I love charming and cool little boutique hotels -- like the Artus in Paris or the Zetter in London. This is NOT that type of hotel. From the writeups and reviews of the Palomar, it sounded similar - but it falls short. The hotel isn't bad -- the decor is forced and overdone -- trying too hard to be cool and missing the mark. The rooms are small but comfortable. Rooms look and feel more like a mid-range Hyatt or Hilton than a cool boutique hotel - In my opinion, putting animal print clothing for sale in the closet (how odd!) doesn't make a cookie-cutter, chain-style room stylish. But the rooms did have some key amenitites like a safe that can fit a laptop and a lighted magnifying mirror in the bathroom. Best thing in the hotel is the lounge behind the restaurant - comfortable with a nice wine list for late evening (though Le Bar at the Sofitel Lafayette Square is much better - so not a reason to stay here). But, the thing that would keep me from ever staying at the Palomar again was the cheap shower head with almost no water pressure. I was only there 1 night for business, so I dealt with it and mentioned it upon checkout rather than trying to have it fixed - where I learned from the front desk staff that mine was not an isolated experience at all. I was told that it does happen and 'next time, call and we'll send an engineer to replace the shower head'. When I travel for business (well, for any reason) - knowing in advance to plan extra time to wait for an engineer so that I can shower is not my idea of a good hotel.

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Hotel Palomar the night of July 4th since we were in DC for the holiday fireworks. I had stayed at a previous Kimpton Hotel in DC last year (Hotel Helix), so I wanted to try Hotel Palomar and it was near an area that would allow us to sightsee.

We checked in on Friday afternoon and were greeted at the front desk by name. I appreciated that personal touch. We headed up to our King room on the 4th floor, with a nice view of the hotel pool. Our room had a bit of an entryway and great lighting throughout. We had a nice 'reclining' chair, and a big screen tv and desk across from the giant bed. The mattress & bedclothes were wonderfully comfy and plush.

We love that almost every light fixture was on a dimmer switch - even those in the bathroom. This was a great touch that helped us to relax after a long day of walking & sightseeing.

We did attend the wine reception in the hotel lobby, which was very enjoyable. The vibe in the hotel was very friendly and sociable, but be aware that if the hotel is busy, there are not enough seats/standing room for everyone in the lobby. We ended up sitting on some of the steps by the doors just to fit. It wasn't uncomfortable - only a little full. Get there early if you want to sit on a chair or love seat.

The staff was very friendly overall, although there was one instance when we were not acknowledged very quickly at the front desk since staff were talking to each other about their own weekend plans. This did not deter from my overall opinion, however, since other staff made up for this disinterest.

Even after we checked out, we were able to leave our bags at the bell desk until we wanted them, and that is a much appreciated amenity in this city!

We also highly recommend the crepe restaurant across the street - Crepes a go-go! They have sweet & savory crepes, coffee, drinks & gelato. They stay open late and their counter staff was friendly also.

A great stay and a great holiday!

We stayed at the hotel over the July 4th weekend and couldn't ask for anything better. From the valet staff to the concierge, people were very friendly and willing to help out in any way they could. Our room was beautifully decorated with a very modern boutique feel. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will definitely stay at this hotel in the heart of Dupont Circle again on our next visit to our country's capital!

Stayed there for 4 nights while my husband was on a business trip. We had our room changed 3 times. The first, they put us in a real dark dungeon, on the bottom floor in a handicap room accessible room. It was so dark I fell over a chair while the bellman was there. The second room was on the conference level and you could here people coming in and out of the conference rooms, talking.... it was nuts. The 3rd room was fine. It had a veiw of the parking lot, btu I got the piece and quite I neede. The happy hour was great every day at 5.00. It gave us something to look forward to after a long day of being a tourista. Great location. Lots of places to eat and get food delivered. We ate at the hotel restaurant twice. Once for dinner, and then b'fast. B'fast was a waste of money. But t he dinner was actually nice. You would think you were in L.A. the staff there are a bit of a snob...a lot of them.