again. R

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This was a great boutique hotel. It was fun and modern and contemporary. It was even welcoming for children. While we were checking in, they gave our kids bubbles to play with while we waited. The staff was excellent in helping us: they held our bags for us the day we checked out until we were ready to leave, they gave great directions to the Metro […] and driving directions for night-time viewing, they were very friendly to our kids. The beds were comfortable. Loved the spiral shower although it did make it a little hard to shave my legs in. Clean room. Very modern lobby. The only negative about this hotel is the parking. The entrance is right beside the front door, and there is little signage. Plus, the hotel sits on the right corner of a round-about. So by the time we saw the parking sign, we were past it and in the round about. We had to circle the block to come back to parking on the right side of the road which isn't easy in DC traffic. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Contemporary, continental, highly stylized hotel. Very little room info (room service, hotel services, etc.) provided but a very comfortable stay.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Our shower was a disabilities shower and water went all over the bathroom. No coffee machine in the room. No desk in the room. Pool very small. Front desk people extremely efficient and very nice. Nice neighborhood.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Great rooftop pool and free wine reception. Very helpful staff. Great hotel!

Genuine Expedia guest review

Staff was extremely helpful. We arrived early and had access to the pool while we waited. Wine hour in the lobby was great. It seemed like everywhere you turned there was a staff member to help you out, but not in a pushy way. The rooms were very comfortable and quiet. The roof top bar and pool at night was the perfect amount of crowded and really had […] a complete mix of people. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Because it is a higher end hotel, it seems like going the extra miles is not necessary which is disappointing. I feel that not as highly star rated hotels make more efforts to please and welcome their guests. Just a shame that simple things like saying "hello" were not in order until I had to repeat it twice despite there being three receptionists right […] in front of me who were chatting to each other instead of paying attention to the customers... Having said that, there were, after a complaint about the type of accommodation available, efforts to make things better. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The hotel was in a great location -- safe and convenient to everything by foot or metro.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I was very satisfied with my stay at the Donovan House. Very clean and great location to sights and metro.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The best hotel I have stayed in, I couldn't ask for a better place to stay I am glad this was the place I would recommend this to a lot of friends and people

Genuine Expedia guest review

A fabulous hotel in a convenient location. Superb restaurant.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Great hotel. Clean and modern. Central location. No complaints. We will definitely stay there again.

Genuine Expedia guest review

The staff was very good. It was inconvenient to have to ask for ice, The room was small and the beds had no top sheet. The pillows were uncomfortable. Otherwise it was a good experience.

Genuine Expedia guest review

The hotel is fine and I would stay there again. We had a major problem 2 days in a row. After a day out in the city , we returned at 5:00 P.M. to find house keeping just cleaning our room. The second day after two phone calls, they still did not clean our room when we returned at 8:30 P.M. the manager on duty issued us a credit and her sincere apol […] ogies. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The staff are excellent, especially the front desk staff and doormen. The process to get ice was a bit odd, you had to call down and request it to be delivered.

Genuine Expedia guest review