More about The Liaison Capitol Hill, An Affinia Hotel
Good Hotel Getting Better
by TripAdvisor Member Richard56
My wife and I stayed at the Liaison Capitol Hill for two nights over the July 4th Holiday. The location could not have been better. The hotel is just few blocks easy walk to both the Capitol Building and Union Station and is just minutes from the museums and other Mall attractions.
The hotel is still remodeling...the on-site restaurant is not yet open (room service is available) and there are still some signs of construction around the lobby. The hotel does a nice job of keeping the contruction out of sight and it was not intrusive at all. I believe constrction may be winding down soon. Our remodeled room with a king bed was comfortable, tastefully decorated and spotless...a welcome respite from the hectic activities of Washington DC on Independence Day. Staff was very friendly, including the housekeeping crew. Desk staff worked very hard to appease every customer I saw and acted professional at all times.
There were some rough spots. The valet parking was slow. We arrived at a prime time for check-in and this probably was why. I also thought the parking charges were high, but it was a holiday and parking is at a premium in DC. Check-in itself was fast and courteous. Plasma or LED televisions should be in every room and that has not happen yet.
To sum up, when all services and amenities are in place, this hotel has the potential to be a great place to stay. The general manager shows a genuine interest in customer opinion and it appears this interest has trickled down through all levels of staff. The Liaison Capitol Hill is a good place to stay now and it is only going to get better. I would not hesitate to book a room again.
Great place to stay
by TripAdvisor Member volslovethebeach
My family and I stayed at the Liaison Capitol Hill for 5 days over the 4th of July week-end. I was a little worried after reading the reviews from others, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Yes, the hotel is going through changes, but there was really nothing that we missed. I know hubby and son would have loved a flat screen, but there really wasn't time to watch television anyway!
We loved the roof top pool and the staff was super nice. We never had any problems with the staff not wanting to help.
We were also worried about safety, but we never felt threatened. We walked to Union Station almost nightly and used the Metro to go the ESPN Zone and a Washington Nationals game. Yes, there were a few homeless people, but they never bothered us and you will see homeless in every large town.
Overall, we loved our stay and if ever in DC again, will stay with the Liaison again.
Perfect Location. Forgettable Staff.
by TripAdvisor Member travelgoddess3Boston
We booked the hotel because of it's perfect location and reasonable price. Also, since we were traveling with two young kids, a pool was a must! The Liaison Capitol Hill had just that -- a pool, great room rates on Hotels.com and a perfect location (only 4 blocks from Union Station and the Capitol Building). If you're looking for anything more than location, look elsewhere. The hotel is undergoing renovations and it's obvious. The beds are dinged up, the furniture has been wrecked (but neatly placed back in its appropriate spot in the room) and there is plenty of dust and soot throughout the hotel. CAVEAT: The only room I saw was my room so there might be floors that are more renovated and it's worth asking that at check-in. However, the staff is simply horrible. They couldn't give directions, had no suggestions for dining, and couldn't be of any help when it came to public transportation or museum/sights hours of operation. Bottom line: if you've been to Washington, DC and you're comfortable with the area, stay at this hotel. If this is your first time visiting Washington and you'll require some assistance from hotel and concierge staff, look elsewhere.
Great Stay
by TripAdvisor Member PlanoTexasMember
My family (2 adults, 2 children 7 & 10) stayed at this hotel July 3-8. I got a great steal of a rate at $129 a night. We really enjoyed our stay.
First, the location was excellent. I felt safe in the area. Union station was just around the corner. It was also right down the street from a good restaurant called Capitol City Brewery and the Smithsonian Postal museum -both of which my kids really enjoyed. There was also a Starbucks nearby. It was a very quick walk from the fireworks on the mall.
Second, the hotel itself was very nice. Our room was attractive and sparkling clean. The beds were extremely comfortable. The bathroom area was a little small for all of us but it was decorated very nice and came with Aveda products. They had free coffee service in the mornings and a delicious cold fruit drink available in the evenings. There was a gift shop, and plenty of tourist brochures and maps available at the front desk. The rooftop pool area was attractive as well -with very nice chairs and couches.
Third, I found the staff to be friendly and helpful.
Most of the negative reviews of this hotel seem to be because of the recent renovation -which is just about finished. As far as I can tell, just the absence of flat screen tv's and the restaurant/bar is all that is left to do. They had a bar set up in the lobby every night so people could still sit and have drinks. They could also use a few more chairs by the pool. They had a huge party on the roof for the 4th of July so maybe they were stored somewhere to make room for the party.
I would definitely stay at this hotel again should I return to DC.
Has promise, but just not there yet
by TripAdvisor Member Displaced_City_Girl
I hate having to give this hotel a sub-par review because they really worked with our last minute schedule changes during the booking process. That type of cooperation is very common with a 4 star hotel, but not so much with a budget hotel. And, folks, this is a budget hotel. You cannot visit the Liaison thinking 4-Star. It is more like 2.5 stars.
The rooms are very nicely decorated and it has sooo much potential, but it is the details that keep it from getting there, half painted molding around the doors, stained carpets, fixtures with rust stains, etc.
Regardless, the lobby smelled a little funny, but they are doing renovations so I brushed it off. When we finally checked-in (despite the line, there was only one person at the desk so it was kind of slow) and were SHARPLY advised by bellman not to park in front of the hotel. My husband explained they he was just helping me in with our bags. I went up to the room and the smell of mold was overwhelming. We were so tired, I laid down and tried to go to sleep, but the smell was unbearable. I wanted to go across the street to the Hyatt, but my husband insisted that we request another room instead of forfeiting the money. So, we went to get another room on a lower floor that was a little noisy, but smelled much better. (In these cases, most hotels would have ungraded you, which is another sign that this is very much a budget hotel.
Personally, if you are looking for similar hotels, I would suggest Jurys or Hotel George which is around the corner and has a fantastic restaurant.
Excellent Experience and Value at The Liaison
by TripAdvisor Member lsayerscullen
We booked a room at The Liaison for three nights after securing a fantastic price through Travelzoo. Despite mixed reviews regarding a recent renovation of this hotel, we were thrilled with our experience there! We were just blocks from the Capitol, as well as only a few blocks from the Union Station Metro stop, and I agree with the other travelers on this site that the location is superb. We were greeted pleasantly and enthusiastically by front desk staff--the hotel even offers the cleverly-named, icy cold "political punch" upon your entry. The room was excellent--a comfortable, king-size bed, and stylish, modern furniture and decor. The bathroom is a little small (and, curiously, has no fan, so the mirror remains foggy after your showers for awhile), but nice, clean, tasteful, and includes Aveda products. We did not have the flat screen t.v. that has been mentioned on this site--but we had NO time to watch t.v.--it's D.C., after all! We would have loved a refrigerator in the room, too, but really, we were happy to live without it since the room was wonderful and the location ideal. Though we did not have time to enjoy it, the rooftop pool and cocktail bar looked fantastic, too. There was limited food service, but we ordered room service for breakfast one morning, and everything was delivered promptly and tasted delicious. The hotel was bustling with groups and other guests all weekend long throughout our visit, and it is clear the hotel is diligently striving for the completion of the renovation as well as complete satisfaction of their guests. We will recommend this hotel to our friends and family, and we will stay there again ourselves when we can get back to D.C.
Not the best; not the worst
by TripAdvisor Member DLCJP
Family of four on Washington DC vacation.
The good:
Location - two blocks from the Capitol, Library of Congress, mall, Union Station/Metro lines.
Employees - very nice, friendly, helpful. Plenty of friendly greetings from everyone - room service, security, front desk.
Pool - nice roof top pool, though a spa sure would have been nice after a long day of walking around town. BBQ & drinks on the weekends were nice. Helpful, friendly bartender.
The not so good:
Location - next door to a vacant, run down building, and liquor store; a block away from a homeless shelter (though no one there bothered us); surrounded by pan handlers, one even at the front of the hotel (average requests for money per day, about five). I wasn't crazy about my high school age child wandering the area alone.
Rooms - not family friendly. Sink, toilet, shower all in one little room (no morning multi-tasking); small rooms (one chair); sketchy room service (number of delivered towels a mystery). Computer use (one off the lobby) is close to $6.00 per :15 minutes, or, wifi is $10 for the day (it's been a long time since I stayed in a not-free-internet hotel).
Other room issues: electric outlets well hidden; light fixture hanging from ceiling; dirty windows, thin walls (could hear entire conversations), stuck bathroom door (trapped my son one night).
No lobby to speak of (no place to get away for a few minutes to breathe). Lobby not much bigger than a large hotel room. Conferences (which there seemed to be one every week day) took over the entire first floor, draining the complimentary coffee way before the 9:00am advertised time. Felt like a stranger/outsider in my own hotel.
While front desk was helpful, they were also very busy, especially at check-out and check-in time; no concierge desk.
Would I return to this hotel? Don't know. Business trip - most likely. Family trip - probably not.
Stylish, comfortable, affordable hotel
by TripAdvisor Member ChicagoFreesia
First of all, the location in Washington, DC, is ideal. The hotel is located in the Capitol Hill area of the District, just a few blocks from the United States Capitol grounds. The hotel itself is a former Holiday Inn but it looks nothing like a Holiday Inn these days. It has been completely renovated and updated and has turned into a swank and modern, but comfortable and unpretentious, hotel. The only drawback (and it was not even a big deal to me) is that the on-site restaurant is not open yet; it is still being remodeled. The hotel does offer a complete in-room dining menu for visitors who do not care to venture out into the District for a meal. The prices are a bit steep, as one would expect, but for some it might be worth the convenience. Every member of the staff that we talked to was incredibly personable, friendly, and helpful. One of the bell captains even gave us his cell phone number in case we were out elsewhere in the city and were unable to find a taxi to get back to the hotel. He was willing to call for one and have it sent to us, wherever we might be. The room was attractively decorated in modern brown and light blue hues, with complimentary Aveda products in the bathroom, and a half dozen down pillows on the beds to sink into after a long, tiring day of exploring. The hotel also has a rooftop swimming pool bordered by a huge deck. There are plenty of deck chairs for guests, as well as several huge, bed-type loungers with tons of pillows. The pool is open from 10:00am to 10:00pm, and on weekends the rooftop grill is operational. Guests can sit by the pool and enjoy burgers, hot dogs, and the like. We spent one evening on the deck, enjoying some peach mojitos and the comfort of the pillowy lounger.
This hotel is highly recommended for location, comfort, cleanliness, and the awesome staff. I will stay there again on my next trip to DC.
Nice Hotel Good Location
by TripAdvisor Member dogboy69
This Hotel was a very comfortable and a nice stay. The beds were comfy and the pillows were great. It has a great location near Union Station. The rooftop pool was very nice. My only complaints with this place is that some of the renovations were done poorly. The paint was peeling off the side of the vanity. The windows were tinted and
that was peeling off. The wallpaper was peeling also. I don't know if all rooms were that way. I didn't effect my stay. The elevator door was painted and scratched up. I would call whoever did the renovations and have them fix there shoddy work.
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