The Carlyle, a Kimpton Hotel

EXCELLENT HOTEL! First time staying here & I will gladly come back. I’m on a road trip with my Best Friend & when we were checking in the concierge noticed that it was my Best Friends 21^st birthday a couple days ago, so she she upgraded our room to a suite for FREE! Once we were all checked in we went out to venture out in D.C. The Carlyle is in a very convenient spot (15 – 20 min walk to Metro) 30 – 40 min walk to the mall or a 10 min Über drive to the mall. When we returned they had a birthday note, a tray of desserts & a bottle of wine waiting for us back in our room. We left again for dinner kind of late at night, but the Carlyle is in a great central location there’s lots of food and businesses near by. This was especially nice since we’re two young girls traveling alone we felt very safe being out at night. I would highly recommend staying here. The only con is parking, it’s $ 45 a night, but good luck finding parking anywhere nearby. At least it’s valet, so you don’t ever have to go get your car.

I spent four nights last weekend at the Carlyle DuPont Circle Hotel in Washington, DC, and you should know that it appears like the hotel is not well managed.
This was my first time staying at a Kimpton property, and my prior opinion was that the hotels must be impeccably run as well as beautiful. Well, while the room and building were lovely, my overall impression now is that much of that is superficial.
— On my first morning, I left the room at 11:30 a.m. and removed the Do Not Disturb sign. When I returned to my room that evening, the room has not been cleaned.
— I reported this to the front desk and was told they could send up fresh linens or could have the person who does turn-​down service come up «and clean up a little.» She also told me she would notify the manager, as well as indicating that turn-​down service is «only for VIPS» (insultingly indicating that neither I nor my situation made me VIP).
— The manager hadn’t contacted me by the next evening, so I called again and was told that the front desk would email the manager.
— By the time I checked out at noon two days later, the manager still hadn’t contacted me. The person checking me out didn’t ask how my stay had been, but when I told her about no contact or apparent concern by the manager, she indicated he might not have been at work in all the days I’d been staying at the hotel. However, she did take the matter seriously and issued me a 50% credit for my first night.
I had a few other smaller issues, like discovering that the rooms aren’t heated this time of year (so while you think you’re using the heater it’s actually a/​c), being repeatedly disturbed by loud housekeeping/​staff in the hallways and adjacent floors, and encountering a somewhat surly bartender and bell boy – not to mention that one of the two elevators was out of service for two days. I’m just very surprised that management seems to be so unconcerned at this hotel with provided top-​notch service at this expensive boutique hotel. That doesn’t mean that I received no good service, because I had a very good waiter and talked to a couple of empowered front-​desk representatives, but means that the service overall (apparently at the management level) is lacking for this kind of establishment. It’s definitely soured the reputation of Kimpton in my mind.

The hotel was cute like most kimpton hotels are. The Carlyle has unusually small rooms. The valet wasn’t a problem for us. They got us right in and out. The website says they offer a $ 20 self park option, that is false $ 49 a night. We dealt with 3 different people at the front desk. The man who checked us in was nice. The woman that was working along with him was extremely condescending. She wanted to tell us «no» before we had finished our sentences. I bought a kimpton gift card for the restaurant online. We weren’t able to use these in the restaurant located in any of the hotels we went to; so don’t waste your time. The woman that checked us out was just incompetent and rude. She couldn’t use my gift card which I had no choice but to use for parking and mini bar. There is no printer in the hotel at all, and hers wasn’t working. The food at the restaurant was excellent, but since they’re «unaffiliated» that’s a separate review. Disappointed in this hotel over all. Our view was a brick wall and the rooms don’t come with a Bluetooth speaker like most other kimpton hotels do.

Very nice clean hotel with a lot of amenities. Nice lil cozy rooms. Hotel close to great restaurants like Annie’s and about 20 blocks to the mall with all the museums. 40 minute walk. Cozy bed. Bar good food and drinks but staff a lil grouchy. Free wine hour from 5−6pm. The nicest kimpton in The DuPont Circle.

My husband and I moved into our newly purchased home to discover the water had been turned off. Our realtor put us up in the Carlyle as we have a dog and love the Kimpton pet policy. Unfortunately, the Carlyle did not uphold the Kimpton standard. We were extremely disappointed. The rooms are fine, clean, but the service we experienced was sub par. When we arrived the valet didn’t notice us. I had to go in and ask him to come outside. I specifically told him we were checking in, which he promptly messed up and thought we were going to the restaurant and was generally just rude. The next day, it took us over 30min for the valet to get our car, which we discovered had been parked outside and was covered in snow. Additionally, I called in the morning and asked that we not receive maid service bc I had forgotten to put the sign on the door. The person on the phone said they would handle it, however when I arrived back at the hotel, the maids had in fact come and cleaned. The next night, we valeted and again I had to come in and again get the attendant’s attention. He was again in no hurry to park our running car sitting in the street. It’s disappointing as we are paying $ 49 a night for parking. We asked for toothpaste and the front desk took easily 20min to send it up which was frustrating. Additionally, we have had to wait several times for elevators as service staff went in with huge bins ahead of us – something that in my line of work we would not permit. Guests come first.
Overall, of course none of these things are catastrophic, however, I wanted to share so that others expecting Kimpton customer service aren’t disappointed.

OUTSTANDING STAFF! Great service. Accommodating to every request. No waiting. Smooth check in and out. Clean. Convenient. Friendly. Helpful. Everything I want in a hotel when I travel. I have never given a hotel 5 stars, but the Klimpton Carlyle in DuPont Circle, deserves this honor. Rachel at the front desk is incredible! I’ll stay here when I come back to DC for years to come.

We just experienced the most remarkable hotel stay. We were housed, fed and entertained by the wonderful staff at the Carlyle Dupont Circle for the five nights of the Washington DC blizzard. It is a great place to get stranded.
Given the intensity of the storm, our stay at «just any hotel» could have been a disaster. Instead, the staff literally moved into the Carlyle, each inserted their personality and truly made the place their own. And for us, it was like visiting the home of close friends for a laugh-​filled adventure. We were warm, pampered, well-​nourished with great food and drink and, above all, made to feel very, very welcome.
From front desk to housekeeping to food and beverage, the totality of the staff effort could not have been better. The Carlyle is a superb property. We truly appreciated the hospitality and the kindness.

I just got home from staying at the Carlyle after what is now being called the blizzard of 2016. There is not enough good things that I can say about this establishment. Just as myself and fellow cool workers were stuck there, the hotel staff was as well. The rooms were amazing, The staff are the best I have ever seen, and don’t even get me started on the food. If you want the nicer things in life without the stuck up attitude, this is the place to go.

Loved my stay here. I can’t wait to come back to DC as a tourist and stay at this lovely hotel in the DuPont Circle district.

Let me start off by saying brunch here was delicious and the service in the restaurant was excellent. I am giving this review 1 star because the valet, receptionist and manager on duty were so horrible to my guests and I.
The valet had a horrible attitude when taking the car so we went to the front desk and told the receptionist about it. Instead of just listening she starts laughing at us and basically making it seem like I’m complaining because must be racist and I don’t understand people’s expressions from different countries. I immediately ask to speak to the manager who came out and said sorry we are having a bad day. (Not my problem) the manager proceeded to tell me that the receptionist is new and still in training. (Again not my problem) 12.5.2015

What a nice little hotel! We stayed here New Years eve and it was my first time in DC. The Valet is a little steep at $ 42 per night, but good luck trying to find other parking. We arrived really late at night, around 10pm and check in was prompt, and the staff was friendly.
Once we got up to the room we were really surprised, buy how nice and clean it was. The location is also great, located in the DuPont circle area. I felt safe waking around at night, I though the area was very nice. The only thing I did not like was how loud the room was. It was a great view, we had a corner room with a view of the street on the 2^nd floor, but the street noise was very loud. Other wise, Great job!

I liked the free WiFi (for KimptonKarma Rewards members) and the free lobby coffee in the morning. The décor is very cute and Kimpton-​like (duh!), and my room was on the large side. DuPont Circle is about a five-​minute walk from the hotel, so the location will be optimal for many people.
The staff are very friendly and accommodating. I never failed to get a «welcome back!» when I walked in off the street.
The workout room is small, but feels spacious. The equipment is new and functional. As is typical for hotel workout rooms, there’s a TV on the wall that’s blaring Donald Trump and other cable TV stuff.
KimptonKarma Rewards memberships comes with a $ 10 mini-​bar credit. I used my credit to snag a KIND bar and a Cliff bar for my plane ride home.
Some negatives: my bathroom sink was quite tiny, and I couldn’t find anything like a chest of drawers for folded clothes. The lobby coffee doesn’t show up until 6:30AM, and there’s no provision for making an emergency cup of coffee in your room if you need to leave early (as I did). There’s not much in the way of sound-​proofing from the outside world: I was on the second floor and heard banging and rattling at night, as well as pretty aggressive construction noise (concrete sawing) during the day.
There’s a lobby reception around 5PM each day — free wine! I tried both the white and the red (a tasteless pinot grigio and a Clos du Bois pinot noir — I think) and thought that both were pretty bad. Many other hotels have receptions that include food to munch on (celery pieces, peanuts, tortilla chips,…), but there’s nothing at all to eat at this Kimpton. First world problems!

I like their location in the Dupont Circle as it’s located near plenty of restaurants and shops. I also liked that I felt safe in jogging around the neighborhood in the evening.
Inside the hotel, I like the lobby area, including the cocktail hour.
As for the hotel rooms, albeit small, it was nice and relaxing. The only drawback was that the room was freezing. Mind you, the staff informed me that it may get cold or drafty in the room and they offered to bring up a space heater. By the time I got in in the evening, I was too tired to order one.

If you’re in town for business, this will do. If you’re in town for decadence, you can and ought to do better. To begin, «city view» is a euphemism for «the backs of other buildings.» Do not pay extra for this like I did.
The rooms are charming, arranged in the modern style of a boutique hotel. You can expect to sleep in without being inconvenienced by noise, and you can indulge a verbally-​appreciative partner without worrying too much about inconveniencing anyone else.
The staff is charming and, for the most part, efficient.
Unfortunately, there’s no room service. The Riggsby is located downstairs, and generally seems able to accommodate the appetites of hotel guests; however, while the Riggsby and its staff take excellent food very seriously and are friendly, they are most definitely not interested in working with the Carlyle. For example, the Riggsby will not arrange with the hotel to have the takeout you ordered sent up to your room; they will not phone you if something you ordered is unavailable and ask if you want to modify your order; they will, in effect, treat you like a lesser customer — even if you also frequent the establishment as a patron.
This is a problem for those of us who prefer to lounge in the mornings, browsing the internet idly while savoring a cappuccino and a croissant. As things are, any order you make will have to be picked up downstairs at the Riggsby. Despite telling you that things will be ready for pick-​up in ten minutes, you may just find yourself sitting at the bar waiting in your pajamas while power-​lunchers give you the side eye. It’s the worst assault on decadence imaginable.
This serious communication break-​down between the restaurant and the hotel is something that the hotel would do well to address, if they care to cater to a more leisurely demographic with certain expectations.

Booked this trip on Hotwire​.Com, per usual I called the hotel to make sure they received it and they knew we were celebrating my birthday this weekend. Jasmine at the front desk was super happy to help and upgraded our room at no extra charge. We then we’re able to check in late because we went out before coming to the hotel, super easy check in, fast, no paper work, no hassle, just «here you go.» Not to mention the rooms are beautiful, clean and spacious! Such a great, but what really did it was the personalized card from the hotel with cake, champagne and glasses for my boyfriend and I to celebrate with! Nice touch Carlyle! I will most deff stay here again, and if you are looking for a great hotel for your birthday or anyone’s birthday, this is the place to go!

Our group of 3 decided to treat ourselves and stay in a nice hotel in the district this past Saturday night, and went on the hotels2night app to book a room at a discounted price. We successfully secured a room at the Topaz, another Kimpton hotel in the district, however we received an email a couple hours later informing us that they had overbooked and offered to put us up at the Carlyle Hotel instead.
We were a bit bummed out, as we had researched all of the hotels in the area and chose the Topaz because it fit our needs the best. After looking up the Carlyle and reading some reviews, we deiced we would not mind staying there instead. I figured I would try and get us free parking to make up for the inconvenience. I also called the hotel to see if they had any upgrades and could put us in a higher quality room. Unfortunately, they did not follow through on the latter request even though I was told they could accommodate us.
Our group arrived at 4 pm (check-​in was 3) and waited at the desk for 15 minutes while a concierge tried to stall and tell us that our room wasn’t ready because they were fulfilling our «request». The only request I had made was to put 3 robes in our room, so of course we all found this humorous and clearly knew that they had made some sort of mistake. Finally, the concierge gave us our keys. We noticed it was for a standard room on the fourth floor. This upset me as I was told we would have a suite on a high floor with a view. At that point, we were tired and annoyed and chose to suck it up and go to the room.
When we got in the room, it was clean and not too small. The bathroom was pretty nice, but the view was of the dumpsters out back and the other hotel room windows. I checked the closet and found only 1 robe, so I called down to the concierge and asked to speak with a manager. I let the manager know that we were supposed to be in a suite with a view and that we had waited downstairs for awhile while they supposedly made sure that our room had 3 robes, and only 1 was in the closet. The manger informed me that we were supposed to have a suite, but the couple occupying the suite decided to extend their stay. This annoyed me, as I wish they could have been up front with us downstairs as opposed to tip-​toeing around the issue.
The beds were very comfortable, and we did end up getting free parking, so overall it was an «ok» experience. I understand that things happen, but it is always best to be up front with the customer and then offer to try and make up for the inconvenience in some way.

This was my first time trying out a Kimpton Hotel. Become a member and you get free Wi-​Fi. Also, noticed the hotel was dog friendly. Nice!
This building has recently been refurbished and opened in May of 2015.
PROS:
Location: Fantastic; 1 mile from the White House and ½ mile from the Metro, cool restaurants & bars in Dupont Circle
Décor: Hip & New
Raid the Mini Bar: Because they don’t have a mini bar, you can stop by the front desk and grab 2 items to snack on
Riggsby: Great Hotel restaurant; Post recently rated it one of the hottest new restaurants in DC
Conference Room: I had to book a last minute meeting (within 3 hours) and staff was able to provide a room, set it up and provide beverages & appetizers. EXCELLENT.
Price: Reasonable
Free Wine Hour: Although a small space & cheap wine, its FREE
CONS:
Staff inconsistent: Although friendly, service was inconsistent. (ie. one clerk didn’t know about Raid the Minibar; staff removed the free coffee in lobby early; providing only Decaf coffee in the room)
View: none. Plus, there is construction next door, but because of the rain, they weren’t working, so I didn’t have to hear the hammering
Basically, if this hotel could work out the quirks with staff, they could become a 5 star establishment.

So first I will rate the location and appearance the Carlyle club is a very beautiful establishment inside and out it was decorated very nicely cloth napkins and tablecloth and the ambience was very nice the people were nice and the waitstaff was very nice
The food was pretty good it is kind of expensive for what you were getting I ordered the shrimp and grits which were $ 22 and when it came out there were four regular shrimp with no seasoning and the grits were cold they actually had a burnt taste to them so I ended up sending my plate back I ordered in its place the red snapper that came with asparagus and mashed potatoes that was very good it was delicious the only thing I had an issue with was the potatoes tasted like somebody wasn’t paying attention to them they tasted a little burnt
The show was fantastic the comedians were amazing
If I were to make a recommendation to the restaurant try to put your grits in a bowl instead of a plate so that your grits will stay hot longer.
Overall I would recommend this establishment I would go back
I almost forgot to say this before I came to the restaurant I called the restaurant at least four times and the phone rang and rang! It would be very helpful if you all would answer the phone when it rings

Great stay with the Fiancé and our shih tzu Einstein. We stayed in room 820 and it was quaint, comfortable, clean, and quiet. Corner room away from the elevators with a nice enough view.
Staff was very accomadating and friendly. The hotel also offered 2 bikes to rent for the day as well as selfie stick! Free wine around 5 o’clock. Close to some nice eateries, dog park, and cafes.
Seems like a few peeps had a poor experience, but we had a fantastic time here and it was very well located. We would definitely stay here again even without the expedia deal we got!

Something must have changed here. What a great hotel!!! And they accept my dog with no dumb charges. Dog park around the corner!

Even though I only rated this 3 stars, I am a little surprised to see it with a below-​3 average. I like the modern décor, and it’s in a quiet neighborhood if that’s what you’re looking for. I liked that Kimpton stocks things that you might forget at home (fashion tape?!) so that’s super handy whether you are on business or leisure travel. Housekeeping left behind a dirty pair of socks from the last guest, so that was gross. I think there are better hotels for the prices.

The Carlyle Hotel is the fifth Kimpton Hotel to open its doors in Dupont Circle. It’s situated in one of the most leafy, charming and cool neighborhoods in DC, among quiet, stately townhouses and embassies. I checked in a week after it opened.
This is not a sister of über posh The Carlyle in New York. The lobby retains much of the stark, minimalist black and white Art Deco character of the former Carlyle Suites. The lobby seating area where the famous Kimpton wine hour is hosted looks like an unfinished, almost unfurnished waiting room with chairs facing a TV.
The hallways and rooms also mimic this style, quite the opposite of other Kimpton properties.
Maybe it was opening week rush. One of two elevators was out of order. My room’s foyer seemed to be missing a light fixture even though there’s a switch, so the hall and miniature closet were very dark. Also missing seemed to be a dresser with drawers or countertop to unpack things, and the bathroom was tiny. Where were the famous Kimpton robes? While provided with cardboard coasters and an ice bucket, there were no glasses. Still on order?
I did appreciate that even though there is no mini-​bar (yet?), the front desk let Kimpton Karma members choose 2 Raid-​the-​Mini-​bar items.
It’s a nice hotel but needs more work to move the former Carlyle up to Kimpton high standards.