We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The TripAdvisor website may not display properly.
We support the following browsers:
Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome. Mac: Safari.

Donovan House - A Kimpton Hotel: Traveler Reviews

4.0 of 5
1155 14th Street, N.W., Washington DC, DC 20005 (Downtown / Chinatown)
Hotel website
Hotel deals
Hotel amenities
Special Offer
Secret Agent Package
Donovan House - A Kimpton Hotel
Ranked #35 of 126 hotels in Washington DC
Enter dates & see best prices*
Enter dates 1 night 2 nights
Show Prices
* We search the top travel sites for the best price
Booking.com Travelocity Hotels.com
and 9 more sites!
Traveler Reviews
Room Prices
Write a Review

294 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveler rating
    143
    93
    42
    10
    6
Date Rating
Baltimore
Senior Contributor
39 reviews 39 reviews
9 hotel reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
“a work in process”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed April 29, 2012

Modern in style, alive at night..... the public spaces were rockin at midnight on a Friday. Quiet in the room though. It's what you would expect to find in a kimpton..... except, there was no body wash or skin lotion in the bathroom (were supplies restocked after the last guest?). If you need to work, you'll find this room lacking....... there wasn't really any place to set up a computer at a convenient height or to spread paperwork out.
The location is good ... although not the best. A visitor can find good rooms much closer to the tourist center of town .... but likely at a much higher price. It's only a couple of blocks to a Metro stop so location is not a problem.
A nit: The sliding bathroom door is VERY solid (hence heavy) ... that's good, but it lacks a good handle to get a purchase on the door when you want to slide it open or shut. That could be a pain.
No ice machine... but the staff will promptly bring ice if you call.
Bed very comfortable, room and public spaces very clean. I have been in this building before --- 25 years ago and it was then a tired Holiday Inn. This property has been totally refurbished.

  • Stayed April 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 2
See 6 more reviews by Vandal72 for Washington DC
Ask Vandal72 about Donovan House - A Kimpton Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
MMJennings, General Manager at Donovan House - A Kimpton Hotel, responded to this review
April 30, 2012
Thanks for the positive comments, Vandal72. We at Kimpton Hotels are very happy to have added the Donovan House to our DC portfolio just a couple of weeks ago. This is a gorgeous hotel with a lot of potential and our loyal fans are already enjoying our Kimpton touches - wine hour, morming coffee service, warm and engaging staff. etc.. That is a good point regarding the closet doors and we will cerainly see if we can make improvements. Please stay with us again.

Mark Jennings
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Senior Contributor
39 reviews 39 reviews
18 hotel reviews
Reviews in 21 cities Reviews in 21 cities
146 helpful votes 146 helpful votes
“A jewel in the middle of DC”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed April 28, 2012

I have stayed several times at the Donovan while visiting DC. The hotel is at the intersection of 14th St. NW, Vermont, and I Sts. and is about a half mile walk from either the Farragut North or McPherson stations.

On my most recent trip, I was upgraded to a junior suite, which I found modern, spacious, and very comfortable. The room overlooked 14th and I Streets, and yet the soundproofing was amazing. I barely heard any traffic noise at all. The bed was large, the shower somewhat futuristic, and there was a large flat-screen TV in the room (which was furnished with modern furniture). There is an attractive display of snacks on the counter (go ahead, try to ignore it), and you are drawn to it the moment you walk in the room. About the only drawback was that there was no coffee maker in the room, which I found odd.

As this room was picked up by my company, I don't know how much the room cost was, so I can't comment on value. However, the hotel is a nice little jewel when staying in DC.

  • Stayed April 2012, traveled on business
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Ask Mellon about Donovan House - A Kimpton Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
MMJennings, General Manager at Donovan House - A Kimpton Hotel, responded to this review
May 7, 2012
Hello Mellon,

I am so thrilled that we were able to make such a good impression on you. We like to think we are a little jewel as well. To answer you question about coffee makers, we choose not to have them in the rooms because we offer complimentary coffee and tea service in the lobby every morning. It is a far superior experience to any in-room coffee that I have tried. We hope to see you again soon.

Mark Jennings
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Toronto
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
8 hotel reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
“Average hotel in good location”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed April 23, 2012

Billed as a 4-star boutique hotel, it was really just an average 3-star. Very friendly but not overly knowledgable staff. In mid-March, 2012, the hotel was changing ownership/management from Thompson to Kimpton. Hopefully the new owners will put in the money to refurbish a tired hotel.

  • Stayed March 2012, traveled with family
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 4
Ask SaloneeToronto about Donovan House - A Kimpton Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
MMJennings, General Manager at Donovan House - A Kimpton Hotel, responded to this review
April 30, 2012
HI Salonee,

I see that your stay was in March. Good News! As of April 11, the Donovan House did indeed become a Kimpton Hotel. We had the...
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Powder Springs, Georgia
Senior Contributor
32 reviews 32 reviews
6 hotel reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
“Great hotel in DC”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 18, 2012

Spacious, clean room & fantastic view rooftop pool! Within walking distance to the mall & other great sights. The restaurant is good too. My 10 year old loved the swinging chairs in the lobby. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The only thing I can say even potentially negative is the pool closes too early. The roof top becomes a nightclub bar of sorts & there was a line going from the elevators out the front door of the hotel each night.

Room Tip: upper floors have a fantastic view!
See more room tips
  • Stayed July 2011, traveled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 2
Ask Lori P about Donovan House - A Kimpton Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Jackson, TN
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
7 hotel reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
“Good stay.”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 17, 2012

Stayed for one night and could not be happier. Location was very good and staff was excellent.

  • Stayed April 2012
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
See 4 more reviews by Texstud for Washington DC
Ask Texstud about Donovan House - A Kimpton Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
 
 
Donovan House - A Kimpton Hotel
Enter dates 1 night 2 nights
 
Palomar Washington DC, a Kimpton Hotel
Great value on a similar hotel
Washington DC, DC
4.5 of 5 stars 2,070 Reviews
Show Prices
Still looking for a hotel?
Highly rated hotels in Washington DC
Trendy
Sofitel Washington DC
Sofitel Washington DC 4.5 of 5 stars 1,466 reviews
Family-friendly
The Dupont Circle Hotel
The Dupont Circle Hotel 4.0 of 5 stars 940 reviews
Romantic
The Jefferson, Washington DC
The Jefferson, Washington DC 4.5 of 5 stars 225 reviews
Luxury
Park Hyatt Washington
Park Hyatt Washington 4.5 of 5 stars 510 reviews
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d235513?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_Style_Xsell
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d84058?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_Style_Xsell
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d84118?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_Style_Xsell
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d84090?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_Style_Xsell
Travelers also viewed these Washington DC hotels
Helix, a Kimpton Hotel 4.0 of 5 stars 941 reviews Monaco Washington DC, a Kimpton ... 4.0 of 5 stars 760 reviews Palomar Washington DC, a Kimpton... 4.5 of 5 stars 2,070 reviews Rouge, a Kimpton Hotel 4.5 of 5 stars 814 reviews
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d84075?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed_Hero
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d240907?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed_Hero
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d84093?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed_Hero
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d84092?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed_Hero
View all 126 hotels in Washington DC, ranked by popularity

Been to Donovan House - A Kimpton Hotel? Share your experiences!

Write a Review Add Photos Add Videos

Additional Information about Donovan House - A Kimpton Hotel

Also Known As:
Donovan Hotel a Thompson
Donovan House Washington Dc
Address: 1155 14th Street, N.W., Washington DC, DC 20005
Phone Number:
Region: United States > District of Columbia > Washington DC > Downtown / Chinatown , Penn Quarter
Amenities:
Bar/Lounge Business Center Fitness Center Pets Allowed Restaurant Room Service Suites Swimming Pool Wheelchair access
Hotel Style:
#18 Luxury Hotels in Washington DC
#37 Business Hotels in Washington DC
#43 Family Hotels in Washington DC
Price Range: $$
Hotel Class:4 star (4*)
Reservation Options:
TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Booking.com, Travelocity, Hotels.com, Priceline, Amex, Otel, Olotels, getaroom.com, Cheap Tickets, Expedia, Tingo and HotelsClick so you can book your Donovan House - A Kimpton Hotel reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.

Owners: What's your side of the story?

If you own or manage Donovan House - A Kimpton Hotel, register now for free tools to enhance your listing, attract new reviews, and respond to reviewers.

  • Manage your listing
Donovan House - A Kimpton Hotel
Enter dates & see best prices* (from Booking.com, Travelocity, Hotels.com, and 9 more)
Enter dates 1 night 2 nights
Show Prices