The Dupont Circle

I recently made reservations in three hotels in Washington: Park Hyatt, Rosewood and apparently The Dupont Circle. By some browser mistake, on the The Dupont Circle reservation was an email account that has been closed for 10 years, where messages bounce if used. So I never received a confirmation email from the The Dupont Circle and the hotel received a bounce message and did absolutely nothing. They did not try to call me, nothing. I went to the Rosewood Hotel, I cancelled the Park Hyatt reservation and I would have cancelled The Dupont Circle one had I received an email from the hotel or a phone call. They charged me a no-show of of $572 and they refuse to reimburse me, even after these explanations. I will take all the legal action at my disposal to expose such a shameful behaviour from an allegedly 5 star hotel.

This review pertains solely to The Pembroke, the restaurant located in the hotel. The meals are excellent, and we want to extend special appreciation to David Nguyen, Tom Murphy, Kyle, Michel, and Adan, and Dwayne. Well-done, gentlemen!

I've only been here one night and so far I love it. The room is nice and spacious, the beds are comfy, the bathroom is nicely furnished with a glassed in shower that even has a window that you can open. I've been most impressed by the level of customer service here. From the moment you walk in people are offering to help you. They are friendly and go out of their way to make sure that everyone is taken care of. Most especially, we had breakfast in the dining room here this morning and took our time talking and socializing. Every aspect of the mail came out exactly as ordered. But the staff was just outstanding. There was not a moment where the coffee and water wasn't filled, requests were granted or offered, no one rushed us out. It just made for such a lovely experience and just what we needed to relax and catch up. I may update this again after our second day, but I'm guessing only if it's even better. We are here for a family wedding, but this is also a visit for my dad and I, since we live 1200 mi apart. We are enjoying every minute and so far have not needed to leave the hotel. We spent some time relaxing in front of the fireplace, which was lovely since it's very cold out.

The Dupont Circle Hotel exceeded expectations. At half the price of the other hotels I considered, the room was small but very comfortable for two people. The design of the room was superior: there is no art in sight, but rather, the wall behind the bed is a mosaic of wood and metal leaf. Dropped ceilings with down lights at the entrance and window wall ingeniously create alcoves for the coffee maker at one side and a daybed at the other. Striped carpeting complements the leather day bed by the shuttered window, and the headboard is covered in matching leather. The marble bathroom features a radiant stone floor. All controls (for shower, lights, blackout shades, and--most important to me--the thermostat, which turns on and off without the customary delay) are easy to use and intuitive. The room was carefully and thoroughly cleaned and straightened, exceptional in an era of alternate-day cleaning. And when I'd forgotten to remove the "Do Not Disturb" sign, most impressive was the text message asking me whether I wanted the room cleaned. A minor criticism: the sink is unenclosed, and not only does that reduce privacy, but it also means that anyone using the bathroom at night and turning on the light disturbs the other person.

We really enjoyed our stay at The Dupont Circle Hotel. The gentleman greeting us at the front door was very polite and helpful. Valet parking was easy. Our room was very clean, updated and comfortable. The king size bed was comfy and I got a great night’s sleep. It was quiet. The bathroom was attractive and also updated. There were many extra touches that made our stay nice such as heated floors in the bathroom, hotel robes and slippers and room darkening shades that worked with the touch of a button. I had a nice breakfast in the hotel’s Pembroke Restaurant. I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone wanting to stay near Dupont Circle.