DC Kimptons

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I am looking for info on the Kimpton hotels in DC - there was a thread primarily concerned with parking with a bit of info but I don't have a car to worry about, and was a little concerned about some of the TripAdvisor reviews of the hotels. Can anyone expound on the pros/cons of any of the DC Kimptons? I care about comfortable beds, enough room in the room for a suitcase plus people, clean bathrooms (don't need to be huge, but decent sized) and general all-over reasons to rank one property over the other. The rates seem to be about the same, so if you have experience with any of these, I'd appreciate the input.

Sorry to double post this - realized that the parking tag and lack of reference to DC in the original thread title would limit who would look at the post...

I've stayed at the Hotel Madera, in one of the King bed rooms. The room itself was sizeable, the sink was separate from the toilet/bath/shower room. (handy for the two of us to get ready in the morning!). IIRC, the toilet/shower room was kind of small and tight. The closet had plenty of room in it for luggage, plus if you really need it there were places in the room where you could probably stash more stuff (under / behind chairs, etc.). Nice bathrobes and a pretty decent wine for 'happy hour'.

The couple we were travelling with also had a king room, but I think their room was laid out differently and was maybe a little bit smaller.

Overall, I was really pleased with the hotel and I'd stay there again.

I had good luck with the Topaz; though not overly large it was very comfortable and not claustrophobic.

I too was scared away from the other Kimptons by the posts on TripAdvisor.

I've stayed at Rouge a couple of times. Get prepared for RED rooms - which I've always liked, but can imagine how others might not want that.

Additionally, the rooms I've stayed in have always been larger than just one of their standard rooms. One of them had a separate kitchen area that came in handy to entertain some guests that night. All of the rooms came with LARGE beds, very comfortable surroundings, and the staff there was great. Sunday mornings feature a complimentary bloddy mary bar and free pizza in the lobby for their guests. Also, Rouge has Bar Rouge - a smallish little bar that can get pretty busy on the weekend.

I recommend Rouge to anyone that's looking for accomodations in the DC metro area.

All of the Kimptons in DC have different personalities. I've been to the Monaco, the Helix and the George

The George: I've only been to Bistro Bis (the restaurant) during Washington's Restaurant week. (Restaurant week is a week long extravaganza where nicer restaurants offer 3 course fixed price lunches and dinners for 20.07 or 30.07 (the cents depend on the year!) ) Locationwise - its right near Union Station and the Capitol - but if you're not there for business on the hill, its about a 15 minute walk to get anywhere more happening (tho there are two irish bars a block over if you're staying there short term.)

Anyways, the bar and restaurant were lovely, the staff was great, the common areas seemed lovely.

The Helix: The hotel is fairly modern. I've been in a suite for a party (it was very purple focused!) There are leopard print robes! But the room had a lovely wraparound couch, a desk area, a separate 'bedroom' as well as a lovely bathroom. Plenty of room. Its in the Logan Circle-ish area which is kind of eclectic. Its a bit of a walk to the metro, but its right in the middle of the city and there's a lot of stuff in a 10-15 minute walk. The bar is also a happening place a lot of nights.

The Monaco: The hotel is what I'd call "modern classic". The building is a 'historic' building. Its in a fantastic neighborhood (but I'm biased - I used to live there!) Its right across the street from a metro, there's tons of restaurants and bars, two movie theaters, some shopping etc. The staff was absolutely lovely. The halls remind me of Alice in Wonderland - they're very wide, there are huge couches, the wallpaper is tall and stripey. The rooms were a little on the small side, but not all of the rooms are the same size. And 'on the small side' there was still room for two people and there stuff who were staying there as well as two friends dropping by to have a drink (but it was cozy!) The bathroom was also lovely. The rooms also came complete with a pet goldfish! There were only a small issue - if you're in a room "behind" reception - there's no way to get there except for walking down 3 very long hallways, as there's a courtyard in the middle of the building that you can't cut through (or couldn't when I stayed there). But I love this property.

Thanks everyone. The best rate was to be had at the Rouge, so that's where I have a reservation for next Tuesday and Wednesday. I guess, like any hotel or chain, service etc. can be hit-or-miss and one person's bad experience is another's 5* rating. I hope I can post a good report when I return - and I love red, so at least that won't be a problem...

Hope you enjoy Rouge! Don't forget about the bloddy mary's and pizza on Sunday morning.

The Palomar is my favorite. It's the newest Kimpton in DC, and is right in the heart of Dupont (great sushi place across the street).

Plus they always upgrade me to an absolutely fantastic suite (very friendly staff!)

The Palomar also has a nice restaurant, Urbana. Nice selection of wine, good happy hours, and a really nice Sunday Brunch menu.

Any thoughts on Madera vs. Palomar? We've stayed at Palomar a number of times and really like it but thinking of giving Madera a shot.

Bump...I have the same dilemma.

We enjoyed the Madera as well. If pressed, I think I like the Palomar (and their upgrades!) a bit better, but they are both nice hotels.

Glad to hear some good things on here about the Palomar. About to book a stay there for later this month. Anything special I should know?