10.19.2010

The Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel

During our weekend in Washington, DC, we had the pleasure of staying in the Liaison Capitol Hill, an Affinia hotel only a few blocks away from the US Capitol building.  It is a great little boutique hotel, with a highly-rated restaurant, Art and Soul, owned by celebrity chef Art Smith, on the premises.  We didn't end up eating there, since it's focus is on Southern food and there weren't a lot of vegetarian options for us. 
 
The Liaison Capitol Hill is a funky, modern of hotel within walking distance to the National Mall and Union Station.  I like how the decor hints at its location in the Nation's capitol without going overboard with stars and stripes and stuff like that. For example, in the lobby there were huge Warhol-esque paintings of political figures like Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King, Jr.
The lit votive candles along the lobby walls each night are a nice touch. Actually, all of the mood lighting throughout the lobby was lovely and created a welcoming, fun atmosphere.  
 
The front desk staff was warm and sociable, and attended to any questions we had.  Near the desk was a table with complementary mango-raspberry fruit drinks for guests to enjoy while waiting. Yum!
View of ArtBar from the lobby
It's nice staying in a modern hotel where the details all come together, rather than a bland chain hotel where you don't notice anything.
There were little surprises around each corner, like this chainmail curtain (below, to the right of the room numbers sign) that cordoned off the housekeeping supply area on our floor.
 
Our room was nicely appointed too, with the typical amenities like cable TV, bath supplies ample seating, and a hair dryer.
I did wish that the rooms had mini-fridges, which are helpful for dinner leftovers and drinks.
It's so nice to have a full-length mirror in the room.

I did wish that internet access was complementary, like at many hotels.  We paid $9.95 for one night of it, which really helped us figure out where we wanted eat at or visit when in the city, rather than relying just on guidebooks.
One other nice touch was the walking kit that the hotel's PR representative left in our room.  It included a pedometer, a deck of City Walks cards for the city, an MP3 player with music and a walking tour, a towel, water and a visitors' guide--all packaged in a nice woven box.
They really thought of everything that a newbie to the city might like for stepping out on their own and exploring DC.
Though small, the bathroom was clean and cheery. Outside the door was the coffee station and a mirror
While inside, there were plenty of surfaces to park any of your personal accouterments.
Most impressive were the eco-friendly toiletries.  Why hasn't someone thought of this idea before?
Rather than all the waste from tons of teeny bottles, why not make refillable pumps that are mounted on the shower wall?  I loved the scents of this earth-friendly brand, Sprout Out by Gilchrist and Soames. 
It was so easy to get around the city from this hotel, since it's right in Capitol Hill. With Union Station only a few blocks away, it was easy to hop on one of the Circulator buses that criss-cross the city, or even hop on the Metro.  We did end up parking at Union Station because the rates in the Liaison's garage were more than double what we paid per night at Union Station.  But the walk really wasn't far, even with luggage.
We really were impressed with the Liaison Capitol Hill hotel, and will definitely return on our next visit to DC.
Disclosure: I received a media rate on my hotel room at the Liaison Capitol Hill for writing an honest review of my stay at the hotel.


5 comments:

blueviolet said...

What an absolutely gorgeous hotel! I love the eco-friendly idea too. Brilliant actually!

mail4rosey said...

Great review. We've been seeing the eco-friendly products more often too, and that makes us happy.

Kayla @ TheEclecticElement said...

What an INCREDIBLE looking hotel! I can honestly say I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before-It looks so warm and inviting xD

Bonnie said...

wow! I would love to stay in a place like that. I am not a modern kinda of girl at all, but I would love that place! How refreshing..your right, every other hotel is all the same and nothing sticks out in your mind...but this place really has done a great job on the decor..the votives on the floor in the lobby..so unique! I would have been ecstatic to see the refillable shampoo and body wash in the shower! Especially that fragrance and eco friendliness of it all. I would have been very impressed. I would not have been happy to have to pay for internet, but whatever.

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