I had a one night stay during a work trip to Washington DC, and decided to try out something new since it was less expensive than my usual hotel, the Kimpton Glover Park Hotel.
Location: The hotel is located on Wisconsin Avenue near the Naval Observatory, across from the Russian Embassy. It’s about a 20 minute walk to either Georgetown or my alma mater of American University, and a 10-20 minute drive from downtown DC depending on traffic. Unfortunately it’s not particularly transit-accessible, but they offer a shuttle to the Woodley Park Metro Station and other destinations in a 1-mile radius.
Checkin / Checkout: Checkin was efficient and friendly. When I gave the secret password, the check-in agent told me they didn’t have their summer gifts ready yet but offered me a bottle of wine (choice of red, white, or rose). I also got a $10 minibar voucher for being an IHG Platinum Elite Member. Checking out in the morning was quick and efficient.
I helped myself to some gummy bears and a box of cookies for a grand total of $1 after my IHG Platinum “Raid the Bar” credit.
Room: The room was spacious, fresh, and modern looking, with lots of space to walk around and all the amenities you’d expect (plus a mini fridge). The roll-down ‘blackout’ shade wasn’t particularly effective – it let a lot of light in around the edges in the morning.
Internet: The WiFi was easy to log into with the email address attached to my IHG Rewards account, and was fast enough to stream Netflix without any lag.
Food: There’s an Italian restaurant on site – I didn’t eat there, but it’s got a James Beard Award-winning chef and an average of 4 stars on Yelp. The hotel also has a backyard patio bar and lounge open in the evenings.
Service and Amenities: The hotel offers coffee and tea in the mornings, and wine hour from 5-6pm. For some reason, the business center doesn’t have a printer or computer, which struck me as very strange. (The front desk will print documents upon request, though reviews on Google have inconsistent reports on pricing from $0-$0.20 per page). The hotel also has an extensive fitness center that offers group classes.
Verdict: A sleek and comfortable Kimpton with friendly staff. A good choice if you have a reason to be in the neighborhood, and don’t need a business center.
Have you stayed at this Kimpton hotel before? What were your thoughts on the hotel?
I find the Kimpton here in the LA area to be over-hyped and over priced. I don’t understand the concept or the big deal made by everyone when they merged with IHG. The brand does not recognize the Ambassador program and you get a $10 “raid the bar” credit. With nightly rates of $300+ and parking fee of $50, I don’t see any value in the proposition. Award nights are at 60-70K IHG points for just a room. No other benefits! Intercontinentals, on the other hand, offer a better value whereby you can get a room at 50K points and upgrade for cash into a suite to include Intercontinental Club access. When traveling with kids, breakfast is very important, especially breakfast on demand.
Ambassador benefits are only available at Intercontinental properties. No other IHG offers anything special for them.
I stayed at the Glover Park property when it first opened up. It’s a nice hotel, but it’s not too fancy or kitschy like other Kimpton properties. Like you said, I would only stay there again if I had a specific reason to be in that neighborhood. There are many other Kimpton properties in the DC area that have a better Kimpton spirit.
One very nice benefit: it’s easy to find street parking near the Glover Park. We did this on a weekend stay and were happy to avoid paying very high DC hotel parking fees.