Donovan House - A Thompson Hotel - Washington DC

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.

Ez a vendég nem hagyott megjegyzést.

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

Ez a vendég nem hagyott megjegyzést.

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.

Ez a vendég nem hagyott megjegyzést.

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

A very substandard hotel that trys to image itself as 'Swanky' Here are my list of pros/cons Pros: - Nice hotel pool/rooftop bar Cons: - I recieved a smoking room which sucked. I could smell the smoke on my clothes - Substandard Service - I hated the 'cocoon' shower...they could have designed that shower much much better - No Kiehls ammenities - instead it was CO Biggelow - The bed was lousy at best - not as nice as a Westin Heavnly Bed or a Marriott bed - The location was lousy ...you have to walk a significant amount to get to a metro station. Bottom line, not worth the hype!

Definitely worth the trip! Was in DC for a conference and booked a room at the Donovan House, which was two minutes away. Everything was great and we would stay there again. The only negative is that the pool is open from 7am to 5pm.

No desk. Small room. Odd shower. Good thing it was only one day.

The person at the front desk a young black man was very hdlpfull, I was a late check in and how nice to find a person on duty who was competent . My visit was so good that I hope to return very soon. Thanks e

The room was small & there was no bathtub, only a shower. The employees were polite & checking in & out were fine. There was a $35 parking fee though which was not mentioned anywhere on the web site. The biggest problem I had was there was some confusion to us about the 'Continental breakfast' served in the hotels restaurant. There were no prices at all listed inside the menu so when we went up to get the breakfast spread they had laid out, we were immediately handed a bill for $30.80 for 2 breakfasts. (This was yogurt, cereal, pastry, fruit, toast etc.) Usually in a hotel this is included as a complimentary breakfast and I did not like the way they went about doing this. It was almost as if it were some type of trick to make you think the breakfast was included with the cost of the room only you get tricked into paying for it as soon as you put something on the plate & take your seat again. So we just paid the bill, ate & left the restaurant. I mean....who pays $30 for 2 breakfasts!! This was a ridiculous amount of $ for what was laid out. We served ourselves. It wasn't even served to us!! We had not even taken a bite of the food yet and we were brought the bill from an attendant standing nearby. The only thing we liked about the hotel was its location was 6 blocks away from a government building we had to do business with very early in the morning. Other than that I would not stay in the hotel again nor recommend it.

Liked the location, in relation to the White House and Metro. Nice, trendy room, liked the Kiehl's bath products! Hotel service is decent, but the lack of concierge services and limited room service made it sometimes difficult. Parking was expensive too. I would stay there again though!

The hotel staff was very friendly. The room was incredibly small.

They gave us an upgrade in the room and the spiral shower, leather ceiling and bed were really great. Very comfortable room. But the hotel has no late night room service and shuts the pool down very early. and there's not much around there, so if you're in late, there aren't many food options. If you're expecting a Thompson Hotel experience, you'll be disappointed. But nice overall.

Ez a vendég nem hagyott megjegyzést.

The hotel was very unique and definately worth the stay. Only concern was pool was closed for private party.

Donovan House is a very nice hotel. I like the contemporary flair, the spiral shower, the large king size bed and the chairs. The decoration is pleasant. The only drawback of staying in Donovan House is the parking fee, $35 per night. But I think there are very limited parking garages around DC area that a $35 per night fee might be a norm there. Overall we are very pleased with our stays and will definitely stay there again.

Nice hotel. Disappointed that the pool closes at 5PM. Not really a kid friendly hotel in my opinion.

Ez a vendég nem hagyott megjegyzést.

I booked this hotel to relax in the fantastic looking roof pool. The pool was closed for a private party, this was very disappointing. The hotel itself is gorgeous and funky, fun, but the pool being closed really ruined the experience for me as that is the reason I booked it.

Ez a vendég nem hagyott megjegyzést.

Very "New York"

The rooms are not shoe boxes! Amazingly for NYC, the rooms actually have a little space. Don't get me wrong, this is still a New York hotel - there's nothing spacious about it, but you can walk around both sides and the front of the bed without turning sideways. The bathroom was surprisingly large (for NYC) and comfortable. The condition of the hotel is outstanding - and that's not just for NYC -- the place is clean, well run, and very tidy. For the price you can't beat this hotel. It's located near to the 1 subway line. It's a reasonable walk to the 72nd st 2/3 express station too. There are many great restaurants nearby.

Great central location, nice rooms - a little small but adequate. Great Value.

i'd stayed here years ago when it was a shady holiday inn and i was doing the college tour, so was pleased to find that it had been recently revamped by the thompson hotel group - i'm a fan of a couple of their new york properties. in spite of the low ceilings and somewhat cramped corridors, the rooms look great, and were an excellent value given the location. Only criticisms would be room and ice service, but really, those are extremely minor problems at worst. would definitely stay here again and have recommended it to several friends already.

Ez a vendég nem hagyott megjegyzést.

Hotel was modern, cool, and clean! Our room was perfect-good size and comfortable with a great view. Bathroom was roomy with a funky circular shower and bathtub. Rooftop pool & bar was awesome! FYI they have a dj party on Sundays (which was fun) but all are welcome and we couldn't get any lounge chairs. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Hotel was about a 20 minute walk to the mall/museums, but a pleasant one. Look forward to returning and will def stay here again!

We loved the atmosphere and the service was wonderful. Our only complaint is that the pool hours and bar hours were very limited. Also, there were private parties both nights on the roof so we were restricted from going up there. If we are paying to stay there, we should be able to enjoy all the ammenities.

Ez a vendég nem hagyott megjegyzést.

I specifically made reservations at the Donovan House for its location and the name of the hotel (since my wife and I share the name). This was a birthday surprise for my wife so I called the hotel a couple of days in advance and asked what they could do. Since my wife was pregnant, they couldn't leave a bottle of champagne but they said they could do a bottle of sparkling cider. When we checked in and went to our room, there was no bottle in sight. I went back downstairs to the counter and was told they had no notation of a bottle of cider. I told the person that we would be leaving for dinner and that it would be great if that was in the room afterward. She said it would be no problem. We went to dinner and when we came back to our room -- no bottle of sparkling cider. I gave up and was very disappointed. On the plus side, the room was nicely decorated and we had a great view. We thought the decor was ultra modern and cool. The only problem with the room was that the bathroom smelled of mildew.

My husband and I went to D.C. to celebrate our 1st anniversary. The hotel was beautiful, clean, modern, and comfortable. The staff was helpful/friendly. The rooftop pool & lounge was amazing w/ spectacular views. Apparently, they have a a DJ party on Sundays (which was fun) but the lounge chairs are reserved for "bottle service" and outside guests were invited. That was the only thing I didn't like, although we still enjoyed the scene. We will defintely return to this hotel again!

Ez a vendég nem hagyott megjegyzést.

Disappointing stay. 50% of rooms face solely a nursing home atrium. Hotel pool and bar closed for 2 consecutive days for private parties. Staff less than helpful.

I enjoyed my stay at the Donovan House until I checked my bank acccount and they had charged me $58.70 for the cost of the mini bar. I would not have a problem paying if I had indeed had some beverages from the mini bar. I called the and spoke with the manager and he started going down a list of alcoholic beverages. I explained that I was in DC for a church conventiom and did not drink any alcohol. Furthermore, I went across the street to the CVS and bought some water and sodas. Why spend the ridiculous amount on the mini bar sodas and water when I can go across the street and pay a lot less. The manager did refund my $58.70. Other than the mini bar experience, the Donovan House is a very nice place to stay.

The people at the front desk were helpful and very nice.

Ez a vendég nem hagyott megjegyzést.

Very satisfied. Excellent location and charming atmosphere.