The Dupont Circle Hotel, Washington DC

With Washington being the nation’s capital, a first time visitor might expect a dynamic hub, busy with traffic and streets thronged with rushing people. The reality is that DC is very much a calm and laid back city, with broad boulevards and, for the most part, an easy vibe.

The hotel is named after the desirable Dupont Circle district of town. The broad, grassy National Mall, where most of the museums and city landmarks lie is just a 5 minute Uber ride away, as are the White House and the beautiful and historic Georgetown district where street after street of historic mansions run down to cool shopping streets. Locally an eclectic selection of Embassies, galleries, cafes and eateries collide to create of of the city’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan quarters.

In these surroundings its easy to feel very much at home at the Dupont Circle Hotel. Perhaps it is also the chain’s Irish connection that lends a warm and friendly atmosphere, via both the smattering of Irish staff that no doubt have been seconded from their Dublin and Cork hotels, and the healthy contingent of Irish guests. The layout and facilities are also very conducive to a relaxing stay right from your arrival where cheerful porters are ready to help with parking and baggage.

Despite its three hundred or so guest rooms, the lobby is very welcoming with stylish design and several discrete seating areas that nicely break up the area.

One has sofas and books, another is adjacent to the floor to ceiling windows that overlook the green space of the Circle itself and more seats face a warming fire.

The Dupont Circle rooms are spacious and design led, stylish without trying too hard to be hip, perhaps with an eye on a mix of business and leisure traveller. There are lots of thoughtful little extra and beds are excellent and comfortable with Lissadell linen.

The walk-in showers have elegant marble tiles and heated stone floors. There are vibrant artworks and colourful touched within a scheme that includes mutes taupes, creams and browns and a rich mix of leather and quality fabrics.

We enjoyed the extra facilities of Level Nine, the hotels luxury experience where suites, most with private balconies enjoy an exclusive floor that comes with a dedicated concierge, private lounge with a balcony affording panoramic views, and complimentary cocktail and canapés at happy hour.

The Dupont Circle really comes to life after dark. The Bar Dupont is a convivial meeting space where if you loiter long enough it’s said that you might just overhear gossip from a member of the city’s political elite that frequent the hotel. It also offers a relaxed lunch and dinner menu.

Meanwhile the modern French brasserie Cafe Dupont serves breakfast, weekend brunch and a wonderful dinner of American style cuisine with French influences.

Overseen by chef Laurent Aubel, you can start with dishes like Maine scallops with smoked cauliflower, or mussels provencal followed with wild Alaskan Halibut served with grits cake pea puree and fennel, or a spelt risotto with carrots beets and smoked mozzarella.

The hotel is part of the Doyle Collection – eight luxury and urban hotels in London, Dublin, Washington DC, Cork and Bristol. They promise a ‘Doyle service ethos’ – stemming from being a ‘much loved family business’ creating hotels hotels that are more akin to a home or private members club

If The Dupont Circle is anything to go by, they have very much succeeded in making something very special – we certainly can’t wait to try out their other hotels!

For more information visit The Dupont Circle

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CELLOPHANELAND* were guests of The Doyle Collection