Donovan House — Hotel Review Rating: 4.0 Pearls

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Oyster Hotel Review

Reviewer: Patrick S.
Updated: May 9, 2010

 Scene

"Wild Bill" Donovan was a World War II spy who is commonly referred to today as the "father of the CIA." A man steeped in gathering intelligence and counterespionage might be surprised to learn his name adorns one of Washington D.C.'s hippest hotels, but spend one night at the Donovan House and the cloak-and-dagger ambience starts to make sense. It begins at the entrance with the Donovan House's symbol-- Morse code for "spy" -- and continues right into the shadowy lobby with its bar tucked away under the continuous black-and-white D.C.-themed movies like The Last Hurrah and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and onto the meeting rooms named for Deep Throat's buddies, Woodward and Bernstein.

The Donovan House opened in 2008, shortly before President Cool came to Washington, and meshes with the new urban sophistication much more than the Holiday Inn it replaced. It has the spy thing going for it, which is really aimed at those whose "covert operation" is to get lucky. The hotel is colored in dark purple and white, like the flophouse in Prince's "Erotic City" come to life. The rooms are a bit more sensual than what button-down D.C. is known for, what with their leather headboards and canopies, frosted cocoon showers (imagine cleansing yourself inside a seashell), Veuve Clicquot in the minibar, and a "Pleasure Pack" with not one, but two, types of personal lubricant. Throw in a sultry rooftop pool and an exotic Pan-Asian restaurant, and the Donovan House has all the makings of a clandestine weekend that won't soon be forgotten.

It's a good thing you may not want to leave the hotel because the Donovan House is in dull Thomas Circle, a central location in a quiet neighborhood. It's close to the historical touristy areas, the 14th Street boutiques, and the bars and restaurants of K Street, Dupont Circle, and the Shaw district, but the immediate surroundings don't have much going on. If the W or the Dupont Hotel have comparable rates, they are in livelier locales, but the Donovan House feels funkier and fresher than nearby boutiques like the Hotel Palomar and the Hotel Madera.

 Service

Given the downtown Manhattan feel, the Donovan House could be staffed with hipper-than-thou employees, but it's not. Everyone is friendly and staffers aren't discouraged from letting their personalities show. Besides knowing the quickest routes -- by both car and Metro -- to the historical monuments, the concierge shared a great story about the craziest thing she was ever asked to procure. (A private jet. On short notice. For a guy who gave her no information other than he was going to Philly in two days.)

Entertaining stories like these, a bar manager visibly excited about the house drink he concocted, and a knock-on-the-door-making-sure-you've-arisen fail-safe wake-up call add up to the kind of personal experience that makes the Donovan House not just cool, but comforting. The one issue I had was upon check-in, when I was "upgraded" to a handicap room. It was bigger, but it didn't feature the unique cocoon shower, and by the time I figured it out, I was already in the handicap room shower. I would've appreciated if the desk clerk explained the "upgrade," because in the end, it really wasn't. Also, it was a bit annoying when both housekeeping and the minibar man knocked on the door between 9 and 10 a.m.

• You have to call the front desk to get ice.
• Concierge hours are roughly 10 to 2 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday; Noon to 8:30 p.m. weekends.
• Only service dogs are allowed.
• The current room service hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday; 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• Valet parking is $35 (unlimited in-out).

 Location

Donovan House is in Thomas Circle, a central location in a quiet neighborhood that's close to the historical, touristy areas, the 14th Street boutiques, and the bars and restaurants of K Street, Dupont Circle, and the Shaw district.

• Two miles, or a 10-minute cab ride, to Union Station, D.C.'s main train station serviced by Amtrak, the Metro (subway), and commuter trains
• Three blocks from closest Metro stop, McPherson Square Station
• 20-minute, $15 to $20 cab ride, (or 25-minute Metro trip to Farragut North), from Reagan National Airport
• 45- to 60-minute, $50 plus cab ride, to Dulles International Airport
• One stop from Metro Center, a downtown train stop two blocks from the National Mall, D.C.'s open air national park featuring the major monuments and memorials, from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol
• Less than a mile 10-minute walk to the White House
• 1.3-mile, 15-minute walk to the center of the Mall (Washington Monument, WW II, etc.)
• 1.4-mile, 15-minute walk to the Smithsonian Institution, a collection of museums including Air and Space and American History
• Two-mile, 20-minute walk to the U.S. Capitol
• Two-mile walk to western monuments on the Mall (Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Veterans, Vietnam Veterans, etc.)
• Two-mile walk to southwest monuments on the Mall (Jefferson Memorial, FDR, etc.)

 Rooms

The basic Queen Superior Rooms come in on the small side for D.C., at around 220 square feet, whereas the King Superior Room I stayed in was a bit larger at 270 square feet, albeit without the thrill of the cocoon shower. Most rooms have the pod-like showers, but be sure to ask. There is no desk in the Queen Superior Rooms -- nor was there one in mine -- and even with the strong Wi-Fi signal, working on a laptop in bed doesn't tend to equal productivity. Otherwise, the room was clean, relaxing, and more sensual than what button-down D.C. is known for, what with the leather headboards and canopies, Veuve Clicquot in the minibar, and a "Pleasure Pack" with not one, but two, types of personal lubricant. It's just risqué enough to make you feel like an under cover encounter is in order.

• Standard rooms, called Queen Superior, are about 220 square feet, on the small side for D.C.; beds have 400-thread-count Sferra sheets; no work desks.
• Bathrooms have CO Bigelow toiletries, Frette bathrobes, fine water pressure (though the handle to operate the shower kept falling off).
• In an eco-friendly initiative, the Donovan House beds don't include a top sheet; covers for down duvets are changed daily, ask for a sheet if necessary.
• Solid electronics: iPod docking station, 32-inch flat-screen LCD TV with over 40 channels (including actual HD selections), on-demand movies and video games
• Minibar is stocked with Dean & Deluca items.
• Strong Wi-Fi signal, $10 24-hour Wi-Fi, $40 for a week
• Other room options range from a 320-square-foot King Deluxe Room to a 1,000-square-foot penthouse.
• The Thompson Suites feature a tub and a large enough for two -- even three -- "party shower."
• No ice machines, front desk has to bring it up
• Only service dogs are allowed.
• Charging $2 for in-room coffee is real nickel-and-dime stuff.
• Room service from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday; 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
• Poolside room service during summer months with extended daytime weekend hours; drinks and sushi when the Above D.C. lounge opens in the evening
• Turndown service upon request

 Features

Like most boutique hotels, the Donovan House doesn't have a lot in the way of amenities. The cramped 24-hour fitness center isn't the greatest and the business center is perfunctory. But the seasonal rooftop pool (open basically from Memorial Day until it gets too cold) is a welcome respite from Washington's sweltering summers and sweaty lobbyists.

• At 12 by 30 feet and only four feet deep, the pool isn't big enough for doing laps, but there's plenty of room for lounging about, at least up until 5 p.m. when swimmers must turn the pool over to hipsters at the ADC (Above D.C. lounge); poolside food and drink service offered.
• ADC offers an illuminated pool, killer views, DJs, and a full bar; guests can attend whatever party is being thrown, whether it's open to regular workaday slobs or not.
• Tiny fitness center packs in four treadmills, three ellipticals, a recumbent bike, and a rack of barbells, which leaves almost no room for stretching or floor exercises.
• Rudimentary business center; Internet is $4 for 30 minutes, 25 cents for every 15 minutes after that
• Free copies of the Washington Post and the New York Times in the lobby
• On-site, lively Zentan restaurant serves Pan-Asian fare and fancy cocktails.

 Family

Although the hotel doesn't dissuade kids, the Donovan House's aesthetic isn't geared toward families. The pool gives kids something to do, but it takes a hipster turn when swimming stops at 5:30 p.m., and the pool parties aren't conducive to early bedtimes. A more family-friendly vibe, with a pool, is found across the street at the Washington Plaza.

• A family would probably need one of the two 650-square-foot Thompson Suites, or at least a 313-square-foot Double Deluxe.
• Rooms feature on-demand movies and video games.
• No kids' menu in the on-site restaurant, which focuses on sushi and seafood
• A couple of free mini-fridges, best to reserve
• Room service from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday; 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, extended weekend daytime hours when pool is open
• Free cribs; rollaways are $30, but don't fit in rooms with two double beds

 Cleanliness

Other than a few carpet stains and minor maintenance issues, this hotel is spic and span. Considering how much white surface is in the room and the bathroom, it was just about immaculate.

• The bolster pillow on my bed was coming apart at the seams and had some foreign substance on it, especially icky given the Donovan House's frisky vibe.
• Nozzle on the shower's water control kept falling off, tough going for a handicapped guest.

 Food

The original plan was for the Donovan House to have a restaurant from well-known chef Todd English, but Cha never came to fruition. Instead the hotel tapped "Iron Chef America" (and Thompson LES) vet Susur Lee to head the Pan-Asian Zentan. Zentan is Cantonese for "spy," and it's got enough dark corners to hide Robert Hanssen and Eliot Spitzer alike. Zentan's low-lit wood interior is livened up by little flourishes like communal tables, faux candles, glass faces smiling out from behind the bar, and colorful patterns watching over the sushi station. Being one of the "it" places in town often translates to a too-hip-to-care-about-you attitude, but it's not the case at Zentan, where a friendly attitude is more important than who is on the guest list.

• Zentan is open for for breakfast (7 to 10:30 a.m.), lunch (noon to 2 p.m.) and dinner (5:30 to 10:30 p.m.) Monday to Thursday; dinner until 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 p.m. Sunday; cold buffet breakfast 7 to 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday
• Zentan's food has been getting solid reviews; its signature drink. The Spicy Thai Martini (an unholy mixture of sake, pepper vodka, St. Germaine and cranberry), isn't a combination you run into that often. It's interesting -- we'll leave it at that.
• Room service is currently from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday; 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
• There are extended room service weekend daytime hours when pool is open.

 Bottom Line

The Donovan House is a sleek offering that's helping define Obama-era D.C. cool along with hip counterparts like the W and the Dupont Hotel. From its dark-purple-and-white color scheme, to its pod-shaped "cocoon" showers, to its mod lobby, and rowdy rooftop pool parties, the Donovan House offers a sexy night in the nation's capital.