Overlooking Franklin Square, the Hamilton Crowne Plaza is set in a building distinctive for its 1920s architecture. The entrance has a cozy elegance and is topped with intricate fanlight detailing over the doorway. The lobby has more modern-day touches—a Starbucks off one hallway, and a heated outdoor patio off of its restaurant, 14K, which looks out onto Franklin Square.
The guest rooms are all quite spacious—there is enough space in each room to fit a separate rollaway bed, if needed. The colors are light and the windows are big. Junior suites have pullout couches, as do other selected rooms, upon request. The fitness center is also quite large, with more than ten pieces of workout equipment; all cardio pieces have televisions.
The Crowne Plaza is mostly a corporate hotel, and it has a neat perk for women: Whether traveling alone or in a group, the Women’s Floor caters with robes, magazines, skin and hair care products and other amenities. There is also a “Business Women’s Captains” table in 14K for women traveling by themselves.
Room amenities: Sleep CD with relaxation tips, in-room dining, cable/satellite television, coffee and tea maker, hairdryer, connecting rooms, free morning newspaper, iron and ironing board, voicemail, work desk
Hotel amenities: Same-day laundry and valet service, 24-hour fitness center, pet friendly
Things nearby: White House, DC Convention Center, Warner Theater, National Theatre
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
