Renaissance Washington DC Downtown Hotel Rating: 3.5 Pearls

Penn Quarter, Washington, D.C., United States

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The Renaissance Washington DC Hotel

The 807-room Renaissance Washington D.C. Hotel was built in 1982 as part of the Tech World office complex. The convention center is across the street, and the immediate neighborhood is crowded with office buildings and a massive parking lot. Standing in the middle of this corporate no-man's land, it's hard to tell you're in our nation's capital. And that's the hotel in a nutshell.

Business travelers will find everything they need here: a great gym and spa, Wi-Fi in the lobby (as well as the rooms), a FedEx Office center in the basement, large desks with plenty of accessible outlets, and a Starbucks, deli, food court, and sports bar. It's no wonder that laptop-totting, nametag wearing guests fill the lobby atrium. The rooms themselves, however, disappoint. While the beds are extremely comfortable, some of the furniture is well used, even over used. When you step into the bathroom -- especially when you climb into the hollow fiberglass bathtub/shower -- it feels like another hotel altogether, like a Best Western Motel.

Among the major hotels near the convention center, the Renaissance is the closest and also the best deal. The Embassy Suites has larger rooms and a free breakfast buffet, but it's in dire need of a renovation. The Four Points has extremely comfortable beds -- plus an indoor pool -- but there's no business center or in-room wireless -- surprising for a property that caters to business travelers. The only one of the bunch that competes with the Renaissance on amenities and service is the Hampton Inn, which has a free buffet breakfast and free Wi-Fi but is slightly less convenient to the convention center. Plus, the Renaissance has the decided advantage of the Vida Fitness Center and Spa, a great perk for business travelers who like to unwind after a day of seminaring and glad-handing.

The concierge

The hotel offers the kind of services you'd expect at a big midlevel hotel -- room service, a concierge, valet parking -- but not the kind you get at a top luxury hotel. Room service, for example, isn't 24 hours, so if you want a post-midnight meal and don't feel like wandering the streets of downtown, you're plumb out of luck. On the other hand the staff is as personable and attentive as at any top-drawer property.

• Concierge desk open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Room service available from 6 a.m. to midnight
• Turndown available on request
• Valet parking $35 a day

View on a Larger Map

Located in the compact section of the city called Penn Quarter, the Renaissance Washington is a safe, convenient option for both business and leisure travelers -- full of restaurants and shops (well-known franchises, mostly), but still close to the major sights and monuments. In recent decades, this once-seedy section of town has been revamped -- the most notable addition is the Verizon Center sports arena, host to high-profile concerts, the Capitals, and the Wizzards (about a five to 10 minute walk from the hotel). The convention center is across the street. The hotel may seem off the beaten path, but turn the corner and you're in the middle of the bright lights of Chinatown. And lots of great downtown D.C. restaurants, including Oya and Zaytinya, a Middle Eastern foodie fave, are nearby.

• Across the street from Walter E. Washington Convention Center
• Closest Metro stop, Gallery Place-Chinatown, is two blocks away; access to Yellow and Green Lines, which drop you off near Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian, and Natural History Museum.
• About one to two miles from the monuments on the National Mall (Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Veterans, Vietnam Veterans), a seven-minute cab ride (about $12)
• Two miles to southwest monuments on the Mall (Jefferson Memorial)
• The Washington Historical Society is across the street on Mount Vernon Square; historic building that features exhibits about the city's history.
• Great base for exploring restored historic neighborhoods like the Shaw District and Logan Circle
• 6.5 miles to Reagan National Airport; 20- to 30-minute, $20 cab ride; 30-minute Metro trip
• 28 miles to Dulles Airport; 45- to 60-minute, $50-plus cab ride
• Five-minute, $8 cab ride to Union Station (served by Amtrak)
• A word of warning: There is another Renaissance Hotel in town on M street, and cab drivers can get the two confused. Make sure you ask for the convention center Renaissance.

A standard room

At around 300 square feet, the standard room is about average for D.C. Mine felt spacious, probably because it was well lit and had enough furniture to be functional-- a desk, dresser, one nightstand, and an armchair -- but not so much to clutter it up. (Still, the small table with a tiny bench tucked into a corner by the closet seemed superfluous, even if it did hold the coffeemaker.) The rooms were last renovated in 2005, however, and they feel at least that old.

• Standard rooms come with either a king-size bed or two doubles; firm and comfortable mattress, 250-thread-count sheets, a down comforter, and two down and two polyfill pillows.
• 37-inch LG flat-screen TV with premium channels like HBO and on-demand movies
• Disappointing bathroom: cheap ceramic tiles around the shower/tub, which feels like hollow fiberglass
• Nice array of Aveda bath products
• No minibar
• Wired and wireless Internet is $13 a day.
• My desk was chipped and the dresser had a gaping hole in the back of the cabinet.

The "endless" pool

• The sweetest amenity is the Vida Fitness Club on the 3rd floor, open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The club is owned separately, but hotel guests have free access.
• Fitness center has sauna, steam room, "endless pool" (a one-person pool with moving water that lets you swim against the current), and new exercise equipment, including stationary bikes, stair steppers, treadmills, an elliptical trainer, and free weights.
• The club's AuraSpa/Zen Spa offers massage therapy, Thai bodywork, private yoga instruction, beauty treatments, and tanning; prices starting at $55 for a Swedish massage; in-room services also available.
• Business center is a full-service FedEx shop; non-Internet computer use is $4 for 10-minute intervals, or $24 an hour; Internet access is $12 for each 30 minutes; notary public services.
• Lobby Wi-Fi is $13 a day.
• Indoor garage, $25 a day for self-parking
• Airline boarding pass kiosk in lobby
• U.S. Post Office in the basement
• Business facilities include a ballroom and 30 meeting rooms.
• Concierge lounge for guests in the VIP Renaissance Club Tower's 156 rooms and 13 suites; open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays, Saturday closed, Sunday 5 to 10 p.m.; cash bar and free hors d'oeuvres and desserts

The Renaissance sits in the heart of the business district, right next to the convention center, so it tends to be filled with business travelers, even on the weekends when a big convention is in town. The hotel has little to offer families -- no pool, for example, and the 200-square-foot rooms would feel crowded with a group. The basement food court, however, could keep the kids well fed. A better bet for the family in the immediate area is the Embassy Suites hotel on New York Avenue, where the rooms are bigger and the price is lower.

• Free rollaway beds
• No cribs
• Kids' choices on room service menu

The hotel revealed a renovated lobby space in 2011. The rooms are spic and span.

President's Sports Bar

The hotel restaurant is called 15 Squares American Bistro, apparently named for the city's 15 squares, including Mount Vernon Square next door. With the lobby undergoing a renovation, 15 Squares is open only for the breakfast buffet and lunch.

• Liberty Market in the lobby offers takeout soup, salad, sandwiches, and yogurt.
• At President's Sports Bar, sandwiches and burgers run $12 to $20, and pizza is $14.
• Starbucks in the lobby lets you bill that double mocha skim macchiato to your room.
• Room service menu available 6 a.m. to midnight
• A food court in the basement has a deli, diner, pizza parlor, gyro stand, and ice cream parlor.
• Lots of great restaurants nearby in Chinatown and around the Verizon Center, from a chic sushi den Oya to a Middle Eastern foodie fave Zaytinya