Hampton Inn Washington, D.C./White House — Hotel in Washington

D.C. is among my favorite places to visit. The variety of things to do and countless dining options make it ideal, and as a result, I visit at least 1-2 times annually. As I’ve continued to visit, I realize having a staple accommodation that is consistent and reliable, is important. The Hampton Inn & Suites D.C./White House has hit the mark for me. I first stayed here in August 2024 however, I had never gotten around to writing a review. My boyfriend and I decided to visit D.C. for the holidays and I recommended we stay here. There was no way I could pass up another opportunity to write about my experience. In both instances, these were leisure trips of up to 3 days. Below are some highlights from my stay:

Pros:
In my initial visit, I chose this hotel because they had a great rate. In comparison to Airbnb, it seemed like a better value. Upon my return in December, we snagged another good rate for booking in advance. Above all, it’s a nice distance from many of the attractions. If you are someone who likes to walk and sightsee, then you will enjoy the distance of this property. Additionally, it’s a short walk from the local train station and buses. All around convenient!|- Check-in and check-out were super easy using the Hilton app. Moreover, our hotel key was available right on the app. There were some issues using it at times but it was overall convenient.|- Basic wi-fi is available as part of your stay. We had good connection without issues. 
The hotel is modern and appeared clean. During my visit in December, it was decorated lovely with a beautiful Christmas tree and holiday themed pillows in the dining/lounge areas. |- As for the room, I chose the 9th floor each time. Décor was consistent with each visit, including simple yet modern artwork and furniture. There was plenty of light and outlets as well as a comfortable desk to sit at and a plush chair to relax in. There wasn’t any view from the rooms except for an adjacent building. 
I really like the bathroom at this hotel. It’s a good amount of space for a couple or solo person. Moreover, it has good lighting, a fan, and the hot water was superb during the cold weather. Lots of towels as well and plenty of toiletries including hand soap. |- You can adjust the room temperature using the thermostat. The AC and heat worked well on each visit.|- The room featured a king size bed that was comfy and cozy. We had plenty of space and it was positioned well. Also featured was an alarm clock with wireless phone charger which was was convenient. |- Staff were generally pleasant and welcoming. Each time we left or arrived, we were greeted with a smile. I called for assistance and also received good service. 
The hotel offers daily breakfast (6am-10am) as part of your stay. It was great and pretty similar each day however, some variety was offered among the hot items. For example, some days we had sausage or bacon. I also witnessed scrambled eggs and western omelets. All delicious. Among my favorite (as with most Hampton Inns), was the waffle maker. The station featured two waffle irons and we had an option between vanilla and blueberry batter mix. Moreover, the kitchen offered free bottled water. Very helpful especially if you’ll be doing a lot of walking or simply want to keep something in your room.|- The hotel offers self-service coffee, tea, and hot chocolate throughout the day. Very convenient and helpful given that we went during a very cold time. They also offered oatmeal cookies one night. I liked that the hot beverage station is within the dining area. Their dining area has a mix of hightop tables, low top, and then some comfy couch type of chairs that become lounge-like once the table is removed. Convening over hot beverages in that area felt comforting. |- Finally, the hotel has a mini-market available. Convenient but very expensive. 

Cons |- Seating at breakfast can be limited at times. I highly suggest arriving early or stopping by toward the end to get a seat. Otherwise, you might have to wait for a table to become available or bring your food up to your room. |- Also in regard to breakfast, the tables need better cleaning in-between guests. On at least 2 occasions when we got a table, it was dirty. I had to ask a staff member to kindly clean it before we ate. If a routine for regular cleaning is not in place, they should implement one. |- During my initial stay, I had a mini refrigerator in my room. Naturally, I anticipated that one would be in our room during our December stay. Wrong. I called the front desk and I was advised that refrigerators are available upon request. When I asked if we could be moved into a room with a refrigerator, I was notified there were no more rooms available and to check back tomorrow. We didn’t bother. We were only there for 3 days, with the first day being a very late arrival. This move wouldn’t have been worth it. Unfortunately, as a result, all the food we brought with us had to be disposed. Moreover, we could not hold ice for too long nor could we chill any drinks we had. |- Rooms do not have a microwave. Instead, you must use the communal microwave in the market. Not a big deal but the microwave plate was dirty. Again, another opportunity for spot checks. |- Aside from the bottled water offered at breakfast, opportunities for beverages were limited to the expensive market or a trip outside the premises. Other Hilton properties offer fruit infused water throughout the day, just like the hot beverage. I would’ve appreciated that offering throughout my visit. ||All-in-all, I had a good stay. Between the comfy room and great food, it was enjoyable. I think the pros outweigh the cons and therefore, this establishment will be my go-to when visiting DC. I would also recommend to others and look forward...

I stayed at this hotel from November 22-26, 2022 over Thanksgiving. Pros: Location was perfect for taking the hop on hop off bus just about 3-4 blocks away from a pick up point(near the WWI monument). The south end of the White House where the fountain is is just 3 blocks away near a park. I could walk to various museums. As a single woman, I felt safe in the area. It is downtown but far enough away from the tourists. Breakfast was helpful budget wise. Eggs, home fries, choice of meats(sausage and or bacon)waffles, cold cereals, oatmeal, muffins, toast, fruit, juices and all day hot coffee and teas are available. Yogurt, too. Bottles of water are available. I wished that non dairy milks were available and more condiments. But I saved money eating there. The woman running it was very pleasant and friendly to all.

The ambiance in the lobby and the breakfast/living room was comfy for the most part. Comfy chairs and sofas. Two Tv's and music playing so if you did not want to stay in your room, you could hang out there. I wished that there were newspapers and magazines. With covid, that must be a thing of the past. My last night I brought my book, got some coffee and snuggled down in the comfy chair there. The room I had was comfortable except for the bed (con). Clean and quiet. I was in 1108, away from the elevator. Some reviewers complained about noise but my room was quiet. No in room movies but the channels were adequate enough for my stay.

Service was prompt and my requests were acted upon. I asked for a refrigerator and got one. No microwaves were available (families were using them) I had an issue with the toilet one day, after flushing water would not come into the bowl. Called for maintenance and within 10 minutes, he came and it was fixed. The front lobby staff were gracious and pleasant.

The bathroom necessities were hand wash, lotion, shampoo and conditioner. Full sizes. I enjoyed the scent of the hand wash and lotion. I forgot my lotion and was glad to use it. Shower was hot and plentiful.

Restaurants were close by...Panera across the street, a coffee shop down the street. The Cheesecake factory 3 blocks away. Restaurants around the corner in any direction. Busses ran on I street and surrounding streets.

Cons: No refrigerator and microwaves in the room. These should be included. You must ask for them.

The mattress was like laying on a cement slab. After the first night, I couldn't lay on it without some kind of cushion. I had 4 pillows and asked for 2 more so I could create a cushion around me to sleep.

Pillows were saggy except for the 2 I asked for. Softer mattresses and firmer pillows are needed.

The $200.00 incidental fee. I was told that at checkout, I would not be charged. One night's room charged on my credit card should be enough. Why charge a fee initially that you do not charge? I was not charged an additional fee but still....

The credit card scan. I would prefer that the receptionist at check enter my credit card than that scanner. It denied the card that I used to book but processed another card. I felt like the scanner could not read my booking card.

Heat in my room took some finagling. The best way to feel the heat after setting the temp was to put it on fan on. It was chilly especially near the windows in the breakfast room/living room. I never felt any heat. It was warm in the hallways and the elevator. The ice room was very hot, however.

Housekeeping. My room was clean when I arrived. You must ask for housekeeping a day in advance. I was there Tuesday-Saturday. I asked for housekeeping Thursday and got it Friday. I was ok with it but wished for more towels initially.. I had 2 bath towels and and 5 face cloths. If I had a family with me, more towels would have been needed. Trash can liner bags. Needed after bringing back food to the room.

The hard bed was the reason for 4 stars instead of 5. All in all, I would stay here again and would...

My husband and I stayed here for 4 nights in November 2023 and we would be quite willing to stay here again. I was very nervous about the parking situation, but it didn't end up being as big of a deal as I thought it would. Valet parking here is $49+tax per night, but we never used it. There are 4 temporary parking spaces (plus one more, I think, when they finish construction on the corner) directly in front of the hotel's front door for loading and unloading. Throughout our entire stay, whenever we walked out the front door, there was always at least one of these spaces empty, so you have a really good chance of snagging one of these to unload your car at check-in. We used the SpotHero app to reserve a parking space a few blocks away for the duration of our stay, and then we got around DC via the Metro, the bus, walking, or riding one of those Lime scooters. We initially used the parking garage at 1700 K St. NW for about $16/day, but the SpotHero instructions for getting into the garage were incorrect -- the garage has no QR code scanner at the entrance, so we had to have several conversations with employees about how to navigate the situation and it was a headache. On Monday morning, we moved our car to the garage at 1717 K St. NW ($22/day), which DOES have a QR code scanner at the entrance and was therefore much easier to deal with. Anyway, back to the hotel: this was actually one of the cleaner hotels I've stayed at, although there was definitely still dust and grime in places (as there always is at hotels). The bathroom was tiny and not particularly well laid out, but it did have a place to hang the hand towel (on the sliding shower door), which a lot of hotels don't have. We only needed any kind of customer service once, when we asked for an extra towel, and they brought us a stack of extra towels maybe an hour and a half later. The employees were all friendly. We didn't eat breakfast here, so I can't speak to that. The area / neighborhood the hotel is in doesn't feel dangerous, and I say this as someone who is extremely sensitive to the feeling of safety. There is a Metro stop pretty close by, and a highly rated coffee shop, Compass Coffee, very near the hotel (same block, same side of the street), if you're someone who likes your fancy coffee in the AM. Otherwise, though, I would say food choices near the hotel are a little sparse if you're at all picky (which I am). My primary complaint, though, is that our room did not have a fridge or microwave, which I think are pretty crucial to a hotel room (mainly the fridge). This is why I gave 4 stars...