Dupont Circle has a particular place in my coronary heart. I lived and labored within the restaurant- and shop-filled neighborhood after I was a resident of Washington, D.C., again in my post-collegiate days. I do not normally land there, although, after I go to the town since I am both sightseeing with household nearer to the Capitol and the Mall or visiting pals within the surrounding Beltway of the DMV (District, Maryland, Virginia).
Nonetheless, on a sunny (and tearful) weekend after dropping my freshman son off at school, I made a decision to revisit my erstwhile D.C. stomping grounds. The vacation spot: a property that had been popping up on my radar repeatedly in the previous couple of months, The Dupont Circle Resort, situated proper in the course of my previous ‘hood.
The lodge emerged from the pandemic with a scene-stealing bar, a hip overhaul of its eating places and lounge areas and design-savvy rooms that had been all a part of a multimillion-dollar renovation, and I wished to see what all the thrill was about.
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Fast take
There are two issues I seen as quickly as I arrived at The Dupont Circle Resort: the nice and cozy welcome and the regular stream of locals heading to the restaurant and bar.
Each level to the lodge’s possession, the Eire-based Doyle Group, which has infused what seems like true Irish hospitality into the property.
There’s truly been a lodge on this location for greater than 5 many years, however after I had seen it previous to this go to, it felt extra like a stalwart of the neighborhood lurking within the background, however not a spot you’d select to hang around.
That is all modified now. Within the fall of 2020, the lodge emerged from a top-to-bottom $50 million renovation with spiffed-up public areas, together with a foyer that embraces the lodge’s midcentury fashionable historical past with polished brass lighting fixtures and vibrant pops of colours contrasted with mild and darkish wooden shelving.
There are a number of spots to take a seat and calm down in leather-based chairs close to a hearth, on velvet couches behind tall vegetation, or by the tall home windows for prime people-watching. Redone rooms are giant, comfy and have a recent aptitude with leather-based headboards and marble loos.
Because the pandemic has retreated, the redesigned bar and restaurant have turn into trendy neighborhood staples and are spots the place lodge company are inclined to linger moderately than venturing out.
Getting there
Because the identify suggests, the lodge is situated straight on Dupont Circle, a major eating and procuring location within the coronary heart of Washington, D.C. The lodge is a couple of three-minute stroll from the Dupont Circle Metro line, which may carry you to most points of interest in D.C. Union Station, the place Amtrak trains arrive within the metropolis, is roughly three miles from the lodge, a 15-minute automotive trip, or a 12-minute, $2 Metro trip.
The lodge is 5 miles from Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport (DCA), which may take about quarter-hour by automotive or roughly half-hour (and a $2.50 ticket) by Metro. Dulles Worldwide Airport (IAD) in Virginia is roughly 28 miles west, a couple of 35-minute drive or about one hour on the bus ($10), though the Metro’s silver line ought to hook up with Dulles quickly.
D.C. is a superb strolling metropolis, and from right here, you may as well wander to a number of points of interest. The Metro makes it simple to get to the Smithsonian museums and monuments on the Mall, or the town’s different points of interest.
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Reserving particulars
Guests can e book the 327 rooms and suites at The Dupont Circle Resort in just a few alternative ways.
The lodge is a part of Most well-liked Motels’ I Choose loyalty program. Signing up for a free I Choose membership supplies a number of cost-saving advantages. For instance, with my free membership, I may have obtained 15% off one of the best accessible fee and a $20 meals and beverage credit score to make use of throughout my keep. The speed with this deal in late August was $251 an evening earlier than taxes for a king room; the town’s 14.95% lodge tax would have added $37.50 an evening, for a complete of $288.50 an evening, or $577 for 2 nights, plus the $20 credit score.
The Dupont Circle can be a part of The Luxurious Resort & Resort Assortment, which I’ve entry to by my Chase Sapphire Reserve , and is in the end how I booked my two-night keep.
For my late August go to, the LHRC fee was $335 an evening together with taxes, so it was larger than by I Choose, nevertheless it provided a number of cardmember advantages that tilted my reserving towards this selection.
Advantages included breakfast for 2 each day in The Pembroke restaurant or by way of room service, with a $30 most per particular person (I might have most popular to not have a greenback cap on my meal, however this did cowl a big portion of my invoice). One other perk was a $100 meals and beverage credit score to make use of on the Pembroke, Doyle Bar or for room service throughout my keep.
In complete, this got here to $220 value of advantages on a $670 invoice, so almost a 3rd of my room complete was returned to me within the type of meals and beverage credit, which I deemed a greater worth than the I Choose direct value.
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Different facilities provided as a part of the LHRC reserving had been early check-in and late checkout based mostly on availability, neither of which I may make the most of with my schedule. Chase LHRC bookings are additionally eligible for room upgrades based mostly on availability, however after I inquired about an improve at check-in, the entrance desk attendant mentioned I had already been assigned a “superb” room and there was nothing higher to maneuver me to. Based mostly on my optimistic interactions with the workers throughout my keep, and the dimensions and structure of my nook room, I imagine this was true.
One other marketed cardmember profit is a “welcome amenity.” This turned out to be a customized observe together with a person bottle of Pellegrino and a small assortment of tasty macarons within the room; general a pleasant presentation to search out ready for me.
One further value to notice: Valet parking is $40 an evening plus tax.
Standout options
- The tremendous alert and useful workers. Everybody from the doorman who remembered my identify to the entrance desk agent who provided to mail a letter I used to be carrying was on level.
- Glorious breakfast and brunch at The Pembroke; if I lived nearer, the towering French toast and the cheese-crowned frittata could be my weekend go-tos.
- Prime location close to public transportation, procuring and eating. It is only a three-minute stroll to the Metro to get downtown, and the bookstore/cafe/bar Kramer Books is simply out the again door.
Drawbacks
- It is easy to overlook the driveway to this property, and in case you go it, it’s a must to loop across the neighborhood’s one-way streets. Higher signage would assist.
- Dinner at Doyle’s feels a bit like a room service menu and does not stay as much as the excessive requirements set by The Pembroke’s breakfast.
- In my room, the lavatory sink space did not have a door to separate it from the sleeping space, which might have made it extra personal and offered a darker sleeping expertise.
The vibe
Having been to many resorts over the last yr that appeared perpetually understaffed and overwhelmed, the quite a few and pleasant workers at The Dupont Circle stood out much more.
It was laborious to stroll various steps into the foyer of the lodge with out somebody greeting you. John, the amicable doorman/bellman/night sentry and all-around model ambassador, offered a jovial first impression of this surprisingly luxurious (particularly for the worth) property, greeting returning company by identify, serving to to get baggage to your room nearly as quickly as you’ve got opened the door and diving behind his desk to supply a bottle of water earlier than you head out the door.
The pleasant service could also be because of the historic lodge’s house owners, the Doyle Group, an Irish-based hospitality firm. There’s undoubtedly a number of the Irish consideration to service right here that I take pleasure in after I go to the Emerald Isle. People staffing the entrance desk mentioned good day each time I walked by, asking if I wanted something and providing small providers like mailing a letter. Day by day housekeeping included free bottled water and night turn-down left small goodies. Each service particular person within the hallway stopped to ask about my keep and if they may carry something to my room.
It even rubbed off on the company. A person who noticed my native college-emblazoned shirt within the elevator instantly began to talk concerning the lodge, remarking on how he would keep right here to any extent further when he visited his youngster on the similar college. “This lodge is a visit!” mentioned the gentleman, who recognized himself as from Texas, “I imply, it is actually superior; what a fantastic place!”
I can actually say in my a few years of lodge stays I’ve by no means heard that degree of shock and enthusiasm from a stranger a couple of property in an elevator earlier than.
It is partly from the homey vibe the lodge has created within the public areas that make this appear, properly, like residence. The association of small work and contemporary vegetation within the frequent hallways felt like my home, however (I am going to admit) higher designed.
The foyer has been divided into smaller, cozy lounging areas because of dividers and inside partitions. Even in summer season, you might see how the fireplaces within the foyer and adjoining bar would forged an excellent hotter glow across the areas.
Talking of the bar, the meals and beverage choices right here draw a coterie of native professionals coming for after-work drinks on the Doyle and its pretty tree-lined and vine-draped out of doors terrace, and everybody from teams of pals to dress-up dates arrives for brunch at The Pembroke. It makes company really feel like a part of the neighborhood, and a part of D.C., too, to have folks come to the place you are staying as a substitute of getting to go in the hunt for the scene someplace else.
As a part of LHRC, the lodge appeared to attract a crowd searching for the high-end extras that come from reserving a keep by the service, but in addition those that know the realm. There was a mixture of households dropping teenagers off at school, fashion-conscious {couples} and enterprise folks dressed for conferences, maybe on the Embassy Row places of work that begin on the Circle and prolong northwest alongside Massachusetts Avenue.
Rooms
My first impression of my “superb” room (once more, in accordance with the check-in agent) was that it was smooth, fashionable and vibrant.
My room’s nook location allowed copious quantities of daylight to stream by the slatted window shutters. A king-size mattress had a thick quilt and silky, excessive thread-count sheets that felt luxurious.
A recent buttercream leather-based sofa was a pleasant spot to lounge and look out on the treetops of Dupont Circle. And the additional lengthy desk would have been a strong area to work with a view if I had been staying for enterprise.
The modernized room had just a few methods up its sleeve, too; the blinds had a blackout shade behind them {that a} bedside swap may activate. A Nespresso machine was tucked right into a shelf.
And a heated marble ground within the rest room managed by an easy-to-find knob saved issues comfy on chilly mornings.
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MELISSA KLURMAN/THE POINTS GUY
The one factor I could not management was the lavatory’s brightness. Whereas attractively designed with marble and glass, there was no door to the sink space, which was situated straight throughout from the king mattress.
A tinted glass door led to the bathroom and bathe space, which had a window with frosted glass, however no blackout shade. It was uncovered to full daylight within the morning and made the entire room glow.
Be aware to lodge: Add a door to the lavatory, please.
On the optimistic aspect, the lavatory had a full array of small-size Malin + Goetz toiletries that felt upscale in a world of big multi-use bottles shackled to bathe partitions.
And housekeeping changed each these toiletries and gadgets reminiscent of cotton swabs each time they visited.
Plus there have been a pair of thick, super-soft bathrobes within the rest room.
Though the room felt very plush, there have been some DIY facilities you’d look forward to finding at a mid-range lodge right here, too, like an iron and ironing board within the closet, which I appreciated.
Foods and drinks
I began my weekend stick with cocktails on the out of doors terrace of the Doyle, one among two eating areas on the lodge.
The leafy patio is the place to be when the climate cooperates. As a result of DC can get muggy, that may additionally translate to buggy, and the host provided us bug spray once we sat down. My company and I slathered it on and felt high quality. Different folks close by did not partake and shortly left, however I wasn’t giving up our seats that simply. That is prime actual property, with lush swatches of vegetation and ivy surrounding velvet couches and bistro tables and chairs.
Cocktail hour was prime time right here, with canoodling {couples} and business-suited teams. My desk of 4 ordered a French rosé from Aix ($13 by the glass), a Stella Artois ($9) and an expertly blended martini ($16) and loved the area and placement.
Inside, a darkish, wood-paneled bar with a lot of chrome accents and fluted wooden detailing, together with a number of the unique mid-century Nineteen Fifties architectural parts, hosted a smattering of patrons. The mahogany leather-based chairs and low tables had been full of happy-looking happy-hour drinkers as properly.
Patrons began to filter out round 8 p.m., more than likely off to eat at one of many many eating places within the neighborhood. However we determined to maintain our desk and ordered dinner.
There is a concise menu of tasty-sounding bar meals that didn’t fairly match the elevated setting. I had an unmemorable “prime-aged” burger ($22) that I solely ate half of as a result of it was overwhelmed by a dense layer of sautéed onions and cheese.
Somebody on the desk ordered an avocado BLT ($18), after which my husband pushed his luck with steak frites ($32). The meat was robust and flavorless. The fries, however, had been crispy and copious, so we made do with these.
One shock delight, although: a particular of watermelon gazpacho ($16) poured tableside was tangy and refreshing.
The subsequent morning, nevertheless, the Doyle was redeemed by its sister restaurant, The Pembroke.
The welcoming area has glistening brass lighting fixtures, apricot-hued leather-based banquettes, big ficus vegetation, a wall of home windows letting within the morning mild and a marble bar the place early risers had been sipping espresso and mimosas.
This can be a dress-up brunch scene on the weekends; on weekdays, it is a widespread assembly spot for espresso, too. The meals and the workers had been distinctive. My breakfast spotlight was an egg-white frittata with spinach and tomatoes topped with mozzarella and introduced in a person forged iron skillet ($18). I additionally loved an expertly made cappuccino ($6).
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MELISSA KLURMAN/THE POINTS GUY
A number of tables close by had Stonehenge-like slabs of French toast, described on the menu as Grand Marnier-soaked brioche ($18) that I am going to must strive subsequent time I go to.
For fast grab-and-go pastries and occasional, there’s Doyle & Co. within the marble vestibule subsequent to the doorway to the Pembroke.
Facilities and repair
The service at The Dupont Circle actually units the bar excessive for different space properties. I anticipate an attentive doorman and a entrance desk that remembers my identify at $800-a-night properties, however my keep right here value a lot much less, and the service was simply as glorious as you’d discover at a top-tier luxurious lodge.
There was nightly turn-down service with chilled bottles of water and chocolate. Day by day housekeeping, which is one thing I have never had in a lot of the resorts I’ve visited prior to now two years in my U.S. travels, additionally left a number of bottles of water, saved the lavatory self-importance stocked with toiletries and offered loads of Nespresso pods.
A small health heart is open 24 hours and is situated within the basement degree. Full disclosure: I did not even consider visiting the gymnasium after strolling almost 5 miles every day of my Washington keep. Nonetheless, it is well-outfitted with a number of stationary bikes and treadmills plus a stair climber, common weight machines and free weights.
There’s valet automotive service ($40), however no self-parking amenities.
Out and about
One of many highlights of staying at The Dupont Circle is being within the coronary heart of what I feel is among the most fascinating neighborhoods within the nation’s capital.
Near the massive site visitors circle that lends the neighborhood its identify, you may discover retailers, bars, eating places and bookstores, or perhaps a mixture of the final three at Kramer Books, a bookstore with a restaurant and a strong cocktail listing. Kramer’s has an outside eating setup throughout from the Doyle and The Pembroke, so you possibly can actually step exterior the lodge and be there inside seconds.
Head just a few blocks from the lodge in both path and you will find tree-lined streets bordered by brownstones. Comply with twenty first Avenue to R Avenue for one among my favourite off-the-beaten-path museums within the metropolis, The Phillips Assortment. The oldest fashionable artwork museum within the nation occupies a historic residence and an adjoining constructing that completely matches into the neighborhood.
Two highlights from the everlasting assortment are Renoir’s The Boating Social gathering and Jacob Lawrence’s Migration collection. You may see these masterpieces with only a few different guests, not like at better-known downtown museums.
The Dupont neighborhood can be the beginning of the lengthy stretch of overseas diplomatic residences and places of work that comprise Massachusetts Avenue’s grand Embassy Row. Though you possibly can’t normally enter with out an appointment or invitation there are just a few which might be simple to see within the speedy space, together with India’s, which has a monument to Gandhi in a pocket park simply in entrance.
In the event you’re right here on a Sunday, Dupont Circle’s year-round farmer’s market is a superb spot to choose up not solely fruits and produce, but in addition snacks starting from macarons to tacos.
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Accessibility
The Dupont Circle lodge presents a variety of ADA-compliant rooms and public areas. There are 15 rooms — two rooms on every of the seven flooring and one suite on the penthouse degree — which might be specifically designed and designated as accessible.
The lodge’s entrances are at avenue degree with no steps or entry ramps required, and the foyer, bar and restaurant are all on the bottom ground and could be entered at avenue degree with out stairs or ramps.
Testing
I used to be impressed by the attentive service at The Dupont Circle Resort which made the property really feel like a luxurious property for the price of a average lodge. My room was comfy (if somewhat vibrant, however that is simply fixable) and the bar on the Doyle and breakfast at The Pembroke made it look like the hip D.C. had come to us, as a substitute of getting to exit in town and search for the place the scene is.
All in all, it was nicer to remain right here than in my previous condo … by an extended shot. It is the form of lodge any customer would wish to name residence, and I am going to undoubtedly be returning right here once more.
Originally published at Irvine News HQ
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