Melrose Hotel Washington DC

The lobby is promising: well appointed, understated, elegance. Front desk quickly accommodated a request to move to a room further from the elevators. The Library Bar comfortable (our dinner service was attentive; food not bad). Breakfast at the restaurant was usual hotel pricey but nicely prepared/efficiently served.

Room decor serenely elegant in yellows and blues: mostly fine but with a hint of lack of pride: painted surfaces worn or dirty (a little 'touch-up' would go along way); wallpapered areas mostly OK. Cracked, peeling toilet seat was replaced upon request (but should not have had to make such a request; housekeeping should have noted and replaced). A note requesting extra pillows was honored, but mold spots noted on unvented bathroom ceiling and advised in a note went untouched (hey Melrose: a little ammonia??). Nice touch: cozy vanity sink located outside private bath/toilet area.

Update: Staff helpful, if not attentive. Thermostat in room in working order (in late April, I called for AC and voila!).

Excellent location. Nice sandwich/salad shop nearby; ditto deli for fresh fruit and chilled beverages without honor bar prices!

I would have loved having some hot water. Or climate control that did something other than blast 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Or a maid service that actually cleaned the room before I arrived. Maybe one day the Melrose will rise to the level of quality of a Motel 6, but until then, stay away.

This hotel is in an excellent location. It is close to Adams Morgan, Foggy Bottom, Dupont Circle, and so on. It's in a great place to be as a tourist.

However, the service was dreadful. I had a 1/2 hour wait for my car to be returned by the rude valet service, there was no air conditioning in the room at the end of April (the whole hotel is either set to heat or cool, according to the front desk), light bulbs in the room were blown out in the bathroom, non-existent in the "office" area, and the carpet was dingy. (This is rated as a 4-star hotel, go figure).

So it's a toss-up for me, and barely scrapes into a 5-rating.

The hotel staff was friendly and they saved an important personal item I left behind in the bathroom, so "Thank you" to the cleaning staff!

I loved my room, it had a big couch, a desk, it was excellent. The price was about $125. This was my first time in DC, I felt fortunate to have stayed in such a comfortable place. I am not high maintenance, as I like to explore and eat out.

The Melrose Hotel is a great place if you want to be near Georgetown, and still have easy access to the Metro to get anywhere else. Although it is more highly priced than some other places, it feels so luxurious and special that we think it's worth it. Sometimes my husband and I are content to just stay and relax in the room for awhile because it is beautifully decorated, has a super comfortable bed with great linens, and just almost has a retreat type feel.