The Beacon Hotel

Built in 1968, this 199-room hotel primarily hosts business travelers during the week and tourists on the weekends (when rates are significantly lower). The Beacon is independently owned and has a modern business vibe. The lobby features wood-paneled walls, clocks that tell the time in various international cities, a designer chandelier made of twisted glass pieces, and a chic sitting area with floor-to-ceiling windows. During our visit, a valet and porter stood at attention at the front door, ready to greet arriving guests.

A stairwell connects the lobby to the hotel’s various meeting rooms and a restaurant, Beacon Bar and Grill. The restaurant is broken down into two sections: a swankier fine-dining area and hip diner-style space with a bar and outdoor patio. The fine-dining room is dimly lit and decorated in bold patterns of red, black, white, and orange. A large reproduction of Johannes Vermeer’s 17th-century painting, “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” is the centerpiece of the otherwise contemporary restaurant.

Overall, the Beacon is a competitively priced hotel with good food, above-average style, and a great location -- but daily charges for Internet and parking can add up fast if your company isn’t footing the bill.  

The Beacon is located just off of Embassy Row -- a string of embassies and diplomatic buildings lining Massachusetts Avenue -- and dozens of hip bars, restaurants, and shops are a five-minute walk away in Dupont Circle. The immediate area surrounding the hotel is bustling with nine-to-fivers. Many guests come to the Beacon to do business at The Center for Strategic and International Studies, Human Rights Campaign headquarters, or U.C. Berkeley’s Washington Center campus, all located within a block of the hotel.

• Three-minute walk from the National Geographic Museum
• Five-minute walk to the Dupont Circle subway station
• 10-minute drive from attractions on the National Mall

The Beacon has four main room types: Standard Rooms, slightly larger Executive rooms, Corporate Quarter Studio Suites, and One-Bedroom Ambassador Suites. Units are available with one king bed, one queen, or two doubles. Rooms are small and lack common amenities like mini-fridges and microwaves (Wi-Fi always costs extra), but some upper-level units have floor-to-ceiling windows with nice city views. The suites are significantly nicer and come with sofa beds and basic kitchens (a microwave, refrigerator, toaster, stovetop, and dishwasher are included), and select suites have fireplaces and soaking tubs. Style-wise, the rooms are minimalist and contemporary with beige and red walls, white bedspreads, orange accents, and brown carpeting. Ambassador Suites also have hardwood floors, animal-print rugs, and granite countertops. All units include basic coffeemakers and bottled water for purchase.

The best feature of the Beacon Hotel is its on-site restaurant, Beacon Bar and Grill. The food is quite good, and the restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as specialty brunches on Saturday and Sunday. The restaurant also has a 60-person private dining room. A second rooftop bar is open in the evenings during the summer. Other amenities include a modest 24-hour fitness center, 24-hour business center, and five meeting rooms. Services include room service and pricey valet-only parking. Free passes are available to a YMCA across the street. Wi-Fi is available throughout the property for a daily fee.