The George

In honor of George Washington’s Birthday, I thought it fitting to write about a recent stay I had at the The George hotel in Washington, DC. This was my first time staying at this property, and anyone who knows me very well, knows what a fan I am of Kimpton Hotels, so it’s a little surprising that this was my first time staying at any Kimpton property in the Washington, DC area, much less one honoring a man who helped found our country. Upon check-in the lovely hostess commented how she and staff members reviewed my Kimpton stay profile and noticed that I have visited at a lot of Kimpton properties all over the country and had stayed at every Kimpton property in the Washington, DC area except the The George.  We then discussed some of my favorite properties in the city and Northern Virginia and my excuses on why I put-off staying at the hotel for soo many years. After one of the most pleasant check-in experiences I’ve had, she gleefully announced that based on my stay profile and that since the hotel staff could tell I was such a Kimpton aficionado, they had decided to give me the Presidential Suite for my stay and to make sure I come back to let them know where The George fit into my rankings of Washington, DC properties. As a huge hotel junkie, my excitement and anticipation, already high, soared with enthusiasm.

Before I go into the details of my room and the property, a little back-ground information on the hotel location is needed… The George hotel sits in a prime location for anyone visiting the city on business due to its close walking proximity to the United States Capitol and surrounding House and Senate offices. The property is also close to many association headquarters, the Supreme Court and Library of Congress, other judicial courts and a short walk to Union Station metro and Amtrak train service. So, on paper, it seems like a great location, and it is for anyone needing to transverse The Hill for meetings. Therein lies the problem, from past experience staying in the area and having events there, I found that part of the city to be all business and no fun! The described area of the city is predominately office space and government agencies with very minimal residences or apartments, so there is not much going on after business hours. Sure, there are a few bars and restaurants in the neighborhood and you’re close to the shops and restaurants of Union Station, but to say there is much of an evening or nightlife scene would be a gross exaggeration. The hostess at check-in even agreed with me that if their property were plunked down around the nightlife hot spots of Dupont and Logan Circle or the 14^th and U Street Corridors, they (The George) would be one of the most sought after boutique hotel properties in the city. So, there I was room key card in hand, filled with excitement to see my fantastic upgraded hotel room. More on location later…

Walking through the lobby on my way to the elevators, I got a glimpse of a stylish restaurant and other common areas decorated in a modern homage to our first President. Based on that, I have to say, I liked where this was headed. Getting off the elevator on my floor I was greeted with another beautiful oversized piece of impressionist styled artwork of George Washington, and around the corner, more examples of the same.

So far, I was pretty impressed, now the moment of truth – I opened the door to the Presidential Suite to find a stylish and modern space with all the right appointments. The room had contemporary furnishings and more examples of the art I had just appreciated in the common areas of the hotel. While the room was modern, it also had a nice mix of traditional elements befitting the Washington, DC style. Contemporary with a nod to our colonial past is the best way I can describe it! Let’s call it Abstract Colonial. The nod to America’s colonial past was reflected in other small design details, such as the step stool to assist getting into the tall King sized bed, similar to what I imagine a wealthy colonial mansion to have in the master bedroom of its owners. There were modern interpretations of wingback chairs covered in contemporary fabrics. All-in-all, I was impressed with the design and seeming comfort of the living room and bedroom.  Then I saw the master bath! Marble everywhere, one of those modern interpretations of a claw foot tub that I always admire, a separate shower and toilet closet, and two vanities on different walls. Score! I was thinking, what took me soo long to stay here? Oh yeah, the location…

Location, Location, Location. That’s what you always hear in the real-estate world, and it definitely holds true in the travel and hospitality industries as well. As nice as my room was, I wasn’t here to sit around in my hotel all afternoon and evening. I was at this location to also explore the area since it had been a six-year hiatus since I had stayed in the neighborhood. While not much had changed in the six, seven, eight block area over the past six years, a lot is going on a few blocks north-east of Union Station in an area of Washington, DC that I had honestly not spent much time to-date. Union Station sits at about a two to three block walk northeast of the The George hotel. Union Station serves as the city and regional hub for the Washington, DC Metrorail and buses, Amtrak, MARC and VRE train service. In addition to serving as a busy transportation hub, with more than 30 restaurants and over 50 shops, Union Station has become a destination unto itself. After more than fifty years, Union Station serves as the hub of DC’s newest street car and services the H Street corridor from Union Station to Oklahoma Avenue/Benning Road. Future extensions to the DC Streetcar line include Union Station to the Georgetown waterfront along K Street.

What’s been going on with urban re-development in Washington, DC in recent years can only be described as completely transforming the entire city and H Street has been one of the most dramatic transformations in the past few years. What was once a shabby section of east DC has transformed into a rapidly gentrifying district. The redevelopment taking place along 14^th Street and U Street have pushed into northeast DC, most notably the Shaw and H Street corridor areas. The National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded the city with a 2013 Great American Main Street Award for their preservation efforts in along the H Street corridor. With that, as in most American city neighborhoods that undergo revitalization, it usually begins with young professionals in the 20’s and 30’s moving into the area. The migration of these young professionals has placed pressure on businesses to provide arts and entertainment opportunities as well as restaurants and bars. And that is exactly what has happened along H Street. In fact, in September 2012, Forbes magazine named the H Street corridor as the sixth most hipster place in America. It goes without saying that there is a lot of leisure time entertainment in this area now and those establishments and their impact (positive and negative) can be the subject of another blog.

The bottom line – with the development along H Street, there are now plenty of entertainment options after regular business hours within several blocks of the The George hotel. While it still may not be located in one of my choice locations in the city, I can no longer overlook the property and area when recommending places to stay in Washington, DC.