Kimpton Banneker Hotel Review
The Kimpton Banneker Hotel is remarkably easy to locate due to its prime location in Washington D.C., and the friendly staff is always willing to extend a warm welcome. Upon making your way inside, you will find that it exudes a cozy atmosphere with ample seating areas for guests to relax and unwind at their own leisure. The rooms are exceptionally clean and spacious, offering plenty of space to store your belongings.
I booked this as a cash stay with the hotel directly using our IHG credit card. The mid-week, member discount, non-refundable rate was $245 per night for a 1 King Premium City View room. The rate did not include the $25 ($28.74 after tax) per night Daily Guest Amenity Fee (resort fee). The hotel reached out to mr with our booking confirmation and asked if we had any special requests as Platinum Elite status holders.
As this was a working trip to Washington D.C., I was thrilled to stay at the Kimpton Banneker Hotel. It was conveniently located close to K Street for meetings, and just a short walk away from Lafayette Square and the iconic White House. I couldn’t have asked for a better spot in the city, with so many local attractions right at my fingertips.
To and from the airport
From Dulles, it took my Lyft about 50 minutes to get to the hotel on Tuesday at 445pm
Thursday morning at 4am it took my Lyft 35 minutes to get back to Dulles.
Washington National Airport is the nearest airport
Proximity to attractions
The Kimpton Banneker Hotel is just under 1.5 miles (1.9km) from The Capitol building, so if you enjoy walking like I do, it makes for a pleasant, flat, scenic route. I was able to walk down to Pennsylvania through Freedom Plaza. Walking along Pennsylvania I saw Ben Franklin at the Waldorf Astoria, the National Gallery of Art. Then I headed down 3rd St where I saw the length of the National Mall with the Washington Monument at the end. Given its central location, it's very easy to reach Dupont Circle, , the Washington Convention Center, the White House, downtown DC, and many of DC's storied historic highlights in the nation's capital.
On the plus side for this trip, the hotel is close to Whole Foods and several restaurants which had vegan options. The famous DC Vegan restaurant is only 2 blocks away, as is Jinya Ramen Bar. I had a nice mix of self-made and prepared food through the ample grocery and dining options.
Upon arrival, I was welcomed warmly by the front desk staff. Check in went smoothly. There was no line, so I was able to walk right up. Because of my Platinum Elite IHG hotel status, I was offered a complementary snack or beverage (mini bottles of wine available) or points. 9 times out of 10, I will choose points, and that was exactly what I did here.
They informed me I was just in time for the complementary 5-6pm gratis wine hour. There were several other guests enjoying the wine, space, and atmosphere of the well adorned salon.
Kimpton Banneker Hotel
Kimpton Banneker Hotel
The room was spacious, well lit, and had a wonderful luggage hutch including a small closet and place to hang clothes. I generally like how guest rooms are moving away from closed closets and dressers and installing open wardrobe spaces. I find it aesthetically pleasing and generally a better use of the limited space in most hotel rooms. The weather was not warm while visiting, so I did not turn on the air conditioning.
The flat screen tv worked as expected, with all of the options you would want. I didn't watch anything, and instead used the free wifi to get work done on my laptop and phone.
Kimpton Banneker Hotel
Kimpton Banneker Hotel
View
The view was modest. I was on a high enough floor to get a vantage, but no landmarks or particularly remarkable things to see. Just a nice city view including the side of another wing of the hotel and a clean parking lot.
Kimpton Banneker Hotel
Bed comfort
This room had a king size bed (much preferred to two queen beds) that I found very comfortable. There were also 4 pillows. 2 of the soft and squishy variety and 2 of the firmer variety. Personally, I like having the variety with a firm pillow for my head and soft and squishy options to create a nest around my person.
Bathroom
The private bathroom equipped with the standard amenities was plenty spacious with room for my dock kit to spill it’s contents and maintain order with some wiggle room. The walk in shower was a nice size. There were standard amenities including lotion, soap, shower gel, shampoo, and condition. The scent and experience of the amenities was very refreshing.
Kimpton Banneker Hotel
Kimpton Banneker Hotel
Kimpton Banneker Hotel
Storage
There were drawers, a credenza, desk, and an open wardrobe for luggage with cubbies for shoes.
The Kimpton Banneker Hotel exudes a warm, inviting atmosphere that immediately puts guests at ease. The spacious lobby is decorated with cozy seating areas and stunning artwork, creating an inviting space for tourists and business travelers. While the hotel was clearly busy, it did not in any way feel crowded or rushed.
Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to indulge in the hotel's restaurants and bar. The ground floor French Bistro looks like it has a warm and inviting atmosphere. It seems like it would be an ideal spot to catch up with friends or simply chill out. Being a classic French bistro, and with nothing clearly marked vegan on the menu, I decided to go elsewhere.
Likewise, I didn't have a chance to make it up to the rooftop bar, Lady Bird, since it is not open on Monday and Tuesday.
As this was a work trip, I didn't have too much free time to check out many of the other property amenities offered. These include: room service, the fitness center, in room yoga mats, and the business center.
The hotel does offer private parking and curbside valet service, which is nice to have in a city where it's always hard to find parking.
As with all Kimpton hotels, the Banneker is pet friendly and family friendly. The hotel features family rooms that would be wonderful for a family vacation.
Conclusion
I would definitely stay at the Kimpton Banneker Hotel again. It was welcoming, safe, interesting, and in a fantastic location that’s both walkable and Lyft-able to historic landmarks, tourist attractions, good food, and groceries. It was right next to a round about making it easy to find and navigate to on a map. The service was excellent, the room clean and refreshing.
keywords: rooms booked online
