Three stays, three good experiences

We've stayed at the Governor's House on three separate occasions: 10/01, 8/02 and 5/04. Each time we stayed we had different types of rooms. The first stay was in a large King room ($89) that included a sleeper sofa, the second stay was in a rather small room ($99) and our last stay was in a very large two room suite ($119). Each time we've had a clean comfortable room and courteous service at a very reasonable price and an ideal location. The only surprise we've had was during last month's stay - free valet parking. We really expected to pay for parking (normally we fly to DC so didn't know.) When I book this hotel again, I'll pay attention to the description given because the large suite I mentioned was described as a King Suite on the internet and I was expecting it to be the King room with the sofa. Either one would be fine for the two of us, but why not have a nice spacious suite! We weren't affected at all by the construction and like staying here because of the great location and small size of this hotel. (The expansion will not make it a mega hotel by any means.) We haven't eaten at the restaurant so cannot comment on the food. The suite would be ideal for families: split bath, fridge, large separate bedroom, 2 TV's. We'll return to the Governor's House again.

Bad service, hidden charge

Our experience with this hotel is pretty negative. First all, it is under-construction. It is pretty noisy most of the day. And there is no self-parking, only valet parking for $21 during weekend. The people on the front-desk made you feel that you owed him if you ask him to bring in your car. When we first checked in, they gave us a room that has a leaking roof, a big area on the floor is wet. We found it out after settling in, then we have to move to another room 9:00 pm. Finally, I now found out that they charged us extra $50 just because our kid throw some food in the trash can in the bathroom.

Good location

We stayed here in November, 2002 and it was great. Very clean but small King room facing the front of hotel. Staff is great, restaurant good, and location is great. We came back 1st weekend in April 2004 for the cherry blossoms and found the hotel under construction. We should have been warned. This time we got a bigger room with 2 double beds but the carpet was filthy, the water pressure was lousy, and our non-smoking room smelled like smoke. The walls are thin: you can hear conversations next door while trying to sleep. But in spite of these complaints, we will try them again after the rehab is completed is the rates remain low.

Could be better

If you plan on staying here make sure you arrive in the late afternoon. Check-in is not until 3:00 pm. We were tired and just wanted to lie down, but had to leave our luggage and walk around until then. Construction was underway but was not too bad except on our last day when the noise was head-splitting! The staff was not very helpful or friendly. The restaurant is very pricey. I also had something turn up missing in my luggage, but the management is in the process of making amends. If you can tolerate everything so far then let me say that our room was great! It was very spacious with a large living room, a separate large bedroom with a split double bath! It was very comfortable and the rate was fantastic.

I'm Still Tired

First, the staff are some of the nicest people in DC. I was out walking, blocks from the hotel, and a staff member still recognized me and said hello. We had bed problems, and though they tried to fix it, it was still uncomfortable. There is construction going on and it starts at 8 am. Inside your room, you can clearly hear people's conversations in the hallway. We had to turn off the refrigerator because of its loud buzz. The location is great, though, and the price is unbeatable; it just depends on your tolerance level.

Great deal!

Stayed there around New Year's 2004 for 6 nights. Nice room facing Mass. Ave, clean, comfortable, and luxurious rooms. Great location..About 2 blocks from the Metro. Only bad part was the construction, which was really just unsightly. I never heard any noise or anything. Also, there were a lof of beggars and such on the streets, but that's not the hotel's fault. My advice is to stay on well-lit major streets like Mass. ave as long as possible. Now the best part...$50/night on orbitz! At that price, I was stealing the room!

Under Construction & Renovation

I made my on-line reservation with Quikbook at the Governors House for one night: Friday, April 23, 2004, rate:$112, taxes & fees: $17, total charge: $129. I stayed in room 401, next to the elevator, the view was to the front of the hotel (not bad). The hotel is under major construction, however, it did not appear the construction workers work on Saturdays---so the morning was fairly quiet. The walls are thin and one could hear the vacuum. The elevator is very tiny, but charming: warning for those that travel heavy. The lighting in the room is poor, not conducive for desk work. The bathroom has marble floors and appears to be recently renovated, but it is awkward with some dead space. The ice machines are located on odd numbered floors and the ice bucket is a plastic tub with no insulation. Rooms are clean and presentable. I would book this room again, but would like to see the rate around $69. I highly recommend Washington DC---it is a fun city with lots of free attractions; lots of bang for the buck; and very educational. Do not leave DC without renting paddleboats at the tidal basin; spectacular views of the Jefferson Monument and the Washington Monument---this can either be a great family activity or a romantic rendezvous.

Nice Location and a Great Rate

For under $80, I was honestly expecting a lot less. I stayed at the Governor's House for two nights, as I arived in DC early for a conference (the conference paid for my lodging at another hotel, I had to pay for my first two nights in the city).

The king room was spacious, and the view was nice enough, facing 15th street I believe.

A few blocks away in one direction were several restaurants (Thai, Etheopian, traditional American cuisine, etc), and less than two blocks away in the other direction was a Starbuck's and a firendly place called Ben n' Mo's. Both of these locations provided wireless internet (albeit, for a fee), but beggars can't be choosers, right?

Had the conference not been on the other side of town (and the other hotel not been reserved), I would have stayed at The Governor's House.

Oh one more thing, the staff was very friendly, and made some great recommendations for dining.

Wouldn't recommend it

I stayed here from 1/11-1/14/04 on a business trip. There were 3 of us, each with separate rooms. Overall, the hotel was clean, the restaurant was okay, though a little pricey. The doorman and valet parking was a nice touch.

Now for the problems...one co-worker's hairdryer (built in and provided by hotel) was emitting sparks, another co-worker's shower had very little water pressure. We asked for 3 king rooms, got 2 king rooms and one with 2 doubles. Not a big deal, though. I had a view of homeless people camped out in a little park bench area outside my window. I was on the third floor, so it wasn't a big deal, but I would have been nervous if the room was on the ground!

This hotel was picked based on the proximity to our temporary work location and price, but I think if we had to go again, I'd look for a different hotel.

Noisy

Very nice overall appearance; pristine lobby and restaurant. Clean, spacious rooms, comfortable King bed, but the noise! The walls are very thin, the beds creak, the plumbing and heating units are wake-you-up LOUD. But I can't complain about the price. I got a spectacular room rate of $69 over the New Year's holiday. However, the parking rates are pretty steep at $20/day. And forget about breakfast! A basic omelette or even some fruit and a danish with juice will set you back at least $12. There's no complimentary continental on-the-go nosh here! Plan ahead and pack some goodies.