Very average hotel in good location
I live in Washington, but stayed at this hotel because my husband had a work assignment that meant he had to stay at the hotel for several days, and I joined him. I haven't stayed in the rooms at other DC hotels, although I have gotten familiar with the restaurants/bars in some of them and have been in the rooms when friends have been here to visit. This hotel is just adequate. It is by no means in the league of the luxe DC hotels like the Mayflower, Willard, Hay Adams, Jefferson, Four Seasons -- which I am sure are also far more expensive. However, if the prices here are comparable to one of the many Kimpton hotels in the area, I would recommend checking out the Kimpton hotels. These are boutique-type hotels, but I think generally reasonable in terms of prices. The Tabard Inn is also in this neighborhood, and might be an option (although it is on the old side, and I haven't seen a room there.) The room at the Beacon was just adequate; on the small side, and was clean. But extremely bland and generic. Furnished like a very mid-range hotel (perhaps a Doubletree). The bathroom was quite dated -- small bathtub not suitable for bathing, small sink. There was a "free" breakfast included in the price of our stay. This amounted to a danish, some fruit, a glass of orange juice from concentrate, average coffee. If you are not a carb eater, you will have to order off the menu (very average omelet for $14). The design of the hotel lobby and restaurant is off. It tries to be stylish, but just misses the mark by the extreme "busy-ness" of the decor. There will be some cool elements (e.g., stylish lighting fixtures, use of bamboo style wood at the desk), but these are combined with really ugly and unstylish ceilings, wall treatments, etc. The staff at check-in weren't all that friendly, but they weren't terrible. The maids in the hall were very nice and friendly. The neighborhood is in DuPont Circle, and I think that this would be a good area from which to explore DC. Relatively close to the Metro, and near some neighborhoods that will be nicer to explore in the evenings than downtown DC. Bottom line: I think you can probably do better in DC.