It is always an unusual event to stay in a hotel that is not affiliated with one of the big brands. I stayed in the Churchill Hotel in Washington DC which is near Embassy Row. It is right across the road from the Washington Hilton and about half a mile from Dupont Circle.
The vicinity is quite interesting. About 10 minutes walk up the road is the William Howard Taft Bridge and the Duke Ellington Memorial Bridge over Rock Creek.
View of the William Howard Taft bridge taken from the Duke Ellington Memorial bridge.
The bridges are about 160 feet high and they look down on roads, trees, a river and an equestrian center among other things. Some of the trees down by the creek are about 200 feet high and are higher than the bridges. An amazing sight. But I digress …
Checking in to The Churchill Hotel:
I was dropped off at the hotel but I see valet parking is available at $52. Also don’t forget there is a tax of about 10% on all charges.
A pleasant little reception area with chairs for waiting and the entrance to the restaurant off to the left. There are stairs as well as a ramp up to the elevators.
There is a historic preservation fee of $15+tax added that goes towards “protection and maintenance of the property and its amenities”. This Historic Hotels of America sign is just outside the front door.
The elevator is quite narrow. I guess this is from the earlier days. It would be fascinating to know how they got all the furnishings upstairs.
The elegant stay:
I was up on the 8th floor and had a view out of the side of the hotel of other residences.
The room itself is like other hotel rooms, just from a more elegant time. This is the entrance to the room. You can see the frame surrounding the room number and the elegant structure above the door.
There is a lovely chase lounge in the room with a gorgeous picture above it.
A king size bed with really nice linen, and side tables with a lamp on either side. The side tables have power plugs and USB ports.
One table has a copy of Historic Hotels of America in the drawer.
There is an alcove around the corner at the window with a desk and chair. It is a really nice workspace, light, spacious, secluded. A small bookshelf with figureheads of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and I think John Adams is above.
There is a fancy leather paper and writing case by Remington provided. It includes note paper and a pen as well as instructions for the hotel.
Modern Lavazza coffee machine with pods, 2 bottles of water and ice bucket are provided. For ice not the easiest procedure, you need to go down to reception and they will go into a back room to fill up your ice bucket. (Of course at a smaller hotel like this you still take far fewer steps than the 150 meters from my room to the ice machine and 150 back I experienced the other day.)
The cupboard has an iron and ironing board and a first for me in a hotel, a handheld clothes steamer.
A classy touch is a full-size umbrella hanging in the cupboard in case of a rainy day.
There is also a safe and a refrigerator, very useful when staying in a hotel for a few days.
Nice new bathroom:
There is a counter and stool with a mirror for makeup and hair.
Very modern design taps and basin. The elegant curved spout brings the water nicely into the basin.
Really nice toiletries and soaps by Molton Brown.
Hotel facilities:
There is a small gym with some rather modern equipment including Peloton.
The Chartwell Grill is available in the mornings as well as in the evening.
Here is the website which will explain more about the hotel and surrounding areas.
https://www.thechurchillhotel.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gbp_listing
Late checkout time at noon:
That was the end of a rather pleasant stay at the Churchill Hotel in Washington DC.
Overall a nice level of luxury with really elegant furnishings and details. The Churchill Hotel in DC is not excessively expensive and will provide you with a lovely stay while in Washington.
Stylish bedroom in the Churchill Hotel
