Hotels Near Building Zone in Washington D.C.

PROS: Stood here for the weekend with my partner. Aesthetically, the hotel is super artsy, fun, and pleasing to the eye. The decor and appearance screams chic, quirky, and metropolitan. From the lobby, adorned with all manners of interesting books, odd trinkets, and colorful sculptures, to the cute, cozy outdoor sitting space filled with pretty greenery, I could not stop raving about this hotel the entire trip. The style of the rooms could very much be described as a European “take” on the well-known Japanese “Pod” style hotels. The rooms were concise (not cramped) and had a sleek, modern, and minimalistic style of furniture (desk with chair, bench, vanity w/sink, bed-frame with built in storage space). Think “IKEA meets stylish, retro Japanese pod hotel”. If that makes sense. LOL. Plus everything in the room is controlled using an iPad which I think it pretty flipping cool. SMART TV in the room, as well, meaning unlimited access to YouTube, Netflix, or pretty much anything that can stream from your phone/device which is perfect after a long day exploring the city. (You can also change the color of the mood lighting in the room via the IPad which provided my boyfriend and I with hours of entertainment pretending we were post apocalyptic humans trapped in some green-tinted “Twilight Zone” style alien bunker) Also, if you prefer a hard mattress, you will find the hotel bed very comfortable. During our time here, we had easy access to a LOT of good food. There’s 2 restaurants inside the hotel as well as a really great Middle Eastern restaurant directly across the street. (I approve of their falafel and roasted sweet potatoes. Very good). There are so many cultural and ethnic restaurants in the immediate area for those who are adventurous eaters. There’s even a pretty nice Trader Joe’s around 4 blocks away for stocking the hotel room with healthy snacks and beverages (a must). Plus Union Market is pretty close to the hotel. I wouldn’t miss it if I were you. Big hall with lots of food vendors and even a little shopping. Even if you aren’t looking to eat and just want to kill a little time, it’s still interesting to walk around and see the cool and unique foods they sell. Soak up the little local color. Overall, it was a totally unique and memorable hotel experience that was totally worth the cost. Well done. LF

On Monday, May 30, Memorial Day, I purchased two day passes to the Ven's Rooftop pool. It was great weather and the DC public pools were, for the most part, closed. Rather than spend 2k+ on a pool membership in the region (cannot afford that), my son and I have set a goal to hit as many hotel rooftop pools that offer daypasses. The Ven was a nice experience. So, I could totally recommend the one-off visit to the pool and to check out the views of DC. Totally fun to see the Dupont circle Metro stop glass roof (being repaired) and a number of other cool buildings. Always a plus-- my son didn't bring any devices, so he read books and lounged by the pool. It's not really a great lap swimming pool there at the Ven. But, I once had someone teach me how to ”Aqua-jog” and no one there made me feel like I was an idiot for doing that. The package supposedly includes the hotel's gym. But that's in the basement of the hotel. It felt like it was a little understaffed at the hotel and I didn't feel comfortable asking for access. Anyway, I was there for the pool. I also was not offered my ”canned cocktail of choice.” I could have demanded it, but the very sweet gentleman tending the pool food bar/drinks was on his third day, and was a little befuddled that I didn't have a room number to charge things to. HOWEVER, I will admit, I tipped the gentleman and he helped us manuever getting two loungers. THAT WAS WORTH IT. He was super helpful. It was crowded and I was not excited about spending the day there sitting on benches. I asked and 20 minutes later he helped us make it work. THANK YOU. So, for a one-off-- totally worth it! Will I pay a monthly membership fee. Maybe not. Unless people somehow hook me up very clearly with that air hockey table...

The trip was great and the stay at the hotel totally contributed to this. I would recommend the hotel and will also stay here again.

I came to the Holiday Inn Express with two of my friends and the assistant manager Ibrahim was very helpful when we had some trouble checking in and he was very helpful throughout the process of helping us. Very professional and my friend and I will definitely come back to this hotel because of him.

I recently hosted a conference and board meeting at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel. I stayed twice- once in September to do a site visit and had a particularly friendly welcome from Gelila who helped me out multiple times and made me feel welcome and cared for. She really made my experience memorable. Working with Jada and Megan to book the event was really easy, friendly and efficient. When I came back to host my event I was really welcomed by the staff. Kendra always made sure I had what I needed to make sure my event ran smoothly and kept track of many different needs our group had. She was very responsive and helpful. Negasi, Rosario, Helen and Amir took care of us with our catering and were such authentic and caring people. They all made us feel like family. Negasi particularly noticed what we needed and made strides to change the plan to accommodate for our particular event. He is a wonderful person. Other front desk helpers, like Taylor, also really enhanced the experience. Everybody really actedl like a human being and I really appreciate it. I am so grateful each time I went down and saw Gelila at the desk because I felt like I could count on her generosity and friendly warmth! Thank you all for the care and consideration during our event! Next time will definitely book here.

My husband and I arranged for a room block for many of our guests to stay at this hotel for our wedding. Leading up to the wedding and during the wedding weekend, the staff were very communicative and hospitable - helping us keep track of which guests were staying there, the distribution of welcome bags, and coordinating transportation to and from our wedding. Our guests had a great stay at the hotel and really appreciated the reasonable price and proximity to many restaurants and shops in Bethesda.

Facilities: Good, big room Sanitation: OK Environment: In the city center, 10 minutes walk from the White House, not far from anywhere Service: Nothing, breakfast is the same every day, no vegetables, no free mineral water, the price is OK

The WaterMark was amazing!The room junior suite we reserved for 2 nights was clean, organized, spacious, had an abundance of towels and bathroom amenities were elegant! We had a full living room detached from master bedroom, and a full kitchen also!!! Priced just right for a 2 night stay. This property is 5 stars for sure! Restaurant, mini golf, star hill brewery, food trucks, big play field for kids and family fun All rolled into one great hotel! The staff from front desk, housekeeping, and kitchen were polite and professional and went above and beyond! The property is very sophisticated and full of technology and the security measures are top notch. You have to experience it if your traveling to Tysons area in Va. The capital one hall is amazing and conveniently located and accessible from the hotel. More than enough parking! We will be returning in October for another weekend!!!

We stayed overnight and enjoyed this very recently renovated hotel. It's bright, spacious, and welcoming. The modern decor is a bit minimalist but the bed, room appointments, and bath were all first-rate. And the price is reasonable. One minus: the bathroom has a motion-activated light; if you get up during the night to use the bathroom, the light comes on with blinding blindness that is disorienting and can make it difficult to get back to sleep.